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

In this concise yet forceful pamphlet, the author confronts the nation’s 1861 crisis head‑on, laying out a clear diagnosis of the political upheaval and proposing a firm path forward. Drawing on the urgency of a country on the brink, he argues that temporary compromises only deepen division, while a steadfast adherence to the Constitution can restore order and preserve the Union.

The text weaves together pivotal historical material—Andrew Jackson’s proclamation to South Carolina nullifiers, Daniel Webster’s reply to Hayne, and excerpts from letters by John Jay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton—using them to illustrate the founders’ vision of a government of the people rather than of the states. Through measured rhetoric, the author urges citizens to accept the supremacy of national law, suggesting that only collective obedience to the majority’s constitutional acts can sustain the Republic. His appeal is a plea for unity, aimed at both Southern and Northern readers, without compromising the core principles that built the nation.