PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND THE WAR.
A. D. 1860 TO 1861.
1860.
After seventy years of party struggles touching the relations
of the General Government to the individual States, the
Presidential contest of 1860 opened with such notes of violence
and public confusion, that it was at once seen that at last the
supreme crisis had come.
2. The only issue apparently before the American people was that
of slavery in the Territories. The Democrats were divided into
two fragments. Those supporting Judge Douglas for the Presidency
advocated "Squatter Sovereignty." The Breckinridge men said that
the question of slavery should only be settled as to the new
States at their constitutional conventions; while Republicans
supporting Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed that only the enactment of
the "Wilmot Proviso" would satisfy them. The Whig candidates,
Messrs. Bell and Everett, and the Whig party, were silent on all
these stormy differences, and were not of much significance in
the general upheaval.
3. Back of this question, however, about slavery in the
Territories, and involved in it, was the real issue between the
Republican and Democratic parties, and that was whether the
Federal Constitution should be the supreme law of the land. The
right of property in slaves was guaranteed by that Constitution,
and if the Republican party could thus destroy that right it
might when it so pleased, destroy any and all other rights. The
Democrats hold that the Constitution was supreme; the Republicans
held that there was a still higher law unwritten and undefined.
One was certainty, the other chaos.
4. It was seen at an early period of the contest, that the bulk
of the Southern people would be found supporting Breckinridge and
Lane. * It was generally held in all the slave-holding States that
the election of Mr. Lincoln would be significant of a purpose
among Northern men to disregard their rights, and that the
inauguration of the abolition policy by the Federal officers
would compel and justify the secession of the Southern States
from the Union.
*Joseph Lane was born in Buncombe county in this State, and was
the cousin of Colonel Joel Lane, who once owned the lands upon
which Raleigh was built. He had served gallantly as a Brigadier
General in Mexico, afterwards in Congress, and as Governor of
Oregon.
5. When, in November, 1860, it was known that the Republicans had
triumphed in the national election, and that Abraham Lincoln
would be chosen President of the United States by a majority of
the electors in the different State electoral colleges, then it
was realized that the extreme Southern States would, at an early
period, sever their connection with the government at Washington.
1861.
6. South Carolina and others said that protection of their
property would now be impossible in the Union, and therefore,
before the inauguration of President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1861,
seven States had assembled conventions, and by their ordinances
declared the ties formerly binding them to the Republic of the
United States null and void.
7. On the 1st of January, 1861, the Legislature then in regular
session passed, by a large majority in each House, an act
declaring that in its opinion the condition of the country was so
perilous "that the sovereign people of the State should assemble
in convention to effect an honorable adjustment of the
difficulties whereby the Federal Union is endangered, or
otherwise to determine what action will best preserve the honor
and promote the interest of North Carolina."
8. At the same time that the delegates were to be elected the act
required that the sense of the people should be taken whether
there should be a convention at all or not. The election was
held on 28th of February, 1861, and upon the question of
convention or no convention, the official count showed a majority
of 194 votes against convention, that is to say, 45,509 votes for
convention and 45,603 votes against convention. The vote of
Davie county, which was not received in time to be counted, would
have increased the majority against convention some 200 votes.
9. How the delegates elected were divided in sentiment on the day
of election cannot be ascertained, nor was such division to be
relied upon, for changes were daily taking place, and men, no
matter how reluctantly, were rapidly coming to believe that in
United action by the South lay the only hope for the future.
10. In April, President Lincoln, in consequence of the attack
upon and capture of Fort Sumter, required of Governor Ellis North
Carolina's proportion of an army of seventy five thousand men,
which was to be used in the coercion of the seceded States. This
demand Governor Ellis promptly refused; and he at once convened
the Legislature in special session, declaring in his proclamation
that the time for action had come, and, upon his recommendation,
twenty thousand volunteers were called for by the General
Assembly to sustain North Carolina in her course.
