THE second period of the Convenion began with the report of
the Federal Relations Committee on March 9, and continued into
early April when it was learned that Lincoln planned to reënforce
Sumter. In this period the conservatives pressed matters, and the
secessionists championed delay and agitation. The former composed of
Unionists and moderates were held together only by the hopes of
compromise and the coöperation of the border states.

After the excitement following the Peace Conference's report and
Lincoln's inauguration had subsided and after the conservatives felt
secure again in their control, the Federal Relations Committee which
had awaited these two events made its preliminary report on March 9,
and the final one ten days later. The former was presented before the
latter, so that the Convention might be occupied with a definite proj-
ect, and thereby diminish the chances of agitation. Twelve of the
twenty-one members endorsed the preliminary report, two opposed it,
several were absent, and others made minority or individual recom-
mendations. ¹ Later, on March 19, the committee presented as a supple-
ment a thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States. ²
The first report was an explanation of the nature of the Union and a
list of grievances of the South. ³ The supplementary one recommended
that a series of guarantees similar to those in the Crittenden Compro-
mise be incorporated into the thirteenth amendment. ⁴ A minority re-
port by Wise recommended that several demands more drastic than
those of the majority report be presented to the several states with
the request that they be approved by October 1. While awaiting these
approvals, he would strengthen the defenses of the state, request the
Federal Government to withdraw from the forts of the seceded states,
and reduce the forces in those of Virginia and Maryland. If these pro-
posals were not accepted by the Northern states, he would join the
South. ⁵ Harvie's report simply recommended that an ordinance of seces-
sion be passed and presented to the people for their approval or re-
jection. ⁶ James Barbour's plan stated that Virginia had done all she

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