[rockrr]

I know your post was to <1/1,000,000th% but I'm inclined to offer my .02 as well.

"But even so, do you think that is justification for state-sponsored murder, destruction, dislocation, and persecution of millions of innocents?"

So much dishonesty in one sentence. What was "justified" was one segment of the union responding to another segment of the union instigating, initiating, and waging war against their fellow countrymen. There was plenty of racism to go around and I don't see that as a factor.

If not, do you still hold the smug opinion that northern armies were the heroes...

I haven't seen any posted hold that opinion, smugly or otherwise. The war was a bloody, ugly, violent affair. There were lots of villains and heroes on both sides.

[soakncider]

Perhaps I made too many assumptions, but <1/1,000,000th% appeared to use Stephens’ racism as justification for the northerners’ campaign of total war against the South.