ural address in so many words his solemn pledge to
respect every right now possessed by the masters of the South under law.

_"'I have no purpose to interfere with the institution of Slavery in the
States where it exists.'"_

"His sole purpose now is to save the Union, Slavery or no Slavery--"

"Surely, Robert," his sister cried, "you can endorse that stand!"

"Mr. Lincoln," Blair went on eagerly, "is a leader whose common sense
amounts to genius. No threats or bluster, inside his own party or
outside of it, can swerve him from his high aim. He is going to save
this Union first and let all other questions bide their time."

Lee searched Blair with his keen eyes.

"But Mr. Lincoln, without the authority of Congress, has practically
declared war. He has called on Virginia to furnish troops to fight
a sister State. My State has decided that he had no power under the
Constitution to issue such a call. It is, therefore, illegal. The
organic law of the republic makes no provision for raising troops to
fight a sister State."

Blair lifted both hands in a persuasive gesture.

"Let us grant, Colonel Lee, that in law you are right. The States are
sovereign. The Constitution gives the General Government no power to
coerce a State. Our fathers, as a matter of fact, never faced such a
possibility. Grant all that in law. Even so, a mighty, united nation
has grown through the years. It is now a living thing, immutable,
indissoluble. It commands your obedience and mine."

Lee was silent and Mrs. Marshall cried:

"Surely this is true, Robert!"

"My dear Mr. Blair," Lee slowly began, "your claim is the beginning of
the end of law--the beginning of anarchy. If under the law, Virginia
is right, is it not my duty to defend her? Obedience to law is the
cornerstone on which all nations are built if they endure. Reverence for
law is to-day the force driving the South into revolution--"

"A revolution doomed to certain failure," Blair quickly interrupted.
"The border slave states of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, under Mr.
Lincoln's conservative leadership, will never secede. Without them the
South must fail. You have served under the flag of the Union for thirty
years. You know the North. You know the South. And you know that such a
revolution based on a division of the Union without these border States
is madness--"

"It is madness, Robert," Mrs. Marshall joined, "utter madness!"

"Right and duty, Mr. Blair, have nothing to