Chapter I.9 |
| The rise and progress of Anti-Slavery agitation | |
| The Higher Law | |
| Anti-Slavery Societies | |
| Their formation and proceedings | |
| Their effect destructive of State Emancipation | |
| The case in Virginia | |
| Employment of the Post Office to circulate incendiary publications and pictures among the slaves | |
| Message of General Jackson to prohibit this by law | |
| His recommendation defeated | |
| The Pulpit, the Press, and other agencies | |
| Abolition Petitions | |
| The rise of an extreme Southern Pro-Slavery party | |
| The Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, and the case of Prigg vs. Pennsylvania, and its pernicious effects | |
| The South threaten Secession | |
| The course of Mr. Buchanan as Senator | |
| The Wilmot Proviso and its consequences | |
| The Union in serious danger at the meeting of Congress in December, 1849 | |
Chapter II.21 |
| Meeting of Congress in December, 1849 | |
| The five Acts constituting the Compromise of September, 1850 | |
| Elect of the Compromise in allaying excitement | |
| Whig and Democratic Platforms indorse it | |
| President Pierce's happy reference to it in his Message of December, 1853 | |
| The repeal of the Missouri Compromise reopens the slavery agitation | |
| Its passage in March, 1820, and character | |
| Its recognition by Congress in 1845, on the Annexation of Texas | |
| The history of its repeal | |
| This repeal gives rise to the Kansas troubles | |
| Their nature and history | |
| The Lecompton Constitution and proceedings of Congress upon it | |
| The Republican party greatly strengthened | |
| Decision of the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case | |
| Repudiated by the Republican party and by the Douglas Democracy | |
| Sustained by the old Democracy | |
| The Kansas and Nebraska Act | |
| The policy and practice of Congress toward the Territories | |
| Abuse of President Buchanan for pot adhering to the Cincinnati Platform without foundation | |
Chapter III.57 |
| Senator Seward | |
| The "Irrepressible Conflict" | |
| Helper's "Impending Crisis" | |
| The John Brown Raid | |
| The nature of Fanaticism | |
| The Democratic National Convention at Charleston | |
| Its proceedings and adjournment to Baltimore | |
| Reassembling at Baltimore and proceedings there | |
| Its breaking up and division into the Douglas and the Breckinridge Conventions | |
| Proceedings of each | |
| Review of the whole and the effect on the South | |
Chapter IV.86 |
| The heresy of Secession | |
| Originated in New England | |
| Maintained by Josiah Quincy and the Hartford Convention, by Mr. Rawle and Mr. John Quincy Adams, but opposed by the South | |
| Southern Secession dates from South Carolina Nullification | |
| Its character and history | |
| The Compromise Tariff of 1833 | |
| The Nullifiers agitate for Secession | |
| Mr. Calhoun | |
| Mr. Cobb against it | |
| Warnings of the Democratic party | |
| They are treated with contempt | |
| Secession encouraged by the Republicans | |
| The Cotton States led to believe they would be allowed to depart in peace | |
| President Buchanan warned them against this delusion | |
Chapter V.99 |
| General Scott's "Views" and the encouragement they afforded to the cotton States to secede | |
| Their publication by him in the "National Intelligencer" | |
| His recommendation in favor of four distinct Confederacies | |
| His recommendation to reenforce nine of the Southern forts, and the inadequacy of the troops | |
| The reason of this inadequacy | |
| The whole army required on the frontiers | |
| The refusal of Congress to increase it | |
| Our fortifications necessarily left without sufficient garrisons for want of troops | |
| The President's duty to refrain from any hostile act against the cotton States, and smooth the way to a compromise | |
| The rights of those States in no danger from Mr. Lincoln's election | |
| Their true policy was to cling to the Union | |
Chapter VI.108 |
| Mr. Lincoln's election to the Presidency | |
| Its danger to the Union | |
| Warnings of the President and his trying position | |
| His policy in the emergency, and the reasons for it | |
| His supreme object the preservation of the Union | |
| Meeting of Congress, and the hostility of the two parties toward each other | |
| The wrongs of the South | |
| How rash and causeless would be rebellion in the cotton States | |
| The right of secession discussed and denied in the Message | |
| The President's position defined | |
| Question of the power to coerce a State | |
| Distinction between the power to wage war against a State, and the power to execute the laws against individuals | |
| Views of Senator (now President) Johnson, of Tennessee | |
| President Buchanan's solemn appeal in favor of the Union | |
| His estrangement from the secession leaders | |
| Cessation of all friendly intercourse between him and them | |
Chapter VII.134 |
| Refusal of Congress to act either with a view to conciliation or defence | |
| The Senate Committee of Thirteen and its proceedings | |
| Mr. Crittenden submits his Compromise to the Committe | |
| Its nature | |
| The Committee unable to agree | |
| Testimony of Messrs. Douglas and Toombs that the Crittenden Compromise would have arrested secession in the cotton States | |
| Mr. Crittenden proposes to refer his amendment to the people of the several States by an act of ordinary legislation | |
