[r9etb]

The latter gave an imaginary scenario whereby the South gave up on slavery (which, acc'd to the former, they were getting really close to doing anyway)

Pure fantasy.

[Othniel]

Why is it fantasy? Great Britain banned the slave trade in the 19th century. Lee and other Southern leaders freed their own slaves. The importation of new slaves had stopped, IIRC. Guys like Pickett educated their slaves and weren't the Simon Lagrees that some people think of when the notion of slavery is brought up.