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南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦，形势进一步恶化

1860年12月20日，南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦。该州之所以脱离联邦是因为共和党人―――亚伯拉罕.林肯当选美国总统。共和党是一个新政党，林肯是第一次当选美国总统，他们将阻止奴隶制向美国西部新领土上扩张。南方各州认为他们拥有宪法所给予在在任何地方保护其个人财产（包括奴隶）的权利，他们担心任何对奴隶制的干涉将会结束他们现在的生活方式。本周，我们继续向你讲述南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦之后的故事。

南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦之后面临几个问题，其中最严重的问题是如何处理联邦政府所掌握的财产。在查尔斯顿港附近位于南卡罗莱纳州境内好几处美国的军事要塞。摩特里堡垒（Fort Moultrie）有不到70个人守卫，而平克尼堡（Castle Pinckney）只有一个人。另外一个是萨姆特堡（Fort Sumter）还在建设之中，一个人也没有。这些军事要塞的指挥官要求派遣更多的军事人员，他说，如果没有人，他们将无法守卫这些堡垒。但军方拒绝了。军方告诉这位指挥官，尽他所能来保卫这些要塞。军方告诉他不要做任何可能引起南卡罗莱纳州进攻的行为，如果南卡罗莱纳州进攻或准备进攻的话，那么这位指挥官就带领他的守卫人员进入堡垒，以便更好地防卫。萨姆特堡或许就是这样一新堡垒。

南卡罗莱纳州州长打算阻止联邦政府军队的任何调动。他命令州军队阻止查尔斯顿港口中任何船只的调动，他们不允许美国任何一支军队到萨姆特堡，如果有运载军队的船只拒绝停止的话，那么州军队就将凿沉船只，并占领萨姆特堡。在南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦的六天后，那位查尔斯顿港所有堡垒的军事指挥官决定派遣他的士兵进入萨姆特堡。他尽可能在黑夜运兵，联邦士兵乘坐小船通过关卡到达萨姆特堡。州军队士兵没有看到他们。当南卡罗莱纳州州长得知这一切后非常气愤，他命令联邦政府军队离开萨姆特堡。而那位指挥官说他们要留守这里。南卡罗莱纳州州长命令州军队攻占查尔斯顿港的其他两座堡垒，而且他还命令在该市所有联邦政府的建筑上悬挂南卡罗莱纳州的州旗。

几个月后就要离开总统宝座的詹姆士.布坎南总统不得不面对当前的局势。他的内阁成员因这个问题而完全分裂：南方的内阁成员希望他承认南卡罗莱纳州脱离联邦，并命令所有的联邦军队撤出南卡罗莱纳州；而北方的内阁成员则说，总统绝不能放弃在南卡罗莱纳州的任何联邦政府财产。总统同意与来自南卡罗莱纳州的三名代表举行谈判，以商讨解决在该州的联邦政府财产地位问题。司法部长说，这种会议是错误的。他说：“先生们，称他们是南卡罗莱纳的大使，这是愚蠢的。他们不是什么大使，他们是违法者，他们是叛国者，他们应该被捕，你不能和他们进行什么谈判。”

司法部长和国务卿威胁说，如果布坎南总统答应南卡罗莱纳的要求的话，他们就辞职。总统最终没有答应南卡罗莱纳的要求，他说，联邦军队将驻守在查尔斯顿港，而且他还说，萨姆特堡将反击任何敌对行动。在1860年的最后一天，他命令向萨姆特堡运送2000名士兵和额外的军事装备。为此，国防部长想秘密行动。所以，这2000名士兵和额外的军事装备是通过快速的民船运送，而不是采用航速较慢的军舰来运送，他们想在南卡罗莱纳州军队采取行动之前进入查尔斯顿港。但有一位南方的参议员得知这一情况，他向南卡罗莱纳州州长发出警报。当这艘运送2000名士兵和额外军事装备的民船到达查尔斯顿港时，南卡罗莱纳州的军队已经在那等候了。

南卡罗莱纳州的士兵升起了加农炮，并开火示警，但这艘船并没有停止前进，于是其他加农炮就相继开火。驻守在萨姆特堡的军事指挥官此时正面临一个十分困难的抉择。他得到命令，如果萨姆特堡受到进攻，他可以还击，但这个命令中并没有包括保护联邦的船只。他知道，如果他开火的话，那就意味着美国与南卡罗莱纳就正式开战了。这个决定只有他来下。南卡罗莱纳的加农炮最终击中了运送2000名士兵和额外军事装备的联邦政府的民船，这艘船缓慢地掉转船头，回到大海，向北返回。

