Therefore，whenitwasknownatWashingtonadayortwolaterthatPortPickenswasinimminentdangerofbeingtakenbytheConfederatesseenote24，LincolninstantlyconcentratedallhisenergiesonthereliefofSumter。Allalonghehadbelievedthatoneofthefortsmustbeheldforthepurposeof“aclearindicationofpolicy，“eveniftheothershouldbegivenup“asamilitarynecessity。“Lincoln，VI，301。Hispurpose，therefore，indecidingontheostentatiousdemonstrationtowardSumterwastogivenoticetothewholecountrythathemadenoconcessionsonthematterofsovereignty。InawayitwashisanswertotheVirginiacompromise。
AtlasttheUnionpartyinVirginiasentadelegationtoconferwithLincoln。ItdidnotarriveuntilSumterhadbeenfiredupon。Lincolnreadtothemapreparedstatementofpolicywhichannouncedhisresolutiontomakewar，ifnecessary，toassertthenationalsovereignty。Lincoln，VI，243-245。
ThepartofMontgomeryinthistangledepisodeisleastunderstoodofthethree。WithWashingtonMontgomeryhadnoofficialcommunication。BothLincolnandSewardrefusedtorecognizecommissionersoftheConfederategovernmentWhetherSewardasanindividualwentbehindthebackofhimselfasanofficialandpersonallydeceivedthecommissionersisaproblemofhispersonalbiographyandhisprivatemoralsthathasnoplaceinthisdiscussion。BetweenMontgomeryandRichmondtherewasintimateandcordialcommunicationfromthestart。
AtfirstMontgomeryappearstohavetakenforgrantedthattheSecessionistpartyatRichmondwassopowerfulthattherewaslittleneedforthenewgovernmenttodoanythingbutwaitButasurprisewasinstoreforitDuringFebruaryandMarchitsagentsreportedawide-spreaddesireintheSouthtocompromiseonprettynearlyanytermsthatwouldnotsurrenderthecentralSouthernideaofstatesovereignty。Thusanillusionofthatday——asofthis——wasexploded，namelytheirresistibilityofeconomicsolidarity。Sentimentalandconstitutionalforceswereprovingmorepowerfulthaneconomics。ThereuponMontgomery’sproblemwastransformed。ItspurposewastobuildaSouthernnationandithadbelievedhithertothateconomicforceshadputintoitshandsthenecessarytools。Nowitmustthrowthemasideandgetpossessionofothers。Itmustevokethosesentimentalandconstitutionalforcesthatsomanyrashstatesmenhavealwaysconsiderednegligible。Consequently，fortheSouthnolessthanfortheNorth，theissuewasspeedilyshiftedfromslaverytosovereignty。Justhowthiswasbroughtaboutwedonotyetknow。Whetheraltogetherthroughforesightandstatesmanlikedeliberation，orinpartatleastthroughwhatmightalmostbecalledaccidentalinfluences，isstillalittleuncertain。Thequestionnarrowsitselftothis：whywasSumterfireduponpreciselywhenitwas？Thereareatleastthreepossibleanswers。
1Thatthefiringwasdictatedpurelybymilitarynecessity。