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Re: Southern Emancipation/ Pre-Civil War

All the authors cited except Thomas R. Dew published their works on slavery during the 1850s. The "Southampton Insurrection", better known as the Nat Turner Rebellion, prompted the debate in the Virginia legislature which helped Dew formulate his ideas on slavery. Here's a summary of the major speakers in this debate and their positions. Note how Virginians advocating abolition by any means expected all former slaves to be shipped back to Africa.

http://www.mcps.org/ss/5thgrade/genassemblydebate.pdf

Slaveholders typically regarded the U.S. Constitution as their insurance policy against anything abolitionists might attempt. For that reason, if a respectable Southern leader spoke earnestly in favor of secession prior to the fall of 1859, I'm unaware of it. Most men would have reacted to the idea of secession as Robert E. Lee did. The idea of secession certainly would not have regarded favorably during the Nullification crisis of the 1830s, which concerned an unreasonable tariff, not slavery.

Nullification is one thing; secession is quite another.

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Southern Emancipation/ Pre-Civil War
Re: Southern Emancipation/ Pre-Civil War
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