[spacecowboynj]

You missed just about every pertinent point in this debate, foremost of which is that the NORTH supported slavery. Four Northern states were slave states. Additionally, virtually all the states supported returning escaped slaves to their owners (I think Lincoln even stood up for this but I'll have to check). Secondly, the North attacked the South at Ft. Sumpter and "jumpstarted" the war (even by Lincoln's own admission!). As for your desire to lock up any editors today, no matter how liberal or nutty, I most certainly oppose you on that. You and Lincoln would probably have gotten along just fine though:

With Congress not in session until July, Lincoln assumed all powers not delegated in the Constitution, including the power to suspend habeas corpus. In 1861, Lincoln had already suspended civil law in territories where resistance to the North's military power would be dangerous. In 1862, when copperhead democrats began criticizing Lincoln's violation of the Constitution, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus throughout the nation and had many copperhead democrats arrested under military authority because he felt that the State Courts in the north west would not convict war protesters such as the copperheads. He proclaimed that all persons who discouraged enlistments or engaged in disloyal practices would come under Martial Law.

Among the 13,000 people arrested under martial law was a Maryland Secessionist, John Merryman. Immediately, Hon. Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States issued a writ of habeas corpus commanding the military to bring Merryman before him. The military refused to follow the writ. Justice Taney, in Ex parte MERRYMAN, then ruled the suspension of habeas corpus unconstitutional because the writ could not be suspended without an Act of Congress. President Lincoln and the military ignored Justice Taney's ruling.

http://www.civil-liberties.com/pages/did_lincoln.htm

[justshutupandtakeit]

Presumably you can show us all where I claimed the Union fought over slavery? It is NOT at all what I have said EVER. So this means your snide nonsense is irrelevant at best.

And NO Northern states did not return slaves without federal coercion under the Fugitive Slave Act which was the Law of the Land. In FACT, there were riots caused by the capture and removal of slaves back to their masters. Where do you come up with this crap? It only shows complete ignorance of history.

"Secondly, the North attacked the South at Ft. Sumpter and "jumpstarted" the war (even by Lincoln's own admission!)." So Edmund Ruffin was a Yankee agent?

Lincoln acted as needed and I would indeed have "gotten along fine..." with him.

[Ditto]

Four Northern states were slave states.

Really? Which slave states were "Northern?"

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Secondly, the North attacked the South at Ft. Sumpter

Really? And here I'd always read that it was the Yankees inside the fort and the south starting the shooting at them.

[Ditto]

Justice Taney, in Ex parte MERRYMAN, then ruled the suspension of habeas corpus unconstitutional because the writ could not be suspended without an Act of Congress. President Lincoln and the military ignored Justice Taney's ruling.

And when Congress returned for the special session Lincoln had called, they approved of all of his actions including suspension of the writ and noted that under the Militia Act of 1792, Lincoln was not only entitled, but obligated to take those actions to defend the nation.