BUSCH NOTES CH 19 PART 2
JOHN BROWN: MURDER OR MARTYR?
JB intended to invade the South secretly with a group, call upon the slaves to rise, and furnish them with guns, and establish a free black state as a sanctuary. Hmmmm….some said this was insane… others furnished $$$ ….(secret six)
JB begins his journey at Harpers Ferry in 1859. He attempts to seize the Federal Arsenal (guns) ….he fails…. He is arrested and tried for TREASON AGAINST THE STATE OF VIRGINIA for attempting to lead a slave rebellion… HE IS FOUND GUILTY AND HANGED.
EFFECT(S): “God’s angry man,” became a MARTYR TO SOME….he became more important to the abolitionist cause dead than had he lived… he was dignified and courageous during his trial and after… his last words “this IS a beautiful country,” became legend…His devotion to freedom was so inflexible…..he became a hero to many….as many Union soldiers marched into war they sang a song about John Brown….Not all Northerners agreed, Lincoln thought he was insane, however, many thought he was CALLED BY GOD.
THE SOUTH’S REACTION: HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY REMAIN IN THE UNION WHILE A MURDEROUS GANG OF ABOLITIONISTS WERE FINANCING ARMED GROUPS TO ATTACK THEM. The south believed that it was a Republican Party Conspiracy…..
The Disruption of the Democrats – ELECTION OF 1860*****
“The election of 1860 was the most fateful in American History.”
“The Results would decide Peace or War.”
The Democrats meeting in Charleston nominate Stephen Douglass for President, however, the Southerners Walk out….They meet again in Baltimore…nominate Stephen Douglass again…and the Southerners walk out again….SPLITTING THE LAST NATIONAL PARTY…AND CREATING THE NORTHERN DEMOCRATS WITH DOUGLASS AS ITS NOMINEE….THEIR PLATFORM: FOR POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY, AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS FORM THEIR OWN PARTY. They nominate John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky. Their Platform favored the extension of slavery into the territories and the annexation of Cuba.
The Constitutional Union Party is formed as well by disgruntled former Democrats, former southern Whigs, and Know-Nothings. They nominate John Bell, of Tenn., for President. Their platform was their slogan, “The Union, The Constitution, and Enforcement of the Laws.”
A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union (really was it not Douglass in actuality?) Election of 1860 continued
The Republicans nominate Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, for President. The Republican Platform consisted of these ideas: NONEXTENSION OF SLAVERY, A HIGHER PROTECTIVE TARIFF, PROTECT IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS, TO BUILD A TCRR, FUND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND FREE HOMESTEADS.
SOUTHERN THREAT:
If the country were to elect, the “baboon-abolitionist,” Lincoln…They would secede and split the Union…. Remember their threat in 1856..but this time…the democratic party was also split…so this threat has less force…still strong surely but not near as strong as it would have been with a united democratic party…
The Electoral Upheaval of 1860 – results of the election
******Lincoln only wins 39% of the popular vote, A PLURALITY BUT……(he was not even on the ballot in the South-RECEIVED 0 VOTES IN 10 STATES, except for Virginia, where he received 1% of that states vote) …However, he received a MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORAL VOTES…THUS WINS THE PRESIDENCY…
South Carolinians supposedly cheered Lincoln’s victory…they now had an excuse to secede…
The State of the South after the Election of 1860:
Majority of the Supreme Court, could block any amendment that attempted to end slavery, still controlled enough votes in the Senate and House to block any meaningful legislation, so….why secede?
The Secessionist Exodus****Huge****
*******NOTE: JAMES BUCHANAN IS STILL PRESIDENT UNTIL MARCH OF 1861…AND OS ALL OF THIS OCCURS WHILE HE IS PRESIDENT********* NOT LINCOLN !!!
South Carolina, 4 days after the election, calls for a special convention and in December 1860 UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SECEDE… becoming the 1st State to do so… [read their order of secession in the documents for reasons why and arguments that explain why they believed LEGALLY they could secede…[do they think there would be no consequences…they would be able to leave without cost?]
Within the next 6 weeks, six other states of the LOWER SOUTH, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas …SECEDE…FOR A TOTAL OF 7 INITIALLY… (FOUR MORE LATER FOR A TOTAL OF 11, but not right away…their decision- being so much closer to the North was a little different)
In February 1861, the first 7 States to secede, form the Confederate States of America and their Capitol was in Montgomery, Alabama, their President was Jefferson Davis, from Mississippi.
COULD BUCHANAN HAVE DONE ANYTHING MORE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING, EVEN IF HE WAS A DOUGHFACE?
The Collapse of Compromise
Sen. Crittenden from Kentucky attempts to follow Henry Clay’s example (clay has died) and author a compromise,,,, the Crittenden Compromise…
The Crittenden Amendments were designed to appease the South.
The 36-30 line would be drawn across the Country…slavery allowed everywhere below that line…forbidden above, except Missouri.
Lincoln rejects this …stating, “ this would amount to a perpetual covenant of war against every people, tribe, and state owning a foot of land between here and Tierra del Fuego.” *****
Farewell to Union
Why the South left? Most reasons relate in some way to slavery….
-The future of a slave controlled nation looked bleak indeed…the future was clearly with the North…#’s do not lie… more and more free states would come in and clearly this would have made the South the lesser for the first time.
- The new Republican Party became so powerful so quickly, that any future political conflicts over tariffs, etc… they would be the minority and stuck.
- They were tired of the criticism of their way of life.
- “All we ask is to be left alone.” Jefferson Davis…[really do you believe this …what about Sen. Hammond, author of the Mudsill speech, and his comments in the Brown Box in the chapter]
- They thought they would be allowed to go peacefully… [the Yankees could not and would not fight, and if they did so what WE ARE THE POWER OF THE WORLD]
- Northern Bankers and Manufacturers were dependent on their cotton and so would not allow the Union to attack them anyway…
- Self-Determination was protected in the Constitution…”it was formed by A“COMPACT” BETWEEN THE STATES VOLUNTARILY…not the people…
- The Colonies broke from GB…it was a tradition…protected by history…
Read Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech to see how he defeats each of these arguments logically and legally