[smug]

If Lincoln had intended peace he would have informed the Governor of his intention to resupply the fort with food earlier than that

That is the way the south felt. Heck! most of the southern news papers said Lincoln's inaugural address alone was a stealth declaration of war against the south. We have the ability of hind sight, they only had their immediate perceptions of what was occurring.

[Non-Sequitur]

That is the way the south felt. Heck! most of the southern news papers said Lincoln's inaugural address alone was a stealth declaration of war against the south.

Which goes to show that there was an element in the South looking for any excuse for a war.

[rustbucket]

Should have pinged you to my post 1220.

[rustbucket]

I ran across an interesting editorial about Lincoln's first inaugural when looking through my copies of old newspaper pages tonight.

The following editorial quote is from the New York Day Book (NYC) as reported in the Baltimore Sun of March 7, 1861. Here is the Sun's whole section about the Day Book editorial.

The New York Day Book has put in juxtaposition, as does the Express, the seemingly contradictory passages of the inaugural, and thus translates:

"In other words, though you do not recognize me as President, I shall not molest you if you will pay taxes for the support of my government. We must have your money, that we cannot bring ourselves to decline, and if you do not let us have it peacefully, why, we shall be compelled to take it from you by force; in which case you, not we, will be the aggressors. This means coercion and civil war and nothing else."