[jecIIny]

"Abe Lincoln invaded the South and suspended habeas corpus. For those sins he must be eternally damned."

I seam to recall that Jefferson Davis might have had something to do with starting the war by firing on United States troops in a United States Fort. And while we are on that subject he also suspended the writ of habeus corpus.

[stan the beaver]

Actually, the South declared it's independence, and requested the North to vacate their forts in the South. When they refused, they were fired on.

On a completely unrelated note, how the heck did JFK make the list? When reading the history books, I can't see much that he actually did. The philandering, makeup-wearing ponce owes more to the mystique of the Kennedys than to anything he ever did.

[PeaRidge]

With regard to habeas corpus, both the United States and Confederate Constitutions only allowed for the suspension by the Congress of each nation. Lincoln unilaterally suspended it, while Davis sought permission through the constitutional process.

As to firing on Ft. Sumter, two South Carolina governors, three Peace Commissioners, members of his own cabinet, military leaders, numerous Senators, Northern newspapers, the Union garisson commander at Ft. Sumter, and the President of the Confederacy all warned Lincoln that attempting to forcefully enter Charleston Harbor would be an act of war.

When they saw the Federal Fleet approaching on the evening of the 11th, the Confederate command, already under orders to reduce the fort, later began firing. Lincoln rationalized the aggressive move as support of the troops. Davis and government knew it was a war effort to split the Confederacy.

[stainlessbanner]

he also suspended the writ of habeus corpus.

Correct. WITH the consent of Congress. The third time Davis asked for suspension of the habeas corpus, Congress denied his request.

[brainstem223]

You recall wrong. The South legally seceded from the Washington government by acts of their respective legislatures. The federals would not leave Sumpter which was in a separate and soverign Nation, the Confederate States of America. The Southern forces justifiably fired upon the fort to end the occupation of their territory. Lincoln's should have let the fait acomplee alone, there would have been no war and bloodshed; instead the tyrant pursued a devastating and needless war.