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- South of the North 40
Pretty much sums it up...
-
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Sumter Provocation
- Thread starter Savez
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
And the fate of thousands of lives was sealed...
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
- Location
- Ocala, FL (as of December, 2015).
M. E. Wolf,
Excellent use of period sources.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to post them here for all of us.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
Excellent use of period sources.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to post them here for all of us.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
Too bad my lawn isn't emo, then it would cut itself.
But then, if the snow moved from one area of your property to another, that would be an act of aggression on its part.
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
Wow, is all I can say....
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2008
- Location
- Indiana
Thank you for the posts Mr. Wolf. One can see there was much calculation on the side of the Southern leaders. They were far from innocent in the auguration of the Rebellion.
Lee
Lee
Lady Val
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Fort Sumter Part 1
A Fort on South Carolina's Sovereign Soil:
"For well over one hundred years, uninformed and liberal historians and others have charged South Carolina with starting the Civil War when the shore batteries at Charleston fired on the Federally-held Fort Sumter in the bay. These writers have stated that this fort was the property of the federal government. This statement is false.
On March 24, 1794, the US Congress passed an act to provide for the defense of certain ports and harbors of the United States. The sites of forts, arsenals, navy yards and other public property of the federal government were ceded or assigned by the States within whose limits they were, and subject to the condition, either expressed or implied, that they should be used solely and exclusively for the purpose for which they were granted. The ultimate ownership of the soil, or eminent domain, remains with the people of the State in which it lies, by virtue of their sovereignty.
South Carolina, in 1805 by legislative enactment, ceded to the United States in Charleston Harbor and on the Beaufort River, various forts and fortifications and sites for the erection of forts. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted the same in its legislature in 1836. New York State, in granting the use of the site for the Brooklyn Navy Yard says: "The United States are to retain such use and jurisdiction so long as said tract shall be applied to the defense and safety of the city and port of New York and no longer…" The cession of the site of Watervliet Arsenal was made on the same terms.
It has been said by many historians that these sites were purchased outright by the federal government. This is also false. The Act of 1794 clearly states, "that no purchase shall be made where such lands are the property of the State."
When General George B. McClellan and his federal army of 112,000 men landed on the tip of the Virginia peninsula April12, 1862 and occupied Fortress Monroe, this action verified the Southern charge of Northern aggression.
A State withdrawing from the union would necessarily assume the control theretofore exercised by the general government over all public defenses and other public property within her limits. The South, on the verge of withdrawal (from the union) had prepared to give adequate compensation to an agent of the Northern government for the forts and other public works erected on the land. Therefore, three commissioners from South Carolina, one from Georgia, and one from Alabama were sent to Washington to negotiate for the removal of federal garrisons from Southern forts.
The commissioners, all prominent men, were Messrs. Robert W. Barnwell, James H. Adams, and James L. Orr of South Carolina; Martin Crawford of Georgia, and John Forsythe of Alabama, and arrived in Washington on the 5th of March.
On March 12th they addressed an official communication to Mr. (William) Seward, Secretary of State, explaining their functions and their purpose. Mr. Seward declined to make any formal recognition of the commissioners, but assured them in verbal conferences of the determination of the government at Washington to evacuate Fort Sumter; of the peaceful intentions of the government, and that no changes in the status prejudicially to the Confederate States were in contemplation; but in the event of any change, notice would be given to the commissioners.
The commissioners waited for a reply to their official communication until April 8th, at which time they received a reply dated March 15th by which they were advised that the president had decided not to receive them, nor was he interested in any proposals they had to offer. During this time the cabinet of the Northern government had been working in secrecy in New York preparing an extensive military and naval expedition to reinforce the garrison at Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
As they had tried to deceive the people of the North and South in January 1861 with the Star of the West (expedition to Sumter), loaded with troops and ammunition, the radical Republicans again advised the press that this mission was also a mission of mercy for the garrison of Fort Sumter, and on April 7th the expedition set sail southward bound loaded with troops and arms.
At 2PM, April 11, 1861, General Beauregard demanded that Major Anderson of Fort Sumter evacuate the works, which Anderson refused to do. At a little after 3AM, General Beauregard advised Major Anderson that "in one hour's time I will open fire." At 4:40AM, from Fort Johnson the battery opened on Fort Sumter, which fire was followed by the batteries of Moultrie, Cummings Point and the floating battery.
At this time a part of the federal naval force had arrived at the Charleston bar, but strange to say, Captain Fox, after hearing the heavy guns of the bombardment decided that his government did not expect any gallant sacrifices on his part, and took no part in the battle. On April 13 after the Confederate guns had reduced Sumter to a smoking heap of ruin, Major Anderson surrendered, with no loss of life on either side.
"On one side of the conflict was the South led by the descendants of the Cavaliers, who with all their faults had inherited from a long line of ancestors a manly contempt for moral littleness, a high sense of honor, a lofty regard for plighted faith, a strong tendency for conservatism, a profound respect for law and order, and an unfaltering loyalty to constitutional government."
Against the South was arrayed the power of the North, dominated by the spirit of Puritanism which, with all its virtues, has ever been characterized by the pharisaism which worships itself, and is unable to perceive any goodness apart from itself, which has ever arrogantly held its ideas, its interests, and its will, higher than fundamental law and covenanted obligations; which has always "lived and moved and had its being, in rebellion against constituted authority."
The Reverend R.C. Cave, 1894
(Land of the Golden River, Vol. II, Lewis P. Hall, Hall's Enterprises, 1980)
A Fort on South Carolina's Sovereign Soil:
"For well over one hundred years, uninformed and liberal historians and others have charged South Carolina with starting the Civil War when the shore batteries at Charleston fired on the Federally-held Fort Sumter in the bay. These writers have stated that this fort was the property of the federal government. This statement is false.
On March 24, 1794, the US Congress passed an act to provide for the defense of certain ports and harbors of the United States. The sites of forts, arsenals, navy yards and other public property of the federal government were ceded or assigned by the States within whose limits they were, and subject to the condition, either expressed or implied, that they should be used solely and exclusively for the purpose for which they were granted. The ultimate ownership of the soil, or eminent domain, remains with the people of the State in which it lies, by virtue of their sovereignty.
