Shared from my friend Kev Flynn!

Lincoln deliberately coerced the War!

The chain of events concerning the start of the war of Southern Independence.

When the Virginia Convention pleaded for peace, he sent word by Baldwin to say “it was too late for peace.”—”Atlantic Monthly, “April,1875. (Magruder and Baldwin).

Lincoln did not send word why it was too late, for at that time four expeditions were on the way to Sumter and Pickens to force war.

He refused to see the Peace Commissioners sent by the Confederate government to plead for peace—but through Seward and Judge Campbell he kept them deceived until war had been declared. (War of Rebellion, Ser.I,Vol.IV.,p.259).

Abraham Lincoln did not want peace for he had promised coercion, which meant war. He knew, too, that the South would never stand for his administration. What were those four expeditions he had already sent?

An armistice had been entered into between South Carolina 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 and Abraham Lincoln knew this—hence his secret orders. To violate an armistice is a treacherous act of war. This is acknowledged by all nations.

Before his inauguration he 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. (Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Hon. El. B. Washburn, dated Springfield, Ill., December 21, 1860). He had in mind then to break this armistice. One of the agreements of an armistice was that no person, friend nor foe, could visit the forts while the terms of the armistice were in force.

President Abraham sent Lieutenant Worden with a secret message to Captain Adams at Fort Pickens. This was an act of a spy.

President Lincoln, March 12th, directed Montgomery Blair, one of his Cabinet, to telegraph to G.V. Fox do come to Washington to arrange for reinforcing Fort Sumter. G.V. Fox, on March 15th, was sent to Fort Sumter, and arranged with Anderson for reinforcement. This was an act of a spy.

Lamon had also been sent secretly to Charleston to confer with Anderson. This was also the act of a spy.

On March 29th, Abraham Lincoln 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 under Lieutenant Porter, April 7th, on which date the three vessels were directed to go to Fort Sumter and on that same day President Lincoln directed Seward to say to the Peace Commissioners, “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.

Not until sufficient time had elapsed to suppose that the vessels had landed were the Peace Commissioners informed of these facts. Fortunately a storm delayed some of the ships. When the Confederate government was informed of this treachery, permission was given to General Beauregard to demand the surrender of Fort Sumter.

Anderson was ordered to surrender the fort. He refused until he could receive orders from the United States authorities. General Beauregard sent word that unless the fort was surrendered within a certain time it would be fired upon. It was not surrendered and the shots were fired, and war began.

Who was responsible? No one but Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, who on his own authority, without the consent of Cabinet or Congress, declared war by breaking the armistice agreed upon and forcing the Confederate troops to fire.*

(*Abraham Lincoln never hesitated to assume authority without consultation with -Cabinet or Congress. On April 1st, he sent a secret message to the Commandant at Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., to fit out the Powhatan without delay. In this message he said: “You will under no circumstances communicate to the Navy Department this fact.” (War of Rebellion Records, Vol. 4, p.109).

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Part 2

This is the truth as the War Records at Washington have it- (Ser. 1, Vol. IV., pp. 90-259).

Hallam, in his constitutional History, says:
“The aggressor in war is not the first that uses force, but the first who renders force necessary.”

President Lincoln sent a note to each member of the Cabinet asking advice about holding Fort Sumter. Two may be said to have voted for it. Blair favored it; Chase was doubtful. He said, “I will oppose any attempt to reinforce Sumter, if it means war,” but the others voted decidedly against it. Notice, Lincoln did not call a Cabinet meeting—and he did not call his Congress. Why? He knew neither would favor war.

Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, said:
“There was not a man in the Cabinet that did not know that an attempt to reinforce Sumter would be the first blow of the war.”

And again he said:
“Of all the Cabinet Blair only is in favor of reinforcing Sumter.”

William Seward, Secretary of State said, “Preparation to reinforce will precipitate war. I would instruct Anderson to return from Sumter.”

General Bragg said:
“They have placed an engineer officer at Fort Pickens to violate, as I consider, our agreement not to reinforce.”

“History of the American Nation,” Hosmer; Vol. xx., p. 20:
“The determination expressed by Lincoln in his Inaugural Address to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the United States precipitated the outbreak, and his determination to collect duties and imports was practically an announcement of an offensive war.”

The New York Express said, April 15, 1861:
“The people petitioned and pleaded, begged and implored Lincoln and Seward to be heard before matters were brought to a bloody extreme, but their petitions were spruned and treated with contempt.”

In “The Opening of the Twentieth Century,” these words are found:
“The war was inaugurated by the North on an unconstitutional basis, and defended on an unconstitutional basis.”

The New York Herald, April 7, 1861:
“Unless Mr. Lincoln’s Administration makes the first demonstration and attack, President Davis says there will be no bloodshed.

With Mr. Lincoln’s administration therefore, rests the responsibility of precipitating a collision, and the fearful evils of protracted war.”

The New York Herald, April 5, 1861:
“We have no doubt Mr. Lincoln wants the Cabinet at Montgomery to take the initiative by capturing the two forts in its waters, for it would give him the opportunity of throwing upon the Southern Confederacy the responsibility of commencing hostilities. But the country and posterity will hold him just as responsible as if he struck the first blow.”

Governor Moore, of Alabama, says:
“I have had a conference with Secretary Mallory of Florida, and Secretary Fitzpatrick of Alabama, in which they informed me that they and Secretary Slidell had a personal interview with the President and the Secretary of the Navy and were assured by them that no attack would be made upon Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens or any excuse given for the shedding of blood during the present administration.” (Cousin &Hill,p.371).

Web Source: Southern Heritage Preservation Group – Facebook Page
Post by Michael Parks – 8/9/2019