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Chapter 8:
- Conference with the Governor of Mississippi -- the author Censured as “too slow” -- summons to Washington -- interview with the President -- his message -- movements in Congress -- the triumphant majority -- the Crittenden proposition -- speech of the author on Green's resolution -- the Committee of thirteen -- failure to agree -- the “Republicans” responsible for the failure -- proceedings in the House of Representatives -- Futility of efforts for an adjustment -- the old year closes in clouds.
In November, 1860, after the result of the presidential election was known, the governor of Mississippi, having issued his proclamation convoking a special session of the legislature to consider the propriety of calling a convention, invited the Senators and Representatives of the state in Congress, to meet him for consultation as to the character of the message he should send to the legislature when assembled.
While holding, in common with my political associates, that the right of a state to secede was unquestionable, I differed from most of them as to the probability of our being permitted peaceably to exercise the right. The knowledge acquired by the administration of the War Department for four years, and by the chairmanship of the Military Committee of the Senate at two different periods, still longer in combined duration, had shown me the entire lack of preparation for war in the South. The foundries and armories were in the Northern states, and there were stored all the new and improved weapons of war. In the arsenals of the Southern states were to be found only arms of the old and rejected models. The South had no manufactories of powder, and no navy to protect our harbors, no merchant ships for foreign commerce. It was evident to me, therefore, that, if we should be involved in war, the odds against us would be far greater than what was due merely to our inferiority in population. Believing that secession would be the precursor of war between the states, I was consequently slower and more reluctant than others, who entertained a different opinion, to resort to that remedy.
While engaged in the consultation with the governor just referred to, a telegraphic message was handed to me from two members of Buchanan's cabinet, urging me to proceed “immediately” to Washington. This dispatch was laid before the governor and the members of Congress from the state who were in conference with him, and it was decided that
