American Civil War.docx

American Civil War.docx

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AmericanCivilWar

TheNorthAmericanCivilWarKarlMarxTheNorthAmericanCivilWarLondon,October20,1861

FormonthstheleadingweeklyanddailypapersoftheLondonpresshavebeenreiteratingthesamelitanyontheAmericanCivilWar.WhiletheyinsultthefreestatesoftheNorth,theyanxiouslydefendthemselvesagainstthesuspicionofsympathisingwiththeslavestatesoftheSouth.Infact,theycontinuallywritetwoarticles:

onearticle,inwhichtheyattacktheNorth,andanotherarticle,inwhichtheyexcusetheirattacksontheNorth.

Inessencetheextenuatingargumentsread:

ThewarbetweentheNorthandSouthisatariffwar.Thewaris,further,notforanyprinciple,doesnottouchthequestionofslaveryandinfactturnsonNorthernlustforsovereignty.Finally,evenifjusticeisonthesideoftheNorth,doesitnotremainavainendeavourtowanttosubjugateeightmillionAnglo-Saxonsbyforce!

WouldnotseparationoftheSouthreleasetheNorthfromallconnectionwithNegroslaveryandensureforit,withitstwentymillioninhabitantsanditsvastterritory,ahigher,hithertoscarcelydreamt-of,development?

Accordingly,mustnottheNorthwelcomesecessionasahappyevent,insteadofwantingtooverruleitbyabloodyandfutilecivilwar?

PointbypointwewillprobethepleaoftheEnglishpress.

ThewarbetweenNorthandSouth--sorunsthefirstexcuse--isameretariffwar,awarbetweenaprotectionistsystemandafreetradesystem,andBritainnaturallystandsonthesideoffreetrade.Shalltheslave-ownerenjoythefruitsofslavelabourintheirentiretyorshallhebecheatedofaportionofthesebytheprotectionistsoftheNorth?

Thatisthequestionwhichisatissueinthiswar.ItwasreservedforTheTimestomakethisbrilliantdiscovery.TheEconomist,TheExaminer,TheSaturdayReviewandtuttiquantiexpoundedthethemefurther.Itischaracteristicofthisdiscoverythatitwasmade,notinCharleston,butinLondon.Naturally,inAmericaeveryoneknewthatfrom1846to1861afreetradesystemprevailed,andthatRepresentativeMorrillcarriedhisprotectionisttariffthroughCongressonlyin1861,aftertherebellionhadalreadybrokenout.Secession,therefore,didnottakeplacebecausetheMorrilltariffhadgonethroughCongress,but,atmost,theMorrilltariffwentthroughCongressbecausesecessionhadtakenplace.WhenSouthCarolinahaditsfirstattackofsecessionin1831,theprotectionisttariffof1828servedit,tobesure,asapretext,butonlyasapretext,asisknownfromastatementofGeneralJackson.Thistime,however,theoldpretexthasinfactnotbeenrepeated.IntheSecessionCongressatMontgomeryallreferencetothetariffquestionwasavoided,becausethecultivationofsugarinLouisiana,oneofthemostinfluentialSouthernstates,dependsentirelyonprotection.

But,theLondonpresspleadsfurther,thewaroftheUnitedStatesisnothingbutawarfortheforciblemaintenanceoftheUnion.TheYankeescannotmakeuptheirmindstostrikefifteenstarsfromtheirstandard.

Theywanttocutacolossalfigureontheworldstage.Yes,itwouldbedifferentifthewarwaswagedfortheabolitionofslavery!

Thequestionofslavery,however,asTheSaturdayReviewcategoricallydeclaresamongotherthings,hasabsolutelynothingtodowiththiswar.

ItisabovealltoberememberedthatthewardidnotoriginatewiththeNorth,butwiththeSouth.TheNorthfindsitselfonthedefensive.

FormonthsithadquietlylookedonwhilethesecessionistsappropriatedtheUnion'sforts,arsenals,shipyards,customshouses,payoffices,shipsandsuppliesofarms,insulteditsflagandtookprisonerbodiesofitstroops.FinallythesecessionistsresolvedtoforcetheUniongovernmentoutofitspassiveattitudebyablatantactofwar,andsolelyforthisreasonproceededtothebombardmentofFortSumternearCharleston.

OnApril11（1861）theirGeneralBeauregardhadlearntinameetingwithMajorAnderson,thecommanderofFortSumter,thatthefortwasonlysuppliedwithprovisionsforthreedaysmoreandaccordinglymustbepeacefullysurrenderedafterthisperiod.Inordertoforestallthispeacefulsurrender,thesecessionistsopenedthebombardmentearlyonthefollowingmorning（April12）,whichbroughtaboutthefallofthefortinafewhours.NewsofthishadhardlybeentelegraphedtoMontgomery,theseatoftheSecessionCongress,whenWarMinisterWalkerpubliclydeclaredinthenameofthenewConfederacy:

Nomancansaywherethewaropenedtodaywillend.AtthesametimeheprophesiedthatbeforethefirstofMaytheflagoftheSouthernConfederacywillwavefromthedomeoftheoldCapitolinWashingtonandwithinashorttimeperhapsalsofromtheFaneuilHallinBoston.OnlynowensuedtheproclamationinwhichLincolncalledfor75,000mentodefendtheUnion.ThebombardmentofFortSumtercutofftheonlypossibleconstitutionalwayout,namelytheconvocationofageneralconventionoftheAmericanpeople,asLincolnhadproposedinhisinauguraladdress.ForLincolntherenowremainedonlythechoiceoffleeingfromWashington,evacuatingMarylandandDelawareandsurrenderingKentucky,MissouriandVirginia,orofansweringwarwithwar.

