he Southern
States, excepting one or two, had pledged themselves to separate
from the Union upon the triumph of a sectional party in the
Presidential election, by acts or resolutions of their
Legislatures, resolves of both Democratic and Whig State
Conventions, and of primary assemblies of the people--in every
way in which they could commit themselves to any future act.
Their purpose was proclaimed to the world through the press and
telegraph, and criticised in Congress, in the Northern
Legislatures, in press and pulpit, and on the hustings, during
many months before Congress met in December, 1860.

"Over and above all these facts, the reports of the United
States Senate show that, prior to the 5th of January, 1861,
Southern Senators united with Northern Democratic Senators in an
effort to effect pacification and prevent secession, and that
Jefferson Davis was one of a committee appointed by the Senate
to consider and report such a measure; that it failed because
the Northern Republicans opposed everything that looked to
peace; that Senator Douglas arraigned them as trying to
precipitate secession, referred to Jefferson Davis as one who
sought conciliation, and called upon the Republican Senators to
tell what they would do, if anything, to restore harmony and
prevent disunion. They did not even deign a response. Thus, by
their sullen silence, they made confession (without avoidance)
of their stubborn purpose to hold up no hand raised to maintain
the Union...."

[Footnote 108: "History of the Civil war," by the Count of Paris;
American translation, vol. i, p. 122.]

[Footnote 109: Ibid, p. 125.]

[Footnote 110: Subjoined are the resolutions referred to, adopted by the
Senators from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,
and Arkansas. Messrs. Toombs, of Georgia, and Sebastian, of Arkansas,
are said to have been absent from the meeting:

"_Resolved_, That, in our opinion, each of the States should, as
soon as may be, secede from the Union.

"_Resolved_, That provision should be made for a convention to
organize a confederacy of the seceding States: the Convention to
meet not later than the 15th of February, at the city of
Montgomery, in the State of Alabama.

"_Resolved_, That, in view of the hostile legislation that is
threatened against the seceding States, and