Yeah, and ain't it great. Since we will never know how the world would have been with a different outcome it's not possible to say it was a good thing.
Not with any certainty. But we can look around the world and see where the break-up of larger countries into squabbling smaller governments and elites has produced catastrophes. And where once countries give in to break away factions they find it hard to ever return to peace, order, and prosperity. Or where the loss of unity led to subjugation by foreign powers. The founders of the republic and Lincoln's own generation could look to Latin America, Eastern Europe and other parts of the world to see where such things had happened. So they weren't completely in the dark about such things any more than we are.
Of course there is another side to such things -- large nations can be less subject to popular control, and more apt to impose their will on smaller groups. But some people are so blinded by ideology that they missed what the Framers and Lincoln saw -- that disunity wasn't necessarily freedom, but could be the end of freedom. Let any group break away at its own demand for any reason or none and repudiate its share of national obligations, and the result will be chaos, bloodshed, and perhaps tyranny. Moreover, smaller governmental units often aren't any more tolerant of minority rights than larger units are, as Madison and others knew.
He will always be one of the greatest US Presidents because he managed not to be the last US President
Good Presidents don't ignore the constitution and cause the death of at least 600,000 people for a dubious concept.
I doubt most historians or Americans would put all the blame on Lincoln. The secessionists were certainly willing to go to war to get what they wanted. Moreover, the war came to be fought for liberation of the slaves and that was hardly a "dubious concept," though I suppose one could apply such a description to the idea of secession at will or the vision of a slaveowners' republic.
The Civil War has been over for a good long time. Without neglecting its tragedy and horror, we ought to be able to see things in perspective by now and do without cardboard cut-out saints and villains.
Yep, they maintained the right to leave. I'm willing to go to war for my rights as well. They could have simply been left alone.
Moreover, the war came to be fought for liberation of the slaves and that was hardly a "dubious concept,"
It more than dubious that many fought to liberate the slaves. Or keep them.
though I suppose one could apply such a description to the idea of secession at will or the vision of a slaveowners' republic.
They came voluntarily and were of the opinion that they could leave the same way. A look at the State constitutions and statements when they joined the union leaves little doubt of that.
The Civil War has been over for a good long time. Without neglecting its tragedy and horror, we ought to be able to see things in perspective by now and do without cardboard cut-out saints and villains.
I see none of what you describe. There are no saints, but there are villians aplenty. They aren't cardboard to me. Liberty is still my main issue. Today, we are as surely enslaved as many were in that century. It's a matter of degree.
(BTW, it wasn't a civil war.)