was the inevitable result of an antagonism of interests, sentiments, and social structure in the two great sections of the union—the north and the south. the foundation of these tendencies was laid before the formation of the union, in early colonial times. the conflict commenced as soon as a close union was attempted, and the constitution was adopted only through the personal influence of washington and other statesmen of that time, and from the general conviction that it was essential to the protection of the new nation from england and other european powers. some provisions of the constitution involved a compromise between the north and the south; and a constant series of compromises was required to be arranged from time to time, down to this period.

the institution of slavery it was believed by many of the revolutionary fathers, would expire of itself at no distant time; but the value of the cotton cultivated at the south, and the intimate relations that slavery bore to the social life, made it profitable and agreeable to that section, and they held to it with great tenacity. meanwhile the compromises of the constitution grew more and more disagreeable to the north. the requirement of that instrument—that persons held to service in the south,[646] and becoming fugitives in the north, should be returned by them—was objected to on humane and religious grounds, and they found slavery an industrial embarrassment. the enterprise and vigor of the northern population gave their section a more rapid growth, and its political power became continually greater.

but three ways of peacefully avoiding the conflict were open: the north must fully carry out the spirit of concession that gave birth to the union, the south must consent, sooner or later, to abolish its peculiar institutions, or they must agree to separate. interest, habit, and the aristocratic pride of the south forbade the second; while, in the north, interest, religious sentiment, and the workingman’s pride as decidedly forbade the first. the natural relation of the two sections, especially by the mississippi and ohio rivers, so essential to the commercial interests of the western states: the improbability of maintaining amicable intercourse, with slavery in the south, and fugitives from it to produce constant irritation; the apparent probability that, if the right of dissolution were conceded, the west, and the pacific states would follow this example; and the conviction that the true interests of the whole country, internal and external, required an indissoluble union, inspired the majority of the northern people to resist disunion at every cost. on the other hand, the south claimed the right to depart in peace. thus, war was inevitable; nor can it be correctly affirmed that any party, or any generation, or either section of the union, was properly responsible for so lamentable a result. each section, generation, and party follows the line of its own interest, ideas, and habits. it is a law of humanity, and each sees therein its duty and pleasure. while interests do not clash very seriously, while ideas are not sharply and clearly defined, and while habits are yet unsettled, compromises may be readily effected. humanity, taken together, in the most advanced society heretofore known to men, is not yet capable of views so high, liberal, and far-seeing as to free it from the possibility of such conflicts. it will, however, reach that height, in the course of time.

we could not reasonably have expected either the north or the south to have acted differently from what they did. while so gigantic a war was an immense evil; to allow the right of peaceable secession would have been ruin to the enterprise and thrift of the industrious laborer, and keen-eyed business man of the north. it would have been the greatest calamity of the age. war was less to be feared.

the southerner, generous, warm blooded, accustomed to rule and make his own will the law of others in his home, courageous and fiery, could not give way. besides secession would be less damaging to him. he would own the outlets to much of northern commerce, he had a bond of union of the southern states in the common institution of slavery, and a monopoly of the world’s cotton that must soon secure profitable alliances in europe. secession was commenced peaceably, and the southern government fairly consolidated before the trumpet sounded to battle. the[647] democratic party, then in possession of the administration of the general government, had long been in close relations with the south. it was impossible for it to realize the momentous character of the crisis, or to help sympathizing more or less with the views and feelings of the south; it was near the close of its period of rule; and it left the active management of the herculean difficulties of the situation to the incoming administration of the republican party. the whole country was quiet, failing, perhaps, as well as the democrats, to realize the significance of the events taking place. it was a period of breathless waiting for what would come next. the signal was given by the south. fort sumpter in south carolina, a national fort, was bombarded april 12th, 1861. it was an electric shock. the north answered the summons by a note of defiance, and mustered for war.

