Political corruption dominated the news at this point. The Democratic Party went to bribe judges so their grant would get accepted. They called Lincoln a slave hound, even though he had a very neutral stance on it. They also tried t o negate the republicans strength bye fusing the 3 opposing parties, Whigs, Know Nothings, and American parties. While the Democrats were out doing their thing, the so called Black Republicans where making it know how corrupt the democrats where, and how Honest Abe was just that.*.
Within 2 months of Lincoln being elected the South succeeded. The first state to come out and do it was South Carolina; the vote was a unanimous 169-0. The next 4 states to go were Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and then Georgia.*.
There where a few major factions in the south at this time; the cooperationist, these southerners felt that they wanted nothing to do with these Yankees; Conditional Unionists, these guys wanted to see if Lincoln would keep his promises; and the ultimatumists, these guys wanted to send Lincoln an ultimatum calling for the enforcement of slavery, the repeal of personal slave laws, and for slavery to be allowed over 36 30.*.
By the time Lincoln was in office march 4 1861 the south already has their own constitution ready. It guaranteed slaves, the president term was 6 years no re-election, amend a law with 2/3 vote instead of ¾. The south elected Jefferson Davis as there president, and he wasted no time. On April 12 1868, he had the confederate army open fire on Fort Sumter on Major Anderson and his troops making war official.*.
Northerners Believe war was necessary, and Abe Lincoln would do anything to maintain the union. At one point he even had to resort to banning Habeas Corpus. That is the right to know what to know what you are accused of, and a trial by jury. As president you are allowed to suspend this law in scar of a rebellion or invasion.
