Charleston, South Carolina, Reacts to Lincoln's Election, 1860

From The Charleston Mercury, November 8, 1860.

"The News of Lincoln's Election."

Yesterday, November the 7th, will long be a memorable day in Charleston. The ten has been thrown overboard--the revolution of 1860 has been initiated. Intense though quiet excitement prevails throughout the community. The Government officials, as our columns will show, have resigned. From early evening on Tuesday, until two o'clock the next morning, the MERCURY office was crowded with anxious expectants of the news from New York. All day yesterday our bulletin board was surrounded and our office filled with a continually flowing crowd. At twelve o'clock was unfurled from our windows and stretched across the street a red flag, with the Palmetto and the Lone Star. A shout from below, and twice three hearty cheers, greeted its appearance. The Association of 1860 immediately assembled, and arrangements have been made for a public meeting to endorse the action of the Legislature in the call of a State Convention to assemble as soon as practicable. The feeling on all hands is for prompt separate State action. The Federal officers who have resigned their places are expected to address the meeting to assemble as soon as the Legislature shall have acted. Charleston is not behind the State, and will play her part in the grand drama now before us, as becomes her intelligence, her stake and her civilization. On every lip is the stern cry "vive la liberta!".

The city of Charleston looks to its legislators, as far as lies in their power, to see that the Commonwealth receives no detriment.