The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-21
THE NATIONAL CRISIS.
THE SOUTHERN CONGRESS

eBaE IVA aAUtNfAA UNsSES.
THE SOUTHERN CONGRESS.
MONTGOMERY, February l9.-In the Congress to
day Mr.. Brooke reported bill for the organiza
tion of the Department Of State. The Congress
went into secret session the subject. 1t is un
derstood that the President is awaiting the organi
zation of the Executive Departments, which viii
probably be organized tomorrow, and the Cabine
will be nominated the succeeding day. The
President has not yet determined upon single
member of his Cabinet.
Missoui Convention Election--0verwhelnl-
ing Majority for the Union.
ST. Louis, February 19.-The returns of the
State election show that the State has gone over
whelmipgy for the Union candidates. Not ten
secessonists are elected.
No Secession in Arkansas,
FAYETTEVILLE, February 1s.-At the election to.
day large number of votes were cast against
holding Convention.
Upon raising a large Union flag, the Stars and
Stripes, the court house. the enthusiasm of the
crowd was unbounded, and cheer after cheer was
sent up from more voices than ever greeted it in
Washington county before.
Parties are now paradiug the streets with Union
flags.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 19.-Arkansas election returns
from Desart, Madison and Helena counties show
secession majorites.
Little Rock gives Union majority.
Old Fort I<earney Taken by the SECESSION
lists and Retnken by Union Men,
NEBRASKA Cry, Feb. 2O.-Old Fort Kearney was
taken possession of on Monday night by the seces-
sionists, who mounted the Palmetto flag. The
Union men, however, mustered Immediately and
retook the fort tearing down the secession flag and
! hosting the Stars and Stripes.
Arkansas Election
! FoRT SMITH, Feb. 20.-The counties of Benton,
Washington, Sebastian and Crawford, Western
Arkansas, have given 200 Union majority and the
same against the Convention.
The War Feeling in Louisiana.
| BATON ROUGE, Feb. 19.-Since Mr.. Lncou's late
speech, foreshadowing coercion, a war policy is
deemed inevitable. No apprehensions felt of
the conflict in the South. On the first demonstra-
tion by the Lincoln government the provisional
government will send Immediately large army
to the North. The South will never wait to be in
vaded.
One hundred thousand dollars were asked for to-
day in the Legislature to put the forts the Mis-
sissppi in complete defence.
An Appropriation bill, amounting to one million
five hundred thousand dollars, passed the House.
ABSTRACT OF THE TESTIMONY OF GOV.
HICKS BEFORE THE INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-Thomas H. Hicks Gov
of Maryland) examined. To Mr.. Branch-I
would very much prefer, unless the committee 9th
erwise determine, not to connect any names with
my testimony, as it would possibly result in clos
ing up means of information that may hereafter
be important.
To the Chairman, (who read an abstract from
the Governors proclamation of January Sd, 1861,
in relation to seizing the capitol, &C. )-I have no
LEDGE of that. II W lov tha baS
Of my belief:
First letter, written by firm in Charleston
s. c., January 10, 1860, to a commercial house in
France Second, publication or programme in
the Richmond Enquirer of the 18th of December
last, and the substance of which was published in
the National Inelligencer of the 3Ist ult. That
publication alone would have made very little i'm
preston upon my mind, but several distinguished
gentlemen, whose names would prefer not to use
one commissioner from sister State made state
ments that satisfied me that effort would be
made to defeat the Inauguration Of Mr.. Lincoln. |
formed the opinion that there would be an ATTEMPT
at violence before the 4th of March.
then had an interview with committee from
Baltimore. the chairman of which a gentleman
of high character in our State, The committee
called upon me to urge me to call the Legislature
together. They from meeting held in the
Universaist Church in Baltimore the Saturday
preceding Christmas. The interview with the
committee was the day before Christmas, in which
taun IS used, and allusCns made to my per-
sonal safety, and the hazard would run f per-
sisted in declining to convene the Legislature; and
references made to the shedding of blood, and the
refusal to allow Mr.. Lincoln to be inaugurated |
remarked to one of them that did not see the ne
ceSsty Of shedding blood at any time; that he knew
full well that | was a Southern man and a slave
holder.
