From: dickwin@sequent.com (Dick Winningstad)
Subject: Re: resplitting hairs: Fort Sumter
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 05:31:05 GMT

In article <00965C60.CCA85C80@OCTAVO> jthoppers@OCTAVO writes:
>In commenting that a shooting war didn't erupt until Federal property
>was seized, I was perhaps presenting a straw dog. The analogy is not
>that the 'Feds' come after you if you blow up your mail box, but more
>aptly that they arrive if you occupy the local post office, and hold
>the postmaster at gun-point. IMHO, it was apparent in 1860 that things
>were going to turn ugly, but both sides wanted to take the high ground
>before pummelling their opponents. Fort Sumter was the excuse which
>allowed the Union to take the high ground. If Lincoln had wanted peace
>at all costs he could have met with the CSA representatives, or
>supported the congressional initiatives (sponsored by Virginia and
>Kentucky, I think) for conferences with the seceeding states. This
>things are possible without surrendering personal belief in the
>'unbreakable union'. But he didn't do this, perhaps because he saw,
>thru the filter of his first-rate intellect, that things would come
>to war regardless. He did not take steps to placate states which had
>already seceeded, but did attempt to maintain control in border
>states whose allegiances might be swayed.


I do not think that Lincoln wanted peace at all costs.  I believe he
wanted to preserve the Union at all costs.  When the Confederates
fired on Fort Sumpter, that pretty well demonstrated their
determination to leave the Union. And demonstrated that negotiation
was no longer a viable alternative.

There was not a call up of soldiers initiated until after Fort Sumpter
was fired on. And during the period after Lincoln's election, there
were Southern sympathizers in Pres. Buchanan's adminstration doing all
they could to weaken the federal govt. and strengthen the South's
hand. For instance,  according to U.S.  Grant in his memoirs, Pres.
Buchanan's Sec of War Mr. Floyd scattered the army around the nation
to prevent a rapid concentration.  Sec Floyd also tranferred armaments
to federal arsenals in the south so the Confederates could have access
to them. The navy was also scattered during this time. (U.S. Grant
Memoirs, Library of America, Chapt XVI, pg 150-1).

I beleive that Lincoln was forced into the Civil War by Southern
actions but if there was a way to preserve the Union peacefully,
Lincoln would have taken it.

Also rmember that by 1860, the writing was on the wall and slavery
was on its way out in the U.S. The South had long ago lost control of
the House of Representatives due to the North's advantage in
population, and it was losing control of the Senate with the
admission of Oregon and California along with other free states about
to be admitted. This meant that slavery would have been eliminated
certainly with in 20 years and probably within 10 years if not sooner.
With the South's staunch defense of slavery (becoming very fanatical
after 1831), I do not think that they saw any way out of the situation
except by secession.
Fun discussion

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+Dick Winningstad                                                    +
+                    Italian Wines are Fine                          +
+          I'd rather be on a Moto Guzzi in eastern Oregon.          +
+dickwin@sequent.com                                                 +
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