Jefferson Davis, you old fox!

Lincoln announces that he's sending an unarmed expedition to Ft. Sumter to bring food and other supplies.

What if Davis (uncharacteristically) swallowed his pride a little bit and did something clever? He issues a Magnanimity Declaration, stating that the Confederacy will recognize US sovereignty over federal installations in the Confederacy; will allow sea or land resupply as long as they are unarmed and subject to inspection by Confederate officials; and proposes a commission to determine the disposition of (or compensation for) those former federal properties that have already come under Confederate control.

What ensues?
 

mowque

Banned
He gets impeached by the CSA and someone with 'backbone' is put in his place. This is really an ASB option...
 
The citizens of the Deep South were pretty crazy, but I could see them lionizing Davis as a Christian genius for doing this as soon as impeaching him. SC won't take it well, though. Perhaps a personal visit would be in order?
 
The CSA had already offered to pay full compensation for all seized federal properties and been rejected since the Lincoln adminstration considered that discussing the offer would be giving official recognition to the CSA government.

There's no way the Union would allow a group they don't recognize as a government the right to stop and inspect their ships and any attempt to do so would give Lincoln the casus belli he needs. If such an incident occurs, it might even tip the border states more towards the Union.

This Magnanimy Declaration would be seen by many in the south as a sign of weakness in Davis. There's a good chance South Carolina would act anyway, which would make Davis look even weaker. There are good odds he only serves as provisional President of the CSA and does not get elected in November of 1861.
 
What if Davis (uncharacteristically) swallowed his pride a little bit and did something clever?
It wasn't the Confederate Forces that attacked the Fort. It was the South Carolina Militia.
IIRC the Richmond Government did try to keep the SC militia from attacking Fort Sumters. However the Militia ignored Richmond's Instrutions.
 
While the shots were fired by the South Carolina militia, the CSA government did not try to stop them and the order to fire came from the Davis administration.

CSA Secretary of WarToombs was not happy with this decision, saying ""Mr. President, at this time, it is suicide, murder, and will lose us every friend at the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet's nest which extends from mountains to ocean, and legions, now quiet, will swarm out and sting us to death. It is unnecessary; it puts us in the wrong; it is fatal."

Davis ignored Toomb's advice and ordered the attack on Fort Sumter.
 
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