A rather idiotic suggestion, given the times. There were 15 slave states. If they had not ratified it would have taken 31 states voting to ratify. Do the math.
“A rather idiotic suggestion, given the times. There were 15 slave states. If they had not ratified it would have taken 31 states voting to ratify. Do the math.”
In other words, the northern states did not have the votes.
Did not have the votes to peacefully amend the constitution.
Did not have the votes to peacefully overthrow the slavery provisions that the northern states earlier enshrined in the US constitution.
And lacking the votes, northern states did the next best thing - took up an army to overthrow the constitution’s slavery provisions, often popularized “as He died to make men holy let us die to make men free.”
Northern states taking up an army to overthrow the US constitution had an added benefit - the opportunity to destroy - kill you might say - economic and political rivals in the south.
A point I make often. Slavery could not have been legally abolished if the states were allowed to vote on the issue without guns pointed at their heads. Lincoln got around that constitutional challenge by pointing guns at their heads and demanding they vote as they were commanded to vote.