I don't think that, in general, violations of civil liberties were as numerous in the South. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus without Congressional approval, Davis had the approval of his congress before each time period in which he suspended habeas corpus.
By the way, I've been reading a fascinating book about the time of the document that first formalized, at least in English law, the concept of habeas corpus against abuses by the king, "1215, The Year of the Magna Carta" by Danny Danzinger and John Gillingham. It is filled with interesting details about life in that time period. I recommend it.
The suppression and destruction of newspapers and arrests of editors, writers, and publishers happened far more often in the North. I've found mention of more than 100 cases in the North in old newspapers, books, and online. Those were caused by mobs, by soldiers, and by orders from Lincoln and his administration. The total would have been higher if I knew how to count the blockage into a state of all Democrat papers a month or two before an election. In contrast, I've only found about six cases in the South, most by mob action and none by the central government. Two of those Southern suppressions actually happened by mob actions before the war. IIRC Davis and/or Lee did complain about press treatment of some subject, and both sides objected to publication of military situations, troop movement, etc., that would give the other side an advantage to know.
One reason I reacted as I did is that we already discussed the topics you mentioned back in April. See my responses here and here.
Thanks for refreshing my memory. We didn't agree then, and we don't agree now. That's fine. I will try to check on previous posts I've made to you before posting to some information to you again. If you bring something up on the thread to me or someone else that I disagree with and you and I have discussed it before, maybe I'll just post links back to our previous discussions.
I didn't relish having these things thrown at me as though they were new and important information that I absolutely had to look up all over again, regardless of what was going on in my own life at the time.
Thrown? I throw, and you post? How about "posted" instead. Post back that you are busy and can't respond right now or don't care to. I'll be more judicious with my reply than I was above. I've had to beg off replying a number of times myself when we had visitors staying with us from out of state, or a deadline on a scientific paper, or a trip out of town, or estate or tax matters to attend to.
Here is the old post with slight formatting changes and more descriptive link names in a few cases:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Consider the definition of "act of war" [Source: USLeagle.com, my bold below]:
"An act of war is an action by one country against another with an intention to provoke a war or an action that occurs during a declared war or armed conflict between military forces of any origin."
Without war Lincoln did not have the power under the Constitution to coerce states back into the Union or prevent additional secessions. He would not have sufficient revenue to run the government. If he could provoke the South to attack first, he could manipulate the country into war and bypass constitutional restrictions on his powers. Here are some of the actions he took to at Fort Pickens provoke war:
Violate Fort Pickens truce to provoke the South to attack
Truce Details. A Southern proposal was laid before President Buchanan that Fort Pickens would not be attacked if the fort was not reinforced by the North. The proposal was agreed to and signed by the US Secretaries of War and the Navy. This truce kept the peace and the status quo in Pensacola Harbor and prevented war. Here are the terms of the truce in January 29 instructions to Union commanders from the two Secretaries and the Secretary of War’s separate orders to the Army commander in Fort Pickens: [Official Records, Series 1, Volume 1, Part 1, pages 355-356].
March 5, Lincoln's first effort to violate the truce. The day after his inauguration Lincoln gave verbal orders to General Winfield Scott to "maintain" all forts with special directions concerning Fort Pickens. [Source 1 and Source 2]
March 5, Scott tells/reminds Lincoln of the truce. [Source] The truce had been mentioned in the press. New York Times, February 6, 1861: "Reported Truce at Pensacola", February 22, 1861: "The Truce at Fort Pickens," but the articles I've found didn't mention how high up in the US government the officials were who were involved in the negotiations.
Lincoln's second effort to violate the truce, March 11.
Lincoln’s written order to reinforce Fort Pickens. Finding that nothing had been done on his March 5 verbal orders, Lincoln gave a written order to General Scott that he should reinforce Fort Pickens. [Source] Source 2 above said that on March 11, Lincoln "once more gave special directions in regard to Pickens."
Scott issues an order to reinforce Pickens, March 12.. In response to Lincoln's order of the previous day, Scott sent secret written orders to reinforce Fort Pickens to his army commander on the Brooklyn, Captain Vogdes.