萨姆特堡指挥官给南卡罗莱纳州州长写了一封信，在信中他写到：“你的军队于今天早晨向一艘悬挂我们政府旗帜的民船开火，由于我没有得到南卡罗莱纳正式宣布与美国开战的消息，因此，我只能认为这次敌对行动是在您不知情或未得到您允许的情况下发生的。正因为这个原因，也只有这个原因，我才没有对您的军队开火。”这位指挥官说，如果州长已经批准了这次行动，那么这可就是战争行为，那么他就将关闭查尔斯顿港，不允许任何船只进出。南卡罗莱纳州州长在几个小时内很快就做出了回答。他说，南卡罗莱纳现在已经独立了，美国政府任何想加强萨姆特堡力量的企图都将视为是侵略行为。他要求这位指挥官投降。

就在萨姆特堡发生危机期间，美国国会试图寻找某种妥协，以阻止战争的暴发。立法议员们提出了一项新的横贯美国的线路，在这条线路以南，可以实行奴隶制，而在这条线路以北，则不允许实行奴隶制。尽管共和党反对奴隶制向美国西部扩张，但还是有一些共和党人同意这个建议。然而，有一位共和党人坚决反对这个建议，他就是即将在3月宣誓就任美国总统的亚伯拉罕.林肯。林肯说，在奴隶制扩张的问题上不能有任何妥协。他说：“如果妥协，那么我们所有的努力都将付之东流。如果麻烦要来，那就让他现在就来吧，这总比以后再来要好的多。”

这个麻烦很快就来到了。南方各州一个个相继脱离联邦。到1861年2月1日，已经有六个州步南卡罗莱纳州后尘，脱离联邦。几天后，来自这些脱离联邦的南方各州的代表在阿拉巴马州的蒙哥马利市举行会议，他们的任务就是创立一个新的国家，这将是一个独立的共和国，他们称这个独立的共和国为美国南部邦联（CSA）。

这次大会批准了这个新国家的宪法，这部宪法很像美国的宪法，但有很多处有重大改变。南方宪法充分尊重各州的权利，而且该宪法规定不能制定有关反对奴隶制的法律。这次大会任命前美国国务卿杰斐逊.戴维斯为这个新国家的总统。戴维斯不想打内战，但他并不害怕内战。他说：“我们与老美国的分裂是彻底的，妥协的时代已经过去，任何想改变我们决定的只有通过武力，他们将闻到我们南方枪炮的火药味，他们将感觉到我们南方人刀剑的寒气。”

杰斐逊.戴维斯于1861年2月11日离开他位于密西西比的农场去就任南部邦联的总统。与此同时，林肯也离开伊利诺斯他的家乡启程前往华盛顿就任美国总统。就在林肯乘火车前往华盛顿时，他说：“我现在离开家乡，不知道什么时候能够回来，也许永远不会再回来。摆在我面前的任务比华盛顿总统之后的任何一位总统所面临的任务都要繁重。如果没有上帝的帮助，我将不会成功。如果有了上帝的帮助，那么我就不会失败。让我们希望所有的一切都能如我所愿，心想事成。”

简评：

面对国家分裂，没有任何妥协的可能。如果麻烦早晚都要来，那就让它现在就来，这总比以后再来要好的多。多说无益，实干为先。不要让任何企图分裂者看到什么任何可能的机会。

是的，面对任何分裂企图，是绝没有妥协可言的，只要说是分裂，那没的说，就是一个字，“打”，如果说有两个字的话，那就是“消灭”。任何想与分裂者谈什么妥协，那只能是画饼充饥，只能不断助长分裂者的野心。但在团结的基础上，就一切都可谈。

林肯深知，他前面的路有多么的危险，因此，他才说，我此次离开家乡，不知什么时候能够回来，也许永远也不会再回来。他是抱着死的决心去就任总统，就是要解决美国的分裂。为了美国的统一，他不惜一战，甚至为此可能付出生命的代价，他也在所不惜。

面对国家分裂，我们就必须要有林肯这种决心和意志，唯有如此，才能放手去解决任何企图分裂的图谋，唯有如此，我们的国家才能长治久安，我们的人民才能永保太平。

South Carolina Leaves Union, Tensions Increase

South Carolina withdrew from the United States on December twentieth, eighteen sixty. The state seceded because a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, had been elected president. The Republicans were a new party, and Lincoln was the first to be elected president. They wanted to stop slavery from spreading into the western territories. Southern states believed they had a constitutional right to take property -- including slaves -- anywhere. They also feared that any interference with slavery would end their way of life. This week in our series, we  tell what happened after South Carolina left the Union. 　

South Carolina faced several problems after it seceded. The most serious problem was what to do with property owned by the federal government. There were several United States forts in and around the Port of Charleston. Fort Moultrie had fewer than seventy soldiers. Castle Pinckney had only one. And Fort Sumter -- which was still being built -- had none. The commander of the forts asked for more men. Without them, he said, he could not defend the forts. The army refused. It told the commander to defend the forts as best he could. He was told to do nothing that might cause South Carolina to attack. If South Carolina attacked, or planned to attack, then he could move his men into the fort that would be easiest to defend. That would probably be the new one, Fort Sumter.

