Answer:
the government was preoccupied with the Civil War.
Explanation:
Based on the information provided within the question it can be said that the individuals who underwent this action did this because the government was preoccupied with the Civil War. Therefore they used the Civil War as an excuse to take action into their own hands, and deal with the problem that they were facing as they saw fit. Especially since there was most likely not going to be any consequences due to the war taking place.
