in carrying the State out of the Union. A correspondent writing from New Orleans, says : "The Southern heart is fired at last to its fullest extent, and whether it has the constitutional' right to secede or not, it is now too late to argue, and no one will pretend to doubt its 'revolutionary' right to secede; that a vast majority of the people of New Orleans are consolidated as 'minute-men' of the blue-cockade stamp; that 'minute-men' are forming throughout the cotton States in legions, and that the tide of the impending crisis' has turned against the North, and you may soon look for such an irrepressible conflict' in the Northern States, when the hundreds and thousands of mechanics and laborers shall be turned out of employ, as the North has never dreamed of." November 29. The Vermont legislature votes against a repeal of its personal liberty bill,-125 to 58. The Mississippi legislature authorized the Governor to appoint as many commissioners as he might deem necessary, to visit each of the slave-holding States, to inform them that the Mississippi legislature had authorized a convention to consider the necessary steps for meeting the crisis. The commissioners were to solicit the co-operation of legislatures to devise means "for their common defence and safety." By dispatches from New Orleans we learn that the excitement in that city was immense, and the secession feeling momentarily increasing. Disunion was regarded as inevitable. The bank bill to suspend specie payment of banks in Georgia re-passed over the Governor's veto. A bill was introduced into the house of the Georgia legislature prohibiting the levying of any execution from the courts of the United States on the property of cit izens of Georgia, prior to December, 1861,-all sales under such process to be void. We copy the following from a "Connecticut paper.' We do not vouch for the truth of the statement, but it is rather spicy, and we give it to our readers as we receive it. "A young lady from Vermont, teaching in a town in Georgia, writes to her parents thus: "The people here are very much excited over the election of Mr. Lincoln. Yesterday they formed a military company among the young men, with a view to the exigencies of the hour, and to-day they came out to drill. The most remarkable part of that performance, to a Yankee girl, was to see each soldier have a negro along to carry his gun.' By advices from Florida, we learn that secession flags were flying in many portions of the State, and that the secession feeling largely predominated. The following is an extract from the message of Governor Perry to the legislature of Florida: "I most decidedly declare that, in my opinion, the only hope the Southern States have for their domestic peace and safety, or for future respectability and prosperity, is dependent on their action now, and that the proper action is secession from our faithless, perjured confederates." CHAPTER V. Our Union is river, lake, ocean, and sky; Man breaks not the medal when God cuts the die; ATLANTIC MONTHLY. DECEMBER 1. A committee of citizens of Texas, composed of leading men, petitioned Governor Houston to convene the legislature. The Governor responded that the present agitation throughout the country, and particularly in the South, arising from the election of a President and Vice-President upon a sectional issue, called for the calm deliberation of statesmen. That the assembling of delegates from sovereign States, in a consultative character and within the scope of their constitutional powers, "to preserve the equal rights of such States in the Union," might result in the adoption of such measures as would restore harmony between the two sections of the Union; and should such a convention be called, he would, upon receipt of information as to the time and place of its assembling, immediately order an election of seven delegates to represent Texas in the same. That he could see no reason for involving the State in the expenses incident to a session of the legislature, and altogether viewing the measure unwise, he could not convene it; but, if a majority of the citizens of the State petitioned for it, he would not stand in the way, adding, "We have the Constitution to maintain, and in maintaining the Constitution we must maintain our rights; when the Constitution fails to give them to us, I am for revolution. My action has been prompt, decided and legal. Finding a course marked out for me by law, I have followed it, and am now awaiting a response.' The secession feeling largely predominated in the southern and eastern portion of the State. Florida legislature passed the convention bill unanimously. The convention to meet January 3d. Banks in Georgia generally suspended specie payment. Immense secession meeting at Memphis, Tennessee. Resolutions were passed, calling upon the Governor to convene the legislature, directing that a State convention be called, and telling the Southern States that Tennessee would stand by the action of the Southern convention for weal or woe. To show the state of feeling at the South, we copy portions of an extract from a letter written by Brigadier General Semmes, a graduate of West Point, in acknowledgment of the high honor conferred upon him; having been appointed to the command of the military department of Columbus, Ga. He says: 6 "Southerners have a high and sacred duty to perform, and know well how to perform that duty. He who dallies is a dastard; he who doubts is damned;' and he who cries peace, union, when there is no peace, no union, and never can be, with a fanatic and infidel people who repudiate God and the Bible, deserves everlasting execration. I rejoice at the dawning of the day which is to separate us, I trust forever, from such a people, a people who, folding the arms of the federal government around the South, stand behind filching from their pockets, a people who, through the operations of federal law, rob the South annually of one hundred and five millions of dollars. No wonder they love the Union,' — the 'glorious Union.' It enriches them, by robbing us. Eternal hostility, say I, to such people, and rebellion to their accursed federal misrule. Separated from them they are impotent to harm us. Their voices, their hands (in our pockets) we dread; their bayonets, themselves, we despise. Let a united South rally and strike down this God-forsaken Union with robbers, fanatics, incendiaries, assassins, infidels. Southrons, arise! Buckle on your armor; trust in God and strike for independence. His right arm will support you. PAUL J. SEMMES. (Signed.) Rev. P. N. Lynch, Catholic Bishop of Charleston, declined to go to the South Carolina convention, and withdrew his name from the list of candidates. He said, "There is another sphere in which I can more appropriately, and perhaps with equal efficiency, serve our State. In that sphere I trust I shall not be found wanting in my devotion to her interests, in weal or woe." December 3. Preamble and resolutions adopted in the Georgia legislature, proposing a conference of the Southern States at Atlanta, on the 20th of February, to counsel and advise as to the mode and manner of resistance to the North in the existing exigency. The preamble and resolutions took strong grounds in favor of having all sectional questions finally settled, and objected to separate action. Congress met at Washington,- President Buchanan's message read to both Houses, and transmitted to the South. It was conservative in its general character, and created but little remark, except with some few leading politicians. It did not please the extremists on either side. The following fiery declaration of Governor Wise, of Virginia, will define his position, and show in what light he regarded the President's message. A gentleman writing from Williamsburg, Va., Dec. 4, 1860, says: "Meeting Governor Wise to-day, I took occasion to ascertain his opinion upon the latest phase of the sectional difficulties. The Governor says he regards the President's message as the most damning production that ever came from the pen of any Presi |