e
State, was now engaged in tearing down and remodelling to meet the petty
wants of the Republic of Alabama the august structure of the Federal
Constitution. The work was soon completed, and on the 29th of January
this body, which in a brief session of three weeks had carried through
measures involving some of the most stupendous changes possible to a
civil State, adjourned to meet again on the 4th of March, cutting off,
by this, all possibility of any of the questions which it had discussed
being brought before the people by a new election. On the week following
the adjournment of the convention, the confederate congress assembled in
Montgomery.

This body immediately showed a fine appreciation of the state of public
feeling, and drew to itself the confidence of the people by selecting
for president and vice-president of the temporary government men who
were thought to represent the more conservative element in community.
Mr. Davis, at the time of his election, was in Mississippi, but on
receiving the official announcement of the event, started at once for
Montgomery, passing through Southern Tennessee, then a loyal State,
along a path nearly parallel to the one in which Mr. Lincoln was at the
same time moving a little farther north.

He reached the city in the night, but a large crowd was awaiting his
arrival at the depot. A procession of carriages, filled with members of
the confederate congress, led the way to the hotel. It was preceded by a
military band, and at regular intervals rockets were discharged,
announcing to the distant beholder the progress of the procession. All
felt that by attention to these honorary details they were assisting to
give dignity to the newly formed confederacy. On arriving at the hotel,
Mr. Davis was announced to speak from the balcony. The crowd pressed
curiously forward. Two candles threw a faint, yellow light over a
spare, angular form, rather below the medium height, lighting up, at the
same time, the sunken cheeks and strongly marked jaws of a face now
working with the emotions which the unusual events of the evening were
so well calculated to excite.

The ceremonies of inauguration were postponed to the beginning of the
following week. Early on Monday morning, however, the hill before the
capitol was covered with a vast throng, collected from all parts of the
new confederacy. For the accomodation of the members of congress, a
temporary platform had been erected in front of the