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'HE rebellion of the slaveholders so long threatened by the South came immediately upon the announcement that Lincoln had been elected President. The first overt act in the great conspiracy was by South Carolina, where the Legislature met on November 5th and on November 17, 1860, unanimously adopted a so-called "Ordinance of Secession." Her example was followed by Mississippi on January 9, 1861; by Florida on January 10th; by Alabama on January 11th; by Georgia on January 19th; by Louisiana on January 25th, and by Texas on February 7th; so that, when Lincoln was inaugurated, seven States were in actual rebelllion against the Government. The action of these States was followed by the adoption of similar ordinances on the part of Arkansas on March 18th; Virginia on April 17th; Tennes

the National Congress resigned their seats either to become members of the Confederate Congress, which met for the first time at Montgomery, Alabama, February 4, 1861, or to otherwise actively participate in the rebellion.

Meanwhile the authorities at Washington prior to the inauguration of Lincoln remained inactive. The members of the Cabinet from the South, after doing all they could to promote the cause of the rebellion, resigned their positions. The Government property, in the way of forts, arsenals and munitions of war, passed into the hands of the rebels, while President Buchanan declined to make any effort to suppress the outbreak in its incipiency. He had, however, by proclamation, set apart January

20th, though the attempt to secure the cooperation of Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri failed of success, and the people of West Virginia were so strenuous in their resistance that they were ultimately allowed to adopt a separate State government. The seceding States adopted a constitution and organized a separate government, known as the Confederate States of America, under which Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, became respectively President and Vice President. The majority of the Southern members of

was observed by several Northern States, including Ohio.

On January 23d, the Ohio Democracy met in Delegate Convention at Armory Hall, Columbus, but it was not deemed expedient at that time to nominate a State ticket, and the Convention adjourned after adopting a series of resolutions. One of these was a declaration favoring the proposed "Crittenden Compromise," and calling for a convention of the various States to formulate and submit amendments to the Constitution of the United States.

The fifth of these resolutions was as follows:

Resolved, That the two hundred thousand Democrats of Ohio send to the people of the United States, both North and South, greeting: And when the people of the North shall have fulfilled their duties to the Constitution and the South, then, and not until then, will it be proper for them to take into consideration the right and propriety of coercion.

On January 28th, a "union meeting of the citizens of the State, irrespective of party" was held at Columbus; the principal speakers were Allen G. Thurman, Samuel Medary, Mathias Martin and Robert Hutcheson. Resolutions were adopted favorable to the "Crittenden Compromise," and declaring that the Union could not be preserved by force.

On February 12th and 13th, Presidentelect Lincoln, while en route to Washington, passed through Ohio, stopping in Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. He was

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given an ovation at these cities and remained in each for about eighteen hours. The crowd at Columbus was the greatest and most general in character. rangements were in charge of a joint committee of the General Assembly and City Council. An official program was nounced by the Adjutant General of the State. February 13th was a pleasant day for that month and an immense concourse met Mr. Lincoln at the depot. Amid the plaudits of thousands and to the music of a Presidential salute from a battery of artillery, the procession escorting the distinguished visitor moved up High street to the State Capitol. Mr. Lincoln was introduced to the General Assembly in the hall of the House of Representatives by LieutenantGovernor Kirk, Governor Dennison accompanying him to the Speaker's stand.

Mr. Lincoln's remarks were altogether extemporaneous both to the General Assembly and to the people. To the former, he said:

"It is true, as has been said by the President of the Senate, that very great responsibility rests upon me in the position to which the votes of the American people have called me. I am duly sensible of that weighty responsibility. I can but know, what you all know, that, without a name-perhaps without a reason why I should have a name-there has fallen upon me a task such as did not rest upon the Father of his Country,' and so feeling I can only turn and look. for those supports without which it will be impossible for me to perform that great task. I turn then and look to the American people and to that God who has never forsaken the American nation. Allusion has been made to the interest felt in relation to the policy of the new Administration. In reference to this I have received from some sources some degree of credit for having kept silent; from others, some degree of depreciation for so doing. I still think I pursued the right course. In the varying and repeatedly shifting scenes that never could enable us to judge by the past, it has seemed fitting that, to be sure, before speaking upon the difficulties of the country, I should have seen the whole ground, after all being at liberty to modify and change the course of policy as future events may make change necessary. I have not maintained silence from any real want of anxiety. It is a good thing that there is not more anxiety, for there is nothing going wrong. It is a consoling circumstance, that, when we look out, there is nothing that really hurts anybody. We entertain different views upon political questions, but nobody is suffering anything. This is a most consoling circumstance, and from it we may conclude that all we want is time, patience and reliance on that God who has never forsaken His people."

