In response to:
MinnPost
What if Lincoln had allowed the South to secede?
12 APR 2011
by Eric Black
"On this date, a century and a half ago, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Confederate States of America asserted not only their right to secede but also to claim federal property within their borders. The newly inaugurated U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, rejected both claims and refused to evacuate Sumter.
"Plainly, the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy,” Lincoln had said in his somber inaugural address a month earlier. “A majority, held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments,..."
My comments on the first paragraph and a half
1.
if Lincoln had 'allowed'Thoughts: Does anyone else have a say?
Or, do all the decisions get made by only one person?
Event: President Lincoln was sworn into office to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution on 4 MAR 1861
2.
"Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter"Thoughts: Provoked or unprovoked?
Event: Bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina on 12 and 13 APR 1861
Additional Details:
- DEC 1860, South Carolina demanded the military facilities of Charleston harbor be abandoned by federal military forces
- 9 JAN 1861, An unarmed Union merchant vessel attempts to reinforce Fort Sumter.
- MAR 1861, The South sent delegations to Washington, D.C. seeking a peaceful resolution. Lincoln rejected negotiations.
- 30 MAR 1861, USRC Harriet Lane transferred to U.S. Navy service
- 4 APR 1861, Lincoln ordered a naval force to Ft. Sumter
... 3 warships (USS Pawnee, USS Powhatan, USS Pocahontas), USRC Harriet Lane, Baltic Steamer, three tug boats with barges, 300 sailors, and 200 troops
- 6 APR 1861, Lincoln notified the Governor of South Carolina
- 11 APR 1861, Confederate military delegation confers with Ft. Sumter
- 11 APR 1861, USRC Harriet fired on civilian merchant ship Nashville outside of Charleston harbor
- On Friday, April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire. The bombardment continued for 34 hours.
3.
"Confederate States of America asserted" The legislative bodies of numerous States voted and the States individually made the decision to preserve their way of life:
20 DEC 1860 - South Carolina(2 JAN 1861 - Claiborne Fox Jackson became governor of Missouri)
9 JAN 1861 - Mississippi
10 JAN 1861 - Florida
11 JAN 1861 - Alabama
19 JAN 1861 - Georgia
26 JAN 1861 - Louisiana
1 FEB 1861 - Texas [Referendum on 23 FEB 46,153 to 14,747 in favor of secession]
4 FEB 1861 - Confederate States of America formed a new government
(4 MAR 1861 New U.S. President)
(12-13 APR 1861 Fort Sumter)(15 APR 1861 - Lincoln called for Missouri to provide four reginments.
Missouri Governor C.F. Jackson's response:"Your requisition, in my judgment, is illegal,
unconstitutional, and revolutionary in its object, inhuman, and diabolical and cannot be
complied with. Not one man will the State of Missouri furnish to carry on any unholy
crusade." Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin's response: "I will send not a man nor a
dollar for the wicked purpose of subduing my sister Southern States.")
17 APR 1861 - Virginia [Referendum on 23 MAY 132,201 to 37,451 in favor of secession]
(18 & 19 APR 1861 - Baltimore, Maryland forcefully occupied by Union troops)
(22 APR 1861 - Annapolis, Maryland State Capital, occupied by Union troops)
(29 APR 1861 - Maryland State Legislature directed no Union troops to transit through the state)
6 MAY 1861 - Arkansas & Tennessee [TN Referendum on 8 JUN 104,471 to 47,183 in favor of secession]
20 MAY 1861 - North Carolina(23 MAY 1861 West Virginia seceded from the State of Virginia)
(5 JUL 1861 - Missouri Governor C.F. Jackson led 6,000 State Guardsmen against Union forces)
31 OCT 1861 - Missouri
20 NOV 1861 - Kentucky
28 NOV 1861 - Missouri was recognized as the 12th State to enter the Confederacy
10 DEC 1861 - Kentucky was recognized as the 13th State to enter the Confederacy
4.
"asserted not only their right to secede but also to claim federal property within
their borders"Thoughts: What a silly thing to say. Did the author read this before sending it to the
printing press?
5.
The newly inaugurated U.S. president ... rejected ... [the] claims [of multiple
states].
Thoughts: The statement above was reworded. Perhaps, the rhetoric of the 'new guy'
instigated a forceful action.
6.
"Plainly, the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy,” Lincoln had said in
his somber inaugural address a month earlier.Thoughts: Sounds like a challenge from a dictator. Reinforces the instigation theory.
7.
"held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations"Thoughts: That lasted a little bit longer than the length of his speech.
Events:
13 MAY - 27 JUN 1861 - Baltimore mayor, city council, chief of police, and the board of
police were arrested by Union troops.
1 JUN 1861 - U.S. federal circuit court in Maryland led by Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled
the arrests were unconstitutional without Congressional authorization. U.S. Supreme Court
Chief raged at length against Lincoln for granting himself easily abused powers and wrote
"in order that he might perform his constitutional duty, to enforce the laws, by securing
obedience to the process of the United States"
7 AUG 1861 - Members of the state legislature of Maryland were arbitrarily arrested by Union troops
25 AUG 1861 - Mayor of the District of Colombia, James G. Barret, arrested
13 SEP 1861 - U.S. Congressman Henry May representing Maryland arrested
13 SEP 1861 - Baltimore Daily Exchange Newspaper editors (Frank Key Howard, W.W. Glenn,
Thomas W. Hall, and S.S. Mills) were arrested
17 SEP 1861 - 27 Maryland state legislatures arrested by Union troops
20 SEP 1861 - Maryland Speaker of the House of Delegates was arrested
No arrest warrants were issued from a judge or charges filed.Thoughts: Can a U.S. citizen having committed no crimes be allowed to leave and live the rest of his life in another nation?
The Federal government was formed by a convention of former British colonies.
Why can't the legal State legislative bodies with the consent of the governed have the authority to separate from the Federal government?