"
"Just what I think," remarked Mr. Travilla, who had come in with his
little girl in his arms at the moment of Mr. Dinsmore's announcement, and
seated himself on his wife's other side; "let us wait and see. All may go
right with our country yet."
Mr. Dinsmore shook his head sadly. "I wish I could think so, but in the
past history of all republics whenever section has arrayed itself against
section the result has been either a peaceful separation, or civil war;
nor can we hope to be an exception to the rule."
"I should mourn over either," said Elsie, "I cannot bear to contemplate
the dismemberment of our great, glorious old Union. Foreign nations would
never respect either portion as they do the undivided whole."
"No; and I can't believe either section can be so mad as to go that
length," remarked her husband, fondling his baby daughter as he spoke.
"The North, of course, does not desire a separation; but if the South
goes, will be pretty sure to let her go peaceably."
"I doubt it, Travilla; and even if a peaceable separation should be
allowed at first, so many causes of contention would result (such as the
control of the navigation of the Mississippi, the refusal of the North to
restore runaway negroes, etc., etc.), that it would soon come to blows.
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