termined upon secession from the Union. This was decided upon at a conference of prominent politicians held at the residence of Senator Hammond, near Augusta, Georgia, on the 25th of October, 1860. It was evident then that with the Democratic party divided, supporting two candidates for President, the election was known, a convention was called in South Carolina should at once secede from the Union and that other Southern States should follow. Soon after the result of the election was known, a convention was called in South Carolina for the purpose of accomplishing the secession of that State. The convention assembled on the 17th of December, and on the 20th the ordinance of secession was passed by a unanimous vote. The action of South Carolina caused great apprehension throughout the country that a long and bloody conflict might be precipitated and earnest efforts were made by many prominent statesmen and citizens to secure a peaceful settlement of the controversy. Public meetings were held in many large cities of the North, having extensive trade interests and close political affiliations with the South, for the purpose of urging such concessions to the slaveholding States as were demanded to keep them in the Union. A great “Peace Meeting” was held in Independence Square, Philadelphia, on the 13th of December, 1860, which was addressed by prominent Democrats and old line Whigs in the interest of concessions to the demands of the slave power. The resolutions adopted may be briefly summarized as follows: “In the hope of winning back the seceding states and retaining the trade, custom and profits which we have hitherto derived from the South, we hereby pledge ourselves nevermore to say or do, or permit our neighbors to do, anything calculated to displease our Southern brethren or offend the slave holders.”
On the 31st of January, 1861, a great “Peace Conven-
