As for your other viewpoint about the South starting the war, I offer this as proof of Lincoln's perfidity and badgering of the South into war.
"It was his Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Wells, who wrote: " It was very inmportant that the Rebels strike the first blow in the conflict."
Lincoln assembled the squadron of warships and tugs, as recommended by Captain G.V. Fox. He placed Fox in command and sent the fleet to Charleston.
The reinforcement had been outlined by Fox: "I simply propose three tugs convoyed by light-draft men of war ... The first tug to lead in empty, to open their fire"
Before Fox could carry out the plan, the Southerners bombarded and captured the fort.
Did the failure of the expedition distress Lincoln? Not at all. On May 1, 1861, he wrote Fox: " I sincerely regret that the failure of the attempt to provision Fort Sumter should be a source of annoyance to you ...
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."
So if you were to have asked a Confederate Soldier why they seceeded, he would have told you these reasons:
1. Our States entered the Union with the understanding that they had the right to withdraw when membership proved unhappy.
2. We were tired of being gypped by unfair tariff laws.
3> we were fed up with insane abuse from South-hating fanatics.
4. We bought our slaves from the North, only to learn later that it proposed to free them without a penny of compensation.
5. Northern fanatics had inspired murderous slave uprisings. Why wait for more?
6. A rabidly-sectional party was in control at Washington.
We had no idea of making war. We planned to relieve the North from further association with us.
Sorry but your tired assed old arguments won't wash here. I know who the real culprits were - and they weren't from the Southern States!
Specifically?
As for your other viewpoint about the South starting the war, I offer this as proof of Lincoln's perfidity and badgering of the South into war.
So the gist of your arguement is that there was a war because the southern leadership was too stupid to see through Lincoln's plot? Doesn't say much about them, does it?
So if you were to have asked a Confederate Soldier why they seceeded, he would have told you these reasons...
If you asked the southern leadership why they sent those soldiers into war they would have told you this:
"But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better, allow me to allude to one other -- though last, not least. The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution -- African slavery as it exists amongst us -- the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution."
Sorry but your tired assed old arguments won't wash here. I know who the real culprits were - and they weren't from the Southern States!
According to your lame-ass old southron myths.