John G. Nicolay, The Outbreak of Rebellion, page 26

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The issue was decided in the Cabinet meeting of December 13th; after a spirited re-argument, the President told his Secretary of State that he was sorry to differ with him, but that he could not order reinforcements to Charleston; whereupon General Cass tendered his resignation and retired from official life. Cobb had resigned from the Cabinet a few days before. Black, the Attorney-General, was now made Secretary of State; Thomas of Maryland, Secretary of the Treasury; and Edwin M. Stanton appointed Attorney-General.

If Mr. Buchanan flattered himself that his concession to Floyd, Davis, and the cabal, would stay the tide of disunion in the South, he was quickly undeceived. At the very time the Cabinet meeting was holding its final discussion of the question of reinforcements, a mysterious paper was being circulated for signature through the two houses of Congress, and on the second day following, the newspapers which announced the retirement of Cass also contained the first definite and authentic proclamation of concerted revolution by the Cotton States, and the proposal to form a Southern republic.¹ It was a brief document, but pregnant with all the

to our constituents.
Washington, December 14, 1860.

The argument is exhausted. All hope of relief in the Union, through the agency of committees, congressional legislation, or constitutional amendments, is extinguished, and we trust the South will not be deceived by appearances or the pretence of new guarantees. In our judgment the Republicans are resolute in the purpose to grant nothing that will or ought to satisfy the South. We are satisfied the honor, safety, and independence of the Southern people require the organization of a Southern confederacy--a result to be obtained only by separate State secession — that the primary object of each slaveholding State ought to be its speedy and absolute separation from a Union with hostile States.

(Signed by: Representatives Pugh, Clopton, Moore, Curry, and Stallworth, of Alabama; Senator Iverson and Representatives Underwood, Gartrell, Jackson, Jones, and Crawford, of Georgia; Representative Hawkins of Florida; Represent- ative Hindman, of Arkansas; Senators Jefferson Davis and A. G. Brown, and Representatives Barksdale, Singleton, and Reuben Davis, of Mississippi; Representatives Craige and Ruffin, of North Carolina; Senators Slidell and Benjamin, and Representative Landrum, of Louisiana; Senators Wigfall and Hemphill, and Representative Reagan, of Texas; Representatives Bon- ham, Miles, McQueen, and Ashmore, of South Carolina.)

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Jefferson Davis (2)
Cass (2)
Wigfall (1)
Wheatland (1)
Underwood (1)
Thomas (1)
Edwin M. Stanton (1)
Stallworth (1)
Slidell (1)
Singleton (1)
Ruffin (1)
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McQueen (1)
Landrum (1)
D. R. Jones (1)
Governcr Jackson (1)
Iverson (1)
Hindman (1)
Hemphill (1)
Hawkins (1)
Gartrell (1)
Floyd (1)
Reuben Davis (1)
Curry (1)
Crawford (1)
Craige (1)
Howell Cobb (1)
Clopton (1)
James Buchanan (1)
A. G. Brown (1)
Bon (1)
Benjamin (1)
Barksdale (1)
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John G. Nicolay, The Outbreak of Rebellion

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