{"id":3658,"date":"2021-11-16T12:23:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T12:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-117pinsker\/?page_id=3658"},"modified":"2022-11-17T13:02:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T13:02:52","slug":"outbreak-of-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-117pinsker\/course-syllabus\/outbreak-of-civil-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Outbreak of Civil War"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lincoln\u2019s Inaugural, March 4, 1861 (public)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"1861\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Lincoln\u2019s First Inaugural (New York Times)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861, quoting from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates and paraphrasing from the 1855 Quincy (IL) platform<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Mobilization (April – June 1861)<\/h2>\n

\"1861<\/a><\/h3>\n

May 7, 1861 (Inside the White House)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"May<\/a><\/p>\n

John Nicolay (age 29), Abraham Lincoln, John Hay (age 22)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe must settle this question now, whether in a free government the minority have the right to break up the government whenever they choose.\u00a0 If we fail it will go far to prove the incapability of the people to govern themselves.\u00a0 There may be one consideration used in stay of such final judgement, but that is not for us to use in advance.\u00a0 That is, that there exists in our case, an instance of a vast and far reaching disturbing element, which the history of no other free nation will probably ever present.\u00a0 That however is not for us to say at present.\u00a0 Taking the government as we found it we will see if the majority can preserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013Lincoln quoted in John Hay diary, May 7, 1861<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The View from Carlisle<\/strong><\/h3>\n