[eno_]

The South would not be in the Union -=- and the nation would be poorer for that fact.

Why is that certain? Economic ties would have drawn the South back toward some form of free trade zone or federation. And once slavery was gone, there would be no barrier to those states being readmitted to the U.S.

[churchillbuff]

And once slavery was gone, there would be no barrier to those states being readmitted to the U.S.

If secession was a good thing, why would you care whether the South came back? Lincoln didn't want the South to leave, and he was right.