The Great Conspiracy, Volume 2

In Short

This historical account details the political breakdown of the United States between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the initial mobilization of troops in 1861. It maps the transition from legislative debate to open rebellion, characterizing the secession of Southern states not as a spontaneous reaction, but as the culmination of a decades-long plot by a "Slave Power" elite. By documenting the failure of compromises, the arrogance of Southern leadership, and the eventual call to arms, the book serves as a primary-source-heavy study of how a democracy loses its internal peace.

The Story

The narrative begins on November 7, 1860, the morning after Lincoln’s election. While the North views the result as a necessary step toward the ultimate extinction of slavery, the Southern leadership—particularly in South Carolina—greets the news as the long-awaited signal to trigger their plan for disunion. The text emphasizes that this was not a new impulse; delegates at South Carolina’s secession convention openly admit that their movement has been gathering strength for thirty years, with the election serving merely as a convenient pretext.

As the political atmosphere in Washington turns toxic, the administration of President James Buchanan faces paralysis. The author contrasts Buchanan’s indecisive, legalistic view—that states cannot secede, yet the federal government lacks the power to stop them—with the firm, patriotic stance of Andrew Jackson, who once famously declared that disunion by force is treason. Despite desperate efforts in Congress to find a path to conciliation, the "Fire-eaters" and Southern leaders demand impossible concessions, effectively bullying their opponents while simultaneously preparing for war.

The story moves through the systematic seizure of federal property—mints, arsenals, and ships—by Southern states as they leave the Union. The narrative follows the failure of the "Peace Congress" and the rejection of the Crittenden Compromise, marking the death of reconciliation. The focus then shifts to the arrival of Lincoln in Washington, which necessitates a secret, hurried journey to avoid assassination attempts. Even when Lincoln pledges to respect constitutional rights, his overtures are met with personal insults and defiance from Southern senators who have already convinced themselves that their non-slaveholding citizens and enslaved people alike are loyal to the cause of rebellion.

The tension reaches its breaking point at Fort Sumter. As the federal government decides to provision the garrison rather than abandon it, the South views this as an act of aggression. The subsequent bombardment of the fort serves as the final catalyst, transforming the regional crisis into a national conflict. The book concludes with the rapid, enthusiastic response of the Northern states to Lincoln’s call for volunteers. Governors of slave-holding border states indignantly refuse to provide troops, viewing the call as a "wicked" attempt at subjugation, while the North unites in an unprecedented surge of martial patriotism. The closing chapters contrast this new spirit of national resolve with the initial, desperate maneuvers of the Confederate government, setting the stage for the long struggle to follow.

How It Unfolds

The immediate reaction The election of Lincoln triggers jubilation among Southern extremists, who view the results as the ultimate justification for a revolt that has been in planning for three decades.

The paralysis of power President Buchanan struggles with a constitutional crisis, arguing against the legality of secession while simultaneously claiming he lacks the authority to use force to maintain the Union.

The failure of compromise Congressional committees, including the "Committee of Thirty-three" and the "Committee of Thirteen," attempt to stave off disaster, but find that Southern leaders will accept nothing less than total capitulation.

The conspiracy revealed Speakers at the South Carolina convention openly admit that their exit from the Union is the result of a long-term, calculated scheme to preserve slavery and consolidate power.

The brink of conflict The federal decision to resupply Fort Sumter forces a confrontation, leading to the first shots of the war and the final, irrevocable fracture of the United States.

The mobilization of the North Lincoln’s initial call for troops transforms the political landscape, shifting the focus from legislative debate to military preparation as the North rallies to defend the Union.

The People

Abraham Lincoln serves as the central figure of stability, attempting to navigate a "superhuman" task while facing immense pressure to both yield to the South and to strike back immediately. He remains committed to the Constitution, seeking to protect the government he has been elected to lead.

Edmund Ruffin and other "Fire-eaters" act as the architects of discord, fanatically pushing for secession and deliberately goading the South toward an armed conflict. They view the Union as a failed experiment and are eager to establish a new government built explicitly upon the institution of slavery.

James Buchanan is depicted as a man of profound imbecility, whose refusal to act decisively creates a power vacuum that allows the secessionist movement to gain dangerous momentum. His legalistic indecision stands in stark contrast to the firm, decisive actions of earlier leaders like Andrew Jackson.

Louis Wigfall represents the most aggressive wing of the Southern contingent in the Senate, using his platform to threaten the North with "bloody hands" and to justify the coming war with arrogant, dismissive rhetoric regarding the North's ability to fight or the loyalty of the enslaved population.

In Its Own Voice

"The Republicans of the North rejoiced that at last the great wrong of Slavery was to be placed 'where the People could rest in the belief that it was in the course of ultimate extinction!'"

(The author describes the immediate, hopeful reaction of the North to the election of 1860.)

"The dose that they insisted upon the Republican Party swallowing must not only be as noxious as possible, but must absolutely be mixed by that Party itself, and in addition, that Party must also go down on its knees, and beg the privilege of so mixing and swallowing the dose!"

(The author explains the impossible, humiliating demands placed on the Republican Party by the Southern leadership.)

"We have carried the body of this Union to its last resting place, and now we will drop the flag over its grave."

(Mr. Keitt of South Carolina expresses the secessionist sentiment during the debates in Columbia.)

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is a forensic argument against the legitimacy of the Southern cause. It seeks to debunk the narrative that the Civil War was an unavoidable "clash of civilizations" or a defensive war triggered by Northern aggression. Instead, it posits that the war was a premeditated coup d'état by a "Close Corporation" of elite Southern slaveholders who had lost faith in democratic governance. The underlying question is whether a constitutional republic can survive when a powerful minority is willing to destroy the state rather than accept a loss of political control. The work argues that the Union’s struggle was a moral and legal necessity to preserve the concept of self-government against a descent into permanent despotism.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the mechanics of political collapse will find this book particularly striking. It feels less like a traditional history and more like a high-stakes transcript of a crumbling state. The primary value lies in the extensive use of contemporary speeches, telegrams, and legislative records, which capture the raw, often vitriolic language of the period—from the "Fire-eater" bravado in the Senate to the frantic, indignant responses of Southern governors to Lincoln’s military call.

However, the reader should be prepared for the dense, nineteenth-century prose and the author’s unapologetic, partisan stance. There is no attempt at "balanced" neutrality here; the author writes from the perspective of a Unionist who views the Confederacy as an illegal and immoral conspiracy. The text also includes period-specific attitudes that can be jarring to modern readers, particularly regarding the enslaved population and the rhetoric of the time. It is a demanding, long read that requires patience, but for those who want to understand the granular, day-to-day disintegration of American unity during the winter of 1860–1861, it provides an unfiltered and intense immersion into the period's political consciousness. The persistent relevance of these themes—the fragility of democratic norms and the dangers of extreme factionalism—is what ensures this work remains a significant, if challenging, document of the American experience.