| His remarks in its favor | |
| Proceedings thereon | |
| Expression of public opinion in its favor | |
| President Buchanan recommends it | |
| Recommendation disregarded and proposition defeated by the Clark amendment | |
| Observations thereon | |
| Peace Convention proposed by Virginia | |
| Its meeting and proceedings | |
| Amendment to the Constitution reported by Mr. Guthrie, chairman of the committee | |
| Its modification on motion of Mr. Franklin, and final adoption by the Convention | |
| Virginia and North Carolina vote with Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont against it | |
| Its rejection by the United States Senate | |
| The House of Representatives refuse even to receive it | |
| Every Republican member in both branches of Congress opposed to it | |
Chapter VIII.153 |
| Congress passes no measures to enable the President to execute the laws or defend the Government | |
| They decline to revive the authority of the Federal Judiciary in South Carolina, suspended by the resignation of all the judicial officers | |
| They refuse authority to call forth the militia or accept volunteers, to suppress insurrections against the United States, and it was never proposed to grant an appropriation for this purpose | |
| The Senate declines throughout the entire session to act upon the nomination of a Collector of the Port of Charleston | |
| Congress refuses to grant to the President the authority long since expired, which had been granted to General Jackson for the collection of the revenue | |
| The 36th Congress expires, leaving the law just as they found it | |
| General observations | |
Chapter IX.162 |
| The forts in Charleston harbor | |
| Conduct toward them and the reasons for it | |
| To guard against surprise reenforcements ready | |
| Instructions to Major Anderson | |
| Interview with South Carolina members | |
| General Scott again recommends the garrisoning of all the forts | |
| Reasons against it | |
| The compromise measures still depending | |
| Want of troops | |
| Observations on General Scott's report to President Lincoln | |
| His letter to Secretary Seward, and the manner in which it, with the report, was brought to light and published | |
| Mr. Buchanan's reply to the report | |
| General Scott's statement of the interview with President Buchanan on 15th December, and observations thereupon | |
| The example of General Jackson in 1833, and why it was inapplicable | |
Chapter X.180 |
| South Carolina adopts an ordinance of secession, and appoints Commissioners to treat with the General Government | |
| Their arrival in Washington | |
| Major Anderson's removal from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter | |
| The President's interview with the Commissioners, who demand a surrender of all the forts | |
| His answer to this demand | |
| Their insolent reply, and its return to them | |
| Its presentation to the Senate by Mr. Davis | |
| Secretary Floyd requested to resign | |
| He resigns and becomes a secessionist | |
| Fort Sumter threatened | |
| The Brooklyn ordered to carry reenforcements to the fort | |
| The Star of the West substituted at General Scott's instance | |
| She is fired upon | |
| Major Anderson demands of Governor Pickens a disavowal of the act | |
| The Governor demands the surrender of the fort | |
| The Major proposes to refer the question to Washington | |
| The Governor accepts | |
| The truce | |
| Colonel Hayne and Lieutenant Hall arrive in Washington on the 13th January | |
| Letter from Governor Pickens not delivered to the President until the 31st January | |
| The answer to it | |
| Colonel Hayne's insulting reply | |
| It is returned to him | |
| Virginia sends Mr. Tyler to the President with a view to avoid hostilities | |
| His arrival in Washington and his proposals | |
| Message of the President | |
Chapter XI.209 |
| Fort Sumter again | |
| An expedition prepared to relieve it | |
| The expedition abandoned on account of a despatch from Major Anderson | |
| Mr. Holt's letter to President Lincoln | |
| Fort Pickens in Florida | |
| Its danger from the rebels | |
| The Brooklyn ordered to its relief | |
| The means by which it was saved from capture approved by General Scott and Messrs. Holt and Toucey, with the rest of the Cabinet | |
| Refutation of the charge that arms had been stolen | |
| Report of the Committee on Military Affairs and other documentary evidence | |
| The Southern and Southwestern States received less than their quota of arms | |
| The Pittsburg cannon | |
| General Scott's unfounded claim to the credit of preventing their shipment to the South | |
| Removal of old muskets | |
| Their value | |
| Opinion of Mr. Holt in regard to the manner in which President Buchanan conducted the administration | |
Chapter XII.231 |
| The reduction of the expenses of the Government under Mr. Buchanan's administration | |
| The Expedition to Utah | |
| The Covode Committee | |
Chapter XIII.258 |
| The successful foreign policy of the administration with Spain, Great Britain, China, and Paraguay | |
| Condition of the Mexican Republic; and the recommendations to Congress thereupon not regarded, and the effect | |
| The treaty with Mexico not ratified by the Senate, and the consequences | |
| The origin, history, and nature of the "Monroe Doctrine." | |