Principles and politics figure into considering who of the principal characters of the time bear the most responsibility in bringing the war to pass. Pick up to three men most culpable, either for their actions or what they represented. i couldn't include some other worthy characters, so here is the top ten.
Some I couldn't include (10 is the max) are:
Salmon P Chase- Lincoln's secreary of treasury, Radical Republican;
Robert Toombs- Davis's secretary of state, staunch Southern rights advocate;
Major Robert Anderson- Federal commandant of Ft Sumter, who refused to surrender;
Francis Pickens- South Carolina governor, leader of secession;
Charles Sumner- Radical Massachusetts senator.
Last edited by ewc : 03-04-2005 at 04:20 PM.
Reason: figuring this out
My choices are Yancey, Calhoun, and John Brown. Yancey for working to destroy the Democratic Party and convincing his fellow Southerners that they had no choice but to strike out on their own. He sabotaged the political system from the inside, refusing to work toward peace and settlement, treasonous in my estimation. Calhoun, though i admire his fierce defense of States Rights and Southern rights, laid the groundwork for secession if the South's demands were not met. And these two for promoting secession, where secession could not be worked but to yield to war. Lastly Brown for attempting servile insurrection, giving credence to Southerners' worst nightmares and proving to them that all their fears were founded. This action burnt all bridges between the sections after it, leaving little chance that America would escape war among itself.
If the American Civil War were to be blamed to either side during the conflict, I would agree with Shelby Foote's *****sment that the War came out of the country's inability to compromise. The nation had troubles brewing that were ripe for conflict, and had many on both sides who played to that fact.
You pose an impossible question. The stipulation, "most responsible," makes it impossible. All bore varying degrees of responsibility. I picked Garrison, Buchanan, and Davis. Calhoun , Yancey and Rhett likely didn't receive much following outside of the aristocracy. The scary guy was that fool, Garrison. The patsy, Buchanan, ought to have done more to head off the approaching fury. The tool, Davis, put his oar in with his compliance to the rants of the fire-eaters.
Ole- No, not impossible, but certainly not easy. Everyone has their take on the Civil War, and who he feels in his heart of hearts are 'villains and rascals' and who are heroes. I've always considered Yancey, Rhett, Ruffin, and the 'fire-eater' crowd to be at the zenith of archvillainy. At the same time, there are honorable folks who would consider Garrison, Stowe, John Brown, and the abolitionists the same way.
There is a great quote in Stephen King's The Stand, a novel about a man-made plague which eliminates all but a remnant of humankind, where a survivor of the plague accosts a CDC doctor studying it, the doctor justs shakes his head and says (I paraphrase) 'Who is to blame? Who can say? On this the responsibility spreads out in so many directions that it's invisible.'
It's hard choosing one person, or three. It was hard for me paring down the list to ten, and I've already come up with more names to add to the list- (Missouri senator & border ruffian Dean Atchison and Kansas senator & Jayhawker James Henry Lane for their contributions to Bleeding Kansas.) But I'm good with the three I've chosen. I also like your own suggestion of President Buchanan, who could have done something about secession, but did not. But what could he have done? Still... What he did do was oppose Douglas and make more hash out of Kansas than you would think one fool administration could possibly do, but somehow he managed. He I think would be my 4th choice.
ewc:
There were those, south and north, who saw it coming and did nothing. And there were those, south and north, who encouraged the divide. Which of these SOB's is most responsible? There's plenty of blame to go around in your list, and the shades between them are obscure.
Garrison fed the flame and Calhoun capitalized on it. Which is more culpable?
I stick with impossible.
Ole
Some were more responsible than others. Read Road to DisUnion, and see.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
I see Lincoln catching the blame because he stood up and made the hard choice.
And the right one.
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
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Who is Most Responsible for the Civil War?? 
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