Sam and a good morning to you.

Hope you don' mind if I reply more in a list style it will just make it easier for me.

"I think there is no question they believed it, but like I showed earlier, I don't think that belief was founded upon evidence. It was a faulty assumption"

Perhaps. I will read more on this issue , i think we are wrong to take lincolns words in his first inugaural and say this is his absolute stand. The same with Dvis and Sephens.

"I do know what you mean. Many Southern young men joined because they believed they were protecting their land from an invading army."

There again we agree.

Genl Edward P. Alexander, CSA-- "Fighting for the Confederacy" page 29
" But South Carolina never struck back before a second act was commited. I write far away from all books of reference from which i might give exact dates &dedetails but what took placeon outline is as follows. South Carolina refrained from hostilities & permitted Anderson to supply himself with provisions in Charlestonon the personal pledge of secretary Seward that the status would not be changed without fair notice being given. But meanwhile afleet of transports & war vessels was prepared in New York to reinforce the garrison of Fort Sumpter and after it had set sail for that purpose Seward notified So. Ca.'s representative ofthe fact, &as I recollet with an apologetic explanation( which practially admitted that it is a violation of his pledge) that he had been unable to prevent it."

Sir this is at least the second or third hostile act by the lincoln administartion before the firing on Sumter.

According to a previous post of yours, Lincoln had the EP in ahis desk while replying his primary motive to Greeley. What is it called? I call it lying.

Your timeline and,really the remainder of your post,
is a fine piece of work and I appreciate it, however the both of us must be missing something becasue I just find it hard to believe that for no reason the slave states thought Lincoln was going to free the slaves. There must be a speech or some sort of act or action that gave that indication. Could this plank from the party platform be it?

"That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom; That as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all our national territory, ordained that "no person should be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," it becomes our duty, by legislation, whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to Slavery in any Territory of the United States"

GP