Secession

After the adoption of the Constitution of 1787 the thought that the States were sovereign remained familiar to the minds of many, if not most, Americans. This led easily to the thought of sece ion by a State or States as a remedy for aggre ive action on th> part of the Federal Government. The Federalists of New England made threats of sece ion in 1811 and 1814. As the slavery agitation began to be foremost among political i ues, sece ion was extensively suggested as the constitutional right of the Southern States if the system of slavery was attacked. South Carolina was ready to secede in 1850. In 1860, upon news of the election of Lincoln, she did so, December 20, by conventiay, which pa ed an ordinance purporting to repeal her adopt i an of the Constitution in 1788 and to revive her independence, Mi i ippi seceded January 9, 1861, Florida January 10, Alabama Janue ary 11, Georgia January 19, Louisiana January 26, Texas February J,—all by conventions. These seven States formed the Confederate States of America, February 4, 1861. Buchanan's government could find no constitutional warrant for coercing a seceded State. After the firing on Fort Sumter and the decision of Mr. Lincoln and the North to suppre rebellion by armed force, four more States seceded—Arkansas May 6, North Carolina May 20, Virginia May 23, Tenne ce June 8. In most of these States there had been strong opposition to sece ion, but on the ground that it was inexpedient. That a State had a right to secede was the nearly universal belief. The National Government never recognized this right, nor the validity of the ordinances. 208