The Crisis of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-One in the Government of the United States. / Its Cause, and How It Should Be Met

An urgent political treatise argues that the national schism results from a policy of temporary pacification rather than enforcing the supremacy of the laws, and urges firm legal measures to preserve the Union and public order. It blends argument and documentary material, offering analysis of causes and remedies, comparisons of administrations, discussions of constitutional points such as nullification, treason, and the presidential oath, and appended texts including Jackson’s proclamation, Webster’s reply to Hayne, founders’ letters, and commentary on proposals like the Missouri Compromise and Crittenden’s amendment, ultimately advocating legal firmness over compromise.