And what they have done since they were Republicans back in 1861. Same liberal power hungry bastards then, same liberal power hungry bastards now, and all still from the Northeastern part of the country.
They were never Republicans, always Democrats, always allied with the dominant Democrats in Washington, DC., just as today.
Sure, during the CW itself, many Northern Democrats supported the Union, at least half-heartedly, i.e, Democrat Gen. McClellan.
But that was not the first instinct of New York's globalist Democrats, rather, they wanted to secede too!
They were not Republicans, then or now.