I'm not talking about the amount of revenue to the Federal Government. The fear was free trade with Europe and Charleston and direct competition with the markets. The private firms would have lost lots of money losing handling Charleston's trade. And still, like I said, it would have taken years for Charleston to have competed with New York any way. The biggest fear was the North was would have to deal with Europe if they interfeared with these assumed treaties. The best thing they thought was to try and hold on to the forts; and this was Buchanan's people not Lincoln.
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David Upton