attempts at compromise Flashcards
(7 cards)
buchanans position
Buchana did little to prevent secession as he believed that trying to pressure the Confederate states back into the Union was unconstitutional (however he also believed that secession was unconstitutional).
He focused his concerns on trying not to provoke an armed conflict between the Confederacy and the Union. This meant that he took no intervention when Federal institutions throughout the South were overtaken by the Confederacy.
He did, however, make a decision which had major repercussions. He made the decision not to recall the Federal garrison (armed forces) at Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens.
Historians such as Alan Nevis critisise Buchana for his failure to seek a compromise solution. He was a Northerner with strong Southern connections so should have been in a position to achieve compromise. Nevis, in particular critisises Buchanan for not calling a national convention immediately after the 1860 election. Farmer refutes this argument however, arguing that it is hard to see what Buchanan or a national convention could have done as the deep South were set upon secession following the Republican victory.
congressional efforts
Any effective chances at compromise were lessened within Congress because most Congressmen from the Confederate seats did not attend, or those who did soon resigned their seats, the second session of the 36th Congress meeting in Dec 1860. This meant that there was a lack of Southern representation, meaning it was difficult to come to a decision.
Southern congressmen from the Upper South and Northern congressmen met to work out compromise. The senate and the house of representatives established committees to figure out resolutions to problems resulting from the dispute. The House of Representatives, with 33 members didn’t work as well as the Senate committee with 13 members.
Critendens proposals - december 1860
The senate committee after much conversation, recommended a package of compromise proposals.
Crittenden’s proposals:
Extend the Missouri Compromise to the Pacific, giving Southreners hope of the expansion of slavery.
Proposed for an Amendment to the Constitution which would guarantee that there would be no interference with slavery in states where it already existed.
It was also proposed that Congress would be forbidden to abolish slavery in the district of Columbia.
Congress would not be allowed to interfere with inter-state slave trade
Fugitive slave holders would be compensated by the Federal Government if they lost their ‘property’
republicans view on crittendens resolutions
Republicans were unwilling to agree to Crittenden’s proposals as they felt as though it was the North surrendering to the South instead of actual compromise. They also believed that there was no real crisis and the events in the South were an attempt to force the North to make concessions. The House of Representatives therefore rejected Crittenden’s proposals due to their Republican majority (113 votes to 80), the Senate also rejected the proposal (25 votes to 23).
the virginia peace conference feb 1861
The Virginia Peace Conference met in February 1861 tried to see if it was possible to find measures which would encourage the states that had succeeded to rejoin the Union. Despite the Conference having good representation, 133 delegates representing 21 states, the Convention was unsuccessful because it was boycotted by a few free states and the Confederate states ignored the invitation.
david potters view on compromise
David potter: “given the momentum of secession and the fundamental set of Republicanism, it is probably safe to say that compromise was impossible from the start”.
lincolns position on compromise
Most Northerners were unhappy with the secession of the South because they valued the Union and believed it to be perpetual (everlasting). They believed that Southern states surrendered their independence on ratifying the Constitution after 1787. They feared that allowing disunion in 1861 would result in a fatal precedence to be invoked by disaffected minorities in the future. However, some Northerners believed that the South should be able to secede in peace.
Republicans reacted to the secession of the South by doing nothing as they believed that they would soon see sense and rejoin the Union. They also believed that there was an advantage to states succeeding as it prevented compromise. Some didn’t even take the establishment of the Confederacy as serious.
Lincolns position on compromise was that he wanted to preserve the Union, but he firmly didn’t support any compromise that would result in the expansion of slavery.
