er the Constitution of the United
States was framed, each State giving up a certain portion of its
authority, reserving its own self-government and whatever rights were
not specifically resigned.

No mention was made in the Constitution of the right of a State to
secede from the Union, and while those who insisted that each State had
a right to secede if it chose to do so declared that this right was
reserved, their opponents affirmed that such a case could never have
been contemplated. Thus the question of absolute right had never been
settled, and it became purely one of force.

Early in November, 1860, it became known that the election of Mr.
Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was assured, and on the 9th of that
month the representatives of South Carolina met at Charleston, and
unanimously authorized the holding of a State convention to meet on the
third week in December. The announcement caused great excitement, for it
was considered certain that the convention would pass a vote of
secession, and thus bring the debated question to an issue. Although
opinion in Virginia was less unanimous than in the more southern States,
it was generally thought that she would imitate the example of South
Carolina.

On the day following the receipt of the news, Vincent, who had ridden
over to the plantations of several of his friends to talk the matter
over, was returning homeward, when he heard the sound of heavy blows
with a whip, and loud curses, and a moment later a shrill scream in a
woman's voice rose in the air.

Vincent checked his horse mechanically with an exclamation of anger. He
knew but too well what was going on beyond the screen of shrubs that
grew on the other side of the fence bordering the road. For a moment he
hesitated, and then muttering, "What's the use!" was about to touch the
horse with the whip and gallop on, when the shriek again rose louder and
more agonizing than before. With a cry of rage Vincent leaped from his
horse, threw the reins over the top of the fence, climbed over it in a
moment, and burst his way through the shrubbery.

Close by, a negro was being held by four others, two having hold of each
wrist and holding his arms extended to full length, while a white lad,
some two years Vincent's senior, was showering blows with a heavy whip
upon him. The slave's back was already covered with weals, and the blood
was flowing from several places. A few yards distant a black girl, with
a baby in her