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To: procambarus
Maybe, but you're not being honest if you're trying to claim that the North's opposition to slavery (such as it was) was based on concern for the slaves.

I think there were two reasons for Northerners to oppose the spread of slavery. One was moral revulsion of slavery - a view shared by Lincoln and the abolitionists. The second was the fear voiced by other Northerners that slave labor would take away jobs from paying labor in the new states. Lincoln and the abolitionist's opposition was noble and moral. Those who opposed slavery only to protect their own jobs were self-serving and their stance was immoral. Thus, I agree that the North is not completely blameless or pure in their actions or motives.

However after taking all of that into account, anything that the North did pales in comparison to the Southerns who actually held the slaves, broke up slave families separating wife from husband, mother from daught, and kept generations in bondage and who went to war to perpetuate that institution. You can find all the pride you want in those aristocratic and noble gentlemen, but their fair faces and noble words were used to defend actions that were no better than the barbarism practiced today by those with dark complexion and dirty faces in the Middle East.

445 posted on 11/15/2004 9:02:42 AM PST by PMCarey
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To: PMCarey

You surely were taught from the Northern History Books.
The North was JUST as guilty. They STARTED the slavery problem in the first place. And most of the soldiers that fought for the Confederacy didn't own slaves. 3 of MY ancestors, for example. As a matter of fact, the only ancestor that DID was my Great-Great-Great Uncle, U.S. GRANT! :)


461 posted on 11/15/2004 12:51:12 PM PST by TexConfederate1861 (Sic Semper Tyrannis!)
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