In 2011 the States Right debate is certainly is not about slavery, but about the security and future of the individual States and of the Country itself, as opposed to a political agenda to gain favor of certain social and political factions. As with the slaves of 1860, and exslave of 1865, these present day political factions repersent a segiment of political power to be manipulated to the advantage of certain political groups. That doesn't seem to be too hard of a concept make a comparison with and to comprehend. We have seen it before in history now haven't we.
But, I am surprised by the number of educated persons, who do not seem to understand that simple concept. It crawls all over me to hear noted personage in high position, or having some educational, or historical authority which grants them a platform, to say that we must still appoligize for the 'Original Sin' of slavery. If the issue was only about slavery in 1860 the war would not have been fought and a compromise agreement would have been arrived at to make restitution of the slaveowners, or some other venue. It happened in England in the 1830's and there was no reason, except unreasonableness itself, that such an agreemnet could not have been reach in the United States also.
The States Right debate wasn't settled by the surrender of Robert E. Lee in 1865. The only thing that Lee's surrender settled is that the North had a bigger army than the South. In fact Robert E. Lee only lost one battle and that wasn't until April 2nd, 1865, at Fort Greeg at Petersburg. The reason we refight the War for Southern Independence on discussion boards like this one is that it still is a "States Rights" debate that has never been fully settled to the satisfaction of the people of this country and probably never will be. Those of us who do discuss, or in other ways point out the historical significant of that war, are mearly pointing out the thing which will be the cause of the next such war
It was, and still is, the eternal question of the proper limits to the power of a government and who should rightfully should hold that power. It was the debate of the Patriots of 1774, and of Continental Congress against King George III of England. It was the debate of the original 13 States with each other under the Articles of Confederation. It was the debate of the framers of the Constitution and men like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe and Alexander Hamilton. The American Civil War was the most inevitable war that this Country ever fought outside the American Revolution which was in itself a Civil War again over the question of 'States Rights' of those 13 colonies which embodied the right of self determination from England.
The American Civil War was nothing more than an extention of those same debates. Because War after all is nothing more than the ultimate form of political policy welded by those who have the ability to exercise that political power.