Who Was Right in the American Civil War

[Jerry Horse]

Who was right? The people were right, but the government was wrong but won the war. The Civil War gave Lincoln an excuse to expand the Federal Government's power and began the campaign to severely limit individual state's powers. I see people saying the North was right because of slavery, but just because there were blacks working on a Southern White Man's plantation doesn't always mean they were slaves. As for hanging all Southern white men and selling their white women to be sold in Moroccon bazaars, how would that still make the North morally justified. Lincoln(and allot of Northerners) held the idea blacks were inferior to white people; apologists will sweep this under the rug. Then we have Sherman, who basically burnt to the ground every town he came across with no regards for the life or value of anyone. He's heralded as a hero also.

The North won the war and so they get to write the history of it. Due to them writing the history, most people who claim to be educated refuse to accept any justification the South may have had. They chalk it up to the South still having slaves, and so we Southerners can't claim any moral grounds for the Civil War.

 

[MarkSB]

just because there were blacks working on a Southern White Man's plantation doesn't always mean they were slaves.

No, but I'll bet at least 90% of them were.

As for the rest of your post, I don't completely disgree. Winning the war did give Lincoln the power to expand the reach of the Federal government. But southern states also expected northern states to accomodate them in capturing and returning runaway slaves. They also fought against individual states' rights to choose whether or not their state would be a "slave state" or free. So the south was not at all innocent or unbiased when it came to protecting states rights.

Personally I do not think my college history course was biased in its presentation of the civil war. I believe it gave, for the most part, a pretty balanced look at it. High school history courses, might be a bit different.

 

[armyman_83]

The southern states were rather hippocritical in their theories about states rights. Didn't they basically want northern states to dedicate their resources toward finding and returning runaway slaves, even though many of them didn't agree with the practice (as per the Fugitive Slave Act, as Lady Kate stated).

But honestly it makes sense. Sure Northern states could make slavery illegal, but if a criminal were to cross state lines, the Federal government can chase them. Because its an interstate affair.

Its kind of like an extradition treaty.

 

[The Lady Kate]

But honestly it makes sense. Sure Northern states could make slavery illegal, but if a criminal were to cross state lines, the Federal government can chase them. Because its an interstate affair.

Its kind of like an extradition treaty.

Except that a treaty requires both sides to sign to it... Northern States didn't agree to the Fugitive Slave Act.

Furthermore, if someone commits a "crime" in one state/country, then travels to another state/country where the action in question isn't a crime, what happens with extradition then?

I think the better parallel would be refugees seeking asylum.

 

[HappyApostate]

Nobody was necessarily totally right, but the South's major stated reasons for secession were all related to the fact that the Northern government was planning on inhibiting their right to own slaves.

 

[mzungu]

The USA should have remained a colony of Great Britain. Then the USA could finally and rightfully sit on the table of civilised nations.

YouTube - America Is Still A British Colony

 

[MarkSB]

The USA should have remained a colony of Great Britain. Then the USA could finally and rightfully sit on the table of civilised nations.

Umm.... no.

 

[Mixolydian]

The USA should have remained a colony of Great Britain. Then the USA could finally and rightfully sit on the table of civilised nations.

Well, their worst chippy is still better than our best Long John Silvers, so you got us there. That's especially true in Scotland with their fried haggis...yummmmm. (seriously....yummmm, my wife and I flew to Edinburgh from KC once just to get some.)

Sidebar...we actually wouldn't sit ON the table of civilized nations, I think we'd sit at the table.

 

[Sphinx777]

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[Sphinx777]

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