the day of the confederacy-第2章

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Unionists　put　up　a　stout　fight。　The　issue　was　not　upon　the　right
to　secedevirtually　no　one　denied　the　rightbut　upon　the　wisdom
of　invoking　the　right。　Stephens；　gloomy　and　pessimistic；　led　the
opposition。　Toombs　came　down　from　Washington　to　take　part　with
the　secessionists。　From　South　Carolina　and　Alabama；　both
ceaselessly　active　for　secession；　commissioners　appeared　to　lobby
at　Milledgeville；　as　commissioners　of　Alabama　and　Mississippi　had
lobbied　at　Columbia。　Besides　the　out…and…out　Unionists；　there
were　those　who　wanted　to　temporize；　to　threaten　the　North；　and　to
wait　for　developments。　The　motion　on　which　these　men　and　the
Unionists　made　their　last　stand　together　went　against　them　164　to
133。　Then　at　last　came　the　square　question：　Shall　we　secede？　Even
on　this　question；　the　minority　was　dangerously　large。　Though　the
temporizers　came　over　to　the　secessionists；　and　with　them　came
Stephens；　there　was　still　a　minority　of　89　irreconcilables
against　the　majority　numbering　208。

〃My　allegiance；〃　said　Stephens　afterwards；　〃was；　as　I　considered
it；　not　due　to　the　United　States；　or　to　the　people　of　the　United
States；　but　to　Georgia；　in　her　sovereign　capacity。　Georgia　had
never　parted　with　her　right　to　demand　the　ultimate　allegiance　of
her　citizens。〃

The　attempt　in　Georgia　to　restrain　impetuosity　and　advance　with
deliberation　was　paralleled　in　Alabama；　where　also　the
aggressives　were　determined　not　to　permit　delay。　In　the　Alabama
convention；　the　conservatives　brought　forward　a　plan　for　a
general　Southern　convention　to　be　held　at　Nashville　in　February。
It　was　rejected　by　a　vote　of　54　to　45。　An　attempt　to　delay
secession　until　after　the　4th　of　March　was　defeated　by　the　same
vote。

The　determination　of　the　radicals　to　precipitate　the　issue
received　interesting　criticism　from　the　Governor　of　Texas；　old
Sam　Houston。　To　a　commissioner　from　Alabama　who　was　sent　out　to
preach　the　cause　in　Texas　the　Governor　wrote；　in　substance；　that
since　Alabama　would　not　wait　to　consult　the　people　of　Texas　he
saw　nothing　to　discuss　at　that　time；　and　he　went　on　to　say：

Recognizing　as　I　do　the　fact　that　the　sectional　tendencies　of　the
Black　Republican　party　call　for　determined　constitutional
resistance　at　the　hands　of　the　united　South；　I　also　feel　that　the
million　and　a　half　of　noble…hearted；　conservative　men　who　have
stood　by　the　South；　even　to　this　hour；　deserve　some　sympathy　and
support。　Although　we　have　lost　the　day；　we　have　to　recollect　that
our　conservative　Northern　friends　cast　over　a　quarter　of　a
million　more　votes　against　the　Black　Republicans　than　we　of　the
entire　South。　I　cannot　declare　myself　ready　to　desert　them　as
well　as　our　Southern　brethren　of　the　border　（and　such；　I　believe；
will　be　the　sentiment　of　Texas）　until　at　least　one　firm　attempt
has　been　made　to　preserve　our　constitutional　rights　within　the
Union。

Nevertheless；　Houston　was　not　able　to　control　his　State。
Delegates　from　Texas　attended　the　later　sessions　of　a　general
Congress　of　the　seceding　States　which；　on　the　invitation　of
Alabama；　met　at　Montgomery　on　the　4th　of　February。　A　contemporary
document　of　singular　interest　today　is　the　series　of　resolutions
adopted　by　the　Legislature　of　North　Carolina；　setting　forth　that；
as　the　State　was　a　member　of　the　Federal　Union；　it　could　not
accept　the　invitation　of　Alabama　but　should　send　delegates　for
the　purpose　of　persuading　the　South　to　effect　a　readjustment　on
the　basis　of　the　Crittenden　Compromise　as　modified　by　the
Legislature　of　Virginia。　The　commissioners　were　sent；　were
graciously　received；　were　accorded　seats　in　the　Congress；　but
they　exerted　no　influence　on　the　course　of　its　action。

The　Congress　speedily　organized　a　provisional　Government　for　the
Confederate　States　of　America。　The　Constitution　of　the　United
States；　rather　hastily　reconsidered；　became　with　a　few　inevitable
alterations　the　Constitution　of　the　Confederacy。*　Davis　was
unanimously　elected　President；　Stephens；　Vice…President。
Provision　was　made　for　raising　an　army。　Commissioners　were
dispatched　to　Washington　to　negotiate　a　treaty　with　the　United
States；　other　commissioners　were　sent　to　Virginia　to　attempt　to
withdraw　that　great　commonwealth　from　the　Union。

