Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/478

 446 The Secession movement. [iseo- into speedy action. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana rapidly followed the example of South Carolina. Legislatures were convened, conventions organised, commissioners sent from State to State to encourage popular and legislative action ; military legislation was enacted ; militia companies were organised and drilled. Secession ordi- nances quickly succeeded each other during the earlier half of January, 1861 ; and, almost immediately afterwards, the governors each sent a small military force to demand and receive the surrender of the feebly garrisoned Federal forts within their respective States, as well as to take possession of arsenals, custom-houses, mints, and other public buildings and property of the United States. By this method twelve to fifteen harbour forts along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, capable of mounting a thousand guns, half-a-dozen arsenals with an aggregate of 115,000 arms, an extensive navy-yard at Pensacola, Florida, three mints, four important custom-houses, and three revenue cutters on duty at seaports, with a variety of other miscellaneous government property, passed without opposition, almost without effort, into the hands of the Secessionists. There occurred, however, three notable exceptions. The State of Texas, whose governor opposed secession, was carried into the revolt by a military conspiracy and usurpation. No attempt was made against Fort Taylor at Key West, Fort Jefferson on Tortugas Island, or Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola, on account of the distance and danger. The forts in Charleston harbour underwent peculiar vicissi- tudes. Major Robert Anderson, a brave and loyal officer commanding a garrison of about sixty men, finding his position in Fort Moultrie on the mainland too much exposed, transferred his force by a sudden movement to Fort Sumter, situated midway in the harbour's mouth, and un- approachable except by water. Here he maintained himself nearly four months, during which time he was gradually surrounded by rebel batteries, and was only forced to capitulate by a two days' bombard- ment and the exhaustion of his provisions. During most of these proceedings the newly elected President was compelled to remain a silent spectator. Though chosen in November, his term of office did not begin till the following 4th of March. In the interim the outgoing President, James Buchanan, was still responsible for the maintenance of the Government and Constitution of the United States, which his official oath bound him to "preserve, protect, and defend." Unfortunately, President Buchanan was, by reason both of advanced age and feeble will, totally unequal to the emergency. In the political struggle just ended his personal sympathy and party connexion had been rather with the South than with the North. He had championed the candidature of Breckinridge for the Presidency ; the leaders of the revolt had been his lifelong personal and party friends; and he could not immedi- ately free himself from the influence of their past domination or present advice and suggestion. Three of the seven members of his Cabinet were