SPlit topic, questions about the Confederacy

[gunderwood]

this is for yarddawg,
the issue of the War being about states rights can be proven wrong by the act of Nullification. Nullification said basically if a state disagreed with a federal law, it would just ignore it. That is purely a states rights issue but that still did not stop the war from happeneing. this proves it wasnt about states rights. to show that it was about slavery, Lincoln alone said many things about slavery being the cause of the war. Lincoln also agreed with the Corwin amanedment, which said that those states that have slaves, can keep them. I believe it was Harriet stowe who wrote uncle tom's cabin, met with Lincoln and he said first thing to her, so this is the lady that started the war. Lincoln also stated that he had no intention of ending slavery nor ending the fugitive slave law. At the beginning of the war, Lincoln instructed his generals to not free slaves.

Not really.

On July 14, 1832, after Calhoun had resigned his office in order to run for the Senate where he could more effectively defend nullification[4], Jackson signed into law the Tariff of 1832. This compromise tariff received the support of most northerners and half of the southerners in Congress.[5] The reductions were too little for South Carolina, and in November 1832 a state convention declared that the tariffs of both 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and unenforceable in South Carolina after February 1, 1833. Military preparations to resist anticipated federal enforcement were initiated by the state.[6] In late February both a Force Bill, authorizing the President to use military forces against South Carolina, and a new negotiated tariff satisfactory to South Carolina were passed by Congress. The South Carolina convention reconvened and repealed its Nullification Ordinance on March 11, 1833. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullification_Crisis

The federal government was ready to go to war with SC over nullification. Even today, VA politicians threatening to nullify the health care bill are met with federal indifference because they know they can find a way to force VA to do as they please. Also, take a look at the BATFEs response to the 10th Amendment firearms acts. They have threatened citizens with jail time for abiding by state law where the BATFE technically has no authority.

The federal government has a long history of ignoring states rights issues. There probably would have been war either way.

[Jakeiscrazy]

It has always been my understanding that Lincoln decided to emaciate the slaves to keep the British out. Since the British traded often with southerners there was some concern that they may become involved in the war(In support of the Confederates). However, the British did hate slavery so by making the war about slavery Lincoln helped insure the British had no involvement. It also helped convince some freed slaves to join up.

I will leave you with this quote said in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, by Lincoln:

“I will say then that I am not, nor have ever been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and politicial equality of the black and white races – that I am not nor have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favorof having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

Certainly shows that Lincoln was more about keeping the Union together than anything else.

[gunderwood]

It has always been my understanding that Lincoln decided to emaciate the slaves to keep the British out. Since the British traded often with southerners there was some concern that they may become involved in the war(In support of the Confederates). However, the British did hate slavery so by making the war about slavery Lincoln helped insure the British had no involvement. It also helped convince some freed slaves to join up.

I will leave you with this quote said in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, by Lincoln:

“I will say then that I am not, nor have ever been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and politicial equality of the black and white races – that I am not nor have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favorof having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

Certainly shows that Lincoln was more about keeping the Union together than anything else.

I doubt Lincoln made the decision based on any one particular factor. Keeping the British out of it was certainly a big contributing factor. The North would not have likely won the war if the British came to the aid of the South.