TWO OF THE most distinguished members of the United States
Supreme Court at this time were Samuel Nelson of New York and
John A. Campbell of Alabama. Though citizens of widely separated
states, these two men had much in common. Both were strong Union
men and both were opposed to secession. That Nelson, a Northern
man, should entertain such convictions was natural enough, but Camp-
bell suffered much odium in his native Alabama and indeed throughout
the whole South for his loyalty -- until the final break -- to the Federal
cause. Certain of Nelson's opinions made him a sympathetic co-worker
with his Southern colleague. He believed that Lincol n's plan of col-
lecting customs dues by force in Southern ports was unlawful and
coercion of any kind against the Confederate States he disapproved.
Not unfittingly, therefore, these two venerable members of the high-
est court in the land now became involved in one of the strangest
diplomatic negotiations in American history.

Up to the present time, all efforts to obtain a reception for the Con-
federate commissioners, even an unofficial one, had failed. On March 15,
the very day that Lincoln demanded written opinions from his cabinet
members on Fort Sumter, these two Justices appeared in Seward's
office, and made another plea for such a reception. That Seward per-
sonally was inclined to grant the request has already been made plain.
That Lincoln and most of the cabinet would have opposed such a pro-
ceeding, the facts disclose. All that Seward could say to the Justices,
therefore, was to explain his situation and repeat his refusal. The con-
versation would have ended at this point had not the Secretary, in the
most offhand manner -- whether accidentally or by design is a mys-
tery -- let fall a remark that completely changed the issue. Up to this
meeting the only question that had been discussed was that of recep-
tion for the "ambassadors." Seward now dismissed this problem and
raised another.

"If Jefferson Davis had known the state of things here," he said, "he
would not have sent those commissioners. The evacuation of Sumter
is as much as the Administration can bear."

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