Based on the provided statement by James G. Taliaferro, the prospective evils he is referring to are:
Lincoln might bring an end to slavery and injure the economy.
The federal government might interfere more in state issues.
Lincoln might persecute Southern leaders who oppose him.
Southerners’ voices might not be heard by the federal government.
What "prospective evils” is Taliaferro referring to?
Taliaferro is worried that if Abraham Lincoln, who became President in 1860, tried to end slavery, it would hurt the Southern economy. Many people in the Southern states were very dependent on slavery, and they thought that ending it would cause big problems for the economy.
Taliaferro is worried that the federal government is getting too involved in the states' business. This fear came from the increasing disagreements between the Southern states and the national government about things like states' rights and how much power the federal government should have compared to the states.