Houston, Governor of Texas, in a public speech advised constitutional
means--anything in reason to prevent war.

Robert E. Lee, the great, the good, was cut to the heart at the
impending calamity. One of his friends said: "I have seldom seen a more
distressed man." Lee said: "If Virginia stands by the old Union so will
I. But if she secedes, then I shall follow my native state with my
sword, and, if need be with my life. These are my principles and I must
follow them."

Many public men in the North urged peaceable secession, notably, Horace
Greely. Foreign eyes were turned anxiously toward America. The South was
sending out millions of pounds of cotton every year, of which the
greater part went to England. A London paper of this decade said:

"The lives of nearly two million of our country are dependent upon the
cotton crops of the States. Should any dire calamity befall the land of
cotton, a thousand of our merchant ships would rot idly in dock; ten
thousand mills must stop their busy looms; two thousand mouths would
starve for lack of food to feed them."

In 1860, a Southern Senator said in congress;

"There are 5,000,000 of people in Great Britain who live upon cotton.
Exhaust the supply one week, and all England is starving. I tell you
COTTON IS KING."

But the die was cast. The ordinance of secession of South Carolina
unanimously passed December 20, at a quarter past one o'clock. Great
crowds were outside the hall of conference awaiting results. The
_Charleston Mercury_ issued an extra, of which six thousand copies
were sold. The chimes of St. Michaels pealed exultant notes; bells of
all other churches simultaneously rang. The gun by the post-office
christened "Old Secession" belched forth in thundering celebration.
Cannons in the citadel echoed the glad tidings; houses and shops emptied
their people into the streets; cares of business and family were
forgotten; all faces wore smiles--joy prevailed. Old men ran shouting
down the streets--friend met friend in hearty hand clasp--the sun shone
brilliantly after three days of rain--volunteers donned their uniforms
and hastened to their armories. New palmetto flags appeared everywhere.
Everyone wore a blue cockade in his hat. Great enthusiasm was shown at
the unfurling of a banner on which blocks of stone in an arch typified
the fifteen Southern States. These were surmounted by the statue of John
C. Calhoun, with the Constitution in his han