Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following article be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution, viz:
ARTICLE THIRTEEN, No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.
Passed the Senate by a vote of 24 to 12:
States..............................Yea........Nay ....Did Not Vote.......Not Present (Resigned due to Secession of States) North (& Far West).........16.........12...........8 Border & South.................8...........0..........10... .................12 Total................................24.........12 .........18
.......................................Yea.......Nay.....DNV Republican Party...............8........11..........6 Democratic Party............14..........1........12 American (Unionist)..........2..........0..........0 Total................................24........12. ......18
Yeas (24)
Anthony Rep-RI Baker Rep-OR Bigler Dem-PA Bright Dem-IN Crittenden Am-KY Dixon Rep-CT Douglas Dem-IL Foster Rep-CT Grimes Rep-IA Gwin Dem-CA Harlan Rep-IA Hunter Dem-VA Johnson Dem-TN Kennedy Am-MD Latham Dem-CA Mason Dem-VA Morrill Rep-ME Nicholson Dem-TN Polk Dem-MO Pugh Dem-OH Rice Dem-MN Sebastian Dem-AR Ten Eyck Rep-NJ Thomson Dem-NJ
Nays (12)
Bingham Rep-MI Chandler Rep-MI Clark Rep-NH Doolittle Rep-WI Durkee Rep-WI Foot Rep-VT King Rep-NY Sumner Rep-MA Trumbull Dem-IL Wade Rep-OH Wilkinson Rep-MN Wilson Rep-MA
Did Not Vote (18)
Johnson Dem-AR Bayard Dem-DE Saulsbury Dem-DE Powell Dem-KY Pearce Dem-MD Green Dem-MO Bragg Dem-NC Clingman Dem-NC Lane Dem-OR Hemphill Dem-TX Wigfall Dem-TX Simmons Rep-RI Cameron Rep-PA Fitch Dem-IN Fessenden Rep-ME Hale Rep-NH Collamer Rep-VT Seward Rep-NY
So what? The Corwin Amendment did nothing more than codify what was already the accepted interpretation of the constitutional status of slavery. Lincoln supported it because of that and because it said nothing about expansion of slavery. He believed that to cut off the expansion of slavery meant its eventual demise. Apparently, the secessionists agreed with him, since they still saw a threat to slavery in Lincoln's election even though he would not do anything to slavery in the states in which it already existed.
This amendment was a desperate attempt to ensure the slave-ownners that the peculiar institution was not in jeopardy. Before its ratification, southern senators, representatives and states had resigned or seceded.
In my somewhat odd mind this is a singular event. It said: Hang in there. Look. We're not for abolishing slavery! See? By the time ratification got on the board, secession had taken place.
I will ask, at this point, was the preservation of the peculiar institution at stake? Here was preservation staring them in the face.
It is this kind of action that leads me to believe that there was a bit more to secession than meets the traditional interpretation. I'm coming to believe that the power in the south wasn't interested in compromise -- it wanted out, no matter what.
For what reason is open to discssion, but it is clear that the confederate powers had already determined on secession.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
The historical evidence, is very clear that, the leadership of the south was committed to secession, since, at least, the defeat of the Kansas-Nebraka Act.
The deliberate splitting of the democratic party, increasing pressure within the south, to seal itself off from outside information and influences and the orchestrating of public opinion in the south to accept Lincoln's election as the automatic signal for southern states to secede, are all strong incicators as to the real intentions of the south's leaders.
In confederate eyes, March 1861, was too little and very much too late
I have had a laborious task here, but Nullification is dead; and its actors and courtiers will only be remembered by the People to be execrated for their wicked designs to sever and destroy the only good Government on the globe, and that prosperity and happiness we enjoy over every other portion of the World. Haman's gallows ought to be the fate of all such ambitious men who would involve their Country in Civil War, and all the evils in tis train, that they might reign and ride on its whirlwinds and direct the storm. The Free People of these United States have spoken, and consigned these wicked demagogues to their proper doom. Take care of your Nullifiers; you have them among you; let them meet with the indignant frowns of every man who loves his Country. The Tariff, it is now known, was a mere pretext - its burden was on your coarse woolens. By the law of July, 1832, coarse woolen was reduced to five per cent., for the benefit of the South. Mr. Clay's Bill takes it up and classes it with wollens at fifty per cent., reduces it gradually down to twenty per cent., and there it is to remain, and Mr. Calhoun and all the Nullifiers agree to the principle. The cash duties and home valuation will be equal to fifteen per cent. more, and after the year 1842, you pay on coarse woolens thirty-five per cent. If this is not Protection, I cannot understand; therefore the Tariff was only the pretext, and Disunion and a Southern Confederacy the real object. The next pretext will be the Negro or Slavery question.
My health is not good, but is improving a little. Present me kindly to your lady and family, and believe me to be your friend. I will always be happy to hear from you.
ANDREW JACKSON
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
Amazing post, Blue. Would you happen to have a link to that, or a google keyword? Would like to have that -- and possibly others -- in my files.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
SC was always the 'odd man out' in the early US History.
That state was reluctant to Join the Union under the Constitution and almost immediately began looking for ways to back out of its commitments to the Union.
Sherman's army 'had it in' for that state, with good reason.
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
The North Votes For Slavery (March 1861) 
Linear Mode
