ve insurrection in early
childhood, the saddest and also the pleasantest features of slavery have
been familiar. If the South goes to war for slavery, slavery is doomed in
this country. To say so is like opposing one drop to a roaring torrent.
This is a good time to follow St. Paul's advice that women should refrain
from speaking, but they are speaking more than usual and forcing others to
speak against their will.

_Sunday, Dec.--, 1860_.--In this season for peace I had hoped for a lull
in the excitement, yet this day has been full of bitterness. "Come, G.,"
said Mrs. F. at breakfast, "leave _your_ church for to-day and come with
us to hear Dr. ---- on the situation. He will convince you." "It is good to
be convinced," I said; "I will go." The church was crowded to suffocation
with the elite of New Orleans. The preacher's text was, "Shall we have
fellowship with the stool of iniquity which frameth mischief as a law?" ...
The sermon was over at last and then followed a prayer ... Forever
blessed be the fathers of the Episcopal Church for giving us a fixed
liturgy! When we met at dinner Mrs. F. exclaimed, "Now, G., you heard him
prove from the Bible that slavery is right and that therefore secession
is. Were you not convinced?" I said, "I was so busy thinking how
completely it proved too that Brigham Young is right about polygamy that
it quite weakened the force of the argument for me." This raised a laugh,
and covered my retreat.

_Jan. 26, 1861_.--The solemn boom of cannon today announced that the
convention have passed the ordinance of secession. We must take a reef in
our patriotism and narrow it down to State limits. Mine still sticks out
all around the borders of the State. It will be bad if New Orleans should
secede from Louisiana and set up for herself. Then indeed I would be
"cabined, cribbed, confined." The faces in the house are jubilant to-day.
Why is it so easy for them and not for me to "ring out the old, ring in
the new"? I am out of place.

_Jan. 28, Monday_.--Sunday has now got to be a day of special excitement.
The gentlemen save all the sensational papers to regale us with at the
late Sunday breakfast. Rob opened the battle yesterday morning by saying
to me in his most aggressive manner, "G., I believe these are your
sentiments"; and then he read aloud an article from the "Journal des
Debats" expressing in rather contemptuous terms the fact that France will
follow the policy of non-intervention. When