Folks, let's not get into another gottcha last exchange here. We don't need another Civil War on Va-Hist. About that other Civil War, let's also keep ourselves based in facts. For my part, I think that Lincoln had no options left once some states began to raise forces and actually attacked an installation of the United States Army. Look at the Constitution: Article I, Section 10, paragraph 3: "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay." It was not Lincoln's fault that several states violated parts of this section of the Constitution before he issued any orders for any soldiers to march or for any militia to be called up. Look at the Constitution: Article I, Section 8, paragraph 15, enumerating the powers of Congress: "To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions." Congress had so provided, and it was the President of the United States who was by law empowered and required to suppress the insurrection. Look at the Constitution: Article 2, Section 1, paragraph 8: "Before he enter on the Execution of his office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'" I believe that Lincoln was empower and required by his oath of office to suppress the insurrection. Now, whether the government of the United States or the government of the Confederate States had the worse record of violating its principles during the conduct of the war is another question, and one about which some very impressive historical literature has been published. I don't know of any government or any army that ever had a spotless record during wartime. What happened during the war is also essentially irrelevant to a discussion of what brought it about. I hope this doesn't look like raw meat to anybody with sharp teeth. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Visit the Library of Virginia's web site at http://www.lva.lib.va.us <http://www.lva.lib.va.us> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html