Lincoln's Agenda By Southern Leaders example essay topic

By 1860 the feud between President James Buchanan and Stephen Douglas had cancelled out the political aspirations of both men. The strain the slavery issue had resulted in the Democratic Party being split into two and severely weakening its political control. This created the opening for the newly reformed Republican Party, mainly Abraham Lincoln, to win the White House. The election of Lincoln, who was clearly opposed to slavery spreading to the outside of the existing states, was the last step as far as the South was concerned in proceeding with secession and eventually war. In the six weeks following the election of Lincoln South Carolina seceded from the Union and over the next month five more states would follow. James Buchanan, a now lame duck president, took no action against the South which only straighten the confidence of the already seceding states allowing them to set up a government and establish a military.

Buchanan, a southern sympathizer, wanted to stay at arms length and do the minimum towards the treasonous South. He apparently wanted to up hold what he thought was the minimum standard under his presidential oath till he could vacate the White House. When he finally did leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue he vanished from public life and retreated to his home where he died in 1868. Maybe Buchanan knew there may have been more he could have done in his remaining days or at least before his constitutional lame-duck status took hold. Maybe the former president looking back realized he could have used the power of the Oval Office to stop the southern fire-eaters from spreading their illogical rhetoric and creating a clear and present danger to their country... Maybe.

In the last few years before the attack on Fort Sumter in April of 1861 America's politicians consisted of a number of very vocal and impressionable politicians. Though there were some of northern heritage, the most vocal towards secession were mainly southern born and wealthy. These men, along with their elitist constitutes, had grown resentful of the paternal relationship they felt had been thrust upon them by the Federal Government. The question of slavery remaining lawful in the South as well as in the newly acquired terriortories in the southwest, Nebraska, and Kansas was first and foremost on their agendas.

Besides the discrimitory beliefs most southern held against the black slave these southern elitist had a huge financial interest in slave holding. The freedom granted to the slave would, most southern's felt, instantly bankrupt their many large plantations throughout the south. The combination of money, discrimination and dis-obedient behavior by southern politicians made war inevitable. But in retrospect there could have been some points along the dangerous path that may have resulted in a different outcome for a Union that was about to pay a heavy and horrible price. The anxiety in the South created by Lincoln's election, prompted Mississippi United States Senator Jefferson Davis to urge the state's legislature to "provide funds for a state armory to manufacture arms and ammunition" (DonaldP. 126) was a practice being created throughout the slave holding southern states.

These acts being carried out throughout the South were clear violations of Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. President Buchanan could have issued arrest warrants for Senator Davis and other southern state leaders for conspiring to create a threatening army. This powerful act the president could have enacted, prior to his and congress's constitutional lame duck period, may have discouraged or at least delayed the movements forward progress. William Yancy, a senator from Alabama and another of the south's leading proponents of secession, proclaimed that by electing a Republican (mainly Lincoln) legitimizes the south's desire to secede. Yancy swayed an Alabama convention, which had heard four days of debate on the issue, by saying " that a sectional party was now in control of the national government and that the Republicans would use their power to destroy the rights of the south" (DonaldP.

130). President Buchanan could have, again, using the power of the Oval Office cite Yancy for conspiracy to commit treason. The results of the arrest of these men were lawful under the Constitution and as was already stated would have allowed for more time for a more human solution. Another meeting occurred in Georgia late that November. It was arguably the most public and passionate debate over secession. The issue of secession had failed to capture of a majority and over the course of a week Georgia's most important political leaders gathered at the legislative hall in Milledgeville.

The prominence of the speakers and the strong debatable issues promised to attract widespread attention. The flamboyant Senator Robert Toombs was one of the first speakers to address the legislatures. Toombs had been undecided about secession but had recently become an outspoken proponent for secession. His speech was effective in its emotional plea from the heart of secessionist crusade. What it lacked was logic, reason and truth in its explanation for Georgia to secede. In his opening remarks, Toombs, quips that the north believes the south is upset over their party being defeated in the election and is quick to refute it.

He claims secession begins and ends with election of Lincoln. Toombs goes on to say that it is a sign of corruption by the non-slave holding states to infuse more aggression on the south and specially concerning slavery. "I say the election of Lincoln with all it's surrounding is sufficient. What is the significance of his election? It is the endorsement, by the non-slave holding states, of all those acts of aggression upon our rights by all these states, legislatures, governors, judges, and people. He is elected by the perpetrators of these wrongs with the purpose and intent to aid and support them in wrong doing".

(Giena. 57) Further along in his speech Toombs makes his declaration against Lincoln perfectly clear" their main purpose, as indicated by all their acts of hostility to slavery, is its final total abolition". (Giena. 58) The following night Toombs close friend and political a lie addressed the gathering in an effort to present his counter side to the argument. Alexander H. Stephens was a diminutive figure in stature to the generously proportioned Toombs. The tow friends roots went back tow decades to their early years in the Whig Party.

Though Stevens and Toombs did not share similar views on secession they did share the same view of newly elected President Lincoln. In his speech Mr. Stevens remarked about Lincoln", the President of the United States is clothed without power". (Giena. 60) Stevens wanted to make the argument a congressional battle for as long as it was possible.

He felt that if war was inevitable than it was imperative that history note "but let us do all we can, so that in the future, if the worst comes, it may never be said we were negligent in doing our duty to the last". (Giena. 60). He surmised that Lincoln would not to anything to "jeopardize the south's safety or security" (Geina. 59) and that if he did Stevens felt comfortable with the constitutional checks and balances assigned to the executive branch of the Federal Government. Stephens understood that the large democratic majority still in the House of Representatives could still block Lincoln's agenda by southern leaders not vacating their seats by seceding.

But Stephens's speech lacked the passion filled plea that his close friend had presented and in the end Toombs speech was decisive. By February of 1861 six more states, including both Georgia and d Alabama, had followed suit in the first wave of secession. Following Lincoln's inauguration the second wave began leaving Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware as the only slave holding states not to secede. They become to be known as the Border States and would host important stages in the coming war.

But it is not easy to dismiss the opportunities of not only President Buchanan, but other southern leaders of the day as well, in missing a more peaceful and humane solution to the Union's crisis. Our lives are controlled by the decisions we make, as a person as well's a nation. In these terribly important decisions that we make too often emotion and rhetoric fatally replaces truth and logic..