[ggekko]

The real problem is that Lincoln's status as an icon has been built up by a partial falsification and distortion of the historical record by cadre of neo-Marxist historians who worshipped his egalitarian persona rather than his actual accomplishments. Liberal historians have achieved similar "deifications" of FDR and JFK.

The childish dichotomy of "North-good South-Bad" has prevented a clearer understanding of what motivated Southerners to fight with such fury for five years in the bloodiest war in our history. In general, human beings will not endure the privations and miseries of war to make sure their rich neighbors will be allowed to keep their slaves.

What these threads about the Civil War show is that a more nuanced, balanced and accurate perspective about Southern motives and intentions is beginning to emerge in spite of the best efforts of the Lincoln deifiers.

[jlogajan]

The real problem is that Lincoln's status as an icon has been built up by a partial falsification and distortion of the historical record by cadre of neo-Marxist historians who worshipped his egalitarian persona rather than his actual accomplishments.

History is written by the victors. There's not much more to it than that. Jefferson Davis was among the first to attempt to re-write history and sanitize the south's position. Naturally he attempted to suppress the slavery aspect and trumpet the state's rights basis. In the process he had to essentially deny reality of what had been written in all the ordinances of secession, and all the preceeding history of slave/free state maneuvering for power.

In the end, though, the south didn't have a legal case, didn't have a moral case, and didn't have the military might to sustain their confederation of slave owning states. The war ended rightly, with the defeat of slavery and the slave holders.

[jlogajan]

In general, human beings will not endure the privations and miseries of war to make sure their rich neighbors will be allowed to keep their slaves.

In general, regions can count on the populace to fight wars for just about any justification imaginable. Such is the nature of mankind. Southerners claim the war was just because the peasants supported it by fighting. Well, then the northern peasants also proved the northern side was justified by the same argument. In fact the ability to form an army has no bearing on the justness of the cause.