sons was the leader of this party, and has written a thrilling narrative of their escape.

These events brought the agitation on the subject of slavery to its highest point, during President Buchanan's administration. When the time drew near for the election of a new president, the old parties were so broken up, that there were four candidates in the field; though Mr. Buchanan himself was not one of them. Out of these four, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois was elected, he having been nominated by the Republican party; this being an enlarged form of the Freesoil party, which had itself succeeded the Liberty party. Mr. Lincoln was a man of very moderate opinions in regard to slavery, and was not disposed to interfere with it where it was already established by law. But his election was regarded by many in the slave States as very dangerous to the interests of slavery; and these men resolved to dissolve the Union. They maintained that the United States consisted of a copartnership of entirely independent governments, and that any State could withdraw from it at will. This was the doctrine called "State Rights," which had long been popular in the Southern States, and especially in South Carolina. It was therefore very natural that South Carolina should take the lead in withdrawing from the Union; and a convention was accordingly called in that State, and adopted (Dec 20, 1860) an ordinance of secession. Within six weeks similar conventions had been held, and similar votes passed, in the States of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These States then formed themselves into what was called the "Southern Confederacy," and

elected (Feb. 8, 1861) Jefferson Davis of Mississippi as president, and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia as vice-president. The new confederacy placed itself boldly upon the righteousness of slavery as a permanent institution, and it openly aimed to establish a slaveholding nation in the Southern States.

The authorities of South Carolina at once claimed

possession of all national property in the State. Seeing this, Major Robert Anderson, who commanded the garrison of a small fort called Fort Moultrie in Charleston harbor, withdrew his force to Fort Sumter, a stronger position, and sent for re-enforcements from Washington. A steamer called the "Star of the West," carrying two hundred and fifty men, was sent

to Charleston in January, but was fired upon from Fort Moultrie, where the insurgents had placed a garrison. Then batteries were erected on the shore; and at last (April 11), General Beauregard, in command of the rebel troops, demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter; and, this being refused, the batteries opened fire upon the fort, early the next morning. For two days, the fire continued; and, at midnight of the second day, Major Anderson surrendered the fort, his eighty men being wholly exhausted, his barracks on fire, and his gunpowder almost gone. He stipulated that he should be allowed to march out with drums beating, and colors flying, and to bring away company and private property. This he did on Sunday, April 14, firing away his remaining powder in saluting the United States flag with fifty guns.

The first gun fired at Fort Sumter aroused and excited the whole nation; and many who had before expressed much sympathy for the supporters of slavery now took sides with those who wished to preserve the Union. The event also produced a great impression at the South; and acts of secession were passed in North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee. In all these States the colored population took sides unanimously with the Union; but, being composed almost wholly of unarmed and ignorant slaves, they counted at first for little. There were also, in some of these States, many white citizens who opposed disunion; but they were, in most cases, gradually silenced, or driven away. Meanwhile President Buchanan

showed no decision of character in dealing with the Rebellion; and amid the rising tumult he went out of office.

During his administration, three new States had been added to the Union, Minnesota (1858), Oregon (1859), and Kansas (1861). Of these, Minnesota and Kansas were both formed mainly from the territory gained by the Louisiana purchase; and both bear the Indian names of rivers flowing through them. Oregon was formed out of the territory secured to the United States by the boundary treaty of 1846; and the name is said to come from the word "Oregano," meaning wild rice, which grows profusely on the Pacific coast. By the census of 1860, taken during Mr. Buchanan's administration, the whole population of the country was nearly thirty-one and a half millions (31,443,321). .

one who was not in the midst of it can ima

gine the excitement that arose in all the Northern States when it was heard that Fort Sumter had been attacked. Up to that moment, there had been a great division of feeling at the

North; and there were many who thought, that, by patient efforts, those who wished to secede from the Union could be brought back again. Few really believed that there was to be any serious fighting. While the white population of the South had been preparing for war, the Northern people had gone about their usual employments; and, when the attack came, they were quite taken by surprise. Although, three months before, the rebels in Louisiana. had seized upon the fort at the mouth of the Mississippi, and upon the United States Arsenal at Baton Rouge, the Northern people could not convince themselves that actual war would take place. So they were still unprepared.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

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