The friends of the Union were slow to believe that any serious difficulty would take place.
Long after the secession of South Carolina they were confident our differences could be healed without an appeal to arms.
My visit to the Rocky Mountains was a professional one.

During my stay in that region I supplied several Eastern journals with letters from Colorado and New Mexico.

One after another, the editors of these journals informed me that letters from the Territories had lost their interest, owing to the troubles growing out of the election.

Wishing to take part in the drama about to be enacted, I essayed a midwinter journey across the plains, and, early in February, stood in the editorial room of _The Herald_.
I announced my readiness to proceed to any point between the Poles, wherever _The Herald_ desired a correspondent.

The editor-in-chief was busy over a long letter from some point in the South, but his response was promptly given.