Source: The Bulwark
by Mark Hertling
“The tactics of the fire-eaters, studied closely, reveal a playbook we are beginning to recognize today. They demonized opponents, insisting that abolitionists and even moderates were not political adversaries but mortal enemies. They normalized extralegal responses, claiming secession and violence were patriotic duties when Washington failed to submit to their will. They mobilized audiences not for votes but for confrontation, turning speeches into rallies that prepared ordinary citizens to resist, with arms if necessary. They celebrated symbolic acts of violence — whether the brutal caning of Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor or the firing on Fort Sumter — as proof that their cause was righteous and that escalation into violence was justified. These tactics fed upon each other.” (09/22/25)