Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/391

Rh for the Union; and last, fight for the Union. Mr. Douglas condemned the extremists whose joint efforts, he said, led to the same end. Mr. Clingman, of North Carolina, argued that one of the three contingencies was before the country, either a satisfactory settlement, or a recognition of a peaceful separation, or thirdly, war. The best course, he believed, was to &quot; make an adjustment, next to that, the recognition of the seceding States as independent republics, and the worst of all is war.&quot;

The naval appropriation bill contained a clause that authorized the construction of seven ships of war, the passage of which was regarded as irritating the disunion sentiment. Another bill proposed to abolish the ports of entry on the Southern coast, and was resented as an attempt to coerce the South by congressional legislation against the commerce of the South. Mr. Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, offered amendments to the Constitution providing for election of the president, vice-president, and senators by the people, and to select Supreme Court judges equally from the North and the South.

The Kentucky legislature having assembled on the 17th, adopted the Virginia resolutions, resolved to resist the invasion of the South, but urged the Southern States to arrest the progressing revolution. The legislature declined to call a convention but advised the holding of a national convention to pass resolutions, amending the Constitution. The Missouri legislature passed a bill calling a convention and other measures looking to secession. The governor of North Carolina opened correspondence with President Buchanan on the 8th, involving the subject of the rumored reinforcement of the forts, through which the governor was persuaded that the status quo would be observed. The sentiment of the State was described at the time by one of its well-informed citizens as follows: &quot;She would respond to any fair proposition