[Mark in the Old South]

I do not see how these two statements are in disagreement:

My statement: "..if the offer had been made mid war, there may have been a different outcome."

Your response: "Can't agree, once the die was cast the North could not end the war by anything other than victory or defeat."

My statement indicates the (by no means certain) victory for the South and so does yours or did you slip in the words "or defeat" to confuse me? :-)

[norton]

maybe I misread your statement, looks to me like you indicated that had the South offered to end slavery in '62 the war would have ended...
My belief is that nothing would end the war except for capitulation by one side or the other.
Also, at 'mid-war' the South was looking pretty good on the battle field and yielding anything would not be on the table.