quoting FLT-bird to TwelveOFTwenty:
"YES! Secession obviously wasn't about slavery.
Only 4 states issued declarations of causes (only about 1/3rd of the states which seceded) and 3 of those 4 cited reasons other than slavery." Many of our Lost Causers make this argument, and they all get the numbers wrong to some degree.
In this case FLT-bird lumps together the 7 Declarations before Fort Sumter with the 4 after Fort Sumter plus the two from Missouri & Kentucky.
But we should delete the 4+2=6 after Fort Sumter, since those were very different circumstances.
Now, of the 7 Declarations of Secession before Fort Sumter,
- Two gave us no reasons whatever -- Florida and Louisiana.
- One, Alabama, listed slavery as the only reason in its Declaration.
- Four other states published lengthy "Declarations of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession...from the Federal Union"
- Finally, there were two other widely published explanations in early 1861, by Robert Rhett (CSA Congressman) and Alexander Stephens (the Confederate VP).
All of those who gave reasons listed slavery as a primary reason or as the only reason.
Here is my analysis of the pre-Fort Sumter secessions*:
| Reasons for Secession | S. Carolina | Mississippi | Georgia | Texas | Rbt. Rhett | A. Stephens | AVERAGE OF 6 |
|---|
| Historical context | 41% | 20% | 23% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 24% |
|---|
| Slavery | 20% | 73% | 56% | 54% | 35% | 50% | 48% |
|---|
| States' Rights | 37% | 3% | 4% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 14% |
|---|
| Lincoln's election | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 0% | 3% |
|---|
| Economic issues** | 0 | 0 | 15% | 0% | 25% | 20% | 10% |
|---|
| Military protection | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
|---|
* Alabama listed only slavery in its "whereas" reasons for secession.
** Economic issues includes tariffs, "fishing smacks" and alleged favortism to Northerners in Federal spending. ![]()
Most of the Lost Causers make this argument, and they all get the numbers wrong to some degree.Most of the PC Revisionsists try to deny this reality. The facts are obviously not with them.
In this case FLT-bird lumps together the 7 Declarations before Fort Sumter with the 4 after Fort Sumter plus the two from Missouri & Kentucky. But we should delete the 4+2=6 after Fort Sumter, since those were very different circumstances.
uhhh no. We absolutely should not do that. He said "the South" as you PC Revisionists often do. That refers to all 12 states that seceded. I've pointed out several did not issue declarations of causes. I've pointed out several seceded only after Lincoln chose to start a war to impose government rule on people who did not consent to it. Those states are part of "the South" too. You can't just ignore them because its inconvenient for your argument.
Now, of the 7 Declarations of Secession before Fort Sumter, Two gave us no reasons whatever -- Florida and Louisiana. One, Alabama, listed slavery as the only reason in its Declaration.
Alabama did not issue a declaration of causes.
Four other states published lengthy "Declarations of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession...from the Federal Union"
Correct. 4 states issued declarations of causes.
Finally, there were two other widely published explanations in early 1861, by Robert Rhett (CSA Congressman) and Alexander Stephens (the Confederate VP). All of those who gave reasons listed slavery as a primary reason or as the only reason.
This is just false. There were many people who offered various explanations. The Southern states were democratic after all. Different people had different opinions which they were free to express. Rhett's was the most famous and widely circulated. It was attached to and was sent out with South Carolina's declaration of causes. Rhett went on at great length to explain the primary cause was economic. The Southern states were being economically exploited by sectional partisan legislation just as the 13 colonies had been by Britain a couple generations earlier.
Here is my analysis of the pre-Fort Sumter secessions*: Reasons for Secession S. Carolina Mississippi Georgia Texas Rbt. Rhett A. Stephens AVERAGE OF 6 Historical context 41% 20% 23% 21% 20% 20% 24% Slavery 20% 73% 56% 54% 35% 50% 48% States' Rights 37% 3% 4% 15% 15% 10% 14% Lincoln's election 2% 4% 4% 4% 5% 0% 3% Economic issues** 0 0 15% 0% 25% 20% 10% Military protection 0 0 0 6% 0% 0% 1% * Alabama listed only slavery in its "whereas" reasons for secession. ** Economic issues includes tariffs, "fishing smacks" and alleged favortism to Northerners in Federal spending.
Your "analysis". ROTFLMAO!!!