Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/194

cedent; is revolutionary in its tendency, and subversive of the peace and harmony of the country. That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom; that, as our republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that ‘no person should be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,’ it becomes our duty, by legislation whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States.” In the presidential election of Nov. 6, 1860, Mr. Lincoln received the electoral votes of all the free states (except three votes in New Jersey, which were given to Mr. Douglas), to the number of 180, and was elected. Mr. Bell received the votes of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, 39; Mr. Douglas the 9 votes of Missouri, which added to 3 from New Jersey gave him a total of 12 votes; and the remaining southern states cast their 72 electoral votes for Breckinridge. The popular vote for Lincoln was 1,866,452; for Douglas, 994,139; for Breckinridge, 669,082; for Bell, 575,193; and 575,327 votes were cast for fusion tickets opposed to Lincoln. The total vote was 4,680,193. When this result became known, the legislature of South Carolina ordered the election of a convention to consider the question of secession. The convention assembled Dec. 17, and on Dec. 20 unanimously adopted a secession ordinance, declaring that “the union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved.” The alleged reason for this action was hostility on the part of the successful party to the institution of slavery. Before the end of May, 1861, 11 states had passed ordinances of secession, in the following order: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The western portion of Virginia refused to be bound by the ordinance of that state, and in 1863 was admitted into the Union as a separate state under the name of West Virginia. In eastern Tennessee also the prevailing sentiment continued favorable to the Union. On Feb. 4, 1861, a congress, composed of delegates from the states that had then seceded, assembled at Montgomery, Ala., and framed a constitution for the “Confederate States of America.” Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was chosen president, and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia vice president; a government was organized, and measures were taken to create an army. The senators and representatives from the seceded states withdrew from the United States congress. Nothing was done by President Buchanan's administration to thwart the purposes of the secessionists, who proceeded to seize the arsenals, custom houses, navy yards, and forts throughout the south. At the close of his term only Fort Sumter at Charleston, S. C., and Fort Pickens at Pensacola, Fla., with the posts on the Florida keys, remained in the possession of the government in the seven states that had then seceded. Various measures were proposed looking to conciliation, but without effect. For details of these, as well as of the progress of secession and the organization of the confederacy, see Confederate States of America. In his inaugural address, March 4, 1861, President Lincoln declared that the accession of a republican administration afforded no ground to the southern states for apprehending any invasion of their rights, and that the power confided to him would be used “to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, and collect the duties and imposts; but, beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere.” “The course here indicated will be followed, unless current events and experience shall show a modification or change to be proper.” (See Lincoln, Abraham.) He appointed as his cabinet William H. Seward, secretary of state; Salmon P. Chase, of the treasury; Simon Cameron, of war; Gideon Welles, of the navy; Caleb B. Smith, of the interior; Edward Bates, attorney general; and Montgomery Blair, postmaster general. The last two were from the slave states of Missouri and Maryland. In 1862 Cameron was succeeded by Edwin M. Stanton (Jan. 14) and Smith by John P. Usher; in 1864 Chase was succeeded by William P. Fessenden, Blair by William Dennison, and Bates by James Speed. Upon Lincoln's second inauguration (1865) Hugh McCulloch succeeded Fessenden. The army at the beginning of active measures on the part of the south was only 16,000 strong (on Jan. 1, 1861, it consisted of 16,402 officers and men, of whom 14,657 were present for duty), and by orders from Mr. Floyd, the secretary of war, who was himself a party to the secession movement, had been dispersed in the remotest parts of the country, while the navy was mostly absent on foreign stations. Under Floyd's orders also an extensive transfer of arms and ammunition from northern to southern arsenals was made during 1860. Before the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln Gen. Twiggs, commanding in Texas, had surrendered to the Texan authorities half the military force of the Union. Most of the army and many of the navy officers from the south resigned upon the secession of their states. The first warlike act was the bombardment by the confederates, under Gen. Beauregard, of Fort Sumter, which was commanded by Major Anderson with a garrison of 109 men. Fire was opened on April 12, 1861, and continued on the 13th, and Major Anderson was compelled to evacuate the fort on the 14th, sailing with his garrison to