After the election of Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in 1860 the South new that secession was inevitable. This was the catalyst that started the domino effect of the secession. One by one the Southern states started to leave the Union to form their own. Some of the first states to leave were Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Along with Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida they formed the Confederate States of America. This new union wanted a weaker form of central government that gave each of its states total independence. Slave trade would still remain banned, but tariffs would be lifted. Their new president would serve a six-year term instead of a four-year and could never be re-elected. Although each state left separately they all had shared a common reason and fear. Georgia felt that the North had no respect for their property and rights to own slaves. The state also felt that the idea of abolitionists willing and wanting to free their slaves puts their families in danger of a slave revolt. They mentioned that Federal Government has strived to deprive them of an equal “enjoyment” of the common Territories of the Republic. Georgia claimed to be hopeful for resolve due to its attachment to the Union, but recent events dissipated all their hopes of staying. If anything, it confirmed their reasons for secession even more. Georgia had deemed the Lincoln Republican party as an “anti-slavery party” who is corrupt, and have a hidden mission of anti-slavery. This coming to pass made it clear to Georgia that slavery would soon disappear. Georgia complains that the central government has grown beyond containment, and that its main focus has always been on the North. The Federal Government while never helping the Southern states helped the North greatly in their economic prosperity. Pleading that the North always received Government bounties and special favors. Georgia continues on saying that an anti-slavery party would be the only kind to unite the North and make them strong enough to control all departments of the Government. This was due to the fact that anti-slavery lay dormant or passive in all Northerners and this Republican Party knew how to harness that. Georgia was aware that winning Texas in the war is what aggravated the North into banning slavery in the future territories. Georgia again vindicates it secession by stating that the non-slave-holding states broke the Constitution for twenty years for refusing to return their slaves and other persons who committed crimes affiliated with them. Instead they gave these criminals shelter and deprived the South of justice. Due to this lack of good faith the South is uncured in this Union. Georgia continues on to say that for the past twenty years abolitionists and their Northern allies have been
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Mississippi understood slavery to be the world’s greatest material interest and most vital part of commerce. So to fight against slavery is to fight against commerce and civilization. Mississippi felt the hostility toward slavery before the Constitution was even drawn up. From there the hostility only increased up till 1819-20 when the South was deprived of more than half of the territory purchased from France. Then again when Texas was annexed and more territory was won from Mexico. All of this hostility from the North proves to Mississippi that it will only stop when slavery stops. It will not stop until all of the South’s rights of property in slaves are denied and protection is refused to do so. Mississippi feels that the original idea of equality between the two sides is crushed due to the refusal of new slave states into the Union. The North’s plan of extinguishing slavery is understood by confining the South to its present limits and denying them the power of expansion. Mississippi agues, that the compact of the Fugitive Slave Law has been abolished in almost every free state. Mississippi accuses the North of supporting Negro equality, publicly and politically, and promotes the revolt and supports a behavior of provoking civil turmoil. Due to this Mississippi feels that the Federal Government has broken every agreement they have ever made having to do with its security. For this Mississippi feels that it must secede in order to protect their property and social
Mississippi understood slavery to be the world’s greatest material interest and most vital part of commerce. So to fight against slavery is to fight against commerce and civilization. Mississippi felt the hostility toward slavery before the Constitution was even drawn up. From there the hostility only increased up till 1819-20 when the South was deprived of more than half of the territory purchased from France. Then again when Texas was annexed and more territory was won from Mexico. All of this hostility from the North proves to Mississippi that it will only stop when slavery stops. It will not stop until all of the South’s rights of property in slaves are denied and protection is refused to do so. Mississippi feels that the original idea of equality between the two sides is crushed due to the refusal of new slave states into the Union. The North’s plan of extinguishing slavery is understood by confining the South to its present limits and denying them the power of expansion. Mississippi agues, that the compact of the Fugitive Slave Law has been abolished in almost every free state. Mississippi accuses the North of supporting Negro equality, publicly and politically, and promotes the revolt and supports a behavior of provoking civil turmoil. Due to this Mississippi feels that the Federal Government has broken every agreement they have ever made having to do with its security. For this Mississippi feels that it must secede in order to protect their property and social