〃My　allegiance；〃　said　Stephens　afterwards；　〃was；　as　I　considered
  it；　not　due　to　the　United　States；　or　to　the　people　of　the　United
  States；　but　to　Georgia；　in　her　sovereign　capacity。　Georgia　had
  never　parted　with　her　right　to　demand　the　ultimate　allegiance　of
  her　citizens。〃
  The　attempt　in　Georgia　to　restrain　impetuosity　and　advance　with
  deliberation　was　paralleled　in　Alabama；　where　also　the
  aggressives　were　determined　not　to　permit　delay。　In　the　Alabama
  convention；　the　conservatives　brought　forward　a　plan　for　a
  general　Southern　convention　to　be　held　at　Nashville　in　February。
  It　was　rejected　by　a　vote　of　54　to　45。　An　attempt　to　delay
  secession　until　after　the　4th　of　March　was　defeated　by　the　same
  vote。
  The　determination　of　the　radicals　to　precipitate　the　issue
  received　interesting　criticism　from　the　Governor　of　Texas；　old
  Sam　Houston。　To　a　commissioner　from　Alabama　who　was　sent　out　to
  preach　the　cause　in　Texas　the　Governor　wrote；　in　substance；　that
  since　Alabama　would　not　wait　to　consult　the　people　of　Texas　he
  saw　nothing　to　discuss　at　that　time；　and　he　went　on　to　say：
  Recognizing　as　I　do　the　fact　that　the　sectional　tendencies　of　the
  Black　Republican　party　call　for　determined　constitutional
  resistance　at　the　hands　of　the　united　South；　I　also　feel　that　the
  million　and　a　half　of　noble…hearted；　conservative　men　who　have
  stood　by　the　South；　even　to　this　hour；　deserve　some　sympathy　and
  support。　Although　we　have　lost　the　day；　we　have　to　recollect　that
  our　conservative　Northern　friends　cast　over　a　quarter　of　a
  million　more　votes　against　the　Black　Republicans　than　we　of　the
  entire　South。　I　cannot　declare　myself　ready　to　desert　them　as
  well　as　our　Southern　brethren　of　the　border　（and　such；　I　believe；
  will　be　the　sentiment　of　Texas）　until　at　least　one　firm　attempt
  has　been　made　to　preserve　our　constitutional　rights　within　the
  Union。
  Nevertheless；　Houston　was　not　able　to　control　his　State。
  Delegates　from　Texas　attended　the　later　sessions　of　a　general
  Congress　of　the　seceding　States　which；　on　the　invitation　of
  Alabama；　met　at　Montgomery　on　the　4th　of　February。　A　contemporary
  document　of　singular　interest　today　is　the　series　of　resolutions
  adopted　by　the　Legislature　of　North　Carolina；　setting　forth　that；
  as　the　State　was　a　member　of　the　Federal　Union；　it　could　not
  accept　the　invitation　of　Alabama　but　should　send　delegates　for
  the　purpose　of　persuading　the　South　to　effect　a　readjustment　on
  the　basis　of　the　Crittenden　Compromise　as　modified　by　the
  Legislature　of　Virginia。　The　commissioners　were　sent；　were
  graciously　received；　were　accorded　seats　in　the　Congress；　but
  they　exerted　no　influence　on　the　course　of　its　action。
  The　Congress　speedily　organized　a　provisional　Government　for　the
  Confederate　States　of　America。　The　Constitution　of　the　United
  States；　rather　hastily　reconsidered；　became　with　a　few　inevitable
  alterations　the　Constitution　of　the　Confederacy。*　Davis　was
  unanimously　elected　President；　Stephens；　Vice…President。
  Provision　was　made　for　raising　an　army。　Commissioners　were
  dispatched　to　Washington　to　negotiate　a　treaty　with　the　United
  States；　other　commissioners　were　sent　to　Virginia　to　attempt　to
  withdraw　that　great　commonwealth　from　the　Union。
  *　To　the　observer　of　a　later　age　this　document　appears　a　thing　of
  haste。　Like　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　of　1787；　who　omitted
  from　their　document　some　principles　which　they　took　for　granted；
  the　framers　of　1861　left　unstated　their　most　distinctive　views。
  The　basal　idea　upon　which　the　revolution　proceeded；　the　right　of
  secession；　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　new　Constitution。　Though　the
  preamble　declares　that　the　States　are　acting　in　their　sovereign
  and　independent　character；　the　new　Confederation　is　declared
  〃permanent。〃　In　the　body　of　the　document　are　provisions　similar
  to　those　in　the　Federal　Constitution　enabling　a　majority　of
  two…thirds　of　the　States　to　amend　at　their　pleasure；　thus
  imposing　their　will　upon　the　minority。　With　three　notable
  exceptions　the　new　Constitution；　subsequent　to　the　preamble；　does
  little　more　than　restate　the　Constitution　of　1787　rearranged　so
  as　to　include　those　basal　principles　of　the　English　law　added　to
  the　earlier　Constitution　by　the　first　eight　amendments。　The　three
  exceptions　are　the　prohibitions　（1）　of　the　payment　of　bounties；
  （2）　of　the　levying　of　duties　to　promote　any　one　form　of　industry；
  and　（3）　of　appropriations　for　internal　improvements。　Here　was　a
  monument　to　the　battle　over　these　matters　in　the　Federal
  Congress。　As　to　the　mechanism　of　the　new　Government　it　was　the
