Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/150

 Historical S<-n ti/ l'ui r*.

[From the Ki<-limoM(l. \'a., Ti>,i<-x, June lit, 1HOO )

EFFORTS MADE TO ESTABLISH A CENTRAL CONFEDERACY IN 1861.

An Important Document.

VIRGINIA AMONG THE STATES.

Active Interest Taken by Maryland's Executive and Others to Form the Proposed New Government.

A document has recently been published in an obscure portion of the " Records of the War Between the States" which shows that just prior to the outbreak of the conflict between the States negotia- tions were begun looking to the formation of a Central Confederacy, in addition to the Southern Confederacy, in event of the dissolution of the Union. The States included in these negotiations were Mary- land, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia. Missouri and Ohio.

To most historians the fact that such a Confederacy was in con- templation is a surprise, and for them awaits the task of tracing out the beginning, the progress and the termination of the negotiations.

The only document which has thus far come to light and in which any reference to the proposed Confederacy is made is the report of Mr. Ambrose R. Wright, dated at Savannah, Ga., March 13. 1861, and addressed to Hon. G. W. Crawford, President of the Georgia Convention, by which Mr. Wright had been authorized to visit Maryland and to induce this State, if possible, to join the Confed- eracy of the cotton-growing States of the South/ Mr. Wright visited Maryland, and at Annapolis he had an interview with Governor Hicks, in which the latter referred to the proposed formation of the Central Confederacy.

Maryland's action at that time, whether it would throw her fortunes with the South or remain in the Union, depended to a great extent upon the action of Virginia, which had not at the time of Mr. Wright's visit to Maryland separated from the Union. The most reasonable explanation of the termination of the negotiations was the secession of Virginia a few weeks after Mr. Wright's visit. With the loss of Virginia to the projected ' Confederacy the whole scheme evidently fell through.