. Young folk's history of the war for the union . lns election was received by these men with cheers andcongratulations, because it gave them the opportunity to with-draw from the Union, which they had so ardently wished of the more moderate men proposed to wait until theother States could be consulted; but the disunionists saw dan-ger in delay, and urged that a bold step taken by South Carolinawould at once bring over to their side all the other slave-hold-ing States. The views of these men prevailed, and a State 34 SECESSION. [1860, I convention was culled to meet December 17, to co
. Young folk's history of the war for the union . lns election was received by these men with cheers andcongratulations, because it gave them the opportunity to with-draw from the Union, which they had so ardently wished of the more moderate men proposed to wait until theother States could be consulted; but the disunionists saw dan-ger in delay, and urged that a bold step taken by South Carolinawould at once bring over to their side all the other slave-hold-ing States. The views of these men prevailed, and a State 34 SECESSION. [1860, I convention was culled to meet December 17, to consider thequestion of secession. Meanwhile the government at Washington acted us if para-lyzed. President Buchanun had been elected by both Northernand Southern Democrats; his cabinet was made up largely ofSouthern Democrats, and the greater part of the governmentoffices were filled by friends of the South, who did all in theirpower to aid the disunionists and to hinder the B. Floyd, of Virginia, the Secretaiy of War, had sent to. Chvullston in IbOl Southern arsenals and forts, where they would easily fall intothe hands of the disunionists, more than a hundred thousandstands of small arms and many cannon. Surrounded by suchadvisers. President Buchanan did not know what to do, andthough he took a stand against the right of secession, he de-clared his belief that Congress could not, under the Constitu-tion, make war on a State, and he did not feel that he Avould bejustified in taking means to compel obedience to the laws. Hedid not even dare to send reinforcements to the forts along theSouthern sea-coast, lest such action should cause a conflict withState troops, and bring on a civil war. At last, General Lewis I860.] CRITTENDEN COMPROMISE. 85 Cass, his Secretary of State, resigned because the Presidentrefused to send aid to the United States troops holding theforts in Charleston harbor. Thus Mr. Buchanan, sincere inhis love for the Union, but too weak to cut loos
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