The morning after this interview l received two
letters, anonymous, in which | was advised of
a movement on foot to bring to bear upon me, as
the Executive officer of Maryland, pressure that
would compel me to convene the Legislature; and
then, if the Legislature convened pass resolu-
tions carrying Maryland with the South in order
that the Capital should be seized by armed force
The following Sabbath a gentleman from w ash
ington called upon me, four or five others were
present, and he went very much the same
grounds set forth by the Richmond Enquirer of the
18th of December, that the design was to break up
the government, carry Maryland with the South, |
that the cession of the District to the United
States should cease, and they might get possession
of this Capitol and the archives o: the government.
His brother manifested come feeling, that he should
be connected with those engaged in this movement,
and he explained by saying that he could not help |
knowing about it, though not engaged in it, from |
hearing them converse about it, He described the |
leader of the movement, and after he left the room
we all agreed upon the individual as the one
he had described He gave the exact number of
men who were recently organizing here and in |
Baltimore.
| have various letters also from many individ- |
uals in reference to this natter and you have seen
the published correspondence between commission
and much Of the opinion have formed in regard to
the contemplated effort of that sort has grown out
of interviews with those gentlemen. lnreply to |
the statement of the chairman, that he had seen |
publication of correspondence with Mr. Handy of |
Mississippi: that was published | heard upon |
the afternoon that he left. And some weeks after
it was so repeatedly said that there was a CORES
pondence between Mr.. Curry, of Alabama, and |
myself, that thought it better to publish it. and
did so. | mention their names because their cor |
respondence has been published ! had no CONVEX |
sation with Mr. Curry, being absent when he called
me.
Judge Handy said to me, among other things, |
that Lincoln and Hamlin never would be installed |
into office. l reminded him of what the Constitu-
tion said about one State entering into agree
ment with another, and he said they had watched |
that point, and did not intend to violate the |
Constitution. | asked him how he would obviate !
the difficulty? He said they wanted Mississippi to
60 out, say to-day, Maryland tomorrow, and so
on, until all the States south of Mason and Dixons
line out, and then they would form Southern
Union. | replied that though l deprecated the
election of Lincoln as much he any could,
did not think it was a for breaking up this
Union; thatif the Devil had been elected President
the United States in lawful manner, should not
like to see the Union broken up because ofthat.
As to the letters have received, l think the
safety of Maryland, and perhaps, in part, of the
Union, depend upon my conceaing The names of the
writers. One of the persons wrote me two letters
referring to recent conspiracy, and referred me
to highly respectable gentleman as to his charac-
WulCu tudl pore out Iully LOT ySr2-
city and standing. Most of these letters are in
regard to matters in Maryland.
A great many may think | have been frightened,
have not and have no feeling in the world upon
the subject against any man, set of men, or party
nation. l am Union man; l am a STAKEHOLDER
and have been since was 81 years old. ! was
born in Maryland and raised there. NV sympa-
thes are with the South-I say this to the world.
But am Union man, and would live in the
Union, and die for it, if necessary. ITO Mr.. Coch-
rane II am satisfied that there is no present
danger from without the State of MARYLAND of any
concerted action confederated movement upon
the District of Columbia, or the Federal property
or Government here.
do not believe that there is any organization
in Maryland, at this time, contemplating an attack
upon the District, the federal property or the
federal authorities here, though | believe it was
decidedly contemplated at one period
To the Chairmsn-I think it was the settled de-
termination OF few persens some time back to
make such an attack, but do not believe there is
the slightest danger design to do Sc now.
To Mr.. Branch-The meeting in the Uniyersalist
Church, in Baltimore, passed resolutions request
ing me to call the Legislature together; but there
was nothing in them indicating purpose or wish
to make attack upon this government or its pro-
perty here. And the Committee did not intimate
| in express language that they had any such pur-
! pose, but that was the inference gathered from
their taunts about my personal safety, and that
! the Inauguration of Lincoln should never come
off, though it was not said how it could be pre-
vented.
! The letters | received the next morning, Christ
mas. one was over the signature of "Mary ylander,'
| and the other from gentleman | had never SEEN