e struggle for
the preservation of the Union, with the political and social powers of
the State arrayed against him, that he should desire whatever aid it
might be in her power to render him.

A few days after the Presidential election Miss Carroll wrote Governor
Hicks upon the probable designs of the Southern leaders should the
cotton States secede, and suggested the importance of not allowing a
call for the Legislature to be made a question. That she might be in a
position to make her services more effective, she repaired to
Washington on the meeting of Congress in December, and soon understood
that the Southern leaders regarded the dissolution of the Union as
accomplished.

The leading disunionists from Maryland and Virginia were on the ground
in consultation with the secession leaders in Congress, and the
emissaries from the cotton States soon made their appearance, when it
was resolved to make Maryland the base of their operations and bring
her into the line of the seceding States before the power of the
Democratic party had passed away, on the 4th of March, 1861.

Hence every agency that wickedness could invent was industriously
manufacturing public opinion in Baltimore and all parts of the State
to coerce Governor Hicks to convene the Legislature.

With Maryland out of the Union they expected to inaugurate their
Southern Confederacy in the Capitol of the United States on the
expiration of President Buchanan's term, on the 4th of March, and by
divesting the North of the seat of Government and retaining possession
of the public buildings and archives, they calculated with great
confidence upon recognition of national independence by European
powers. About the middle of December Miss Carroll communicated to
Governor Hicks their designs on Maryland and suggested the propriety
of a public announcement of his unalterable determination to hold
Maryland to the Union.

After his address on the 3d of January, 1861, resolutions and letters
from men and women endorsing his cause were received from Maryland and
from all quarters of the United States.

Governor Hicks at that time was willing to abide by any terms of
settlement that would save a conflict between the sections. He favored
the compromise proposed by the border States committee, that slavery
should not be forbidden, either by Federal or territorial legislation,
south of 36 deg. 30', and he was strongly inclined to base his action on
the acceptance or reject