The Civil War that so devastated the United States began a century and a half ago; even so, people continue to disagree on why the North and South went to war. By examining President Abraham Lincoln's speeches, along with those of other politicians during the time period, it is possible to identify historical misrepresentations and distortions that have made their way into textbooks. Author Jack Pennington, a historian and retired school teacher, seeks to answer three main questions: Were the lives of the blacks in the South better off following the war and Reconstruction? Are blacks still suffering from the remnants of Jim Crow laws? Would the natural time eradication of slavery, as predicted by Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and other leading figures, have been more effective in bringing about equality and racial tolerance? Discover the true nature of Lincoln's actions and his primary motivations, and explore the politics and attitudes that led the North and South to split. Pennington seeks to explore the truth behind common misconceptions and illuminate The Real Cause of the Civil War.

THE REAL CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR

By Jack L. Pennington

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Jack L. Pennington
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-6561-5

Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................viiBackground..................................................................................................................................1The Northwest Ordinance or the Ordinance of 1785............................................................................................2Lincoln's Speeches' 1854-1860...............................................................................................................7Peoria Speech...............................................................................................................................7Lincoln's Springfield Speech of 1858........................................................................................................18The Lincoln-Douglas Debates—Freeport Debate...........................................................................................21Jonesboro Debate............................................................................................................................22The Charleston Debate.......................................................................................................................24Galesburg Debate............................................................................................................................25Quincy Debate...............................................................................................................................27Alton Debate................................................................................................................................28Lincoln's 1859 speeches.....................................................................................................................31Lincoln's Cooper Union Speech...............................................................................................................38The 1860 Campaign...........................................................................................................................42Interim, "Lame Duck", Compromise Period (November 1860-March 1861)..........................................................................44First Inaugural, March 4, 1861..............................................................................................................45July 4, 1861, Lincoln's Speech Justifying the War...........................................................................................50My Observations.............................................................................................................................52Reconstruction..............................................................................................................................61The Fugitive Slave Act......................................................................................................................62Hypothetical Dialogue with a Civil War Northerner...........................................................................................65The Real Cause of the Civil War.............................................................................................................65Essays......................................................................................................................................80"LINCOLN in His Own Words"—Lincoln Bicentennial Collector's Edition—from the editors of "American History.".....................80"The Shot in the Dark," by Winston Groom....................................................................................................92Collector's Edition: 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.....................................................................................102TV Programs: (1) Gettysburg (2) Robert E. Lee & Ulysses S. Grant............................................................................105Conclusion..................................................................................................................................111

Chapter One

Background

Lincoln was a member of the Whig Party and served a single term in Congress in 1847-49. This was at the time of the Mexican War, and Lincoln was famous for what became known as the "spot" resolutions in which he called on President Polk to come before Congress and show where American blood was shed on American soil.

After serving one term in Congress, Lincoln returned to his law practice in Springfield. Lincoln's opposition to the Kansas Nebraska Act brought him back into politics. This begins the period where I will look at Lincoln's views on the basic issues that led either directly or indirectly to the Civil War.

Lincoln was an adroit politician, and one cannot help recognize how adept he was in using presentations that were specious, metaphorical, and often they were abstract and non-sequitur. He was an expert at playing on the fears of his audience. The divided feelings brought about by the Kansas-Nebraska Act created splits in both the Whig and Democrat Party. It caused the demise of the Whig Party and a Northern and Southern divide in the Democrat Party. The breakup of the Whig Party brought on the formation of the Republican Party. Lincoln became a member of that party. John C. Fremont was their first presidential candidate in the election of 1856. He made a respectable showing, but James Buchanan the Democrat candidate received the necessary electoral votes to be President.

The Northwest Ordinance, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution were interpreted by Lincoln to express his views and supposedly blend them with those of the founding fathers. He said the Northwest Ordinance showed that Congress could pass acts preventing the extension of slavery; the Declaration of Independence represented and was meant to include the essential rights of blacks; and the Constitution gave the Union government power over the states. The states, according to Lincoln, had agreed to the Constitution and joined the Union, so they had no right to secede. Lincoln felt that secession constituted a rebellion, and that the central government had not only the right but the obligation to prevent it.

Three particular Congressional Acts must be looked at because of their central role in the issues that led to the Civil War. They were: The Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision is the other major factor that needs to be examined.

In attempting a study such as this I should mention that I am biased. I think very few wars in history are justified, and this observation certainly applies to the recent wars the United States has been engaged in. I believe if any war has been justified World War II would receive the number one position.

Lincoln attempted to use the founding fathers' Northwest Ordinance, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution to support the positions that he took.

The Northwest ordinance or the ordinance of 1785

A committee was set up to survey and divide the Northwest Territory into divisions such as townships and sections, and to establish land policies. One of the provisions was that there was to be no slavery or involuntary servitude. In his Peoria speech of 1854, Lincoln brought out that in doing so the founding fathers recognized that the...