ThequestionoftheprincipleoftheAmericanCivilWarisansweredbythebattlesloganwithwhichtheSouthbrokethepeace.Stephens,theVice-PresidentoftheSouthernConfederacy,declaredintheSecessionCongressthatwhatessentiallydistinguishedtheConstitutionnewlyhatchedatMontgomeryfromtheConstitutionofWashingtonandJeffersonwasthatnowforthefirsttimeslaverywasrecognisedasaninstitutiongoodinitself,andasthefoundationofthewholestateedifice,whereastherevolutionaryfathers,mensteepedintheprejudicesoftheeighteenthcentury,hadtreatedslaveryasanevilimportedfromEnglandandtobeeliminatedinthecourseoftime.AnothermatadoroftheSouth,Mr.Spratt,criedout:

"Forusitisaquestionoffoundingagreatslaverepublic."If,therefore,itwasindeedonlyindefenceoftheUnionthattheNorthdrewthesword,hadnottheSouthalreadydeclaredthatthecontinuanceofslaverywasnolongercompatiblewiththecontinuanceoftheUnion?

JustasthebombardmentofFortSumtergavethesignalfortheopeningofthewar,theelectionvictoryoftheRepublicanPartyoftheNorth,theelectionofLincolnasPresident,gavethesignalforsecession.

OnNovember6,1860,Lincolnwaselected.OnNovember8,1860,amessagetelegraphedfromSouthCarolinasaid:

Secessionisregardedhereasanaccomplishedfact;onNovember10thelegislatureofGeorgiaoccupieditselfwithsecessionplans,andonNovember13aspecialsessionofthelegislatureofMississippiwasconvenedtoconsidersecession.ButLincoln'selectionwasitselfonlytheresultofasplitintheDemocraticcamp.DuringtheelectionstruggletheDemocratsoftheNorthconcentratedtheirvotesonDouglas,theDemocratsoftheSouthconcentratedtheirvotesonBreckinridge,andtothissplittingoftheDemocraticvotestheRepublicanPartyoweditsvictory.Whencecame,ontheonehand,thepreponderanceoftheRepublicanPartyintheNorth?

Whence,ontheother,thedisunionwithintheDemocraticParty,whosemembers,NorthandSouth,hadoperatedinconjunctionformorethanhalfacentury?

UnderthepresidencyofBuchanantheswaythattheSouthhadgraduallyusurpedovertheUnionthroughitsalliancewiththeNorthernDemocratsattaineditszenith.ThelastContinentalCongressof1787andthefirstConstitutionalCongressof1789-90hadlegallyexcludedslaveryfromallTerritoriesoftherepublicnorth-westoftheOhio.（Territories,asisknown,isthenamegiventothecolonieslyingwithintheUnitedStatesitselfwhichhavenotyetattainedthelevelofpopulationconstitutionallyprescribedfortheformationofautonomousstates.）Theso-calledMissouriCompromise（1820）,inconsequenceofwhichMissouribecameoneoftheStatesoftheUnionasaslavestate,excludedslaveryfromeveryremainingTerritorynorthof36degreeslatitudeandwestoftheMissouri.Bythiscompromisetheareaofslaverywasadvancedseveraldegreesoflongitude,whilst,ontheotherhand,ageographicalboundary-linetoitsfuturespreadseemedquitedefinitelydrawn.Thisgeographicalbarrier,initsturn,wasthrowndownin1854bytheso-calledKansas-NebraskaBill,theinitiatorofwhichwasSt[ephen]A.Douglas,thenleaderoftheNorthernDemocrats.TheBill,whichpassedbothHousesofCongress,repealedtheMissouriCompromise,placedslaveryandfreedomonthesamefooting,commandedtheUniongovernmenttotreatthembothwithequalindifferenceandleftittothesovereigntyofthepeople,thatis,themajorityofthesettlers,todecidewhetherornotslaverywastobeintroducedinaTerritory.Thus,forthefirsttimeinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates,everygeographicalandlegallimittotheextensionofslaveryintheTerritorieswasremoved.UnderthisnewlegislationthehithertofreeTerritoryofNewMexico,aTerritoryfivetimesaslargeastheStateofNewYork,wastransformedintoaslaveTerritory,andtheareaofslaverywasextendedfromtheborderoftheMexicanRepublicto38degreesnorthlatitude.In1859NewMexicoreceivedaslavecodethatvieswiththestatute-booksofTexasandAlabamainbarbarity.

Nevertheless,asthecensusof1860proves,amongsomehundredthousandinhabitantsNewMexicodoesnotyetcounthalfahundredslaves.IthadthereforesufficedfortheSouthtosendsomeadventurerswithafewslavesovertheborder,andthenwiththehelpofthecentralgovernmentinWashingtonandofitsofficialsandcontractorsinNewMexicotodrumtogetherashampopularrepresentationtoimpose