makingmusic476 said:
In my opinion, the Civil War was NOT a step in the right direction. From a civil liberties/states rights/Jeffersonian standpoint, Lincoln by means of the war did more to advance the power of the federal government, particularly the presidency, than anything aside from FDR's "New Deal". And while the War did end slavery, I think it only increased racial tension. Imagine the wounded pride Southerners must have felt after the war, especially under the horrible reconstruction imposed by the Radical Republicans. The newly freed black men would've been looked upon as a sign of their defeat, and the Confederates would've taken out their anger on these people. It is why the KKK, aka the Ghosts of the Confederacy, went bad, imo. When you lose at a game, it's not so bad, but when the guy that beat you starts rubbing it in, it starts to piss you off, doesn't it? The freedom of blacks across the South was a physical manifestation of this. Slavery was slowly dying in the US prior to the war just like it had already died in many other regions. The economic tensions of the 1850s may have spurred the South to push for an expansion of slavery in an effort to increase their political power versus the North, but a freed Confederacy with nothing to fear from from Northern politicians would've had little reason to press the expansion of slavery, and the practice would've eventually ceased much like it had in most other places in the world. And it would've happened peacefully, just like it happened everywhere else. In the end, everyone would've been better off if Lincoln had just let us go. |
If you believe the federal government should have less power over states then that is your opinion and I´m ok with it, personlay I think on major issues such as slavery it is of great importance that all people have the same right in every state... but thats only my opinion.
You can´t be serious about the second part though... you think freeing the slaves was a bad thing ??? It increased racial tension ??? Of course slave owners weren´t happy about it... but what the hell do you think how the slaves fealt about it ??? So the free black people were a physical manifestation of the south losing the war... but the south did physically lose the war... and its a good thing... how can you say black people being slaves was ok... should they have stayed slaves just so the south fealt better about the war ??? Sorry but you make very lttle sence in that part...
I am also not happy with your third part there... the expansion of slavery was one of the main critical points that lead to the civil war... no way the south would have been slave free in new states... slavery in europe was a different thing all together since it had nothing to do with race and was based on the feudal system ... and in lots of places it ended everything but peacefully... russion revolution anyone ???
So in the end I´m happy Lincold did what he did when he did.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King Jr.