South Carolina, in 1805 by legislative enactment, ceded to the United States in Charleston Harbor and on the Beaufort River, various forts and fortifications and sites for the erection of forts. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted the same in its legislature in 1836. New York State, in granting the use of the site for the Brooklyn Navy Yard says: "The United States are to retain such use and jurisdiction so long as said tract shall be applied to the defense and safety of the city and port of New York and no longer…" The cession of the site of Watervliet Arsenal was made on the same terms.
It has been said by many historians that these sites were purchased outright by the federal government. This is also false. The Act of 1794 clearly states, "that no purchase shall be made where such lands are the property of the State."
When General George B. McClellan and his federal army of 112,000 men landed on the tip of the Virginia peninsula April12, 1862 and occupied Fortress Monroe, this action verified the Southern charge of Northern aggression.
A State withdrawing from the union would necessarily assume the control theretofore exercised by the general government over all public defenses and other public property within her limits. The South, on the verge of withdrawal (from the union) had prepared to give adequate compensation to an agent of the Northern government for the forts and other public works erected on the land. Therefore, three commissioners from South Carolina, one from Georgia, and one from Alabama were sent to Washington to negotiate for the removal of federal garrisons from Southern forts.
The commissioners, all prominent men, were Messrs. Robert W. Barnwell, James H. Adams, and James L. Orr of South Carolina; Martin Crawford of Georgia, and John Forsythe of Alabama, and arrived in Washington on the 5th of March.
On March 12th they addressed an official communication to Mr. (William) Seward, Secretary of State, explaining their functions and their purpose. Mr. Seward declined to make any formal recognition of the commissioners, but assured them in verbal conferences of the determination of the government at Washington to evacuate Fort Sumter; of the peaceful intentions of the government, and that no changes in the status prejudicially to the Confederate States were in contemplation; but in the event of any change, notice would be given to the commissioners.
The commissioners waited for a reply to their official communication until April 8th, at which time they received a reply dated March 15th by which they were advised that the president had decided not to receive them, nor was he interested in any proposals they had to offer. During this time the cabinet of the Northern government had been working in secrecy in New York preparing an extensive military and naval expedition to reinforce the garrison at Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
As they had tried to deceive the people of the North and South in January 1861 with the Star of the West (expedition to Sumter), loaded with troops and ammunition, the radical Republicans again advised the press that this mission was also a mission of mercy for the garrison of Fort Sumter, and on April 7th the expedition set sail southward bound loaded with troops and arms.
At 2PM, April 11, 1861, General Beauregard demanded that Major Anderson of Fort Sumter evacuate the works, which Anderson refused to do. At a little after 3AM, General Beauregard advised Major Anderson that "in one hour's time I will open fire." At 4:40AM, from Fort Johnson the battery opened on Fort Sumter, which fire was followed by the batteries of Moultrie, Cummings Point and the floating battery.
At this time a part of the federal naval force had arrived at the Charleston bar, but strange to say, Captain Fox, after hearing the heavy guns of the bombardment decided that his government did not expect any gallant sacrifices on his part, and took no part in the battle. On April 13 after the Confederate guns had reduced Sumter to a smoking heap of ruin, Major Anderson surrendered, with no loss of life on either side.
"On one side of the conflict was the South led by the descendants of the Cavaliers, who with all their faults had inherited from a long line of ancestors a manly contempt for moral littleness, a high sense of honor, a lofty regard for plighted faith, a strong tendency for conservatism, a profound respect for law and order, and an unfaltering loyalty to constitutional government."
Against the South was arrayed the power of the North, dominated by the spirit of Puritanism which, with all its virtues, has ever been characterized by the pharisaism which worships itself, and is unable to perceive any goodness apart from itself, which has ever arrogantly held its ideas, its interests, and its will, higher than fundamental law and covenanted obligations; which has always "lived and moved and had its being, in rebellion against constituted authority."
The Reverend R.C. Cave, 1894
(Land of the Golden River, Vol. II, Lewis P. Hall, Hall's Enterprises, 1980)
Lady Val
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Fort Sumter Part 2 & 3
[FONT="]Remembering Fort Sumter:[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
"Perhaps a word should be inserted here as to which side was the aggressor in this historic conflict. Who bears the guilt of starting the war? The North has sought to lay this stigma upon the South since we fired the first shot.
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]But the courts (and common sense as well) have decreed that the aggressor is not the one who strikes the first blow, but the one who makes that blow necessary. The ground on which Fort Sumter stood had been lent to the Federal Government by the State of South Carolina for the erection of a fort to guard its chief harbor, but when South Carolina withdrew from the Union, the property automatically reverted to the State. Morally and legally, the first blow was not struck at Charleston, but when this fleet with hostile intent weighed anchor in the harbor of New York. Hence the guilt of aggression lies at the door of the Federal government at Washington. (See Stephens History of the US, pp. 421-429)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](Some Things For Which the South Did Not Fight, Henry Tucker Graham, 1946)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Buchanan's Role in Initiating War:[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"(Former President James) Buchanan had firmly endorsed the war policy since the attack on Fort Sumter and in September, 1861, sent a letter to a Democratic political meeting in Chester County (Pennsylvania). He emphasized in this message that the war would have to be loyally sustained until the bitter end and urged the Democrats to stop wasting their time on a futile demand for peace proposals. The minute he saw this letter, (Jeremiah) Black wrote:[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"Your endorsement of Lincoln's policy will be a very serious drawback upon the defense of your own. It is vain to think that the two administration can be made consistent. The fire upon the Star of the West was as bad as the fire on Fort Sumter; and the taking of Fort Moultrie & Pinckney was worse than either. If this war is right and politic and wise and constitutional, I cannot but think you ought to have made it. I am willing to vindicate the last administration...but I cant do it on the ground which you now occupy."[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"...Buchanan would not agree with Black that there was anything but a superficial similarity between the threatening incidents at the end of his Administration and the sustained bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12. He also disagreed with Black's view that the war itself was unconstitutional, that Lincoln started it, and that it ought to be stopped as soon as possible by a negotiated peace. "...As to my course since the wicked bombardment of Fort Sumter," he told Black, "it is but a regular consequence of my whole policy towards the seceding States. They had been informed over and over again by me what would be the consequence of an attack upon it. They chose to commence civil war, & Mr. Lincoln had no alternative but to defend he country against dismemberment. I certainly should have done the same thing had they begun the war in my time, & this they well knew."[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](President James Buchanan, A Biography, Philip S. Klein, American Political Biography Press, 1962, pp. 416-417)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Remembering Fort Sumter:[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
"Perhaps a word should be inserted here as to which side was the aggressor in this historic conflict. Who bears the guilt of starting the war? The North has sought to lay this stigma upon the South since we fired the first shot.
