Did Lincoln follow precedents set by previous Presidents when dealing with the secession/rebellion of the southern states?

Jim Klag

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Davis, from his view of the same Constitution, said any property within the state was the state's.
The flaw with Davis' theory, at least with regard to Fort Sumter, was that said fort was built totally by federal funds and lay on land created by the federal Corps of Engineers and Illinois owned just as much of it as South Carolina did. Hence, it was truly federal property as if it was located on the Mall in Washington and Lincoln had sworn an oath before God and Roger B. Taney (who was sure HE was God) that he would hold onto ALL the federal property or, if unsuccessful in holding it, fight to get it back. And notwithstanding a few high powered Confederates, people in the mid-nineteenth century (and old Abe even more than most) took oaths very seriously.
 

diane

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That's right, and that's what Lincoln told them - I swore an oath to protect this, you didn't. In short, my path is already laid out for me and is unalterable, but you have a choice.
 

Jim Klag

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That's right, and that's what Lincoln told them - I swore an oath to protect this, you didn't. In short, my path is already laid out for me and is unalterable, but you have a choice.
Zackly! They really should have taken him at his word. Well, hell is full of dumbasses who underestimated their adversaries.
 

Jim Klag

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Reminds me of the scene in Shawshank Redemption when the warden eats his Colt .38 and Morgan Freeman's voice says something like, "I like to think that the last thing to go through the warden's mind, OTHER THAN THAT BULLET, was to wonder how Andy pulled one over on him." I'd like to think Jeff Davis's last thought was wondering the same thing about old Honest Abe. Makes me smile.
 
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O' Be Joyful

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Keeper of the Flame of Sherman! (Bows.)
May it always glow with that righteous bow towards the altar. I love and miss U.B.



I Grant--pardon the pun--that Uncle Billy hated "Marchin' thru Gee-orgia"
 

Jim Klag

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I Grant--pardon the pun--that Uncle Billy hated "Marchin' thru Gee-orgia"
Which is more than can be said of old Ulysses who said, "I only know two songs. One is Yankee Doodle and the other one isn't."
 

diane

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Which is more than can be said of old Ulysses who said, "I only know two songs. One is Yankee Doodle and the other one isn't."
And he purloined that from Horatio Nelson, who was also tone deaf! Asked how he enjoyed the opera, the redoubtable admiral answered, "I know only two songs, madam. One is "God Save the King" and the other is not!"
 
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