I agree Pam. I don't believe I have found (yet) where the seceeding South was officially rushing head long into war, their actions show a organized effort to secede in peace. The words below, keep poping up in my mind, and I don't recall seeing anything expressed by the Southerner leaders at any point during the months prior to Lincoln's call for troops.

"amicably if they can, violently if they must"

"peacably if they can, forcibly if they must"

All the actions of Washington D.C. follow this political "mantra". Peace with secession was truely not an option.

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David Upton