few assemblages will be so large- which I will meet on my way to the Federal Capital. The General As: sembly has just done me the honor to receive me and to hear my few broken remarks. Judging from what I see, I infer that that reception was one without party distinction, and one of entire kindness--one that has nothing in it beyond a feeling of the citizenship of the United States of America. Knowing, as I do, that any crowd brought together as this one has been is made up of citizens near about, and that in this County of Franklin there is great difference of political sentiment, those agreeing with me having a little of the shortest row from this, and the circumstances I have mentioned, I infer that you do me the honor to greet me without distinction as to party. I think this is as it should be. Many of you who were not favorable to my candidacy were favorable to the election of the distinguished Senator from the State in which I reside. If Senator Douglas had been chosen in the late contest, I think my friends would have joined heartily in meeting and greeting him on his passage through your capital, as you have met and greeted me to-day. If any one of the other candidates had been elected, I think it would have been altogether becoming and proper for all to have joined in showing honor, quite as well to the office and to the country as to the man. The people themselves are honored by such a concentration. I am doubly thankful that you have appeared here to give me this greeting. It is not so much to

me, for I shall soon pass away from you; but we have a large country and a great future before us, and any manifestations of good will toward the Government and affection for the Union which you may exhibit are of immense value to you and to your posterity forever. It is from this point of view that I thank you most heartily for the reception that you have given me; and with this allow me to bid you an affectionate farewell."

Following the addresses a reception was tendered the people in the rotunda of the State House, Mr. Lincoln fairly exhausting himself in endeavoring to shake the hands of all who presented themselves.

The meeting at Cleveland occurred on a very inclement afternoon, but, notwithstanding this, Mr. Lincoln was taken in parade over several miles of streets in the rain and slush. A large crowd had assembled to greet him and to listen to his response to the recep

tion committee and the people in general. In the course of his address he said:

"You have assembled to testify your devotion to the Constitution, to the Union and its laws and to the perpetual liberty of the people of this country. It is for the whole American people, and not for a single man alone, to advance the great cause of the Union and the Constitution. And in a country like this, where every man bears on his face the marks of intel ligence, where every man's clothing, if I may so speak, shows signs of comfort, and every dwelling signs of happiness and contentment,where schools and churches abound on every side, the Union can never be in danger. I would, therefore, if I could, instill some degree of patriotism and confidence into the political mind in relation to this matter."

A few days after this visit of the President-elect the General Assembly adopted a joint resolution authorizing the Governor to appoint Commissioners to represent Ohio at a Peace Conference," inaugurated by the Governor of Virginia, at Washington, and the following gentlemen were selected: Salmon P. Chase, Thomas Ewing, John C. Wright, Valentine B. Horton, William S. Groesbeck, Franklin T. Backus and Reuben Hitchcock. The conference was unavailing.

Salmon P. Chase resigned as United States Senator on March 6th to accept the position of Secretary of the Treasury in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet. On March 21st John Sherman was elected to fill the unexpired term of six years from March 4, 1861, by the following vote: Senate--John Sherman, Rep., 23; William Kennon, Sr., Dem., 7; House--Sherman, 53; Kennon, 46; joint vote-Sherman, 76; Kennon, 53.

On April 12th the threatened civil war was actually begun by the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and on April 15th President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteers and commanding the rebels to lay down their arms within twenty days. Ohio's response to this call was im

mediate and had occasion seemed to require it the whole force could have been recruited in this State within a few days. Four days afterward, or on April 19th, the First and Second regiments of Ohio Volunteer Infantry were en route to Washington. Ohio furnished for service in the war that followed 340,000 men of all branches of the service, representing, when reduced to the department standard, 240,000 three-years soldiers; and, let it be recorded, that out of this vast number only 8,750 were drafted men. Of this force 6,536 were killed in battle, 4,674 were wounded and subsewounded and subsequently died in field hospitals; and 13.354 died during the war of diseases contracted in the service. In short, out of every thousand Ohio soldiers eighty-four sacrificed their lives in defense of the Union. In referring to this great mortality General J. Warren Keifer, in 1878, made this striking comparison:

The total losses in battle of all kinds in both the American and British armies in the seven years' war of the Revolution, excluding only the captured at Saratoga and Yorktown, was 21,526. This number falls 4,000 below Ohio's dead-list alone during the late war. The loss of Ohio officers is known to have reached 872, or nearly ten per cent of the grand total of officers.

The Legislature was in session when the news was received that Sumter had fallen. While the exciting information was being read in the House, the shrill voice of Abbie Kelly Foster, a noted Abolition worker, was heard to exclaim, from the gallery: "Thank God! it is the death-knell of slavery."

