, was for a separate
Southern community.

Furthermore, no man could become enthusiastic about political evasion
unless by nature he also took kindly to compromise. So, Toombs and his
followers were for preserving the negative Democratic position of 1856.
In a formal paper of great ability Stephens defended that position when
he appeared for reelection to Congress in 1857. Cobb, who had entered
Buchanan's Cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury, and who spoke hopefully
of making Kansas a slave state, insisted nevertheless that such a change
must be "brought about by the recognized principles of carrying out the
will of the majority which is the great doctrine of the Kansas Bill."
To Yancey, as to the Republicans, Kansas was a disputed border-land for
which the so-called two nations were fighting.

The internal Southern conflict between these two factions began anew
with the Congressional elections of 1857. It is worth observing that the
make-up of these factions was almost a resurrection of the two groups
which, in 1850, had divided the South on the question of rejecting the
Compromise. In a letter to Stephens in reference to one of the Yancey
men, Cobb prophesied: "McDonald will utterly fail to get up a new
Southern Rights party. Burnt children dread the fire, and he cannot get
up as strong an organization as he did in 1850. Still it is necessary
to guard every point, as McDonald is a hard hand to deal with." For the
moment, he foretold events correctly. The Southern elections of 1857 did
not break the hold of the moderates.

Yancey turned to different machinery, quite as useful for his purpose.
This he found in the Southern commercial conventions, which were held
annually. At this point there arises a vexed question which has, of
late, aroused much discussion. Was there then what we should call
today a slave "interest"? Was organized capital deliberately exploiting
slavery? And did Yancey play into its hands?* The truth seems to be
that, between 1856 and 1860, both the idealist parties, the Republicans
and the Secessionists, made peace with, shall we say, the Mammon of
unrighteousness, or merely organized capital? The one joined hands with
the iron interest of the North; the other, with the slave interest of
the South. The Republicans preached the domination of the North and a
protective tariff; the Yancey men preached the independence of the South
and the reopening of the slave trade.

* For those who would be p