[lentulusgracchus]

[rustbucket]
On the other hand, Republican newspaper editorials thought the speech wonderful and peaceful. Based on what did happen, it is easy to see which side was blowing smoke.

Which side, indeed?

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Are you serious?

One side said it meant war, the other said it meant peace, and the outcome was the greatest war in American history -- and you try to pettifog his blazingly obvious argument?

I'm surprised at you. You don't usually try to have us on like that -- that was more Non-Sequitur's gig.

[x]

It was all Lincoln?

Davis didn't have anything to do with the war that came?

[x]

That suggests a definition of a statesman: somebody who doesn't simply think as the media do, somebody who doesn't let journalists define and limit his options, somebody who looks for the wiggle room to get things done.

Jefferson Davis was no statesman. The papers told him Lincoln's speech meant war, and Davis made sure that it did, apparently because he didn't have much imagination or artfulness or real desire for peace.