THE CIVIL WAR BEGUN ON PAPER.

171

appearance, here at any rate. Now may be seen the Miss Dinahs, Miss Annelinas and Cleopatras bedecked in silks and laces, the white tipped feather sweeping the sable cheek, while troops of woolly-headed young Carlos, Toms, and Antonios are setting off fire crackers and squibs at the street corners, and devouring huge lumps of confectionery. This is their time for fun and gaiety, and if you ask the confectioners and dry goods merchants' who are their best customers this week, they will probably tell you, 'the servants.' Indeed the streets are so monopolized by them, that ladies do not venture out more than they are compelled to do at this season."

Incendiarisms were so frequent about this time. that we lived in a state of continual alarm. Scarcely a night passed that we were not awakened by the fire bells. Sometimes fires were raging at two or three parts of the city at once, and the "Home Guards" divided themselves into regular patrols for night watches.

Other events with which the year concluded were the following:

A general fast was appointed by President Buchanan for the 4th Jan. 1861, but notwithstanding an eloquent appeal to the better feelings of his fellowcountrymen, it was repudiated by several of the black republican communities in the North, some of whom went so far as to say, "We feel in no fasting mood, and are not going to pray for the evil deeds of that

old sinner at Washington!" Also among several other churches,

"The South Congressional Church at Georgetown, Mass., of which the Rev. Charles Beecher (brother of H. W. Beecher) is pastor, held a church meeting on Sunday evening last, and after much discussion, resolved not to comply with the President's request for a Fast on the 4th of January. The resolutions which were adopted by the close vote of 15 to 11, 'pitch into' the President and his Message; declare that his Proclamation is an act of hypocrisy; that the Constitution ought to be stripped of its slavery rendition and representation construction, and that the present distress is an especial judgment upon the sin of slavery. Mr. Beecher had preached a red-hot anti-slavery sermon in the morning."

The Arkansas Legislature ordered an election of delegates for a convention to assemble the latter part of January. The population of Arkansas by the last census amounted to 500,000, which great increase entitled them to send four members of Congress instead of two.

The tune of "Yankee Doodle" was hissed, and forbidden at the Mobile Theatre.

A proof of the impetus given to the cotton trade, was that "twenty thousand four hundred and eighty bales of cotton, valued at over a million of dollars, arrived at New Orleans during thirty-six hours, ending at 6 P.M., on the 3rd inst."

The Northern and Southern newspapers had already begun the civil war of abuse and misrepresentation.

Ex-Governor Floyd resigned the office of Secretary of War, on account of the broken faith of the

NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN SENTIMENTS. 173

United States Government towards South Carolina, in the occupation of Fort Sumter by Major Anderson, who vacated Fort Moultrie after spiking the guns, at the very time that the Peace Commissioners were on their way to Washington.

All army and navy officers were secretly ordered to their respective departments at Washington.

Soon after which the officers of the navy threatened to resign their commissions rather than imbrue their hands in the blood of their southern brethren.

Senator Seward, in a public speech, said-"If we keep entirely cool, entirely calm, and entirely kind, a debate will ensue which will be kindly in itself, and prove very soon either that we are very wrong and we shall concede to our offended brethren, or else that we are right, and they will acquiesce and come back into fraternal relations with us." He predicted one of these results in sixty days.

Senator Hunter, of Essex County, Virginia, published a long and weighty letter, arguing the right of secession. He deplored the "almost entire insensibility which prevailed in the North," and the impossibility of coercion; for "it would fail if attempted, and never would be attempted unless madness ruled the hour, and passion waged when reason ought to govern." But he "would not desire to break up the Union without at least an honourable effort to preserve it upon terms consistent with the rights and safety of the South." One State was not to be held responsible for the actions of others.

Ex-President Pierce, in a public letter, admitted that "madness ruled the hour" in pushing forward a line of aggression upon the South; but he would not despair of returning reason, and of a reawakened sense of constitutional right and duty.

Other prominent politicians of Virginia wrote or spoke in calm forbearance, proposing that on the assembling of the legislature a convention should be called, and praying for deliberation and concerted action.

Other signs of the times were, that the winter resorts on the southern coasts, particularly Key West and Fernandino in Florida, were almost vacated, and that "the fact is attributable to the disturbed condition of the country, to the scarcity of money, and to the scrutiny which is exercised over the conduct and movements of all persons from the Northern States."

The incendiarisms of such frequent occurrence in the South were attributed to revengeful feelings on the part of some Union men and Northerners; and a few cases were traced to slaves, who were instigated thereto by the extra restrictions enforced upon them during their holidays.

Thus did provocations and their consequences go hand in hand, thus did troubles and terrors increase, and thus did we bid farewell to 1860.

CHAPTER XI.

The "Members" from Western Virginia.-Reasons for Disunion. -Negro Pete, the "Perfect Gentleman."-Invalid Slaves.Thirty Grains of Quinine top heavy.-A new Home in prospect. The African Church.-The Convention clings to the Union. The deluded North.

THE first public event of the new year was the general fast, which was observed with profound seriousness throughout the South. In Richmond, of course, every sermon touched on the subject at heart, and the effect was such as might be expected in a people remarkable for great national, or rather state pride, tempered with a simple piety, and singular suavity and forbearance.

The assembling of the legislature was an event of private as well as public importance in Richmond, for some eight or ten of the members were expected "to board with us," as the Misses Smith informed us. These young ladies seemed to take particular pleasure in discovering all the imperfections of their boarders, and also in endeavouring to make it appear that they were performing an immense self-sacrifice and favour to accommodate boarders at all. "The