CHAPTER XIII.
Tile Civil War and the German-Virginians.
N the beginning of 1861 the outlook for the future rapidly darkened; affairs steadily drifted towards hostilities between the North and the South, and finally the German- Yirgiuians after a long struggle were drawn into the whirlpool of popular excitement. In the western part of the State they belonged in large numbers to the “Union Party,” but in Middle and Southern Virginia the great majority sympathized with the South, whose constitutional rights they considered threatened. With all their devotion to the Union and pride of American citizenship, they felt in duty, bound towards the State wdiere they had become domiciled. Only a small number of Germans avowed the principles and programme of the Republican party and recommended unconditional submission to the Federal Government ; but at this period of the great crisis not one German- Virginian — American or foreign born — was in favor of Secession. All German citizens in the State heartily endorsed a resolution of the Legislature to call a “ Peace Congress ” in order to avoid civil war. The Peace Congress assembled in Washington, 1 1 ). C., on the 9th of February, -1861, and Ex-President John Tyler presided ; but every proposal looking to a peaceful settlement was rejected by the extremists. Meanwhile the revolutionary example of South Carolina had been followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. These seceded States formed on February 4th a new'union under the title of “the. Confederate States of America 'They organized an army to oppose intruders and seized forts, navy-yards and arsenals. This Southern lievolution would yet have remained hopeless of success and