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"The only problem with that is that there are people who say what they mean and mean what they say."

Was the leader of the North such a person?

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,a most sacred right�a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government, may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people, that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the territory as they inhabit. It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines, or old laws; but to break up both, and make new ones." - Abraham Lincoln

Was the leader of the North such a person?

Yes.

It seems to me that I had cautioned you about using Lincoln's words loosely in some earlier thread. I think I said something like, "please don't discuss Lincoln's words ever again, until you have read and understood all of them." Now I think you are using tertiary cliff-notes Lincoln quotes. For example, your wonderful show and tell nugget of fools gold below:

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,a most sacred right�a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government, may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people, that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the territory as they inhabit. It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines, or old laws; but to break up both, and make new ones." - Abraham Lincoln

Please now compare that to the actual quote:

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,-- most sacred right--a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government, may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the teritory as they inhabit. More than this, a majority of any portion of such people may revolutionize, putting down a minority, intermingled with, or near about them, who may oppose their movement. Such minority, was precisely the case, of the tories of our own revolution. It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines, or old laws; but to break up both, and make new ones." A. Lincoln

Kindly note that your "misquote" left out two complete sentences. You didn't happen to tally that in your tally book, Mr Tallyman. That is not cool.

Anyway, please explain what the following part means, "it is the quality of revolutions not to go by old lines........but to break........and make new ones".