h protectorate. The only difficulty in the way seemed to
be the unwillingness of Great Britain to act as step-father to such a
spoiled child as South Carolina.

Virginia had not yet seceded. She still professed neutrality, but
allowed a brisk trade in cannon and ammunition to be carried on with the
South, knowing they were to be used against the General Government.

Anderson now expressed himself as openly opposed to coercion. He was in
favor of surrendering all the forts to the States in which they were
located. This course would simply be an acknowledgment that the
sovereignty did not vest in the United States, and would have led to
nothing but disorder and disunion. He said if his native State,
Kentucky, seceded, he should throw up his commission and go to Europe.
The fact is, as I have stated, he was a strong pro-slavery man, and felt
bitterly toward the North for not carrying out the Fugitive Slave Law.
He contended that slavery was right in principle, and expressly
sanctioned by the Bible. One day, while we were conversing on the
subject, I called his attention to the fact that slavery in ancient
times was not founded on color; and if white slavery was right, I saw no
reason why some one might not make a slave of him, and read texts of
Scripture to him to keep him quiet. He was unable to answer this
argument.[15]

On the 1st of March, he informed the General Government that he had no
doubt we would soon be attacked. The communication, however, led to no
comment and no immediate action.

From certain circumstances, I saw that South Carolina not only intended
to build iron-clad batteries, but was thinking of iron-clad ships, to
sink our wooden navy, and at some future time capture our Northern
harbors.

I was so much impressed with the importance of this subject that I felt
it my duty to call attention to it, in letters to Mr. Curtis, of
Missouri, and other members of Congress; but no one at the North seemed
to give the matter a second thought, or imagine there was any danger to
be apprehended in the future. It was not so with our enemies. They were
fully alive to the aggressive power it would give them, and they
commenced to experiment by building an iron-clad floating battery, which
was to be plated deep enough to resist our heaviest metal. When
finished, it was to be anchored off the gorge of Fort Sumter, so that it
could beat down our main gates, and make wide breaches in the walls for
an assaulting party