Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. At this peculiar epoch in the history of the country the political atmosphere of the South was literally pestilential. Under the manipulation of skillful, but unscrupulous leaders, whole communities had become imbued with a spirit hostile to the governing powers. They were led to believe that the time for argument had past, and that nothing was now left them, but to make a demand for what they were pleased to consider their inherent rights - that of keeping their fellow men in bondage - and if this were refused, to declare themselves for war. The portentious clouds of the im pending crisis continued gathering thick and fast, and it required no prophet's eye to discern, or voice to fore tell that they must soon burst upon the country in a deluge that could only be stayed by an enormous waste of blood and treasure. A sojourn of nearly eighteen months among the southern people, and the facilities afforded me from the position occupied by my sister's family, gave me an un usual opportunity to observe the passing pageant of events. The masses had been gradually worked over to the interests of the more intelligent leaders, until reason and argument ceased further to influence them.

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. At this peculiar epoch in the history of the country the political atmosphere of the South was literally pestilential. Under the manipulation of skillful, but unscrupulous leaders, whole communities had become imbued with a spirit hostile to the governing powers. They were led to believe that the time for argument had past, and that nothing was now left them, but to make a demand for what they were pleased to consider their inherent rights - that of keeping their fellow men in bondage - and if this were refused, to declare themselves for war. The portentious clouds of the im pending crisis continued gathering thick and fast, and it required no prophet's eye to discern, or voice to fore tell that they must soon burst upon the country in a deluge that could only be stayed by an enormous waste of blood and treasure. A sojourn of nearly eighteen months among the southern people, and the facilities afforded me from the position occupied by my sister's family, gave me an un usual opportunity to observe the passing pageant of events. The masses had been gradually worked over to the interests of the more intelligent leaders, until reason and argument ceased further to influence them.