Should be an interesting blog to read. Today's entry for December 18, 1860:
Enjoy.There is little relevant news from the South Carolina Convention today due to a smallpox outbreak that forced the delegates to relocate to Charleston. Before adjuring the meeting early, the delegates elected Mr. Jamison to the position of President and reaffirmed the need to draft a resolution calling for secession. Meanwhile, the South Carolina legislature is contemplating several important bills, including one that would limit the movement of free blacks and another to appropriate money to fortify Charleston and build up an arsenal.
Senator Wade, of Ohio, gave a characteristically heated speech in Congress yesterday upbraiding the stance of the South and sparking familiar debate. Although a few remaining hopeful Congressmen – most of them from the Border States – continue to submit resolutions to the Special Committee, many observers believe that the only way to reach consensus is to leave it to a National Convention.
A myriad of personal tragedies have struck several of the highest officers at the Post Office Department, further exacerbating the problems department leadership will face if Southern states secede.
Troubled by the lackluster financial markets, merchants in Baltimore are imploring Governor Hicks to call a special session of the Maryland Legislature to discuss the crisis.