  same　as　the　old　except　for　a　few　changes　of　detail。　The
  presidential　term　was　lengthened　to　six　years　and　the　President
  was　forbidden　to　succeed　himself。　The　President　was　given　the
  power　to　veto　items　in　appropriation　bills。　The　African
  slave…trade　was　prohibited。
  The　upper　South　was　thus　placed　in　a　painful　situation。　Its
  sympathies　were　with　the　seceding　States。　Most　of　its　people　felt
  also　that　if　coercion　was　attempted；　the　issue　would　become　for
  Virginia　and　North　Carolina；　no　less　than　for　South　Carolina　and
  Alabama；　simply　a　matter　of　self…preservation。　As　early　as
  January；　in　the　exciting　days　when　Floyd's　resignation　was　being
  interpreted　as　a　call　to　arms；　the　Virginia　Legislature　had
  resolved　that　it　would　not　consent　to　the　coercion　of　a　seceding
  State。　In　May　the　Speaker　of　the　North　Carolina　Legislature
  assured　a　commissioner　from　Georgia　that　North　Carolina　would
  never　consent　to　the　movement　of　troops　〃from　or　across〃　the
  State　to　attack　a　seceding　State。　But　neither　Virginia　nor　North
  Carolina　in　this　second　stage　of　the　movement　wanted　to　secede。
  They　wanted　to　preserve　the　Union；　but　along　with　the　Union　they
  wanted　the　principle　of　local　autonomy。　It　was　a　period　of　tense
  anxiety　in　those　States　of　the　upper　South。　The　frame　of　mind　of
  the　men　who　loved　the　Union　but　who　loved　equally　their　own
  States　and　were　firm　for　local　autonomy　is　summed　up　in　a　letter
  in　which　Mrs。　Robert　E。　Lee　describes　the　anguish　of　her　husband
  as　he　confronted　the　possibility　of　a　divided　country。
  The　real　tragedy　of　the　time　lay　in　the　failure　of　the　advocates
  of　these　two　great　principleseach　so　necessary　to　a　far…flung
  democratic　country　in　a　world　of　great　powers！the　failure　to
  coordinate　them　so　as　to　insure　freedom　at　home　and　strength
  abroad。　The　principle　for　which　Lincoln　stood　has　saved　Americans
  in　the　Great　War　from　playing　such　a　trembling　part　as　that　of
  Holland。　The　principle　which　seemed　to　Lee　even　more　essential；
  which　did　not　perish　at　Appomattox　but　was　transformed　and　not
  destroyed；　is　what　has　kept　us　from　becoming　a　western　Prussia。
  And　yet　if　only　it　had　been　possible　to　coordinate　the　two
  without　the　price　of　war！　It　was　not　possible　because　of　the
  stored　up　bitterness　of　a　quarter　century　of　recrimination。　But
  Virginia　made　a　last　desperate　attempt　to　preserve　the　Union　by
  calling　the　Peace　Convention。　It　assembled　at　Washington　the　day
  the　Confederate　Congress　met　at　Montgomery。　Though　twenty…one
  States　sent　delegates；　it　was　no　more　able　to　effect　a　working
  scheme　of　compromise　than　was　the　House　committee　of　thirty…three
  or　the　Senate　committee　of　thirteen；　both　of　which　had　striven；
  had　failed；　and　had　gone　their　ways　to　a　place　in　the　great
  company　of　historic　futilities。
  And　so　the　Peace　Convention　came　and　went；　and　there　was　no
  consolation　for　the　troubled　men　of　the　upper　South　who　did　not
  want　to　secede　but　were　resolved　not　to　abandon　local　autonomy。
  Virginia　was　the　key　to　the　situation。　If　Virginia　could　be
  forced　into　secession；　the　rest　of　the　upper　South　would
  inevitably　follow。　Therefore　a　Virginia　hothead；　Roger　A。　Pryor；
  being　in　Charleston　in　those　wavering　days；　poured　out　his　heart
  in　fiery　words；　urging　a　Charleston　crowd　to　precipitate　war；　in
  the　certainty　that　Virginia　would　then　have　to　come　to　their　aid。
  When　at　last　Sumter　was　fired　upon　and　Lincoln　called　for
  volunteers；　the　second　stage　of　the　secession　movement　ended　in　a
  thunderclap。　The　third　period　was　occupied　by　the　second　group　of
  secessions：　Virginia　on　the　17th　of　April；　North　Carolina　and
  Arkansas　during　May；　Tennessee　early　in　June。
  Sumter　was　the　turning…point。　The　boom　of　the　first　cannon
  trained　on　the　island　fortress　deserves　all　the　rhetoric　it　has
  inspired。　Who　was　immediately　responsible　for　that　firing　which
  was　destiny？　Ultimate　responsibility　is　not　upon　any　person。　War
  had　to　be。　If　Sumter　had　not　been　the　starting…point；　some　other
  would　have　been　found。　Nevertheless　the　question　of　immediate
  responsibility；　of　whose　word　it　was　that　served　as　the　signal　to
  begin；　has　produced　an　historic　controversy。
  When　it　was　known　at　Charleston　that　Lincoln　would　attempt　to
  provision　the　fort；　the　South　Carolina　authorities　referred　the
  matter　to　the　Confederate　authorities。　The　Cabinet；　in　a　fateful
  session　at　Montgomery；　hesitateddrawn　between　the　wish　to　keep
  their　hold　upon　the　moderates　of　the　North；　who　were　trying　to
  stave　off　war；　and　the　desire　to　precipitate　Virginia　into　the
  lists。　Toombs；　Secretary　of　State　in　the　new　Government；　wavered；
  then　seemed　to　find　his　resolution　and　came　out　strong　against　a