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]But the courts (and common sense as well) have decreed that the aggressor is not the one who strikes the first blow, but the one who makes that blow necessary. The ground on which Fort Sumter stood had been lent to the Federal Government by the State of South Carolina for the erection of a fort to guard its chief harbor, but when South Carolina withdrew from the Union, the property automatically reverted to the State. Morally and legally, the first blow was not struck at Charleston, but when this fleet with hostile intent weighed anchor in the harbor of New York. Hence the guilt of aggression lies at the door of the Federal government at Washington. (See Stephens History of the US, pp. 421-429)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](Some Things For Which the South Did Not Fight, Henry Tucker Graham, 1946)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Buchanan's Role in Initiating War:[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"(Former President James) Buchanan had firmly endorsed the war policy since the attack on Fort Sumter and in September, 1861, sent a letter to a Democratic political meeting in Chester County (Pennsylvania). He emphasized in this message that the war would have to be loyally sustained until the bitter end and urged the Democrats to stop wasting their time on a futile demand for peace proposals. The minute he saw this letter, (Jeremiah) Black wrote:[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"Your endorsement of Lincoln's policy will be a very serious drawback upon the defense of your own. It is vain to think that the two administration can be made consistent. The fire upon the Star of the West was as bad as the fire on Fort Sumter; and the taking of Fort Moultrie & Pinckney was worse than either. If this war is right and politic and wise and constitutional, I cannot but think you ought to have made it. I am willing to vindicate the last administration...but I cant do it on the ground which you now occupy."[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"...Buchanan would not agree with Black that there was anything but a superficial similarity between the threatening incidents at the end of his Administration and the sustained bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12. He also disagreed with Black's view that the war itself was unconstitutional, that Lincoln started it, and that it ought to be stopped as soon as possible by a negotiated peace. "...As to my course since the wicked bombardment of Fort Sumter," he told Black, "it is but a regular consequence of my whole policy towards the seceding States. They had been informed over and over again by me what would be the consequence of an attack upon it. They chose to commence civil war, & Mr. Lincoln had no alternative but to defend he country against dismemberment. I certainly should have done the same thing had they begun the war in my time, & this they well knew."[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](President James Buchanan, A Biography, Philip S. Klein, American Political Biography Press, 1962, pp. 416-417)[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
Lady Val
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Fort Sumter Part 4
Mr. Toombs on Fort Sumter:
From Mr. Toombs, Secretary of State, CSA, April 24, 1861:
(to Hon. W.L. Yancy, P. Rost, Dudley Mann, Commissioners of the Confederate States)
When you left this city (Montgomery) you were aware that Commissioners from this government had been sent to Washington with the view to open negotiations with the government of the United States for the peaceful settlement of all matters in controversy, and for the settlement of relations of amity and good will between the two countries. They promptly made known to the Administration at Washington the object of their mission; gave the most explicit assurance that it was the earnest desire of the President, Congress, and the people of the Confederate States to preserve peace; that they had no demand to make which was not founded on the strictest justice, and that they had no wish to do any act to injure their late confederates, (and) they did not press their demand for a formal reception or a recognition of the independence of the Confederate States. So long as moderation and forbearance were consistent with the honor and dignity of their government, they forebore from taking any steps which could possibly add to the difficulties by which the Cabinet of Mr. Lincoln was beset.
(They) received the most positive assurances from Mr. Seward that the policy of his government was peace; that Fort Sumter would be evacuated immediately; that Fort Pickens would soon be abandoned; that no measure was contemplated "to change the existing status of things prejudicially to the Confederate States;" and that, if any change were resolved upon, due notice would be given to the Commissioners.
Incredible as it may seem, it is nevertheless perfectly true that while the Government of the United States was thus addressing the Confederate States with words of conciliation and promises of peace, a large naval and military expedition was being fitted out by its order for the purpose of invading our soil and imposing on us an authority which we have forever repudiated, and which it was well known we would resist to the last extremity.
Having knowledge that a large fleet was expected hourly to arrive at Charleston harbor with orders to force and entrance and attempt to victual and reinforce the fortress, and that the troops of the Confederate States would be thus exposed to a double attack, General Beauregard had no alternative left but to dislodge the enemy and take possession of the fort, and thus command absolutely all the approaches to the port of Charleston, so that the entrance of a hostile fleet would be almost impossible."
(Messages and Papers of the Confederacy, 1861-1865, James D. Richardson, Editor, US Publishing Company, pp. 13-16)
Deception Leads to War on April 12th:
Judge Campbell to the President of the Confederate States.
Montgomery, Alabama, May 7, 1861
"Sir: I submit to you two letters that were addressed by me to the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, that contain an explanation of the nature and result of an intervention by me in the intercourse of the commissioners of the Confederate States with that officer. I considered that I could perform no duty in which the entire American people, whether of the Federal Union or of the Confederate States, were more interested than that of promoting the counsels and the policy that had for their object the preservation of peace. This motive dictated my intervention.
Besides the interview referred to in these letters, I informed the Assistant Secretary of State of the United States (not being able to see the Secretary) on the 11th April, ultimo, of the existence of a telegram of that date, from General Beauregard to the commissioners, in which he informed the commissioners that he had demanded the evacuation of Sumter, and if refused he would proceed to reduce it. On the same day, I had ben told that President Lincoln had said that none of the vessels sent to Charleston were war vessels, and that force was not to be used in the attempt to resupply the Fort. I had no means of testing the accuracy of this information; but offered that if the information was accurate, I would send a telegram to the authorities at Charleston, and it might prevent the disastrous consequences of a collision at that fort between the opposing forces. It was the last effort that I would make to avert the calamities of war. The Assistant Secretary promised to give the matter attention, but I had no other intercourse with him or any other person on he subject, nor have I had any reply to the letters submitted to you."
