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Re: Deep South....
In Response To: Re: Deep South.... ()

"We must go back to the reason the South DID secede, to guarentee the right to keep slavery."

You are being too shallow minded here. Yes slavery was a PART of the issue here. BUT, the GREATER issue was the honoring "the Contract" known as the Constitution of the United States, and thereby the breach of trust between the Southern States and the Government of the United States.

If that "Contract" did not mean what it said. If the United States Government did not enforce and guarantee the rights that were enumerated within its articles, clauses and amendments, Specifically Art. 4, Sec 2, Paragraph 2 and the 5th, 9th and 10th Amendments of that Constitution at that time. And IF that "Contract" could be disregarded at will. Then there was in defacto, no United States. Because that "Contract" was the binding agreement. And therefore the States were not honor bounded, but any oath that they had given, to remain in that Union.

The fact that the preception in the South was, in 1860, that Mr. Lincoln, and his cabinet, and thereby the government of the United States, would not honor that "Contract", WAS the greatest issue which caused South Carolina to seceed.

The actions of the United States Government in trying to force South Carolina to recind their secession ordinance with incidents like the implied threat of blockade by a union garrison at Fort Sumter, which was an illegal act under the Constitution against a sovereign state, or an act of war against the newly formed country of South Carolina, one or the other. The "Star of the West" incident which convienced 6 other states that the United States were acting bishonorable and illegally, and to also seceed. And the efforts to, by force, increase that blockade of Charleston harbor by the United States military in April 1861. And the call by Lincoln for 75,000 volunteers for the express purpose of invading the southern states and the purposed unconstitutional use of Military force against those states which had seceeded, which caused 4 additional state to seceed, was proof enough to the southern states that they were right.

We have that same preception problem today, that many of us believe that our Government will not honor the various rights and priveleges given to the American citizens under that Contract. I am thinking here especially of the 2nd Amendment. That is a right that is cherished by many, but lothed by some in Government which would like to restrict that right. None of us own slave, but if pushed far enough there could be enough that would fight for that same Constitutional right.

So such statements as the south was "fighting to keep their slaves" is a "10 second soundbite answer" that does not do justice to the actual facts and conditions that lead to that war.

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You're Welcome.. *NM*
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