The South was not the aggressor in bringing on the war; on the contrary, they did all that honorable men could do in the vain attempt to avert war. They did all that could be done without debasing the men and women of the South with conscious disgrace, and leaving to their children a heritage of shame. The Northern people with Abraham Lincoln at their head, brought on the war by provocation to war and by act of  war; and that they were and are, therefore, directly responsible for all the multiplied woes which resulted from the war.
An armistice had been entered into between South Carolina's government and the United States government, December 6, 1860. A similar armistice had been entered into between Florida and the United States government, January 29, 1861. These armistices agreed that the forts, Sumter and Pickens, should neither be garrisoned nor provisioned so long as these armistices continued in force.
Papers to this effect had been filed in the United States Army and Navy Departments. Abraham Lincoln knew this armistice. Lincoln then began a series of secret orders. Major Robert Anderson, commander of the U.S. troops stationed at Charleston, South Carolina’s Fort Moultrie, took his men out of Fort Moultrie and into the island fort, Fort Sumter, under the cloak of darkness. This in itself was a provocation that could have brought on conflict. But cooler heads prevailed and the South awaited Major Anderson’s evacuation of Fort Sumter.
Before his inauguration, Lincoln had sent a confidential message to General Winfield Scott to be ready, when his inauguration, March 4, 1861, should take place, to hold or retake the forts.President Lincoln on March 12, directed Montgomery Blair, one of his Cabinet members, to telegraph Captain G. V. Fox, formerly of the Navy, to come to Washington to arrange for reinforcing Fort Sumter. G. V. Fox, on March 15, was sent to Fort Sumter, and arranged with Major Anderson for reinforcement. This alone was an act of espionage.
The policy most practicable for immediate hostilities as became apparent to President Lincoln's advisers, was an invasion of the Confederacy by way of the ocean and the gulf. The first objective point, Charleston; the first State to be overthrown and brought to terms, South Carolina; the first movement, reinforcement of Fort Sumter, peaceably if permitted, otherwise by force. This plan was maturely considered during March, while the Confederate leaders were held in suspense with the hope of peace. which caused them to wait for the action of the Federal administration.
On March 29, Lincoln, without consent of his Cabinet, ordered three ships with 300 men and provisions to be ready to go to Fort Sumter. All orders were marked private. A fourth expedition was secretly sent to Pensacola, Florida, under Lieutenant Porter, April 7th, on which date the three vessels were directed to go to Fort Sumter. On that same day President Lincoln directed Seward to address to the Confederate Peace Commissioners in Washington, and say "that they had no design to reinforce Fort Sumter." In short there were four expeditions ordered to garrison and provision Forts Sumter and Pickens while the armistice was yet in force. South Carolina observed her agreement faithfully, to make no attack on Fort Sumter on account of promises made to evacuate the premises by the Federals, as well as its permission, continued into April, 1861, for Major Anderson to purchase fresh provisions in the markets of Charleston. This points out a peaceable disposition which cannot be misunderstood, unless Lincoln was looking to provoke war. |
