“The government will not assail you.” He promised, “You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.”
On April 6, Lincoln took action without notifying anyone or seeking Constitutionally mandated Congressional approval. He had ordered a naval expedition to ostensibly resupply Fort Sumter. It was a poorly kept secret, and when rumors reached Montgomery, the Confederate president sent Justice Campbell back to Secretary of State Seward to demand an explanation.
Seward continued to deny that a confrontation was underway. “Faith as to Sumter fully kept,” he assured the Confederates in writing. “Wait and see.”
In reality, this became a federal act of war against the South! The expedition consisted of the armed side wheel steamer HARRIET LANE, the second class screw sloops PAWNEE and POCAHONTAS, the large paddle- wheel sloop POWHATAN, the transport BALTIC with 200 soldiers and provisions, and three tugs, the FREEBORN, UNCLE BEN, and YANKEE. The ships were to sail individually to preserve the secrecy of the expedition. The tugs had most of their machinery below the waterline and any above was protected by hay or cotton bales. Upon arriving at Charleston Harbor, they were supposed to pass about 1300 yards from the land batteries and being on a cross course and moving in the darkness at 14 knots they would hardly be hit if the Confederate batteries were ordered to protect the harbor from invasion.
If hit, however, there were sufficient launches to save the personnel that Lincoln told Governor Pickens would not be present.
What else did he do to incite and bring war? He did, on the fifteenth day of April 1861, issue his proclamation calling upon the several States for seventy-five thousand men to suppress such insurrectionary combinations, and to cause the laws to be faithfully executed.
Next he did, on the nineteenth day of April 1861, issue a proclamation setting on foot a blockade of the ports within the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
Next on the twenty-seventh day of April, he issued a proclamation establishing a blockade of the ports within the States of Virginia and North Carolina.
That was an act of war.
He did, by an order of the twenty-seventh day of April, addressed to the commanding general of the army of the United States, authorize that officer to suspend the writ of habeas corpus at any point on or in the vicinity of any military line between the city of Philadelphia and the city of Washington.
He did, on the third day of May, issue a proclamation calling into the service of the United States forty-two thousand and thirty-four volunteers, increasing the regular army by the addition of twenty-two thousand seven hundred and fourteen men, and the navy by an addition of eighteen thousand seamen.
He did, on the tenth day of May last, issue a proclamation authorizing the commander of the forces of the United States on the coast of Florida to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, if necessary.
All of these actions were designed by Lincoln to assail and bring conflict...directly in contradiction to his speeches and testimony to Congress.
Just as President Buchanan did in January 1861.
There was nothing illegal, unconstitutional or threatening about such actions, especially considering Sumter's commander, Major Anderson, had notified Lincoln in early March, 1861 that his supplies were running out, and he must surrender the fort if not resupplied within six weeks.
So, Lincoln's mission was no more an "act of war" than any resupply or reinforcement ships today, to our troops in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
PeaRidge: "If hit, however, there were sufficient launches to save the personnel that Lincoln told Governor Pickens would not be present."
No, Lincoln told Pickens the opposite: so long as it encountered no Confederate resistance, his resupply mission would not reinforce Fort Sumter.
The obvious implication is that Lincoln's ships would reinforce Sumter, if they encountered Confederate violence.
So the choice to commit violence was not Lincoln's, it was Jefferson Davis'.
PeaRidge: "Next on the twenty-seventh day of April, he issued a proclamation establishing a blockade of the ports within the States of Virginia and North Carolina.
That was an act of war."
But a blockade is, in an of itself, not an act of war.
Indeed, throughout history blockades have often been used outside of war, and without causing war.
More important, until June 10, 1861, not one Confederate army soldier was killed directly in battle by any Union force.
Before June 10, all the violence, all the threats, all the seizures of property and imprisonment of troops, all the deaths of soldiers were inflicted by Confederates on the Union army.
Before June 10 the Confederacy engaged in violent war against the Union, and the Union did nothing serious to oppose it.
At any time in those several months the Confederacy could have backed down and asked for peace terms, and there would have been no loss of life in the South.
But that did not happen, it could not happen, because in their own minds Confederates did not want just "peace", they wanted victory in their "Second War of Independence", a victory which they could use to dictate their own terms to the Union.
Compromise & negotiation were not just in the Slavocracy's tool box.