If my question confused you, wait until you read the exculpatory explanation of slavery being enshrined into the United States Constitution by some guy in post 1376.
Said he: “ . . . from what I’ve read of the constitutional convention we would have lost Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina if the hardline anti-slavery founders had pushed the issue. And the founders were more concerned about a fractured America fighting amongst itself or being influenced or taken over by foreign powers. So they kicked the can down the road.”
I feel as if we are talking past each other. Let me clarify. I think the founders were right, at the time, to put the unification of the country over ending slavery. The biggest fear of the founding fathers who supported the constitution was that the country would not survive under the articles of confederation.
Under the AoC it was feared that the central government was too weak and the states would break off on their own. This would lead to wars between the state’s and meddling and conquests by foreign powers. I think they were absolutely correct on this assumption. See all the Europeans wars and say how often parts of Italy were invaded until they unified. If the country had fallen apart it’s possible that instead of being retired from the US Army I would be retired from the Ohio Army and a veteran of the 32nd and 33rd Ohio Michigan wars.
When I say I wish the founders had ended slavery or put a definitive time frame on it ending(like they did the slave trade) I’m wishing the representatives from South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina had the wisdom and foresight to see that slavery was incompatible with a country who’s foundational premise is “all men are created equal”.