17
"Mr. Lincoln may try the experiment of coercion to this extent. It will probably only drive all the Border States to secession, and succeed in establishing the permanent division of the Union by the slave line."50 Although the use of force against the rebellious southern states did bring about this editorial's earlier prediction, finally pushing a majority of the members of the Virginia Convention to support secession, it did not bring about the latter. Once Virginia seceded, it became clear that only battles and bloodshed were capable of determining the fate of the United States of America.