The Lincoln Administration's Efforts To Maintain The Federal Unity

Under the guide of History Materialism, based on the historical facts and references from the achievements of researchers from China and abroad, this paper deals with the Lincoln Administration's efforts to maintain the Federal unity, in which there are totally five chapters:Chapter 1: It is mainly about Lincoln's demonstration of a state having no right to secede from the Union by law theory. As soon as Lincoln was elected 16th American president, the South seceders set about seceding from the Union. They claimed that any state of the Union might, consistently with the national Constitution, lawfully and peacefully withdraw from the Union without the consent of the Union or of any other state, because any state had some omnipotent and sacred supremacy. So far, state rights the South had been claiming evolved into a tool to split the Union, which was refuted by Lincoln in his First Inaugural Address(on March 4th ,1861) and Message to Congress in Special Session(on July 4th ,1861). He pointed out that any state had no sovereignty, no right to secede from the Union which was perpetual, that no state could lawfully get out of the Union upon its own mere motion and that splitting the Union was against the majority's will.Chapter 2: It is mainly about the Lincoln Administration's primary objective of maintaining the Federal unity in the Civil War. On April 14th, 1861, Fort Sumter, in the possession of the Federal government, fell. The next day, the Lincoln Administration declared war against Confederate States and the Civil War broke out. Weighing the situation at home and abroad, the Lincoln Administration's primary objective of maintaining the Federal unity had great significance, which was beneficial to uniting all the forces that could be united to form a joint force of anti-independence and reunification promotion, appeasing the border states and abolishing the black slavery in the end.Chapter 3: It is mainly about the Lincoln Administration's efforts to settle disputes between the South and the North peacefully and use military force to restore national unity. After Confederate States was founded, the Lincoln Administration made every effort to settle disputes between the South and the North peacefully. However, the South regarded Lincoln's moderate attitude and concessive policy as a sign of weakness and started the Civil War by bombarding Fort Sumter on April 12th ,1861. Lincoln made an immediate decision to protect the Union and called on all loyal citizens to fight for the maintenance of national unity.Chapter 4: It is mainly about the Lincoln Administration's wartime diplomatic strategies. After the outbreak of American Civil War , the diplomatic task of the federal government was to avoid the interference of European countries. In the face of the serious situation, Lincoln was able to soberly analyze the intricate domestic and foreign relations which America was confronted with. He adopted a series of diplomatic strategies resolutely such as yielding to Britain in Trent Affair, remaining neutral between France and Mexico and adopting a pro-Russian and anti-Britain-French policy.Chapter 5: It deals with the Lincoln Administration's two measures to reverse the military situation. The Civil War had been going on for over one year and the North was still in a passive situation. In order to reverse the military situation, the Lincoln Administration issued the Homestead Act and the Emancipation Proclamation, which ensured material bases of the North winning the Civil War, settled sources of soldiers and got support from European progressive forces.This paper expounds the Lincoln Administration's efforts to maintain the Federal unity from law theory to action, from domestic policy to diplomacy. Meanwhile, it makes up for the blank at home and abroad on the study of the Lincoln Administration's efforts to maintain the Federal unity by law theory. Chapter 1 specially expatiates on how Lincoln demonstrated a state had no right to secede from the Union by law theory. Discussing Lincoln's theory on national sovereignty and opposition to split has theoretical significance. It helps us recognize the acts of splitting a country under the guise of "civil rights"and "self-determination of peoples".Probing into the Lincoln Administration's efforts to maintain the Federal unity also has realistic significance. The principled and flexible diplomatic strategies that the Lincoln Administration adopted for the purpose of opposing split and keeping national unity, and the decision with courage and resourcefulness to use military force to maintain national unity when the unfailing efforts for peace failed ,are admirable and enlightening, as well as a model to posterity.