Actually, Marx explained at great length that the American CW was about slavery, and that the idea that it was a war of free trade vs. protectionism was originated by London salons. He gave the example of the American sugar industry, based in the South but very dependent on high tariffs to keep cheaper imports out.
You are quite right. I don’t know where I got that recollection, but it was obviously wrong.
Here’s a Marxist article from October, ‘61.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1861/10/25.htm
With some minor quibbbles, such as his minimization of the number of slaveholders, it’s a quite accurate summation of the events leading up to the war. Which means I largely agree with Karl.
I hate it when that happens.
BTW, I haven’t looked into his more doctrinal type writings recently, but if this article is typical the guy was a hell of a writer.
In actual fact, the tariff issue tended to unite the NW with the South (both mainly agricultural regions) against the NE. This allowed the South to dominate national politics for decades before the War.
Then the South very foolishly alienated their otherwise natural allies in the NW by insisting they join them in imposing national policies that would encourage spread of slavery into all territories, if necessary against the wishes of the inhabitants of those territories.
IOW, the South got cocky, underestimated the opposition, and eventually got clobbered for doing so.
He gave the example of the American sugar industry, based in the South but very dependent on high tariffs to keep cheaper imports out.
Amazing how certain things are eternal, regardless of how idiotic they are, isn't it?