The Legislature appropriated a million dollars for war purposes and passed a bill prepared by James A. Garfield to define and punish treason." A great Union mass meeting was held at Armory Hall, Columbus, on April 17th, which was addressed by

Robert B. Warden, Joseph R. Swan, Samuel Galloway and James A. Garfield. Resolutions were unanimously adopted that the United States Government must be sustained at all hazards. On April 23d, Stephen A. Douglas was in Columbus and made a patriotic address from the north front of the State Capitol. This was his last public utterance in Ohio, and perhaps anywhere, for he died in Chicago on the third of June following.

We can not follow the events of the war in detail, but sufficient has been stated to show the determined stand of the people of Ohio for the preservation of the Union and maintenance of the Government. The events of the terrible conflict will be mentioned only so far as it is necessary for a better understanding of the political events of the times.

On July 25th the Republican State Central Committee met in Columbus, and after full consideration unanimously adopted the following preamble and resolutions:

WHEREAS, It is the duty of all citizens in time of National peril to lay aside all differences of political opinion and unite in defense of their government; therefore, be it

Resolved, 1. That it is not now expedient to call a convention of the Republican party for the nomination of officers to be chosen at the coming State election.

2. That the Democratic State Central Committee be requested to unite with this Committee in a call for a joint delegate convention for the purpose of nominating a suitable State ticket, and that the call be addressed to all who are in favor of the maintenance of the integrity of the National Government and of the vigorous and continued prosecution of the war now carried on for that purpose; and that the proposition to said Committee be made by the Republican Executive Committee.

3. That in the event of the refusal of the Democratic Central Committee to accept the proposition for union by the ninth of August, the Executive Committee is directed to issue to the people of Ohio a call for

a convention of delegates to be chosen without reference to party, to nominate a State ticket upon the simple basis of the maintenance of the Government and the suppression of the rebellion against it.

4. That the Secretary be requested to furnish copies of the foregoing to the papers of Columbus, and that the press of all parties in the State be invited to publish the same.

The resolutions were published very generally throughout the State, as requested.

The next day the following letter was sent to William Mount, Chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee:

Sir: The Republican Central Committee proposes to the Democratic Central Committee that the two unite in a call for a joint Convention for the nomination of a State ticket of officers to be chosen at the general election in October next. The basis on which the call is to be made is contained in the resolutions of the Republican Committee, a copy of which is hereby enclosed. If the proposition is accepted, the details of the union can hereafter be easily settled in such manner as to make the action of the Convention beyond question acceptable to the people of Ohio. It can hardly be necessary to make any lengthy exposition of the circumstances which establish the propriety of the proposed union. It is sufficient to refer to the fact that the integrity of the Government is in danger from the assaults of misguided men in rebellion against the supremacy of the Constitution and the laws. To put down this unholy rebellion, loyal citizens of all parties have rushed to arms and are now fighting on the field side by side, knowing not nor caring not what political differences have heretofore divided them. It is not now the time for loyal citizens at home to keep alive these differences. But one duty devolves upon us at present-to present a united front to the enemy. By taking this position, while we discourage treason everywhere, we will cheer the hearts and strengthen the arms of those who stand at the post of danger in the field.

To this invitation, so magnanimously and cordially extended, there was no acknowledgment. But as an evidence that the Democratic leaders placed partisan zeal above love of country their Committee issued a call for a State Convention to be held at Columbus on August 7th.

At the time designated, August 9th, the Republican Executive Committee again met and issued a call, which was also signed by representative men of all parties from twenty different counties, of which a portion is quoted:

The undersigned, deeply sensible of the dangers now hanging over our National Government, and impressed with the conviction that they can only be averted by the united action of the whole people in which patriotism shall take the place of party spirit, respectfully and earnestly call upon all loyal citizens of Ohio who are in favor of the maintenance of the Government and of the vigorous and continued prosecution of the war now carried on for the suppression of the rebellion against the Government, to meet and appoint delegates to a Union Convention to be held in Columbus, Thursday, September 5th, next, for the nomination of candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Judge of the Supreme Court, Comptroller, Treasurer of State, Secretary of State and Member of the Board of Public Works.

We suggest that the Convention consist of one delegate for each thousand of the aggregate vote cast in each county for Supreme Judge at the last election, with one additional delegate for each surplus of half the ratio, varying this apportionment, however, so as to secure not less than two delegates from every county and an even number from all. Under this apportionment the counties are entitled to 458 delegates. We further suggest that the delegates be chosen by County Conventions to be held on Saturday, August 31st.

Fellow Citizens of Ohio: "Shall the Government be preserved?" is now the all-absorbing question, and the only one worthy of the consideration of the American people. We feel that no lengthened appeal is necessary to animate you to the discharge of your duty in relation to it. We feel assured that a respect for the memory of your fathers, who secured for you the blessings of free institutions, a sense of the obligations resting upon you as the heretofore peaceful possessors