[Ditto]

I believe the Confederacy as it existed prior to Lincoln's provoking the secession of the Upper South by resisting the secession of the Lower South occupied nothing close to 40% of the territory of the U.S.

Whatever. If it was only 2%, would that be ok to just forget about?

As a matter of fact, I suspect the Lower South, by itself, could not have made a go of it, and would eventually have sued for re admittance to the Union. Without a war. When the Upper South refused to secede, Lincoln won a great victory, which he then proceeded to throw away.

He threw it away when Davis fired on Sumter? As you said, the lower south itself was a very economically and politically shaky confederation. Davis is the guy who needed a war to move the upper south to his side. Should Lincoln's response have been to back down from the illegitimate regime in the lower south, by abandoning its soldiers, surrendering property and turning its cheek when the flag was fired upon?

Is that what you would do as President today?

What was and is the government's moral, legal and Constitutional duty when faced with open insurrection?

[aristeides]

If I had been president, I would have followed Seward's advice. And there would have been no war.

[stand watie]

if i were POTUS for a day, i'd ENCOURAGE new england, CA,OR,WA & NY to secede & happily wave goodbye/good riddence to them from the rest of the country.

the USA would be MUCH better off w/o all those damnyankees & LIBs.<P.free dixie,sw