the south was better prepared, more alert, more accustomed to arms, and secured, at first, many advantages. she also had the advantage of being on the defensive when the contest became close. but, as the months ran into years, the courage and iron resolution of the north did not falter. she had the advantage of numbers, of the general government, of wealth, and of naval force. step by step she conquered, holding all she gained, grew skillful and wise by defeat, and, april 8th, 1865, the main army of the confederates surrendered, and the war was over; the gallant south succumbed to the plucky north. it was a predestined conclusion. the free states were necessarily the strongest, and their strength was supported and inspired by religious sentiment and enthusiasm. the union, so important to the world and to civil liberty, was preserved, but at fearful cost.

probably 500,000 lives were sacrificed altogether, on both sides; and eight or nine billions of dollars. the desolation of the south, which had been mainly the theater of these mighty conflicts; the extreme change in pecuniary circumstances and social life there; the affliction, to freemen, of the subjection, however mild and temperate, necessary under the circumstances to be imposed, for the time, by the federal government; the great loss of valuable life to both sides; the immense debt of the government, with the unavoidable demoralization of certain parts of society, everywhere, by the license of war, and many other evils form the dark side of the picture.

yet, nothing could outweigh the value of the union especially when freed from the discordant element that now disappeared. it must be long before all wounds can be healed. when that time shall come both north and south will be recompensed for all they have suffered.

1860.

nov. 6—four parties contested this election: the republicans voted for abraham lincoln—the democrats for stephen a. douglas and j. c. breckenridge. the old whigs or peace party, ignoring the dangerous political strife, voted for john bell. lincoln was[648] elected. a simple majority of electoral votes would have been 157. he received 180.

” 7—news of lincoln’s election received in south carolina with cheers for a southern confederacy.

” 9—an attempt made to seize the arms in ft. moultrie.

” 10—south carolina legislature propose to raise 10,000 men.

election of convention to consider secession ordered.

jas. chester, u. s. senator from south carolina, resigned.

” 11—senator hammond, of south carolina, resigned.

” 15—governor letcher, of virginia, calls an extra session of the legislature.

” 18—georgia legislature appropriate $1,000,000 to arm the state.

major anderson sent to ft. moultrie to relieve col. gardiner.

” 19—gov. moore calls an extra session of louisiana legislature.

dec. 1—florida legislature order the election of a convention.

great secession meeting in memphis, tennessee.

” 3—congress assembles. president buchanan denies the right of a state to secede, and asserts the propriety of coercion.

” 5—election of secession delegates to south carolina convention.

” 10—howell cobb, u. s. sec. of treasury, resigned; p. f. thomas, of maryland, appointed in his place. senator clay, of ala., resigned. louisiana legislature orders the election of a convention, and appropriates $500,000 to arm the state.

” 13—extra session of the cabinet held to consider if ft. moultrie shall be reinforced. president opposed, and reinforcements not sent.

” 14—gen. lewis cass, u. s. sec. of state, resigns. j. s. black, of pa., appointed.

” 17—south carolina convention assembles.

” 18—crittenden compromise proposed in u. s. senate.

” 19—gov. hicks, of maryland, refuses to receive mississippi commissioners.

” 20—south carolina convention unanimously adopts a secession ordinance.

” 22—crittenden compromise rejected in senate committee.

” 24—people of pittsburg, pa., stop shipment of military stores, from the arsenal there, to southern forts.

gov. moore calls extra session of alabama legislature. election to alabama convention; secession majority over 50,000.

south carolina members of u. s. house of representatives resign.

” 25—maj. anderson abandons ft. moultrie for ft. sumter, charleston harbor. he has only 111 men.

south carolina commissioners arrive in washington. president buchanan declines to receive them.

” 28—south carolina authorities seize castle pinckney, ft. moultrie, u. s. custom-house, and other government property; at charleston.

[649]

” 29—john b. floyd, u. s. sec. of war, resigns. joseph holt, of ky., appointed.

” 31—south carolina sends commissioners to slave states to arrange the organization of a southern confederacy.

1861.

jan. 2—gov. ellis, of north carolina, takes possession of ft. macon.

georgia troops seize fts. pulaski and jackson, and u. s. arsenal, at savannah.

” 4—gov. moore, of ala., seizes ft. morgan, and u. s. arsenal at mobile.

fast day by proclamation of president.

” 7—state conventions of alabama and mississippi, and state legislatures of virginia and tennessee assemble.

