We know the cause of the Civil War. The people involved told us -- clearly -- at the time. In fact, the South warned the North during the election of 1860, long before secession, that if they elected Lincoln, the South would take it "as an act of war".
Let me repeat that again, because the SOUTH claimed this fact right after the war. The South's own view of Civil War, published in 1865, (the same year the Civil War ended) said they had "warned the North" that electing Lincoln would be taken as an act of war.
From "The Southern History of The Great Civil War" by Edward Pollard, page 37
During the canvass (campaign) , the North had been distinctly warned by the conservative parties of the country, that the election of Lincoln by a strictly sectional vote would ba taken as a declaration of war against the South. This position was assumed on the part of the South, not so much on account of the declaration of anti-slavery principles in the Chicago platform, as from the notorious animus of the party supporting Lincoln. The Chicago Convention had attempted to conceal the worst designs of Abolitionism under professions of advancing the cause of freedom in strict accordance with the Constitution and the laws. The South, however.could not be ignorant of the fact, or wanting in appreciation of it, that Lincoln had been supported by the sympathizers of John Brown, the endorsers of the ' Helper Book, " the founders of the Kansas Emigrant Aid Societies, and their desperate abetters and agents, " Jim " Lane and others, and by the opponents of the Fugitive Slave Law. It was known, in a word, that Lincoln owed his flection to the worst enemies of the South, and that he would naturally and necessarily select his councillors from among them, and consult their views in his administration of the government.
The South, in other words, warned the North all through the election (according to the South) that they would take Lincoln's election as literally an act of war. Its no wonder then, that you see quotes like this:
“We went to war on account of the thing we quarreled with the North about. I never heard of any other cause of quarrel than slavery” wrote Confederate guerrilla John Mosby
“Slavery was without question the occasion of secession” Vice President A. Stephens.
If you read the Declarations of Causes and the speeches, editorials, and open letters from Confederate leaders, its undeniable that slavery was the cause of secession. The resulting Civil War came about because Lincoln wasn’t going to let the Confederacy attack US Forts and threaten the government. These threats didn't start when Lincoln took office. In fact,the deep South had already seceded by the time Lincoln was sworn in. The threats started and continued all through the election of 1860.
You can debate a lot of things — but that was the reality of the situation.
To those who claim the Civil war was about “state’s rights” — utter nonsense. The Confederacy loathed state’s rights whenever that meant less slaves, and less slave profit.
Saying the South went to war over state’s rights is like saying Ted Bundy went on a killing spree too visit college campuses.
Read the diatribes by the Confederates AGAINST states rights if a State rejected slavery or had their own idea about run away slave issues. We will create a list of those, but until we get that list up, just go read the "Declarations of Causes" by each Confederate state.
Jeff Davis wrote the “intolerable grievance” was Lincoln’s “denunciation” of the Dred Scott decision.
You remember that decision, don’t you? The one that decided that blacks are like hogs in eyes of the law? Lincoln dared to denounce that – -and that denunciation was the INTOLERABLE GRIEVANCE.
Just like Lincoln searched for a general to pursue the war relentlessly — so too have many Confederate apologist searched for an excuse that can fool gullible folks who want to be fooled.
You do realize there is a difference between a reason, and an excuse, don’t you? If you don’t understand there IS a difference, I can’t help you. If you want the EXCUSES for slavery, and excuses for the Civil War — you can find plenty. But if you want the actual CAUSES of the civil war – the reasons — it’s not that mysterious. Even college professors can understand.
When you discuss the Confederates — you are talking about insane evil lunatics. Why on earth are you trying to dress these lunatics up like reasonable men?
As if ANY rights mattered to the Confederacy. They cared about ’states rights”?? That’s like saying the Nazi’s were just protecting the rights of Jews. It’s bogus to the point of insanity.
People in the South had no rights to their own children – no right to mate with who they wanted. Women were forced to mate with whatever “buck” the slave master said. Or he imposed himself on her.
She had no right to see her own child after birth — or to keep her child. Children were regularly sold away from the mother, so the “nigger bitch” didn’t “get attached” to the “nigger child”.
This abomination was routine and protected commerce in the South. This is how Lee and Davis and others got their power, and prestige.
So you think these people — who would sell children, burn to death any black that rebelled — steal a life time of labor– cared about RIGHTS??
Are you mental? Really – what the hell is anyone even pretending the slave owners gave a rats ass about RIGHTS???
Have you ever heard the difference between an excuse – and a reason? What utter mental masturbation to sit around and pretend the Civil War was about anything other than slavery, as if it was a “balancing question” of states rights vs. central government.
No one had a right (white or black) to have any book the Southern States thought would make slaves “dissatisfied”.
To pretend the slave owners had any concept of rights is idiotic. There was ONE right — the right of power. The whole “states rights” excuse is like Ted Bundy saying his serial killing was just an exercise in “right of travel”.
Slavery and slave profit was the guiding star, everything else was an excuse.
The Confederacy was based on a culture of violence – on a reward system that gave power and prestige to those that used violence to enslave, to threaten, to deny all rights to anyone they chose to subjugate.
They were used to killing blacks that rebelled, used to violence in raping the slaves, used to violence in selling children, used to violence in denying right to free speech or free press.
In fact, the South warned the North – repeatedly — that if they elected Lincoln in 1860, they would take that vote as an “act of War”.
If you don’t know that was the mind set of the leaders in the South in 1860 — you don’t know what the hell you are talking about.
If you don’t know the difference between an excuse and a reason – you don’t know crap about the Civil War.
The Confederate States held conventions after Lincoln won the election, and wrote their own celebrated "Declarations of Secession."
CONFEDERATE LEADERS
We also examined the speeches and books by the leading men of the Confederacy.
We provide the SOUTH'S view of secession and the Civil War as they saw it at the time.
The most overlooked fact of the Civil War --- the South warned the North repeatedly that electing Lincoln would be taken "as an act of War" by the Southern states.
This basic fact is all but forgotten now - but it was a basic reality to the North and South in 1860.
