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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from A Straight Deal by Owen Wister: it. Not at all. The President of the United States was not going to give
away property of the United States. Instead, the Governor of South Caro-
lina received a polite message that an attempt would be made to supply
Fort Sumter with food only, and that if this were not interfered with, no
arms or ammunition should be sent there without further notice, or in
case the fort were attacked. Lincoln was leaning backwards, you might
say, in his patient effort to conciliate. And accordingly our transports
sailed from New York for Charleston with instructions to supply Sumter
with food alone, unless they should be opposed in attempting to carry out
their errand. This did not suit Jefferson Davis at all; and, to cut it
short, at half-past four, on the morning of April 12, 1861, there arose
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