Very respectfully,
John A. Campbell
To: General Davis, President of the Confederate States
(Messages and Papers of the Confederacy, James D. Richardson, US Publishing Company, 1906, Volume I, pp. 97-98)
On the night of 26/27 December (1860), Major Robert Anderson…withdrew his small force from the unfinished Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, the most defensible of the various posts scattered about the harbor, spiking the guns and burning the gun carriages at Moultrie.
This surprise move greatly alarmed the public in South Carolina. It was the first federal act that could be interpreted as overly hostile in intent, and it seemed to South Carolinians an act of bad faith, violating their understanding of a tacit agreement with Washington to maintain a status quo until a political settlement could be worked out by the delegates the State had sent there. Indeed, it was this act and not the firing on Fort Sumter that South Carolinians regarded as the commencement of hostilities."
(Carolina Cavalier, Clyde N. Wilson, Chronicles Press, 2002, page 137
Mr. Toombs on Fort Sumter:
From Mr. Toombs, Secretary of State, CSA, April 24, 1861:
(to Hon. W.L. Yancy, P. Rost, Dudley Mann, Commissioners of the Confederate States)
When you left this city (Montgomery) you were aware that Commissioners from this government had been sent to Washington with the view to open negotiations with the government of the United States for the peaceful settlement of all matters in controversy, and for the settlement of relations of amity and good will between the two countries. They promptly made known to the Administration at Washington the object of their mission; gave the most explicit assurance that it was the earnest desire of the President, Congress, and the people of the Confederate States to preserve peace; that they had no demand to make which was not founded on the strictest justice, and that they had no wish to do any act to injure their late confederates, (and) they did not press their demand for a formal reception or a recognition of the independence of the Confederate States. So long as moderation and forbearance were consistent with the honor and dignity of their government, they forebore from taking any steps which could possibly add to the difficulties by which the Cabinet of Mr. Lincoln was beset.
(They) received the most positive assurances from Mr. Seward that the policy of his government was peace; that Fort Sumter would be evacuated immediately; that Fort Pickens would soon be abandoned; that no measure was contemplated "to change the existing status of things prejudicially to the Confederate States;" and that, if any change were resolved upon, due notice would be given to the Commissioners.
Incredible as it may seem, it is nevertheless perfectly true that while the Government of the United States was thus addressing the Confederate States with words of conciliation and promises of peace, a large naval and military expedition was being fitted out by its order for the purpose of invading our soil and imposing on us an authority which we have forever repudiated, and which it was well known we would resist to the last extremity.
Having knowledge that a large fleet was expected hourly to arrive at Charleston harbor with orders to force and entrance and attempt to victual and reinforce the fortress, and that the troops of the Confederate States would be thus exposed to a double attack, General Beauregard had no alternative left but to dislodge the enemy and take possession of the fort, and thus command absolutely all the approaches to the port of Charleston, so that the entrance of a hostile fleet would be almost impossible."
(Messages and Papers of the Confederacy, 1861-1865, James D. Richardson, Editor, US Publishing Company, pp. 13-16)
Deception Leads to War on April 12th:
Judge Campbell to the President of the Confederate States.
Montgomery, Alabama, May 7, 1861
"Sir: I submit to you two letters that were addressed by me to the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, that contain an explanation of the nature and result of an intervention by me in the intercourse of the commissioners of the Confederate States with that officer. I considered that I could perform no duty in which the entire American people, whether of the Federal Union or of the Confederate States, were more interested than that of promoting the counsels and the policy that had for their object the preservation of peace. This motive dictated my intervention.
Besides the interview referred to in these letters, I informed the Assistant Secretary of State of the United States (not being able to see the Secretary) on the 11th April, ultimo, of the existence of a telegram of that date, from General Beauregard to the commissioners, in which he informed the commissioners that he had demanded the evacuation of Sumter, and if refused he would proceed to reduce it. On the same day, I had ben told that President Lincoln had said that none of the vessels sent to Charleston were war vessels, and that force was not to be used in the attempt to resupply the Fort. I had no means of testing the accuracy of this information; but offered that if the information was accurate, I would send a telegram to the authorities at Charleston, and it might prevent the disastrous consequences of a collision at that fort between the opposing forces. It was the last effort that I would make to avert the calamities of war. The Assistant Secretary promised to give the matter attention, but I had no other intercourse with him or any other person on he subject, nor have I had any reply to the letters submitted to you."
Very respectfully,
John A. Campbell
To: General Davis, President of the Confederate States
(Messages and Papers of the Confederacy, James D. Richardson, US Publishing Company, 1906, Volume I, pp. 97-98)
On the night of 26/27 December (1860), Major Robert Anderson…withdrew his small force from the unfinished Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, the most defensible of the various posts scattered about the harbor, spiking the guns and burning the gun carriages at Moultrie.
This surprise move greatly alarmed the public in South Carolina. It was the first federal act that could be interpreted as overly hostile in intent, and it seemed to South Carolinians an act of bad faith, violating their understanding of a tacit agreement with Washington to maintain a status quo until a political settlement could be worked out by the delegates the State had sent there. Indeed, it was this act and not the firing on Fort Sumter that South Carolinians regarded as the commencement of hostilities."
(Carolina Cavalier, Clyde N. Wilson, Chronicles Press, 2002, page 137
Lady Val
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Fort Sumter Part 5
Below are the particulars and their sources regarding Union ships sent to Fort Sumter after an agreement had been reached between the United States Government and the Government of South Carolina. It is clear that the Federal Government did not keep its promises to South Carolina regarding attempts to reinforce, rearm and re-supply Sumter. Thus, when the Fort was fired upon by shore batteries, that action was the result of long standing violations of Federal agreements and should be considered a response to an act of war rather than the original act.
The armament of each ship comes from the Naval Historical Center. A list of the fleet and troops embarked are derived from newspaper articles in the New York Times and the New York Herald.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9904E0DA1230E134BC4053DFB266838A679FDE
http://digitalnewspapers.libraries....true&BaseHref=RCM/1861/04/08&EntityId=Ar00212
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9403EED81230E134BC4153DFB266838A679FDE
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B02E0DA1230E134BC4053DFB266838A679FDE (The New York Herald)
The following list embraces the names, with armaments and troops, of the fleet dispatched from New York and Washington to Charleston harbor, for the relief of Fort Sumter:
1. Vessels of War Steam sloop-of-war Pawnee, Captain S. C. Rowan, 10 guns and 200 men. The Pawnee sailed from Washington, with sealed orders, on the morning of Saturday, April 6.
