...violence; and there shall be none, unless it be forced upon the national authority. The power confided in me, will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the...property, and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be...

...domestic or foreign." At the beginning of that month, in the inaugural, I said: "The power confided in me will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties and imposts." This had your distinct approval at the time; and, taken in connection...

...defended. But Fort Sumter was in peril. Lincoln, in the course of his inaugural address, had made a promise to "hold, occupy, and possess the property, and places belonging to the government. . . ,"97 So what was to be done about Sumter? Lincoln asked for the advice of his top-ranking military...

...institution of slavery. He also said he would support the perpetuity of the Union against secession and would "hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the government." About one month later, Lincoln sent a letter to Major Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter in Charleston...

...ana to collect the duties and imports ; but beyond what is necessary for theso objects there will bo no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere." By the words " property and places belonging to the Government," I chiefly allude to the military posts...

...no bloodshed or violence; and there shall be none, unless it be forced upon the national authority. The power confided to me, will be used to hold, occupy,...property, and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be...

...no inclination to do so." But in the same speech, Lincoln made it very clear what would provoke war: "The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy,...property and places belonging to the Government and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be...

...continue "unbroken." In Lincoln's vision, it was the president's duty to keep the government operating: "The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy,...property and places belonging to the Government and to collect the duties and imposts — The mails, unless repelled, will continue to be furnished in...

...formation of a Confederate government compounded their problems. The president's promise to use his power "to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the Government, and to collect the duties on imposts" forced Unionists to answer charges that his words were a declaration...

...because he had spoken plainly in his inaugural address. He then quoted to them from it about his intent to "hold, occupy, and possess, the property, and places belonging to the Government." This was a bit disingenuous, because the clarity of that point was obscured by conciliatory passages...