This is reprinted in the Covington Journal of July 4, 1862, offering some commentary on what caused the Civil War
The Manitowoc Herald does not believe that slavery was the cause of the rebellion. Neither do we. It does not believe that the slavery agitation was a justifying cause of rebellion. Neither do we. it does not believe the North is solely responsible for the crime of rebellion. Neither do we.
Rebellion agains the Constitution and laws of the United States has no justification. It can have none. We never intimated that it could be justified at any time, anywhere.
War, however, was the inevitable consequence of sectional agitation. And all who contributed needlessly, wantonly or recklessly to that agitation, North or South, contributed to the result which exists. They caused the war; for sectional agitation is sectional alienation, and sectional alienation is essentially a condition of war. Our war commenced when North and South learned to hate each other, and it will continue until sectional hate is rooted out. [Milwaukee News]
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My question is what did the author think caused the sectional agitation? What taught the sections to hate each other? Also, the author did not believe the North was solely responsible for the war, but what about the South? The second paragraph seems to imply that the blame (or much of it) belongs to those in rebellion against the government. Still, he did not specify who "contributed needlessly" to the sectional controversy.
if you want to know the cause of the civil war, check out 1856, and Atchisons speech to his 1700 men just before their attack on Lawrence. This should be required reading, along with "Crimes Against Kansas."
ReplyDeleteCrimes against Kansas actually names Atchison and alludes to his role in the murders and terror, spreading in Kansas. Kansas was NOT terrorized by individual slave owners or their hired men. As you will see from Atchison's speech, bragging about it, he was sent by "the present Administration" to take war to "the center of the country"
Atchison is also proud -- violently proud -- of their mission, their reason, to go to Lawrence. Remember, he is doing this per the administration, who is paying these 1700 men, none of whom were from Kansas, none of whom were in the US Army, but Jefferson Davis authorized payment to them, as Secretary of War. How do we know it was Davis? Becasue that's who named Atchison General of Law and Order in Kansas, and that's the guy Atchison was talking about as the "present administration"
What war is he talking about? He tells his men his job is to bring WAR to Kansas! Atchison is boastful and clear --their mission is to kill the damn abolitionist and stop their press in Lawrence. Lawrence dared to allow free speech and a newspaper to continue to publish anti slavery paper,after Atchison and his bogus legislature outlawed anti slavery publications.
Are you suprised Jeff Davis would do that? Im not. The entire South had laws like that -- making it a crime to write or speak openly or even own the wrong book, that questioned slavery! Preachers could be, and were, arrrested and whipped for such offense as owning the wrong book.
This is exactly the totalitarian tactics Jefferson Davis and Atchison would employ in Kansas. But 1700 men were not enough, people in KS still fought back, so Davis tried to get the US ARmy to help ATCHISON in his reighn of terror.
IT did not work.
SO unless you know what Davis tried to pull off in Kansas, all your mickey mouse bs about states rights and whatever other Orwellian lie used by Southern leaders like Davis, is meaningless. The cause -- go by what those who caused it said and did. Davis did WHAT? Deal with that. Atchison did WHAT - deal with that. Don't give me the bs about "expansionsm" and the right of states. Davis hated states rights when KS tried to vote against slavery. Too complicated? Here is a clue for every one of you Civil War experts that utter the word States Rights -- the men who claimed that had girls whpped, and sold children. Those men invaded KS killed and terrorized, to spread slavery. They didn't give a rats ass about states rights. They cared about power and prestige. Unless you figure that out -- you will be fooled by the rhetoric