2- Steam sloop-of-war Powhatan, Captain E. D. Porter, 11 guns and 275 men. The Powhatan sailed from the Brookyln Navy Yard on Saturday afternoon April 6.
3- Revenue cutter Harriet Lane, Captain J. Faunce, 5 guns and 96 men. On Saturday, April 6, the Harriet Lane exchanged her revenue flag for the United States navy flag, denoting her transfer to the Government naval service, and sailed suddenly on last Monday morning, with sealed orders.
4- The Steam Transports Atlantic, 358 troops, composed of Companies A and M of the Second artillery, Companies C and H of the Second infantry, and Company A of sappers and miners from West Point. The Atlantic sailed from the steam at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning last, April 7. Baltic, 160 troops, composed of Companies C and D, recruits, from Governor's and Bedloe's islands.
5- The Baltic sailed from Quarantine at 7o'clock on Tuesday morning last, April 9. Illinois, 300 troops, composed of Companies B, E, F, G and H, and a detachment from Company D, all recruits from Governor's and Bedloe's Islands, together with two companies of the Second infantry, from Fort Hamilton.
6- The Illinois sailed from Quarantine on Tuesday morning at 6 o'clock. The Steamtugs Two steamtugs, with a Government official on each, bearing sealed dispatches, were also sent.
7- The Yankee left New York on Monday evening, 8th, and the Uncle Ben on Tuesday night. The Launches Nearly thirty of these boats-whose services are most useful in effecting a landing of troops over shoal water, and for attacking a discharging battery when covered with sand and gunny bags- have been taken out by the Powhatan and by the steam transports Atlantic, Baltic and Illinois.
Recapitulation:
Vessels Guns Men Sloop-of-war Pawnee 10 200 Sloop-of-war Powhatan 11 275 Cutter Harriet Lane 5 96 Steam Transport Atlantic 353 Steam Transport Baltic 160 Steam Transport Illinois 300 Steamtug Yankee Ordinary Crew Steamtug Uncle Ben Ordinary Crew Total number of vessels 8 Total number of guns (for marine service) 26 Total number of men and troops 1,380 It is understood that several transports are soon to be chartered, and dispatched to Charleston with troops and supplies.
(note: a Hartford Connecticut newspaper from early April 1861 states the following "…Davis telegraphed to Charleston not to fire on any vessels entering the harbor merely for supplying Fort Sumter with provisions". The particulars of that newspaper are unavailable at present, but it and the article do exist. It is also by Commander Anderson's own writings that we know that Sumter was not "starving" or without the necessities of survival.
"Christmas day dawned upon Major Anderson under these circumstances, and bound by these instructions. He accepted an invitation to dinner in Charleston. Returning to his post, under cover of the night and the prevailing hilarity, he removed his force from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and placed his little band where he could assert and maintain for a time the authority of the government and uphold its flag. Major Anderson had kept his secret well, and did his work thoroughly. During the day the wives and children of the troops were sent away, on the plea that an attack might be made on that an attack might be made on fort Moultrie. Three small schooners were hired, and the few inhabitants of Sullivan's Island saw them loaded, as they thought, with beds, furniture and baggage. About nine in the evening the men were ordered to hold themselves in marching order, with knapsacks packed. No one seemed to know the reason of the movement, and their destination was only confided by Major Anderson to his second in command. The little garrison was paraded, inspected and then embarked in boats and taken to Fort Sumter, the schooners carrying the provisions, garrison furniture, and munitions of war. What could not be removed was destroyed. Not a pound of powder or a cartridge was left in the magazine. The small-arms and military supplies of very kind were removed, guns spiked, and their carriages burned. The unfinished additions and alterations of the work were destroyed. The flag-staff was cut down, that no banner with strange device should occupy the place of the stars and stripes; in fact, nothing was left unharmed except the heavy round shot, which were temporarily rendered useless by the dismounting and spiking of all the guns."
History of the Flag of the United States by George Henry Preble, Rear Admiral, USN
(Copyright 1880)
Below are the particulars and their sources regarding Union ships sent to Fort Sumter after an agreement had been reached between the United States Government and the Government of South Carolina. It is clear that the Federal Government did not keep its promises to South Carolina regarding attempts to reinforce, rearm and re-supply Sumter. Thus, when the Fort was fired upon by shore batteries, that action was the result of long standing violations of Federal agreements and should be considered a response to an act of war rather than the original act.
The armament of each ship comes from the Naval Historical Center. A list of the fleet and troops embarked are derived from newspaper articles in the New York Times and the New York Herald.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9904E0DA1230E134BC4053DFB266838A679FDE
http://digitalnewspapers.libraries....true&BaseHref=RCM/1861/04/08&EntityId=Ar00212
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9403EED81230E134BC4153DFB266838A679FDE
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B02E0DA1230E134BC4053DFB266838A679FDE (The New York Herald)
The following list embraces the names, with armaments and troops, of the fleet dispatched from New York and Washington to Charleston harbor, for the relief of Fort Sumter:
1. Vessels of War Steam sloop-of-war Pawnee, Captain S. C. Rowan, 10 guns and 200 men. The Pawnee sailed from Washington, with sealed orders, on the morning of Saturday, April 6.
2- Steam sloop-of-war Powhatan, Captain E. D. Porter, 11 guns and 275 men. The Powhatan sailed from the Brookyln Navy Yard on Saturday afternoon April 6.
3- Revenue cutter Harriet Lane, Captain J. Faunce, 5 guns and 96 men. On Saturday, April 6, the Harriet Lane exchanged her revenue flag for the United States navy flag, denoting her transfer to the Government naval service, and sailed suddenly on last Monday morning, with sealed orders.
4- The Steam Transports Atlantic, 358 troops, composed of Companies A and M of the Second artillery, Companies C and H of the Second infantry, and Company A of sappers and miners from West Point. The Atlantic sailed from the steam at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning last, April 7. Baltic, 160 troops, composed of Companies C and D, recruits, from Governor's and Bedloe's islands.
