Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/367

Rh posed of Cass of Michigan, Floyd of Virginia, Toucey of Connecticut, Cobb of Georgia, Holt of Kentucky, Thompson of Mississippi, and Black of Pennsylvania, none of whom were disunionists, unless Mr. Cobb of Georgia be so considered, the President held to his declared policy until the assembling of Congress.

In addition to these efforts to preserve the status quo, President Buchanan called to Washington from various sections of the Union a number of patriotic and eminent men to get their counsel on the grave situation. This was done also in November, previous to the assembly of Congress, and among the number thus summoned was Mr. Jefferson Davis, senator from Mississippi. Mr. Davis, in speaking of events preceding hostilities and of the prominent civil actors remarked, &quot;Mr. Buchanan was an able man but a timid one. If he had had the nerve to deal with the situation as its gravity demanded, I doubt exceedingly whether any other State South would have followed South Carolina into secession. Had he withdrawn the troops from Sumter, it would have been such a conspicuous act of conciliation that the States would not, I believe, have called conventions to consider the act of secession, or if they had, the ordinances would not have passed. I was not one of those who believed that there could be a peaceable separation of the States but could not convince our people of it.&quot;

The United States Congress met December 3rd, 1860, all States being represented in the House, and all in the Senate except South Carolina, whose senators did not occupy their seats. The message of President Buchanan, after describing the great prosperity of the United States, asks the question, &quot;Why is it then that discontent now so extensively prevails?&quot; And the true answer is given that &quot; the long continued and intemperate interference of the Northern people with the question of slavery in the Southern States has at last produced its natural effects. The different sections of the Union are