The governor of South Carolina planned to stop any movement of federal troops. He ordered state soldiers to stop every boat in Charleston Harbor. They were to permit no United States troops to reach Fort Sumter. If any boat carrying troops refused to stop, the state soldiers were to sink it and seize the fort. Six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, the commander of Charleston's forts decided to move his men to Fort Sumter. They would move as soon as it was dark. The federal troops crossed the port in small boats. The state soldiers did not see them. The governor was furious when he learned what had happened. He demanded that the federal troops leave Fort Sumter. The commander said they would stay. The governor then ordered state soldiers to seize the other two forts in Charleston Harbor. And he ordered the state flag raised over all other federal property in the city. 　

President James Buchanan, who would leave office in just a few months, was forced to deal with the situation. His cabinet was deeply divided on the issue. The southerners wanted him to recognize South Carolina and order all federal troops out of Charleston Harbor. The northerners said he must not give up any federal property or rights. The president agreed to meet with three representatives from South Carolina. They had come to Washington to negotiate the future of federal property in their state. The attorney general said the meeting was a mistake. "These gentlemen," he said, "claim to be ambassadors of South Carolina. This is foolish. They cannot be ambassadors. They are lawbreakers, traitors, and should be arrested. You cannot negotiate with them." 　

The attorney general and the secretary of state threatened to resign if President Buchanan gave in to South Carolina's demands. The president finally agreed not to give in. He said he would keep federal troops in Charleston Harbor. And he said Fort Sumter would be defended against all hostile action. On the last day of eighteen sixty, he ordered two hundred troops and extra supplies sent to Fort Sumter. The War Department wanted to keep the operation secret. So the troops and supplies were put on a fast civilian ship, instead of a slower warship. It was thought that a civilian ship could get into Charleston Harbor before state forces could act. But a southern Senator learned of the operation. He warned the governor of South Carolina. When the ship arrived in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina soldiers were waiting.

The soldiers lit a cannon and fired a warning shot. The ship refused to stop. Other cannons then opened fire. The commander of federal troops at Fort Sumter had a difficult decision to make. He had received permission to defend the fort, if attacked. But his orders said nothing about defending ships. He knew that if he opened fire, the United States and South Carolina would be at war. The decision was made for him. South Carolina's cannons finally hit the ship. The ship slowed, then turned back to sea. It returned north with all the troops and supplies.

The commander of Fort Sumter sent a message to the governor of South Carolina.  "Your forces," he wrote, "fired this morning on a civilian ship flying the flag of my government. Since I have not been informed that South Carolina declared war on the United States, I can only believe that this hostile act was done without your knowledge or permission. For this reason -- and only this -- I did not fire on your guns."  If, the commander said, the governor had approved the shelling, it would be an act of war. And he would be forced to close the Port of Charleston. No ship would be permitted to enter or leave. The governor's answer came back within hours. He said South Carolina was now independent. He said the attempt by the United States to strengthen its force at Fort Sumter was clearly an act of aggression. And he demanded that the commander surrender.

During the crisis over Fort Sumter, Congress tried to find a compromise that might prevent war. Lawmakers proposed a new line across the country. South of the line, slavery would be permitted. North of the line, slavery would be illegal. Many Republicans supported the proposal, even though the Republican Party opposed the spread of slavery into the western territories. One Republican, however, rejected the idea completely. He was Abraham Lincoln, who would take office as president in March. Lincoln said there could be no compromise on extending slavery. "If there is," he said, "then all our hard work is lost. If trouble comes, it is better to let it come now than at some later time." 　

The trouble would come soon. One by one, the states of the South seceded. By February first, eighteen sixty-one, six states had followed South Carolina out of the Union. A few days later, representatives from the states met in Montgomery, Alabama. Their job was to create a new nation. It would be an independent republic called the Confederate States of America. 　

The convention approved a constitution for the new nation. The document was like the Constitution of the United States, but with major changes. The southern constitution gave greater importance to the rights of states. And it said there could be no laws against slavery. The convention named former United States Senator Jefferson Davis to be president of the Confederate States of America. Davis did not want civil war. But he was not afraid of it. He said: "Our separation from the old Union is complete. The time for compromise has passed. Should others try to change our decision with force, they will smell southern gunpowder and feel the steel of southern swords." 　

Jefferson Davis left his farm in Mississippi to become president of the Confederate States of America on February eleventh. On that same day, Abraham Lincoln left his home in Illinois to become president of the United States. As Lincoln got on the train that would take him to Washington, he said: "I now leave, not knowing when -- or whether ever -- I may return. The task before me is greater than that which rested upon our first president. Without the help of God, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail. Let us hope that all yet will be well."