premises.

"The meeting took place in the fall of 1860, at Jackson, the
capital; the whole delegation being present, with perhaps the
exception of one Representative.

"The main question for consideration was: 'Shall Mississippi, as
soon as her Convention can meet, pass an ordinance of secession,
thus placing herself by the side of South Carolina, regardless
of the action of other States; or shall she endeavor to hold
South Carolina in check, and delay action herself, until other
States can get ready, through their conventions, to unite with
them, and then, on a given day and at a given hour, by concert
of action, all the States willing to do so, secede in a body?'

"Upon the one side, it was argued that South Carolina could not
be induced to delay action a single moment beyond the meeting of
her Convention, and that our fate should be hers, and to delay
action would be to have her crushed by the Federal Government;
whereas, by the earliest action possible, we might be able to
avert this calamity. On the other side, it was contended that
delay might bring the Federal Government to consider the
emergency of the case, and perhaps a compromise could be
effected; but, if not, then the proposed concert of action would
at least give dignity to the movement, and present an undivided
Southern front.

"The debate lasted many hours, and Mr. Davis, with perhaps one
other gentleman in that conference, opposed immediate and
separate State action, declaring himself opposed to secession as
long as the hope of a peaceable remedy remained. He did not
believe we ought to precipitate the issue, as he felt certain
from his knowledge of the people, North and South, that, once
there was a clash of arms, the contest would be one of the most
sanguinary the world had ever witnessed.

"A majority of the meeting decided that no delay should be
interposed to separate State action, Mr. Davis being on the
other side; but, after the vote was taken and the question
decided, Mr. Davis declared he would stand by whatever action
the Convention representing the sovereignty of the State of
Mississippi might think proper to take.

"After the conference was ended, several of its members were
dissatisfied with the course of Mr. Davis, believing that he was
entirely opposed to secession, and was s