5- The Baltic sailed from Quarantine at 7o'clock on Tuesday morning last, April 9. Illinois, 300 troops, composed of Companies B, E, F, G and H, and a detachment from Company D, all recruits from Governor's and Bedloe's Islands, together with two companies of the Second infantry, from Fort Hamilton.
6- The Illinois sailed from Quarantine on Tuesday morning at 6 o'clock. The Steamtugs Two steamtugs, with a Government official on each, bearing sealed dispatches, were also sent.
7- The Yankee left New York on Monday evening, 8th, and the Uncle Ben on Tuesday night. The Launches Nearly thirty of these boats-whose services are most useful in effecting a landing of troops over shoal water, and for attacking a discharging battery when covered with sand and gunny bags- have been taken out by the Powhatan and by the steam transports Atlantic, Baltic and Illinois.
Recapitulation:
Vessels Guns Men Sloop-of-war Pawnee 10 200 Sloop-of-war Powhatan 11 275 Cutter Harriet Lane 5 96 Steam Transport Atlantic 353 Steam Transport Baltic 160 Steam Transport Illinois 300 Steamtug Yankee Ordinary Crew Steamtug Uncle Ben Ordinary Crew Total number of vessels 8 Total number of guns (for marine service) 26 Total number of men and troops 1,380 It is understood that several transports are soon to be chartered, and dispatched to Charleston with troops and supplies.
(note: a Hartford Connecticut newspaper from early April 1861 states the following "…Davis telegraphed to Charleston not to fire on any vessels entering the harbor merely for supplying Fort Sumter with provisions". The particulars of that newspaper are unavailable at present, but it and the article do exist. It is also by Commander Anderson's own writings that we know that Sumter was not "starving" or without the necessities of survival.
"Christmas day dawned upon Major Anderson under these circumstances, and bound by these instructions. He accepted an invitation to dinner in Charleston. Returning to his post, under cover of the night and the prevailing hilarity, he removed his force from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and placed his little band where he could assert and maintain for a time the authority of the government and uphold its flag. Major Anderson had kept his secret well, and did his work thoroughly. During the day the wives and children of the troops were sent away, on the plea that an attack might be made on that an attack might be made on fort Moultrie. Three small schooners were hired, and the few inhabitants of Sullivan's Island saw them loaded, as they thought, with beds, furniture and baggage. About nine in the evening the men were ordered to hold themselves in marching order, with knapsacks packed. No one seemed to know the reason of the movement, and their destination was only confided by Major Anderson to his second in command. The little garrison was paraded, inspected and then embarked in boats and taken to Fort Sumter, the schooners carrying the provisions, garrison furniture, and munitions of war. What could not be removed was destroyed. Not a pound of powder or a cartridge was left in the magazine. The small-arms and military supplies of very kind were removed, guns spiked, and their carriages burned. The unfinished additions and alterations of the work were destroyed. The flag-staff was cut down, that no banner with strange device should occupy the place of the stars and stripes; in fact, nothing was left unharmed except the heavy round shot, which were temporarily rendered useless by the dismounting and spiking of all the guns."
History of the Flag of the United States by George Henry Preble, Rear Admiral, USN
(Copyright 1880)
Lady Val
Cadet
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- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Fort Sumter Part 6
Historians J. G. Randall and David Herbert Donald, in their book The Civil War and Reconstruction, pondered: "Did Lincoln anticipate that sending this expedition to provision Fort Sumter would precipitate a civil war? Even at the time there were those who claimed that Lincoln well knew the consequences of his action and deliberately tricked the Confederacy into firing the first shot. There is indeed some evidence to support this view." This evidence comes from several sources, mostly from the mouth or pen of Lincoln himself. In May of 1861, he wrote to Captain Gustavus Fox, the commander of the relief expedition to Sumter, "You and I both anticipated that the cause of the country would be advanced by making the attempt to provision Fort Sumter, even if it should fail, and it is no small consolation now to feel that our anticipation is justified by the result." On July 3rd of that same year, Lincoln confided to Orville H. Browning, a close personal friend, about the plan to supply and reinforce Sumter, "The plan succeeded. They attacked Sumter – it fell, and thus did more service than it otherwise could." Southern historian Charles W. Ramsdell believed that "Lincoln, having decided that there was no other way than war for the salvation of his administration, his party and the Union, maneuvered the Confederates into firing the first shot in order that they, rather than he, should take the blame of beginning bloodshed."
In the months between the secession of the cotton states and the firing on Fort Sumter, Republicans received a large measure of the blame for instigating the crisis that was at hand. The party suffered a loss of popularity even within its own rank and file, leading J. W. Kane of Pittsburgh to write to Stephen Douglas: " The Republican party would not have a majority in any state of the Union if the election were to come off tomorrow. "Lincoln's stealth in forcing the South into firing the first shot changed all that. He was a master of public relations and knew that constitutional abstractions carried little weight in the minds of the common people. All that the masses cared about was who fired the first shot." In talking about the actions of the Republicans during the time between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter, one noted historian summed it up in this way: "But if they must choose between saving the party, at the cost of civil war, and saving the Union through sacrificing the party, they placed party first."
Historians J. G. Randall and David Herbert Donald, in their book The Civil War and Reconstruction, pondered: "Did Lincoln anticipate that sending this expedition to provision Fort Sumter would precipitate a civil war? Even at the time there were those who claimed that Lincoln well knew the consequences of his action and deliberately tricked the Confederacy into firing the first shot. There is indeed some evidence to support this view." This evidence comes from several sources, mostly from the mouth or pen of Lincoln himself. In May of 1861, he wrote to Captain Gustavus Fox, the commander of the relief expedition to Sumter, "You and I both anticipated that the cause of the country would be advanced by making the attempt to provision Fort Sumter, even if it should fail, and it is no small consolation now to feel that our anticipation is justified by the result." On July 3rd of that same year, Lincoln confided to Orville H. Browning, a close personal friend, about the plan to supply and reinforce Sumter, "The plan succeeded. They attacked Sumter – it fell, and thus did more service than it otherwise could." Southern historian Charles W. Ramsdell believed that "Lincoln, having decided that there was no other way than war for the salvation of his administration, his party and the Union, maneuvered the Confederates into firing the first shot in order that they, rather than he, should take the blame of beginning bloodshed."