Scott's Order received by Vogdes, March 31. Vogdes received Scott's order to reinforce Fort Pickens on March 31. Vogdes then asked the senior naval officer in the harbor, Captain Adams, for boats to land his troops. Adams refuses to obey the order from Scott as he had written orders from the former Secretary of the Navy not to land troops at the fort unless the fort was attacked and besides, the order was old and it came from Scott and not from the Navy.
By the way, Vogdes called the truce an "armistice."
April 1. "not only a declaration but an act of war". On April 1, Adams writes Welles, the new Secretary of the Navy, saying he did not provide boats to reinforce Pickens and adding [Source: "Lincoln Takes Command" by Tilley, page 50 or Official Records of the Navies, Series 1, Vol. 4, pages 109-110]
it [reinforcing Fort Pickens] would be considered not only a declaration but an act of war. … While I can not take on myself under such insufficient authority as General Scott's order the fearful responsibility of an act which seems to render civil war inevitable, I am ready at all times to carry out whatever orders I may receive from the honorable Secretary of the Navy.
Lincoln's third effort to violate the truce, March 29
Lincoln's plan to hold Fort Pickens, March 29. Lincoln had not heard whether Fort Pickens had been reinforced as a result of Scott’s March 12 order, but he must have assumed that the fort had been or would be shortly. On March 29, Lincoln asked Army Captain Montgomery Meigs whether Fort Pickens could be held. Meigs thought it could unless the Navy had already lost it. At the same meeting, Seward asked Meigs to develop a plan for holding Pickens. [Source]
Scott issues orders to reinforce and hold Pickens, April 1. Lincoln approved the orders. Meigs was to go as the expedition's engineer. [Official Records, Series 1, Volume 1, Part 1, pages 365-366]
"This is the beginning of the war", April 6. As the Fort Pickens expedition authorized by Scott and Lincoln on April 1 is departing New York on April 6, Meigs, on board the expedition ship Atlantic, sends a note to Seward that says, "This is the beginning of the war". [Official Records, Series 1, Volume 1, Part 1, page 368]
Adams' notice of his refusal to offload troops at Pickens arrives in Washington on April 6. Adams communicated that he had not carried out Scott's order to reinforce Pickens as the order was in conflict with his earlier orders from the Navy.
Welles responds by ordering Adams to help reinforce Pickens, April 6. [Official Records of the Navies, Series 1, Vol. 4, pages 110-111]
Welles order gets to Adams. There are different versions of when troops reinforced Fort Pickens. Here's one that says in the evening of April 12th [Reign of Iron]. Here is another that says some troops were offloaded on shore after 9 pm on April 11. [Truth of the war conspiracy]
Worden did reach the Federal ship the Wyandotte on the 11th. Seas were too rough on April 11 to take Worden over the bar to Captain Adams' ship, the Sabine. Worden's report to the Acting Secretary of the Navy was that he was conveyed to Adams on April 12 and delivered the message then. However, signals could have been sent from the Wyandotte to Adams authorizing the offloading of some troops on the 11th (which would have been before the firing on Fort Sumter). Federal troops had earlier been offloaded onto Santa Rosa Island to relieve fort soldiers on picket duty [from memory].
Confirming information of April 11 reinforcement from a ship’s log.. [Official Records of the Navies, Series 1, Vol. 4, Log of the Ship Supply]:
April 11 -- At 9 p. m. the Brooklyn got underway and stood in towards the harbor, and during the night landed the troops and marines on board, to reenforce Fort Pickens.The date could be a typo, of course. Also, about March 31, the Brooklyn's troops were sent to Captain Adams' ship, the Sabine. The Brooklyn and the Wyandotte were the ships that delivered troops to Fort Pickens. On April 10, the fort sent a request for immediate reinforcement to Adams because of a possible impending attack. Adams replied that he wanted to see more details to justify the reinforcement.
FWIW, Vogdes was listed as in charge of Fort Pickens from April 1l to April 16. [1904 Bio of Vodges and West Point Class History]
1,211posted (originally) on Sunday, November 13, 2011 12:15:54 AMby rustbucket