*　To　the　observer　of　a　later　age　this　document　appears　a　thing　of
haste。　Like　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　of　1787；　who　omitted
from　their　document　some　principles　which　they　took　for　granted；
the　framers　of　1861　left　unstated　their　most　distinctive　views。
The　basal　idea　upon　which　the　revolution　proceeded；　the　right　of
secession；　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　new　Constitution。　Though　the
preamble　declares　that　the　States　are　acting　in　their　sovereign
and　independent　character；　the　new　Confederation　is　declared
〃permanent。〃　In　the　body　of　the　document　are　provisions　similar
to　those　in　the　Federal　Constitution　enabling　a　majority　of
two…thirds　of　the　States　to　amend　at　their　pleasure；　thus
imposing　their　will　upon　the　minority。　With　three　notable
exceptions　the　new　Constitution；　subsequent　to　the　preamble；　does
little　more　than　restate　the　Constitution　of　1787　rearranged　so
as　to　include　those　basal　principles　of　the　English　law　added　to
the　earlier　Constitution　by　the　first　eight　amendments。　The　three
exceptions　are　the　prohibitions　（1）　of　the　payment　of　bounties；
（2）　of　the　levying　of　duties　to　promote　any　one　form　of　industry；
and　（3）　of　appropriations　for　internal　improvements。　Here　was　a
monument　to　the　battle　over　these　matters　in　the　Federal
Congress。　As　to　the　mechanism　of　the　new　Government　it　was　the
same　as　the　old　except　for　a　few　changes　of　detail。　The
presidential　term　was　lengthened　to　six　years　and　the　President
was　forbidden　to　succeed　himself。　The　President　was　given　the
power　to　veto　items　in　appropriation　bills。　The　African
slave…trade　was　prohibited。

The　upper　South　was　thus　placed　in　a　painful　situation。　Its
sympathies　were　with　the　seceding　States。　Most　of　its　people　felt
also　that　if　coercion　was　attempted；　the　issue　would　become　for
Virginia　and　North　Carolina；　no　less　than　for　South　Carolina　and
Alabama；　simply　a　matter　of　self…preservation。　As　early　as
January；　in　the　exciting　days　when　Floyd's　resignation　was　being
interpreted　as　a　call　to　arms；　the　Virginia　Legislature　had
resolved　that　it　would　not　consent　to　the　coercion　of　a　seceding
State。　In　May　the　Speaker　of　the　North　Carolina　Legislature
assured　a　commissioner　from　Georgia　that　North　Carolina　would
never　consent　to　the　movement　of　troops　〃from　or　across〃　the
State　to　attack　a　seceding　State。　But　neither　Virginia　nor　North
Carolina　in　this　second　stage　of　the　movement　wanted　to　secede。
They　wanted　to　preserve　the　Union；　but　along　with　the　Union　they
wanted　the　principle　of　local　autonomy。　It　was　a　period　of　tense
anxiety　in　those　States　of　the　upper　South。　The　frame　of　mind　of
the　men　who　loved　the　Union　but　who　loved　equally　their　own
States　and　were　firm　for　local　autonomy　is　summed　up　in　a　letter
in　which　Mrs。　Robert　E。　Lee　describes　the　anguish　of　her　husband
as　he　confronted　the　possibility　of　a　divided　country。

The　real　tragedy　of　the　time　lay　in　the　failure　of　the　advocates
of　these　two　great　principleseach　so　necessary　to　a　far…flung
democratic　country　in　a　world　of　great　powers！the　failure　to
coordinate　them　so　as　to　insure　freedom　at　home　and　strength
abroad。　The　principle　for　which　Lincoln　stood　has　saved　Americans
in　the　Great　War　from　playing　such　a　trembling　part　as　that　of
Holland。　The　principle　which　seemed　to　Lee　even　more　essential；
which　did　not　perish　at　Appomattox　but　was　transformed　and　not
destroyed；　is　what　has　kept　us　from　becoming　a　western　Prussia。
And　yet　if　only　it　had　been　possible　to　coordinate　the　two
without　the　price　of　war！　It　was　not　possible　because　of　the
stored　up　bitterness　of　a　quarter　century　of　recrimination。　But
Virginia　made　a　last　desperate　attempt　to　preserve　the　Union　by
calling　the　Peace　Convention。　It　assembled　at　Washington　the　day
the　Confederate　Congress　met　at　Montgomery。　Though　twenty…one
States　sent　delegates；　it　was　no　more　able　to　effect　a　working
scheme　of　compromise　than　was　the　House　committee　of　thirty…three
or　the　Senate　committee　of　thirt