"helped make slavery an issue constantly for decades."

There then by your own admission you are wrong.

So what is your point? If the laws are on the books enforce them!! Same way today in regards to immigration. If the feds ain't gonna enforce the law why do we need them? Slaves were missing property and by law should have been returned, no question about it.

Don't you suppose the issue was just a little deeper than slavery. I mean, lets just say 10% of the South were slave owners. Is that enough slave owners to start a war? I think not!!! I have always said it was an issue, just not "the issue."

Now in the words of Mr. Lincoln himself the whole affair was to preserve the Union and as it has been pointed out on this board by several Northern leaning posters freeing the slaves was nothing more than "war measure" and "we should take Lincoln at his word," and I do.

GP