If you could open this JSTOR article it may answer your question. I posted some time ago that in the White House in 1861 it was believed that South Carolian really wanted to secede to make a political point and was erked by the other states wanting to join in. This was from the "A Public Man" diary.

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-4642(194208)8%3A3%3C334%3ACGMMTV%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U

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David Upton