e. In
Maryland the governor would not convene the Legislature, and an
irregular convention took no decisive action. Delaware did nothing.
Virginia held a convention, which was not ready for Secession, but
remained in session watching the course of events. The Kentucky
Legislature refused to call a convention, but pledged assistance to the
South in case of invasion.

This last declaration illustrated the second line of defense, behind the
Secessionist advance. The sentiment was general throughout the South,
even among Unionists, that there must be no armed repression of
Secession. It rested partly on the theory of State Sovereignty, and
partly on the sympathy of neighborhood and of common institutions. Even
at the North there was wide disinclination to the use of force against
the Secessionists. The venerable General Scott, chief of the Federal
Army, gave it as his personal opinion that the wise course was to say,
"Wayward sisters, depart in peace." The New York _Tribune_, foremost of
Republican newspapers, declared: "If the cotton States wish to withdraw
from the Union, they should be allowed to do so." "Any attempt to compel
them to remain by force would be contrary to the principles of the
Declaration of Independence, and to the fundamental ideas upon which
human liberty is based." And again: "We hope never to live in a Republic
whereof one section is pinned to the residue by bayonets." Such
expressions were not uncommon among Republicans, and very frequent among
Democrats. Garrison and Phillips were loud in welcoming a separation.
But there were leaders like Wade of Ohio and Chandler of Michigan, whose
temper was very different, and ominous that the West would never consent
to a disruption of the nation.

The governor of Virginia invited all the States to send delegates to a
Peace congress to find means to save the Union. Almost all sent
delegates, and the congress held long sessions, while the Senate and
House were essaying the same task. Little result came in either body,
because neither party would accept the other's concessions. The favorite
measure was that known as the Crittendon compromise, framed by the
Kentucky senator, of which the central feature was the extension of the
old Missouri compromise line of 36 degrees 30 minutes to the Pacific,
with express provision that all territory north of this should be free
and all south should be slave. To this the Republicans would not
consent, but they went far towa