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You claim to believe that the slave states were on the verge of becoming some economic superpower, yet you don't believe that they thought that way themselves -- that they wanted to expand slavery, and felt that it was their right, and resented and attacked any attempt to block the expansion of slavery into the territories?

Slaveowners saw the slave system as a success. They felt it should be - deserved to be - spread westward (and southwestward). They saw that Republican majorities in Congress would block that expansion, and that was one reason why they wanted secession. They also understood that there were other ways - short of constitutional amendments - that a Republican government could make life harder for slaveowners.

What would the courts look like after years of Republicans in the White House? What would happen to gag rules in Congress and bans on sending abolitionist literature through the mails? What would happen to slavery in the District of Columbia? Republican control of Congress and the White House could mean that compensated abolition plans would be discussed and perhaps even passed.

You didn't need a constitutional amendment to make things hot for the slaveowners -- not as they saw it themselves, anyway. Southern Democrats had been an important power in US government before Lincoln. They knew how to wield power and the knew what it would be like if they lost power to non-slaveowners and those who weren't sympathetic to the interests and wishes of slaveowners.

You claim to believe that the slave states were on the verge of becoming some economic superpower, yet you don't believe that they thought that way themselves

What did I say that left you with that impression? It sounds like nothing I said. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the existing powers in the South realized what would happen if they gained independence and could trade directly with Europe. You'd have to be a fool not to see it. Even the Northern Newspapers were lamenting the shift in economic fortunes that would occur.

Slaveowners saw the slave system as a success. They felt it should be - deserved to be - spread westward (and southwestward).

So now *you* are claiming to know what the Southerners were thinking? I surmise that their position was that this constitutionally legal (and constitutionally protected) institution cannot legitimately be restricted, which is a legal argument that actually makes more sense then the one put forth in it's place; That congress has the power to block a legal practice protected by the Constitution.

I may not agree with a law, but i'm not going to lie about what it's purpose or intent is.

They saw that Republican majorities in Congress would block that expansion, and that was one reason why they wanted secession.

Slavery was not going to spread westward. I've posted the maps of cotton growing in modern times, and there was no practical means of making cotton or tobacco plantations west of where they already existed. All of this talk about "slavery spreading westward" was just a political con job to get more states into the New York led coalition of power. Did you know the "Free Soil" party was headquartered in New York? Funny that.

They also understood that there were other ways - short of constitutional amendments - that a Republican government could make life harder for slaveowners.

Similar to another racially obsessed Liberal Lawyer from Illinois who became President.

So basically you are saying that such a government would do everything within it's power to deliberately undermine their interests? So their concerns were in fact reasonable in your opinion?