11. A State Convention was called by the Legislature on the first
of May, and met on the 20th of May, 1861; in the hall of the
House of Commons. On this anniversary of the Mecklenburg
Declaration the Ordinance of Secession was passed, and North
Carolina made haste to connect herself with the " Confederate
States of America."
12. The Ordinance of Secession was as follows
"AN ORDINANCE DISSOLVING THE UNION BETWEEN THE STATE OF NORTH
CAROLINA AND THE OTHER STATES UNITED WITH HER UNDER THE COMPACT
OF GOVERNMENT ENTITLED 'THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. '
"We, the people of the State of North Carolina, in Convention
assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and
ordained, That the ordinance adopted by the State of North
Carolina in the Convention of 1789, whereby the Constitution of
the United States was ratified and adopted; and also all acts and
parts of acts of the General Assembly ratifying and adopting
amendments to the said Constitution, are hereby repealed,
rescinded and abrogated.
"We do further declare and ordain, That the Union now subsisting
between the State, of North Carolina and the other States, under
the title of 'The United States of America,' is hereby
dissolved, and that the State of North Carolina is in full
possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty which
belong and appertain to a free and independent State."
13. The number of submissionists in North Carolina was very
small, and the real differences of opinion did not so much regard
final action in the crisis as they did the way and the time in
which it should be reached. Many preferred separate State
action; many others preferred concert of action among the States.
Some preferred immediate action; others thought it advisable to
wait until some actual "overt act," as it was called, was
committed by the new administration. But no matter how much
people were divided on these points, on one point they were a
unit, that is to say, in the desire that final action should
represent as near as possible every phase of public sentiment.
And to secure this greatly to be desired unanimity in action,
many personal preferences and original opinions were sacrificed.
14. Many good people had hoped and prayed that the troubles
between the North and South would be peaceably arranged; but all
hope of such a blessing was now lost, and the whole State
resounded with the notes of preparation for the war. In every
county men pressed forward by thousands to enlist at the call of
the State.
15. Governor Ellis was in the last stages of hopeless disease,
but, with great resolution, he addressed himself to the discharge
of the onerous duties of his station until his death, on June 9,
1861. He was succeeded by Colonel Henry Toole Clark, of
Edgecombe, who became Governor of the State by virtue of his
office as Speaker of the Senate.
16. Colonel John F. Hoke, of Lincoln, was succeeded as Adjutant-
General by James G. Martin, of Pasquotank, late a major in the
army of the United States. The forts, Johnston, Macon and
Caswell, were seized, as was also the Federal arsenal at
Fayetteville; and, in this way, fifty-seven thousand stand of
small firearms and a considerable store of cannon and ammunition
were secured.
17. After many years of peace and prosperity, the people of North
Carolina were once again to exhibit their patriotism, courage and
endurance under the most trying circumstances. In the first
revolution they had contributed twenty-two thousand nine hundred
and ten men to the defence of the United Colonies; in this second
upheaval more than a hundred and fifty thousand crowded to the
fray, and grew famous on more than a hundred fields.
QUESTIONS.
1. How was the Presidential contest of 1860 viewed?
2. What was the issue? Who were the candidates; and what were
their platforms?
3. What was the real issue between the Democrats and Republicans?
What views were held by each party?
4. To whom were most of the Southern people giving support? How
did they view the probable election of Mr. Lincoln?
5. Who were elected? What did some of the Southern States intend
to do?
6. What occurred before the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln?
7. What act was passed by the North Carolina Legislature?
8. Can you tell the result of the vote upon this question?
9. What was the South beginning to realize?
10. What call was made upon North Carolina by Mr. Lincoln? With
what result?
11. When did North Carolina leave the Union?
12. Can you repeat the Ordinance of Secession?
13. Mention the political opinions to be found in the State upon
these questions?
14. What had been the hope of many of our people? How was the
news of secession received?
15. What occurred on June 9th? Who succeeded Governor Ellis?
16. What seizures were made by North Carolina authorities?
17. What are the thoughts upon this period?