And As All This Took
Place, It Seemed To Me That I Heard Less About The Necessary
Integrity Of The Old Flag.
While as yet they were altogether
unsuccessful, they were minded to make no surrender.
But with their
successes came the feeling, that in taking much they might perhaps
allow themselves to yield something. This was clearly indicated by
the message sent to Congress by the President, in February, 1862, in
which he suggested that Congress should make arrangements for the
purchase of the slaves in the border States; so that in the event of
secession - accomplished secession - in the Gulf States, the course of
those border States might be made clear for them. They might
hesitate as to going willingly with the North, while possessing
slaves, as to sitting themselves peaceably down as a small slave
adjunct to a vast free-soil nation, seeing that their property would
always be in peril. Under such circumstances a slave adjunct to the
free-soil nation would not long be possible. But if it could be
shown to them that in the event of their adhering to the North
compensation would be forthcoming, then, indeed, the difficulty in
arranging an advantageous line between the two future nations might
be considerably modified. This message of the President's was
intended to signify that secession on favorable terms might be
regarded by the North as not undesirable. Moderate men were
beginning to whisper that, after all, the Gulf States were no source
either of national wealth or of national honor.
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