In the months between the secession of the cotton states and the firing on Fort Sumter, Republicans received a large measure of the blame for instigating the crisis that was at hand. The party suffered a loss of popularity even within its own rank and file, leading J. W. Kane of Pittsburgh to write to Stephen Douglas: " The Republican party would not have a majority in any state of the Union if the election were to come off tomorrow. "Lincoln's stealth in forcing the South into firing the first shot changed all that. He was a master of public relations and knew that constitutional abstractions carried little weight in the minds of the common people. All that the masses cared about was who fired the first shot." In talking about the actions of the Republicans during the time between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter, one noted historian summed it up in this way: "But if they must choose between saving the party, at the cost of civil war, and saving the Union through sacrificing the party, they placed party first."
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
How do you reconcile this evidence with the letter from the governor of South Carolina saying that they should attack before Lincoln takes office in hopes that he wouldnt declare war over an incident that had already occured..
Baggage Handler #2
2nd Lieutenant
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- Old Northwest Territory
That is some wack stuff for sure. Hale Bopp has nothing on that guy.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
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Has anyone read of these converstions that President Buchanan had with Confederate representatives discussing war was a result of the firing on the fort?
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- Galena, Illinois 61036 U.S.A.
Yes, I have. He was diplomatically non-commital while allowing his visitors to believe that they had some sort of agreement.
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And Seward made those assurances while he was still trying to take over the executive office. He had neither authority nor permission to so communicate.
What Sam said Buchanan said, and Seward's perfidy led most all of the movement that the Union lied. And I might suggest a search (if that still works) for a copy of the deed wherein South Carolina ceded a shoal in the harbor for purposes of a fort to improve upon the defenses of Fort Moultrie.
Ole
What Sam said Buchanan said, and Seward's perfidy led most all of the movement that the Union lied. And I might suggest a search (if that still works) for a copy of the deed wherein South Carolina ceded a shoal in the harbor for purposes of a fort to improve upon the defenses of Fort Moultrie.
Ole
Resulting links in regard to "deeds regarding South Carolina ceded a shoal in the harbor to improve upon the defenses of Fort Moultrie:
Full text of "The expansion of South Carolina, 1729-1765"
209, The Background of Expansion 11 The garrison at Fort Moore early became a ..... It would have been hard to improve upon this choice, for, aside from his ...... The South Carolina Gazette enlarged upon the possibilities of their ...... Im- mediately below the shoals, the east bank of the Congaree widened out ...
www.archive.org/stream/expansionofsouth00meriuoft/exp... - Similar
Full text of "A History of the Calhoun Monument at ...
South Carolina Division of the Travellers' Protective Associ- ation, President B. C. ..... his official duties he spent his time in retirement at his private home at Fort Hill. .... and that ceded by Spain and Mexico to the United States. ...... upon the grand and noble mission of the American Republic and harbor, ...
www.archive.org/stream/ahistorycalhoun01lamago... - Similar
[ More results from www.archive.org ]
[PDF]Calendar and Record of the Revolutionary War in ...
enthnic group in the South Carolina coastal region; and a few of the ...... conscientiously leave since his first concern was for the protection of the Ceded Lands. ...... had been anchored under the guns of Fort Moultrie since early in the ...... this side of the River for the purpose of aiding in the defense of ...
www.americanrevolution.org/south.pdf - Similar
[PDF]POLITICS OF THE PERSONAL IN THE OLD NORTH STATE: ...
marking the spot of Old Fort, at one point the ****hest reach of colonial ...... control, the patriot strategy now shifted to a defense of South Carolina. ...... In 1784 North Carolina ceded its western lands to the United States. Western ... part of eastern Tennessee, western Virginia, and the Muscle Shoals land. ...
etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03022006-111555/unrest... - Similar
Edward King, 1848-1896. The Great South; A Record of Journeys ...
And it is forthwith ceded to the United States, in 1803, on the "tenth day of Floreal, ...... He it was who, in 1711, built the defense called Fort ...... still waving over the battlements of Fort Moultrie in Charleston harbor, ...... of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline; and by the subsequent bloody deeds among the ...
docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/king.html - Similar
The Influence of Sea Power Upon History by Alfred Thayer Mahan
This closed the harbor of Antwerp and transferred the sea trade of Belgium to Holland. ...... The English lost two ships which ran upon a shoal, and were hopelessly wrecked; ...... Fort Moultrie was soon and easily reduced by land approaches, ..... to assure there and in South Carolina the shaken British power , ...
www.scribd.com/doc/222011/The-Influence-of-Sea-Power-... - Similar
Mexican-American War and the Media
NNR 70.343 secretary of war declines calling the South Carolina regiment into service ...... Magruder, who, when the Mexican army charged upon the square of the ...... and depositing most of the spar deck guns on a shoal part of the reef ...... NNR 71.144 October 31, 1844 troops to leave Fort Moultrie for Mexico ...
www.history.vt.edu/MxAmWar/Newspapers/Niles/Nilesc184... - Similar
[PDF]Butler Family Papers 1778-1975 MSS 102 2034 Items ...
and western frontier defenses complete the collection. Folders 1-987 .... Asks him to call upon Jos. Hawkins and suggests that E.G.W. Butler practice law. ALS, 3 p. ...... President; one at Fort Moultrie, S.C., Col. Lindsay, President. ...... Copy of deed and letter of attorney concerning estate of Thomas Butler ...
www.hnoc.org/BNO/pdf/mss102.pdf - Similar
[RTF]Baton Rouge
To: Mitchel, Colin; Abstract: Deed of sale of two tracts of land in Pantonia for ...... Has begun to put this fort in a state of defense; has remounted 3 canons. ...... Americans building fort at Muscle Shoals to aid Chickasaws. ...... Mentions ceding province of Louisiana to French; Source: S.C. AI 87-2-21 and ...
microformguides.gale.com/Data/Download/3040000A.rtf - Similar
The source of this uncorrected OCR text may be viewed in the ...
