Damn right.
1862 slavery became a big issue for the north and Lincoln and to be honest Lincoln played it smart by doing what he did he knew Britain, France and Spain would not join the south.
Had those contries come to the south then we would have a different outcome but then again so many instances would have.
I firmly think that if Jackson my favourite had not died then Leee would not have lost at Gettysburg
Should have freed them and sent them north and let the north do what they wanted with them, send them back or give them freedom
They couldn’t send them north. Thy northern states didn’t want them. Many northern states had laws against “Negros” moving into the state.
Here is a good article about the northern states’ “Black Codes”.
http://www.slavenorth.com/exclusion.htm
I very much agree with your comment on how Lincoln played the foreign nations and the Northern citizen. At the beginning he knew Northerners would not fight to end slavery so he hedged, but he hinted to Great Britain that it was about slavery, which the average citizen in Great Britain abhorred.
I also agree that, with Jackson, Lee could’ve won at Gettysburg. Still he could not win as long as Lincoln, the President in search of a general, would not give up. Grant was just around the corner.