Had you lived during the Civil War, where would you have stood?

[Aratus]

i would have been a unionist and would have tried to prevent
the ultimate rupture, knowing that the war was about to be
long and bloody. i would have tried to negotiate with all sides.

 

[MelissaWV]

None of the above.

I'd probably be in Europe, actually... the childless wife of some aristocrat who was fathering a brood with his mistress.

 

[sratiug]

For the life of me I will never understand people's obsession with this topic. It's not like people who wave a confederate flag are any more likely to vote for Ron Paul. I've lived around confederates all my life. I've heard all of the arguments, good, bad and just retarded. My HS history teacher sympathized with the south and was probably one of the least informed teachers I've ever had. And on the other hand I've known confederates who were as articulate as any ivy league intellectual. I'm sure I'll never convince any hard core confederate of my position and I'm certain I'll never be convinced of theirs either and I'm at peace with that.

Regards,

John M. Drake

Because this is the period when the constitution was torn apart.

Why would you fight to continue slavery in the Union and destroy the South? Why not let the South secede and free your own slaves before invading another country for financial gain?

 

[klamath]

Because this is the period when the constitution was torn apart.

Why would you fight to continue slavery in the Union and destroy the South? Why not let the South secede and free your own slaves before invading another country for financial gain?

The constitution was torn apart from the begining because it endorsed the abomination of slavery to begin with. The hypocrasy the founders set in the constitution bore fruit in the form of the war.

 

[Aratus]

the divided nature of thomas jefferson's soul became our civil war... earlier the U.K
had puritan & cavilier clash! http://www.cwu.edu/~robinsos/ppages/resources/Costume_History/cavalier.htm

 

[MelissaWV]

You know, actually, since this is all hypothetical I'd like to change my response. My response is that I would have the precognition to realize that, in the future, people would debate the Civil War ad nauseum on this magical place called the internet (like everyone sending telegraphs at the same time). I would realize that doing anything is futile, but doing nothing is unforgivable, and that there is really nothing to do but contract typhoid or be mauled by a bear on the Oregon Trail (I remember that game), or perhaps to marry into the peaceful, noble Indian tribes (except not all of them were peaceful, but I'd have to trust my luck)... so I'd probably off myself.

 

[Aratus]

luv, ...if timetravel exists, and one can go back in time, if the walls of old senate hall in d.c heard ALL of
the pivotal arguments just before the war breaks out and given that we of the 20th and 21st century
are lesser practitioners of the fine art of rhetoric by comparison to departed they, i do feel anyone with
a premonition would be ignored! to not be part of the war you have to go up into the hills totally away
from civilization. away from the draft armies & bounty jumpers etc and the massive invading armies N & S...

 

[sratiug]

The constitution was torn apart from the begining because it endorsed the abomination of slavery to begin with. The hypocrasy the founders set in the constitution bore fruit in the form of the war.

You believe the Union fought to end slavery in the South even though slavery was perfectly legal in the Union? That is completely illogical and did not happen. The war was about money and power over others, white and black. The Union fought on the side of slavery.

 

[brandon]

I would have stood with Lysander Spooner

 

[Aratus]

if ultimately high, low and intermediate tariff quarrels escallated up underneath our social turmoil...

 

[pcosmar]

It is hard to say.
Had I been alive during that time, the information available would have been quite limited.
There was a crackdown of journalists. Opposition was violently crushed.
It is hard to say where I would have stood, it would depend on what information was available to me.

Givin' what I know today, This Yankee would have sided with the Confederates.

 

[klamath]

You believe the Union fought to end slavery in the South even though slavery was perfectly legal in the Union? That is completely illogical and did not happen. The war was about money and power over others, white and black. The Union fought on the side of slavery.

Whatever.

 

[JeNNiF00F00]

Slavery never ended. We all became slaves under the Union. I would have fought for the confederacy then, and would fight for it today.

 

[Todd]

How about....no one really knows because time period has a lot to do with culture and thought processs. I honestly think I might have been a confederate....but that's only based on what I know now.

 

[sratiug]

Whatever.

Whatever my ass. Slavery was legal in the Union when they invaded the South. Do you deny this basic fact of history?

 

[klamath]

Whatever my ass. Slavery was legal in the Union when they invaded the South. Do you deny this basic fact of history?

You assume you are talking to someone that just read and accepted the history the schools put out.
I spent my teenage years thinking it would have been glorious to have died breaking the union lines at Gettysburg with general Amisted all for the glory of states rights.
How ever not matter how I read and reread history slavery was the sparking issue. Dispite how many times I read and reread history it was the south that took it to war with very little time for negotiations. Once you appeal it to the war Gods it is the war gods decision to make. This by the way in what was stated by Lt general James Longstreet.

 

[sratiug]

You assume you are talking to someone that just read and accepted the history the schools put out.
I spent my teenage years thinking it would have been glorious to have died breaking the union lines at Gettysburg with general Amisted all for the glory of states rights.
How ever not matter how I read and reread history slavery was the sparking issue. Dispite how many times I read and reread history it was the south that took it to war with very little time for negotiations. Once you appeal it to the war Gods it is the war gods decision to make. This by the way in what was stated by Lt general James Longstreet.

The Union invaded the South. [edit]Was that a yes or a no?

 

[jmdrake]

Because this is the period when the constitution was torn apart.

I take it you've never heard of the Whiskey rebellion or the first or second bank of the U.S.

Why would you fight to continue slavery in the Union and destroy the South? Why not let the South secede and free your own slaves before invading another country for financial gain?

Had the south not seceded Lincoln would have probably gone with compensated emancipation. He tried to do that with the border states that didn't secede but they rejected his offer. I know that doesn't fit in with the "Lincoln = satan" view that many here hold, but it is the truth.

But of course you, and everyone else, will ignore my real point. Most "confederates" voted for George W. Bush and his dad. So "winning" that argument today does nothing to advance the Ron Paul cause. (Ron Paul said slavery was a mistake that helped lead to the civil war by the way). You want to win new Ron Paul voters? Help people understand that 9/11 was a hoax. I've seen people give Ron Paul a second look after understanding this.

That said, I'm glad the mods finally decided to move this to off topic. There have been enough civil war threads in "general politics" already.

 

[jmdrake]

Whatever my ass. Slavery was legal in the Union when they invaded the South. Do you deny this basic fact of history?

Straw man. Slavery was legal in the border states. (Slave states which chose not to secede). And Lincoln attempted compensated emancipation in those states. Slavery was unfortunately protected by the U.S. constitution. The only way to change that was through an amendment. Many southern states felt that if slavery was not allowed to expand to the new territories they would have eventually been outvoted.

Yes tariffs were also an issue. Had the south seceded when Jackson was president history would have been quite different. But they didn't.

 

[JoshLowry]

You assume you are talking to someone that just read and accepted the history the schools put out.
I spent my teenage years thinking it would have been glorious to have died breaking the union lines at Gettysburg with general Amisted all for the glory of states rights.
How ever not matter how I read and reread history slavery was the sparking issue. Dispite how many times I read and reread history it was the south that took it to war with very little time for negotiations. Once you appeal it to the war Gods it is the war gods decision to make. This by the way in what was stated by Lt general James Longstreet.

http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-American-History/dp/0895260476#reader_0895260476

By Thomas E. Woods.

Click there and then type in the search box minus the quotes "war fought to free slaves?" Click on the 3rd result which should be page 65. Keep reading through page 66 to get Lincoln's view of blacks.

How was every other country able to get rid of slavery without a civil war? More of a propaganda talking point after the war to make the federal government look good?