Wherein his many Inconsistencies are Pointed out, and his Tenets considered. ...... and to continue to | work upon, clear, repair, and improve the several | Roads ...... seal and deliver a Deed of Cession to the | United States, ...... Convention between South Carolina and Georgia concluded at Beau- | fort in 1787. ...
fax.libs.uga.edu/text/dertxt.txt - Similar
Full text of "The expansion of South Carolina, 1729-1765"
209, The Background of Expansion 11 The garrison at Fort Moore early became a ..... It would have been hard to improve upon this choice, for, aside from his ...... The South Carolina Gazette enlarged upon the possibilities of their ...... Im- mediately below the shoals, the east bank of the Congaree widened out ...
www.archive.org/stream/expansionofsouth00meriuoft/exp... - Similar
Full text of "A History of the Calhoun Monument at ...
South Carolina Division of the Travellers' Protective Associ- ation, President B. C. ..... his official duties he spent his time in retirement at his private home at Fort Hill. .... and that ceded by Spain and Mexico to the United States. ...... upon the grand and noble mission of the American Republic and harbor, ...
www.archive.org/stream/ahistorycalhoun01lamago... - Similar
[ More results from www.archive.org ]
[PDF]Calendar and Record of the Revolutionary War in ...
enthnic group in the South Carolina coastal region; and a few of the ...... conscientiously leave since his first concern was for the protection of the Ceded Lands. ...... had been anchored under the guns of Fort Moultrie since early in the ...... this side of the River for the purpose of aiding in the defense of ...
www.americanrevolution.org/south.pdf - Similar
[PDF]POLITICS OF THE PERSONAL IN THE OLD NORTH STATE: ...
marking the spot of Old Fort, at one point the ****hest reach of colonial ...... control, the patriot strategy now shifted to a defense of South Carolina. ...... In 1784 North Carolina ceded its western lands to the United States. Western ... part of eastern Tennessee, western Virginia, and the Muscle Shoals land. ...
etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03022006-111555/unrest... - Similar
Edward King, 1848-1896. The Great South; A Record of Journeys ...
And it is forthwith ceded to the United States, in 1803, on the "tenth day of Floreal, ...... He it was who, in 1711, built the defense called Fort ...... still waving over the battlements of Fort Moultrie in Charleston harbor, ...... of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline; and by the subsequent bloody deeds among the ...
docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/king.html - Similar
The Influence of Sea Power Upon History by Alfred Thayer Mahan
This closed the harbor of Antwerp and transferred the sea trade of Belgium to Holland. ...... The English lost two ships which ran upon a shoal, and were hopelessly wrecked; ...... Fort Moultrie was soon and easily reduced by land approaches, ..... to assure there and in South Carolina the shaken British power , ...
www.scribd.com/doc/222011/The-Influence-of-Sea-Power-... - Similar
Mexican-American War and the Media
NNR 70.343 secretary of war declines calling the South Carolina regiment into service ...... Magruder, who, when the Mexican army charged upon the square of the ...... and depositing most of the spar deck guns on a shoal part of the reef ...... NNR 71.144 October 31, 1844 troops to leave Fort Moultrie for Mexico ...
www.history.vt.edu/MxAmWar/Newspapers/Niles/Nilesc184... - Similar
[PDF]Butler Family Papers 1778-1975 MSS 102 2034 Items ...
and western frontier defenses complete the collection. Folders 1-987 .... Asks him to call upon Jos. Hawkins and suggests that E.G.W. Butler practice law. ALS, 3 p. ...... President; one at Fort Moultrie, S.C., Col. Lindsay, President. ...... Copy of deed and letter of attorney concerning estate of Thomas Butler ...
www.hnoc.org/BNO/pdf/mss102.pdf - Similar
[RTF]Baton Rouge
To: Mitchel, Colin; Abstract: Deed of sale of two tracts of land in Pantonia for ...... Has begun to put this fort in a state of defense; has remounted 3 canons. ...... Americans building fort at Muscle Shoals to aid Chickasaws. ...... Mentions ceding province of Louisiana to French; Source: S.C. AI 87-2-21 and ...
microformguides.gale.com/Data/Download/3040000A.rtf - Similar
The source of this uncorrected OCR text may be viewed in the ...
Wherein his many Inconsistencies are Pointed out, and his Tenets considered. ...... and to continue to | work upon, clear, repair, and improve the several | Roads ...... seal and deliver a Deed of Cession to the | United States, ...... Convention between South Carolina and Georgia concluded at Beau- | fort in 1787. ...
fax.libs.uga.edu/text/dertxt.txt - Similar
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- Feb 6, 2010
- Location
- Ohio
Just who, under the United States Constitution, would have the authority to serve as this agent of the Northern government?
Lady Val
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Location
- Long Island, New York
Anyone so designated by that government. Remember, the states of the South believed (rightly) that under the Constitution they had the right to withdraw from the existing union and create a union or confederation of their own. Ergo, in doing so, they would treat with the government of the union to which they previously belonged as the government of a foreign nation. They would not choose those who would represent that government any more than they would do so if they were to parlay with Mexico or Canada or any other sovereign nation. You are making the mistake of continuing to see these States as members of the Union from which they had seceded - again, as was their right. Frankly, it is this particular viewpoint that is the crux of the entire matter. The Southern states believed - just as the New England states before them - that they had every right to leave the Union. They did, but unfortunately that right was denied them illegally, immorally and unconstitutionally by force of arms. Yet any legal issue which is determined by armed might is not solved, just resolved until such time (as Jefferson Davis foretold) it should arise again.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
- Location
- Ocala, FL (as of December, 2015).
The very first line in the series of articles posted by LadyVal shows it's basic flaw.
Fortt Sumter Part I
"A fort on South Carolina's Sovereign Soil."
'South Carolina's Sovereign Soil' did not exculde itself from the Union of States, the Constitution's Supreme Law of the Land, nor the right to negotiate or forcibly take the nation's property, like a schoolyard bully demanding the rest of the student body's lunch money.
The good Reverend is not teaching history by the offering of these series of articles.
He is merely preaching a sermon to the faithful.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
Fortt Sumter Part I
"A fort on South Carolina's Sovereign Soil."
'South Carolina's Sovereign Soil' did not exculde itself from the Union of States, the Constitution's Supreme Law of the Land, nor the right to negotiate or forcibly take the nation's property, like a schoolyard bully demanding the rest of the student body's lunch money.
The good Reverend is not teaching history by the offering of these series of articles.
He is merely preaching a sermon to the faithful.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
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