That 7 agrcultural states would be heavily outnumbered and outgunned in any confrontation with 27 increasingly industrialized states is a BS statement? LOL
The British could have said that about the 13 colonies.
The new USA didn't share an undefended and indeed indefensible border of well over 1000 miles with a hostile and much more powerful nation.
It is of course true that Lincoln and Davis were playing chicken over the 8 unseceded slave states. Davis blinked by choosing to fire the first shot. Lincoln won that round.
The Buchanan administration, heavily dominated by southerners and doughfaces, apparently made some sort of understanding with SC in December, although exactly what this understanding was is disputed.
When Lincoln, the legally elected president, took office, he was not bound by any such informal agreement. He had the perfect right to set his own policy.
He nevertheless communicated with SC to let them know that he would attempt to introduce only food and other supplies into the fort, not reinforce it for military purposes.
So you're saying that a people can't form a 'viable' government unless they're able to kill all their enemies? By your definition, countries like Ireland shouldn't be allowed to exist because they're 'heavily outnumbered and outgunned'. Like I said, a BS statement.
The new USA didn't share an undefended and indeed indefensible border of well over 1000 miles with a hostile and much more powerful nation.
But the new Confederacy did share a 1000 mile border with a hostile neighbor. You're exactly right.
He nevertheless communicated with SC to let them know that he would attempt to introduce only food and other supplies into the fort, not reinforce it for military purposes.
If Lincoln was so diligent in communicating with SC, why didn't he communicate with Major Anderson?