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The fire-eaters only had one concer, The expansion of slavery. That was their only issue.

Actually, no, it wasn't their only issue, they had about five or six.

And by the way -- why shouldn't they have wanted to settle the West like everybody else? Why should they stay east of the Mississippi -- because Abe Lincoln said so?

So Lincoln didn't have a problem with the idea of "second-class citizenship" after all, did he? He must only have been kidding when he expressed compassion for the slaves ..... because he was orating against the people he wanted to make slaves, slaves of his political party.

And by the way -- why shouldn't they have wanted to settle the West like everybody else? Why should they stay east of the Mississippi -- because Abe Lincoln said so?

There was nothing stopping them from settling the west. Tens of thousands of Southerners settled in the west. The pampered slave owners just couldn't take their slaves with them if they wanted to keep them chattel. I guess the poor little spoiled babies were afraid they would break a fingernail of something if they did any manual labor like the rest of the pioneers and settlers.

So Lincoln didn't have a problem with the idea of "second-class citizenship" after all, did he?

Oh boy. You are good at turning logic on it's head. War is peace. Love is hate. Unemployment is a stimulus. And now, limiting slavery creates second class citizens. I nominate you for the 2011 George Orwell Award.

Dude. Look up The Northwest Ordinance. Congress had regulated where slavery could be in the Territories from the very get-go.

Actually, no, it wasn't their only issue, they had about five or six.

On a scale of one to six (with one being "we must expand or perish" six being "that's damn inconvenient" ), where do you think the fire-eaters put the expansion of slavery?