Secession and the Birth of the Confederacy

2.2. Secession and the Birth of the Confederacy

South Carolina had a greater interest in maintaining slavery than any other state in the South. Not only had South Carolinians been subject to slave uprisings in the Stono Rebellion of 1739, but the African-American population greatly outnumbered the white population, particularly in the low country, where nearly 90% of the population was slave. Both secessionists and cooperationists in the secession crisis of 1850-51 feared the specter of a breakdown of law and order, leading to an “African wilderness,” where slaves would rule their former masters.

Although Abraham Lincoln was mild in the question of slavery, it was enough for South Carolina to leave the Union. The secession ordinance passed unanimously and the state declared the independence. On 27^th December 1860 the New York Tribune published an article: “Affairs in Charleston – Preparing for War” and warned about next Carolina’s intentions:

South Carolina knows that there is no such thing as peaceful secession. She has from the beginning acted on the principle that Secession is Revolution, and from the first moment been preparing for it. She can to-morrow bring ten thousand men into the field who, if not well armed, can supply all deficiencies from the United States Arsenal. (2)

On the other hand, the Republican press was not always against Carolina’s secession. An article “Why not let South Carolina Secede?” printed in the New York Times on November 13, described more liberal views on the section crisis:

It would be much better for this country to let South Carolina go peaceably out of this Union, with, however, the distinct understanding that she-forever stays out, and never makes an application to be readmitted. And this feeling was not from any hostility to South Carolina, or her people, or her institutions, but to get rid of the eternal noise and trouble her politicians give this country. We say, in the name of common sense, let her go on her own terms - but never let her come back. (1)

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana joined South Carolina in leaving the Union during January 1861, followed by Texas in February. By April 1861, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas were only southern slave states that had not seceded yet, together with so called “border states” - Delaware, Maryland, Missouri and Kentucky. In spite of their pro-slavery status, these states were unable to leave the Union owing to the number of unionist people living there. As a result, a situation when brother fought against brother was not rare after the war broke out. The most famous skirmish that put people of one state against each other happened in Maryland in April 19, 1861. The incident known as Baltimore or Pratt Street Riot was a brush between the 6^th Massachusetts Infantry and pro-Southern crowd. The New York Times described the brush in the article “Startling from Baltimore”:

At the Washington depot, an immense crowd assembled. The rioters attacked the soldiers, who fired into the mob. Several were wounded, and some fatally. It is said that four of the military and four rioters are killed. The city is in great excitement. Martial law has been proclaimed. The military are rushing to the armories. (1)

Although the majority of men from Maryland later joined the Union army, in 1861 the people of Baltimore identified themselves more with the South.

It is said that the main reason for the collective secession was the southern fear of losing its way of life as the plantations would never prosper the way they did, had they paid for the labor force. The Newbern Weekly Progress from North Carolina commented on the trend of secession in the article: “What has Destroyed the Government?”:

That Northern fanaticism has long been a source of annoyance and an element of discord in our national councils is not to be denied; that they have trampled upon the Constitution and defrauded the citizens of Southern States is a matter of history. But if we would ascertain the immediate cause of the secession mania which is now sweeping through the South and which has successfully broken up the best Government upon earth we must seek it in the corruptions of the great democratic party and the restless ambition of their leaders. (4)

Consequently, the southern states decided that the best way to maintain their economic and cultural interests would be to leave the current union and create a new one. And thus on 4^th February 1861, the Confederate States of America were born.

The young republic acted fast. The capital was set in Alabama in the city of Montgomery, where the first Provisional Congress met on 4^th February. Only five days later, the Confederacy elected its first and only President. Jefferson Davis was a planter and later a soldier of Mississippi origin. In 1853, he served as the Secretary of the War under the President Davis in the former United States. It is believed that Davis owned his election for a Confederate President mainly to his ability to gratify both moderate and radical wings of the new government. The article “Jefferson Davis” claims that he was initially popular within the southerners: “He had a dignified bearing, a distinguished military record, extensive experience in political affairs, and—most importantly—a dedication to the Confederate cause.” However, the article went on adding that he was also endowed with a few negative character traits that later impede him of being successful within his own government: “He was impatient with people who disagreed with him, and he had the unfortunate habit of awarding prominent posts to leaders who appeared unsuccessful. Davis’ loyalty to these people led to bickering and quarrels throughout his administration.”

In spite of the difficulties in Davis’s administration, his governance started with great enthusiasm due to the anti-union fever that overwhelmed the South. In the article “From the Seceded South” the Cincinnati Daily Press commented on Lincoln’s arrival to Montgomery on 17^th February 1861: “The trip of Mr. Davis from Mississippi to Montgomery was one continuous ovation. He made twenty-five speeches on the route, returning thanks and complimentary greetings to crowds of ladies and gentlemen and military at the various depots.”(1)

In the beginning of 1861 the Union was ready to get back the lost states, nevertheless, the South had no intention to return. In his inaugural speech on 18^th February, the Confederate President Davis specified: “We ask nothing, want nothing and will have no complication. If other states join our confederation, they can freely come on our terms. Our separation from the old Union is complete. No compromise, no thought of reconstruction, will now be entertained” (qtd. in Hunnicutt 152). The decisions were made on both sides and one single incident was enough to move the war from newspapers to battlefields. The siege of Fort Sumter in April 1861 came to be the turning point.