“Do states have the legal right to secede?”
My answer is Absolutely!
The whole premise of our “civil war” can be argued forever and we would still not come to a good conclusion. Maybe I’m harsh on him because of the emotion involved in losing over half a MILLION of our best (both sides) from that generation. It was such a waste of life!
Up until about that time in history, no other nation (well maybe Britain) had thought of slavery as morally wrong. Folks are quick to point the finger at the US, but fail to mention Muslim nations, Portugal, Spain, China, Japan, Turkey and almost all of the other Empires in history who had us beat by a long shot in this department.
I concur with everything you said, which is why I hesitate blaming him for the Civil War. What I can be harsh on him for was the fact that he was in favor of allowing slavery to expand into the new territories. But even if his position on slavery had been reversed, the Civil War would have proceeded along. The divide on the issue was not going to be resolved without the conflict. Thus he was screwed no matter what he did or believed in. Truly a good example of the incredibly burdensome responsibilities that a President often times faces. Which is why electing a President should not be taken lightly.