[rustbucket]

Davis and Governor Pickens were in good company saying the Lincoln's expedition of warships threatening to force their way into Charleston Harbor was a declaration of war.

Here is Madison on the use of force against a state [Constitutional Convention, May 31, 1787; thanks to poster southernsunshine for the Madison quote]:

The use of force agst. a State, would look more like a declaration of war, than an infliction of punishment, and would probably be considered by the party attacked as a dissolution of all previous compacts by which it might be bound.

[BroJoeK]

rustbucket: "Davis and Governor Pickens were in good company saying the Lincoln's expedition of warships threatening to force their way into Charleston Harbor was a declaration of war.
Here is Madison on the use of force against a state [Constitutional Convention, May 31, 1787; thanks to poster southernsunshine for the Madison quote]:

"The use of force agst. a State, would look more like a declaration of war, than an infliction of punishment, and would probably be considered by the party attacked as a dissolution of all previous compacts by which it might be bound."

Except that Lincoln's force wasn't against a state, it was rather a resupply mission for Union troops in a Union fort.
If a state chose to interpose itself, that was the state's choice.
Otherwise, Lincoln's mission would be 100% peaceful.

But Davis & Pickens well understood how Virginians looked at the issue and for them it didn't matter who fired first, if anyone did then Virginia would succeed.
That made Davis' order to "reduce" Fort Sumter mandatory.