e stage.

On the 15th, several Southern senators at Washington wrote to Governor
Pickens, recommending that we be allowed fresh provisions, fuel, and
other necessaries, at the same time expressing their sympathy with South
Carolina. After this the governor became more polite and considerate,
and allowed our officers to send to purchase oil and groceries in
Charleston. Rhett's paper, _The Mercury_, of course, bitterly opposed
this concession. We now learned that the whole question of Fort Sumter
had been turned over to the new Southern Confederacy for solution.

At this period grievous complaints were made by the merchants of the
city of the utter stagnation of trade. All the business had fled to
Savannah. Foreign vessels would not attempt to enter a harbor where
civil war was raging, especially as it was reported that obstructions
had been sunk in the channel. The Charleston people said they now fully
understood and appreciated the kindness of the people of Savannah in
furnishing them with old hulks to destroy the harbor of Charleston.

When the organization of the new government was complete, the original
Secessionists of the Palmetto State were exceedingly angry to find
themselves ignored. The President, Vice-president, and all the prominent
members of the Cabinet, with the single exception of the Secretary of
the Treasury, were from other States. Henceforward, instead of
pretentious leadership, the position of South Carolina was to be that of
humble obedience to the new _regime_. Nor was this their only grievance.
Free trade was not proclaimed; and no ordinance was passed to re-open
the African slave-trade, inasmuch as it would destroy the domestic
slave-trade and the profits of slave-breeding in Virginia. It was soon
seen that the associated States differed widely on a great many vital
points. One of these related to Indian incursions into Texas. The Border
States, owing to the withdrawal of the United States forces, desired
large appropriations in money, for the purpose of organizing troops to
guard the settlements from Indian incursions. The people of South
Carolina, whose burdens were already very great, and who were
advertising in vain for a loan, were very unwilling to be taxed for the
benefit of Texas and Arkansas. In their anger at these untoward events,
the proposition was freely discussed whether it would not be the best
course to secede from the Confederacy altogether, and place themselves
under a Britis