In drafting his first inaugural address, he [Lincoln] replaced a threat to reclaim forts and other federal property with an intent to enforce import duties in the South
What is this, Lincoln vs. Lincoln? Lincoln took steps to reclaim federal forts that wise Lincoln had earlier dropped a threat to do? Talk about two-faced politicians. I guess this is consistent with the Lincoln Administration promising to evacuate Fort Sumter but not doing it. No wonder the Southern Commissioners charged the Lincoln Administration with gross perfidy over Fort Sumter on April 11, 1861, the day before firing on the fort began.
The South, who truly believed they had the constitutional right to secede, could probably argue that actions by Lincoln to reclaim forts located within their states and enforce US duties at their ports were acts of war.
Are we going to do this again? Seward misled the rebels, Lincoln never did. The Lincoln administration followed the same policies as the Buchanan administration as from when Buchanan purged Floyd and the other traitors along about New Years, 1861.
Walt
Lincoln didn't say he wouldn't reclaim federal property in his inaugural address, but he wisely dropped a threat to do so from his first presidential speech to give his new administration time to get organized before tipping his hand to the rebels.
The South, who truly believed they had the constitutional right to secede, could probably argue that actions by Lincoln to reclaim forts located within their states and enforce US duties at their ports were acts of war.
The Confederates could take any ridiculous position they wanted and often did, but the rebels were the ones who initiated the Civil War by seceding and attacking federal forts, not Lincoln.