A Challenge:

Which mean I gave an opinion on one thing and have not agreed to the above at all. Do not misconstrue my point of view by trying to force yours onto my own.

ASK me if I think President Lincoln was authorized to call the Militia to suppress an unlawful insurrection.

Rebellions are only illegal in the third person, B Peach, such as 'their rebellion.' They are not illegal in the first person, such as 'our rebellion.'

Unionblue

Thank you for your input.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

I guess with that beeing said, the federals were doing what they were told to do, and in the unions eyes, the confederates were acting out a crime.

Here you slide off the page.

Unionblue

In my opinin the union saw confederates as acting out a crime. Confederates saw themselfs getting their enemy out of their "teritory". It all depends on wich side your veiwing the subject from..Just my thoughts..

Thank you sir!!

Fort Moultrie had fewer than seventy soldiers, and Anderson. Castle Pinckney had only one. Fort Johnson was the base of supply with the rest, also here the commands women and children of the command and the place all supplies were to be sent to from local and out of state sources. And Fort Sumter -- which was still being built -- had none. 4 forts, 3 of them manned.

Full acount here:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Fort Johnson&f=false

http://myathenaeum.com/simpson/page118.html
FORT SUMTER, Charleston, S. C, December 27, 1860.
My dear Sir: I have only time to say that the movement of my command to this place was made on my own responsibility and not in obedience to orders from Washington. I did it because in my opinion it was the best way of preventing the shedding of blood. God grant that the existing condition of affairs may be adjusted without any resort to force.
Truly your friend, ROBERT ANDERSON.
The Hon. ROBERT N. GOURDIN.
__________________

"FORT SUMTER, South Carolina, December 29, 1860.
"My dear Sir: No one will regret more deeply than I shall, should it prove true that the movement I have made has complicated rather than disembarrassed affairs. There is an unaccountable mystery in reference to this affair. I was asked by a gentleman within a day or two, if I had been notified by your Government that I would not be molested at Fort Moultrie, and when I replied that I had not been so notified, he remarked that he was glad to hear it, as it convinced him that I had acted in good faith, having just told him that I had not received such an intimation from my own Government. Now if there was such an understanding, I certainly ought to have been informed of it .
But why, if your Government thought that I knew of this agreement, was everything done which indicated an intention to attack? Why were armed steamers kept constantly on the watch for my movements? The papers say that I was under a panic. That is a mistake ; the moment I inspected my position I saw that the work was not defensible with my small command, and recommended, weeks ago, that we ought to be withdrawn. I remained, then, as long as I could under the fearful responsibility I felt for the safety of my command, and finally decided on Christmas morning that I would remove the command that day; and it would have been attempted that day if the weather had not proved inauspicious. Not a person of my command knew of my determination until that morning, and only on that day. The captains of the lighters are, I am sorry to see, threatened by the Charlestonians for what they did. I do hope that they will not disgrace themselves by wreaking their wrath upon these men. They were employed to take the women and children, and food for them, to Fort Johnson, and were as innocent in the matter as any one. Another lighter was filled with commissary stores for the workingmen here, and her captain certainly is not blamable for bringing them. Not a soldier came in either of these vessels except the married men with their wives for Fort Johnson, and there was not an arm of any kind permitted to be taken on board those boats. Only one person on board those boats knew that Fort Johnson was not their final destination, until the signal was given that the command was in Fort Sumter. My men were transferred in our own boats, and were all, with the exception of those attached to the hospital, in the fort before 8 o'clock. So much in exoneration of the captains.
I regret that the Governor has deemed proper to treat us as enemies, by cutting off our communication with the city, permitting me only to send for the mails. Now this is annoying, and I regret it. We can do without going to the city, as I have supplies of provisions, of all kinds, to last my command about five months, but it would add to our comfort to be enabled to make purchases of fresh meats and so on, and to shop in the city. The Governor does not know how entirely the commerce and intercourse of Charleston by sea are in my power. I could, if so disposed, annoy and embarrass the Charlestonians much more than they can me. With my guns I can close the harbor completely to the access of all large vessels, and I might even cut off the lights, so as to seal the approach entirely by night. I do hope that nothing will occur to add to the excitement and bad feeling which exists in the city. No one has a right to be angry with me for my action. No one can tell what they would have done unless they were placed in the same tight place. . . . I write this note hurriedly, as I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your kind note, and to assure you that I am firmly convinced that, had you been in my place, and known no more of the political bearing of things than I did, you would have acted as I did.
I know that if my action was properly explained to the people of Charleston, they would not feel any excitement against me or my command.
Praying that the time may soon come, etc.,
ROBERT ANDERSON.