” 8—jacob thompson, u. s. sec. of interior, resigns. fts. johnson and caswell, north carolina, seized by state authorities.

” 9—u. s. steamer, star of the west, fired on in charleston harbor and driven away.

mississippi convention adopt secession ordinance. vote 84 to 15.

” 10—florida convention secedes by vote of 62 to 7. florida authorities seize ft. mcrae.

” 11—alabama secedes by vote in convention of 61 to 39. p. f. thomas, u. s. sec. of treasury, resigns. john a. dix appointed. the governor of mississippi seizes forts philip and jackson, on the mississippi river; forts pike and macomb, on lake pontchartrain; and u. s. arsenal at baton rouge.

” 13—florida takes possession of pensacola navy yard and ft. barrancas. lieut. slemmer, in command of ft. pickens, ordered by com. armstrong to deliver the fort to florida, refuses, and preserves that important post to the government of the union.

” 16—legislature of arkansas calls a convention. col. hayne, of south carolina, demands of the president the surrender of ft. sumter, and is refused. missouri legislature order a convention to consider secession.

” 18—the legislature of virginia appropriate $1,000,000 for the defense of the state.

” 19—georgia adopts secession ordinance by vote of 208 to 89.

” 21—members of congress from alabama resign.

” ”—jefferson davis resigns his seat in the u. s. senate.

” 23—georgia members of congress resign.

” 24—u. s. arsenal, augusta, geo., seized.

” 26—louisiana legislature passes secession ordinance. vote 113 to 17.

” 29—kansas, the thirty-fourth state, admitted into the union.

” 30—north carolina legislature submits the question of calling a convention to the people.

[650]

” ”—revenue cutters cass, at mobile, and mcclelland, at new orleans, surrendered to southern authorities.

feb. 1—texas convention passes secession ordinance, to be submitted to the people. vote, 166 to 7. louisiana government seize the u. s. mint and custom house, at new orleans.

” 4—peace convention of delegates from eighteen states, assembles at washington; ex-president tyler presides.

” ”—delegates from seceded states meet at montgomery, ala., to organize a confederate government.

” ”—john slidell and judah p. benjamin, u. s. senators from louisiana, resign their seats.

” 9—jefferson davis and alexander h. stevens elected provisional president and vice-president of confederate states, for one year.

” 13—electoral vote counted. abraham lincoln received 180 votes; s. a. douglas, 12; j. c. breckenridge, 72; john bell, 39. majority required to elect, 157.

” 18—ft. kearney, kansas, seized by southern forces.

” 23—gen. twiggs, u. s. commander in texas, delivered his army prisoners of war, and u. s. property valued at $1,200,000 to confederate authorities.

” 28—territorial government organized in colorado.

mar. 1—gen. twiggs expelled from the army. peace congress adjourned.

” 2—territorial government organized in dacotah and nevada.

” ”—revenue cutter dodge surrendered to the south, at galveston, texas.

” 4—abraham lincoln inaugurated 14th regular president of the united states.

” ”—the people of texas having voted for the secession ordinance by 40,000 majority, the convention declared the state out of the union.

” 5—gen. beauregard takes command of southern forces, at charleston.

” 6—ft. brown, on the rio grande, surrenders to confederate troops. federal troops evacuated the fort and sailed for key west, florida.

” ”—confederate senate confirm nominations of president davis to his cabinet, viz.: r. toombs, of geo., sec. of state; c. s. memminger, of south carolina, sec. of treasury; l. p. walker, of ala., sec. of war; s. r. mallory, of fla., sec. of navy; j. h. reagan, of texas, postmaster gen.; j. p. benjamin, of la., attorney general.

” 11—the constitution of confederate states adopted in convention at montgomery, ala.; afterwards ratified by the several states.

” 28—vote of louisiana on secession—20,448 for, 17,926 against—made public.

” 30—mississippi convention ratifies the confederate constitution, by 78 to 70.

apr. 3—south carolina convention ratifies confederate constitution, by 114 to 6.

[651]

apr. 4—virginia convention refuse to present a secession ordinance to the people, by a vote of 89 to 45.

” 7—intercourse between ft. sumter and charleston stopped by order of gen. beauregard.