[billbears]

McGuire and Van Cott conclude that the tariff issue was a major factor in North-South tensions. Higher tariffs were "a key plank in the August 1860 Republican party platform. . . . northern politicians overall wanted dramatically higher tariff rates; Southern politicians did not

[Non-Sequitur]

Yes, I've heard it all before from southern supporters of today, but damned little from the southern leaders of the time. You don't suppose it's because tariffs were a very minor issue when compared with slavery, do you?