War/secession was a forgone conlusion while a party held such views, and had a mandate to govern, when states still considered they were sov states with a right of secession, and or that slavery was to be limited to where it existed. By its existence and beliefs, and popular support, it made war a pratical certainty, becase it equated secession as treason, and denied the authority of congress.
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=149

THIRD. That to the Union of the states this nation owes its unprecedented increase in population; its surprising development of material resources; its rapid augmentation of wealth; its happiness at home and its honor abroad; and we hold in abhorrence all schemes for disunion, come from whatever source they may; and we congratulate the country that no republican member of congress has uttered or countenanced the threats of disunion so often made by democratic members, without rebuke and with applause from their political associates; and we denounce those threats of disunion, in case of a popular overthrow of their ascendency, as denying the vital principles of a free government, and as an avowal of contemplated treason, which it is the imperative duty of an indignant people sternly to rebuke and forever silence.


EIGHTH. That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom; that as our republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that no "person should be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law," it becomes our duty, by legislation, whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States.

Surrender only if not resupplied. Come on Wilber, you're being misleading. If those supply ships made it in, Anderson would've stayed in Fort Sumter. Or if received other instructions he would stay.

Fort SUMTER, S.C., April 12, 1861.

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt by Colonel Chesnut of your second communication of the 11th instant, and to state in reply that, cordially uniting with you in the desire to avoid the useless effusion of blood, I will, if provided with the proper and necessary means of transportation, evacuate Fort Sumter by noon on the 15th instant, and that I will not in the mean time open my fires upon your forces unless compelled to do so by some hostile act against this fort or the flag of my Government by the forces under your command, or by some portion of them, or by the perpetration of some act showing a hostile intention on your part against this fort or the flag it bears, should I not receive prior to that time controlling instructions from my Government or additional supplies.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBERT ANDERSON,
Major, First Artillery, Commanding.

Why did the Confederacy require Fort Sumter? Beauregard will tell you.

Beauregard had received his supply of powder, enough of this BS'n.

HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL ARMY, C. S. A.,
Charleston, S. C., April 11, 1861.

SIR: The Government of the Confederate States has hitherto forborne from any hostile demonstration against Fort Sumter, in the hope that the Government of the United States, with a view to the amicable adjustment of all questions between the two Governments, and to avert the calamities of war, would voluntarily evacuate it.
There was reason at one time to believe that such would be the course pursued by the Government of the United .States, and under that impression my Government has refrained from making any demand for the surrender of the fort. But the Confederate States can no longer delay assuming actual possession of a fortification commanding the entrance of one of their harbors, and necessary to its defense and security.
I am ordered by the Government of the Confederate States to demand the evacuation of Fort Sumter. My aides, Colonel Chesnut and Captain Lee, are authorized to make such demand of you. All proper facilities will be afforded for the removal of yourself and command, together with company arms and property, and all private property, to any post in the United States which you may select. The flag which you have upheld so long and with so much fortitude, under the most trying circumstances, may be saluted by you on taking it down. Colonel Chesnut and Captain Lee will for a reasonable time, await your answer.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. T. BEAUREGARD,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Dan Curtis no longer posts on this forum or this thread.

wilber,

Post #92 of this thread.

Unionblue

Lincoln had a Constition to preserve, not a Union, his oath is quite clear, to preserve the Constitution. That changes it somewhat, was the Constitution based on consent to be goverened to remain, or be replaced by one not based on consent of the parties to it.

Viewpoint are all well and good, but Lincoln confusing the Union creating the states, rathe than the states creating the Union, was to much for many to see his viewpoint.