“I think it started out as a wrist slapping. It ended up being a war of conquest.”
You are wrong. The North fought from the beginning to force the South back in. They may have thought it would be easy, but nevertheless easy conquest is conquest.
For it to have been a slap on the wrist the North would have fought to be paid back for Sumter with possibly a bit extra for the trouble. Rejoining the u ion would not have played a part. In reality the union was the whole thing and Sumter only used to make the other guys look like they started it. Again, though, the thing the South started was not the war we got. Which was a war of conquest.
For it to have been a slap on the wrist the North would have fought to be paid back for Sumter with possibly a bit extra for the trouble. Rejoining the u ion would not have played a part. In reality the union was the whole thing and Sumter only used to make the other guys look like they started it. Again, though, the thing the South started was not the war we got. Which was a war of conquest.
That is a naive sort of equality. When a man punches you in the nose, you are seldom content to merely punch him back in the nose. At that point, he has made you mad, and your intent is to beat him down. That is just human nature.