[Non-Sequitur]

slavery was already on the road down. slave importation had already been stopped, so the only source of new slaves were those being born. it wouldn't have been very long before plantation owners would have realised that slaves were no longer worth their trouble.

Based on census data available the slave population was growing at healty clip, as fast as the white population in the South. Demand for slaves was high, prices were high, and there was no substitute for slave labor available. Doesn't sound like slaves were trouble for their owners to me. More like the pillar of Southern society and wealth.

if licoln had offered (but not forced) to buy all the slaves, at fair market value, war would've been avoided, and even all that expense of buying all the slaves would have been cheaper than paying for the war.

Such offers were make by Lincoln during the rebellion, and were ignored by the South. if licoln had offered (but not forced) to buy all the slaves, at fair market value, war would've been avoided, and even all that expense of buying all the slaves would have been cheaper than paying for the war.

[stainlessbanner]

Such offers were make by Lincoln during the rebellion

Licoln refused negotiation with S.C. delegates prior to Ft. Sumter. There were no offers.