(1859). "He behaved," said he, "with unflinching firmness." "I sent up the petition that he might be saved." 1126

Six of Brown's followers were executed later. Emerson spoke of John Brown as "that new saint" who "will make the gallows glorious like the cross"; 117 but Lincoln, and the Republican Party generally, strongly condemned the Harper's Ferry invasion.1128

The affair threw the South into an uproar. When Congress assembled, Ex-President Tyler said of Virginia: "But one sentiment pervades the country, security in the Union, or separation." 1129

A Senate Committee reported that the invasion "was simply the act of lawless ruffians under the sanction of no public or political authority"; "'; 1180 but notwithstanding that assurance, the gulf between North and South appeared to have widened. Just before his execution, John Brown declared that the negro question could never be settled save by the "shedding of blood." He was right; in less than two years after his death at Charlestown, Virginia, a Massachusetts regiment, on its way to the defence of the Union, marched through that place (1862) singing:

"John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,

But his soul goes marching on." 1181

441. The national political conventions of 1860. — The Democratic Convention met at Charleston and adopted a platform endorsing Popular Sovereignty (§ 422), thereby fully recognizing "the right of the people of all the Territories" "to form a constitution with or without domestic slavery." The Southern delegates hoped that the Convention would explicitly sustain the Dred Scott decision (§ 434), which declared the Territories open to slavery independent of the will of the people. They expressed their disappointment by seceding. Later, they organized a Convention of their own, affirmed the principles of the Dred Scott decision, and nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky and Joseph Lane of

1132

Oregon for the presidency and vice-presidency. Meanwhile the remaining delegates of the original Charleston Convention nominated Stephen A. Douglas (§ 422) for President, and Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia for Vice-President.' Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia thought that this split in the Democratic Party was the forerunner of civil war. He said: “Men will be cutting one another's throats in a little while." 1133 The "Constitutional Union Party," composed mainly of "Know Nothings" (§ 419) and "Old Whigs" ($ 419), adopted a platform which did not mention slavery, but simply pledged the party to maintain "the Constitution of the country, the Union of the States, and the enforcement of the laws." They nominated John Bell of Tennessee and Edward Everett of Massachusetts. This gave them the popular name of the "Bell and Everett Party.' " 1134

(§

The Republican Convention met in Chicago. They adopted a platform which denounced "threats of disunion" as an "avowal of contemplated treason"; they branded the Dred Scott decision (§ 433) as "a dangerous political heresy "; they recognized "the right of each State" "to control its own domestic institutions," but rejected "Popular Sovereignty" ($ 422) by denying "the authority of Congress, of a Territorial Legislature, or of any individual to give existence to slavery in any Territory of the United States." 1135

Finally, amid the cheers and yells of ten thousand excited men, they nominated Abraham Lincoln (§ 439) and Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for President and Vice-President.

Leading Southern men declared that Lincoln, like Frémont ($ 431), was a "sectional candidate," supported only by a "sectional party," and that they would never "submit to a 'Black Republican' President." 1136 The Republicans disclaimed all hostility to the South, but affirmed that it was slavery that was "sectional," and that the spirit of American institutions demanded freedom in the Territories for the best interests of all.

11

442. The election of Lincoln (1860). From the outset it was evident that if zeal could elect the Republican candidate he was sure of success. "Wide-Awake Clubs," dressed in uniform and carrying flaring torches, marched nightly through every Northern city and town, making the streets ring with their campaign songs. These parades foreshadowed the marches to the battlefield in which men of all parties were soon to take part. The Governor of South Carolina, believing that Lincoln's election would give slavery "a fatal blow," sent a circular letter to the Governors of the other cotton States, declaring that his State stood ready to secede in case the Republicans won the day.'

1137

The pop

At the election (1860) Lincoln received 180 electoral votes (but not one in the slave States); Breckenridge 72 (but not one in the free States); Bell 39, and Douglas 12. ular vote stood 1,866,452 for Lincoln, 849,781 for Breckenridge, 588,879 for Bell, and 1,376,957 for Douglas.1188

443. Action of South Carolina; Buchanan's message; feeling at the North; Stephens's speech; the Crittenden Compromise. The news of Lincoln's election (1860) was received in Charleston, South Carolina, "with long-continued cheering for a Southern Confederacy," and the Legislature summoned a Convention to decide the question of secession.1139

In his annual message (1860), President Buchanan declared: (1) that no State had the constitutional right to secede, and quoted General Jackson's words (§ 355) with approval; (2) that the federal Government would take measures to hold the forts and other property of the United States in South Carolina; (3) but that the Government had no constitutional power "to coerce a State." 1140

The action of South Carolina was a surprise to the North. Many Northern men urged that immediate concessions should be made to prevent separation; others believed that separation was inevitable. Two leading New York papers, representing the two great political parties, declared that the South had the

same right to secede from the Union that the thirteen colonies had to secede from Great Britain."141 On the other hand, Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, in a speech before the Georgia Legislature (November 14, 1860), called on the South to accept Lincoln's election; to secede because of that election, said he, "puts us in the wrong." Then he significantly added: "Some of our public men have failed in their aspirations"; "from that comes a great part of our troubles." This statement of Stephens's was greeted with prolonged applause. Pollard of Virginia later said that Southern ambition for office was a strong factor in secession.

Senator Crittenden of Kentucky led a compromise movement in Congress. He advocated (1) the extension of the former Missouri Compromise parallel of 36° 30' (§ 324) through to the Pacific, so as to permanently divide the Territories into free-state and slave-state sections; (2) he proposed to strictly enforce the Fugitive-Slave Act (§ 412), or secure compensation for every slave rescued.1148 Crittenden's well-meant attempt

came to nothing, so too did a movement to amend the Constitution so as to protect slavery in the Southern States.

444. Secession of South Carolina (1860); statement of reasons; six other States follow (1861). — The crisis was reached on December 20, 1860. On that eventful day the South Carolina Convention (§ 443), sitting in Charleston, unanimously passed an ordinance of secession. It declared that the union existing between South Carolina and the other States "is hereby dissolved." 1144

The citizens of Charleston hailed the announcement with the wildest demonstrations of delight, and the daily papers of the city began forthwith to print all intelligence received from the North under the heading: Foreign News.

South Carolina, having declared herself independent, sent a commission to Washington to demand of the United States the prompt surrender of all forts, arsenals, and other property held by the federal Government within the seceded State. The

CHARLESTON

MERCURY

EXTRA:

Passed unanimously at 1.15 o'clock, P. M., December 20th, 1860.

AN ORDINANCE

To dissolve the Union between the State of South Carolina and other States united with her wider the compact entitled “The Constitution of the United States of America."

We the People of the State of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and is hereby declared and ordained

That the Ordinance adopted by us in Convention, on the twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, whereby the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified, and also, an Acts and parts of Acts of the General Assembly of this State, ratifying amendments of the said Constitution, are hereby repealed: dad that the union now subsisting between South Carolina and other Blates, ander the name of "The United States of America," is hereby dissolved.

THE

UNION

DISSOLVED!