American Civil war- The Upper South Left the Union Over State Sovereignty

Thank you Tokamak for accepting this my first debate on this forum, I am very excited. I believe the upper south left the union for many reasons, but will argue the main reason was state sovereignty.Sovereign states "Upper south, which had cried equally against coercion as succession" -E merton Coulter the Confederate States of America Louisiana State University Press In the antebellum civil war states were sovereign and self governing was a vital aspect of American government. When secession came each state left the union for its own reasons. The original deep south cotton states left the union and formed a confederacy. The upper south states chose to stay in the union instead of joining this new confederacy. Lincolns call for volunteers "The majority sentiment in the upper south had been unionist until Lincolns call for troops"-E Merton Coulter The single most important event that caused the upper south to join the confederacy was Lincolns call for volunteers to “suppress” the seven cotton states of the confederacy. Lincoln spoke loud when he called for volunteers to invade the confederacy of the deep south. His opinion was not that America was a collection of sovereign self governing States bound by a constitution as the upper south believed, but a centralized nation or empire. He made it very clear the deep south could not self govern themselves but were subject to their master the federal government. Lincoln in his inaugural address stated the union created the states, not the states ratifying the union thus the power and authority lay with the federal government.The upper south, and many in the north, saw Lincolns call for volunteers against the Cotton states as a major violation of the constitution, a violation of those states sovereignty and the main cause for secession.Arkansas“This convention pledging the State of Arkansas to resist to the last extremity any attempt on the part of such power to coerce any State that had seceded from the old Union, proclaimed to the world that war should be waged against such States until they should be compelled to submit to their rule, and large forces to accomplish this have by this same power been called out, and are now being marshaled to carry out this inhuman design; and to longer submit to such rule, or remain in the old Union of the United States, would be disgraceful and ruinous to the State of Arkansas”-Arkansas Declaration for Causes of Seccsion Before Lincolns call for volunteers the people of Arkansas voted to stay in the union by a vote of 23,600 to 17,900. Later on March 4 1861 the Arkansas convention voted 40-35 to stay in the union with the president of the convention a unionist. On May 6th 1861 After Fort Sumtner and Lincolns call for men, Arkansas regathered this time only 5 votes went against secession, 4 of them would relent and join in secession in a short time. The before and after votes, as well as the Arkansas declaration for secession give the clear reasons for joining the confederacy."The people of this commonwealth are free men not slaves, and will defend to the last extremity, their honor, lives, and property, against northern mendacity and usurpation"-Arkansas Govonor Henry Rector's response to Lincolns call for volunteers Tennessee“Tennessee will not Furnish a man for purposes of coercion, but 50,000 if necessary for the defense of our rights, and those of our southern brothers” -Tennessee Governor Isham Harris Response to Lincoln Calling to Suppress the Rebellion in the Cotton States On February the 9th the same day that Mississippi left the union, Tennessee voters turned down secession by a 4-1 margin. However after Lincolns call to volunteers Governor Isham Harris wrote President Lincoln saying if the federal government was going to “coerce” the states into returning, Tennessee had no choice but to join its Southern neighbors. Harris recalled the Tennessee legislature for another vote on May 6 this time to join the confederacy. Than on June 8 voters approved the measure by a 2-1 margin. Virginia Before Lincolns call for volunteers with slavery equally safe in the north or south, the slave state of Virginia on April 4th1861 voted by a 2-1 margin to stay in the union. After Lincolns call for volunteers Virginia gathered again and by a vote of 126,000 to 20,400 Virginia left the union. In the minds of Virginians, Lincolns call to volunteers and the violation of state sovereignty. Virginia did not give a lengthy declaration of why it left the union just a short ordinance of secession. “Declared that the powers granted under the said Constitution were derived from the people of the United States, and might be resumed whensoever the same should be perverted to their injury and oppression; and the Federal Government, having perverted said powers, not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slav holding States” -Virginia Ordinance of Seccesion North Carolina "North Carolina will “Be no party to this wicked violation of the laws of the country, and to this war upon the liberties of a free people” -North Carolina Governor John Ellis Having previously turned down even voting on secession, North Carolina responded to Lincolns call for volunteers by than unanimously adopted a secession ordinance, showing the impact it had on the state.Kentucky The official state government of Kentucky was pro north by about about a 3-1 margin but chose to keep its neutrality. However there was gaining support for the south when Lincoln called for volunteers. The Kentucky Governor wrote "President Lincoln, I will send not a man nor a dollar for the wicked purpose of subduing my sister southern states.” Later neutrality would be violated by southern troops and the state would join the union, however a pro south Kentucky government was set up and was accepted by Jeff Davis into the confederacy. States rights was the main cause for the pro south Kentucky government reason for secession. Kentucky Declaration For Leaving The Union “Whereas, the Federal Constitution, which created the Government of the United States, was declared by the framers thereof to be the supreme law of the land, and was intended to limit and did expressly limit the powers of said Government to certain general specified purposes, and did expressly reserve to the States and people all other powers whatever, and the President and Congress have treated this supreme law of the Union with contempt and usurped to themselves the power to interfere with the rights and liberties of the States and the people against the expressed provisions of the Constitution, and have thus substituted for the highest forms of national liberty and constitutional government a central despotism founded upon the ignorant prejudices of the masses of Northern society, and instead of giving protection with the Constitution to the people of fifteen States of this Union have turned loose upon them the unrestrained and raging passions of mobs and fanatics, and because we now seek to hold our liberties, our property, our homes, and our families under the protection of the reserved powers of the States, have blockaded our ports, invaded our soil, and waged war upon our people for the purpose of subjugating us to their will; and Whereas, our honor and our duty to posterity demand that we shall not relinquish our own liberty and shall not abandon the right of our descendants and the world to the inestimable blessings of constitutional government: Therefore, .... because we may choose to take part in a cause for civil liberty and constitutional government against a sectional majority waging war against the people and institutions of fifteen independent States of the old Federal Union, and have done all these things deliberately against the warnings and vetoes of the Governor and the solemn remonstrance of the minority in the Senate and House of Representatives: Therefore, .....have a right to establish any government which to them may seem best adapted to the preservation of their rights and liberties.” -Kentucky Declaration for Causes of Seccesion Missouri “Your requisition is illegal, unconstitutional, revolutionary, inhuman, diabolical, and cannot be complied with” -Missouri Governors Response to Lincolns call for Volunteers The slave state of Missouri was almost universally pro union. When the south sent delegates to try and convince the state to join the south, they were booed and jeered so that the CSA delegate could not even be heard. On March 21 1861 the Missouri convention voted 98-1 against secession, but kept its neutrality. Many in the state became angry and felt their state sovereignty was violated during the “Camp Jackson Affair” with General Lyon capturing the arsenal in St Louis and when union soldiers opened fire on civilians and pro confederates killing dozens. Many felt the federal government was violating the states neutral position and support for secession grew rapid in the state. This led to a end to neutrality and both a pro confederate and pro union government in the state. Pro south Missouri reasons for secession, centered around constitutional violations of the Lincoln administration. "All that the South has ever desired was the Union as established by our forefathers should be preserved and that the government as originally organized should be administered in purity and truth." -Gen. Robert E. Lee Quoted in The enduring Relevance of Robert E Lee References -Secession Acts of the Thirteen Confederate States http://www.civilwar.org...; -Abraham -Lincoln First Inaugural Address Monday, March 4, 1861 -The Confederate States of America, 1861--1865: A History of the South by E.Merton Coulter