However, the Constitution was ratified, the laws were established, and the sovereign states determined that slavery was a permissible economic system. Once so established, it becomes very problematic for an outside to say "Thou shalt change." Slaves were not citizens. They had no say. I don't defend it, but as a matter of law and government, there it is.
Lincoln freed the slaves by using the military power of a central government to impose his will on free citizens who wanted to be left alone. As a Conservative, I cannot defend such a use of government.
Also, as a Conservative, I cannot defend slavery as an institution. But I can defend the Constitution and the laws, and the power of citizens to enact legislative changes. Many states which allowed slavery in the 18th century elected to abolish slavery in the first half of the 19th century. A good system of laws allowed that peaceful outcome. Lincoln sought another way.
“Lincoln freed the slaves by using the military power of a central government to impose his will on free citizens who wanted to be left alone.”
Lincoln didn’t start a war to end slavery, nor did he free the slaves. Lincoln started a war to assert HIS whim over the states, and said he didn’t care about slavery, he fought only to “preserve the union.” The Lincoln’s war on slavery is B.S. that people have been taught in retrospect because our education system has it’s part in the guilt America and preach democracy, not Republicanism.
Many people of the time did not consider blacks to be human, in retrospect we can feel bad for it, but that’s enthocentrism. Yep, it was wrong, but not according to the standards of the time, and not understood to everyone at the time. The blacks had made slaves of one another for time immemorial, and still do (in Africa). Slavery is wrong, but all we’ve done is change slavery of blacks to slavery of all to the Federal government.
Thanks, in large part, to Lincoln.