But what gets me is how people make out that those who were for slavery -- sometimes very much in favor of slavery -- or indifferent to it were actually against slavery in the fullness of time because they or their children or grandchildren would "eventually" have abolished slavery.
Abolitionists and other opponents of slavery or its expansion, by contrast, get all the blame for what happened -- for making trouble and stirring things up. So we get told that Lincoln prolonged the existence of some form of slavery that those kindly Southerners would have done away with.
But really, things like slavery or segregation don't end on their own. Somebody has to take a stand against them to get things started. Whatever faults Lincoln or the abolitionists or the radical Republicans may have had they deserve more respect than they get from some people.
also, i believe that there's something in The Bible about removing the LOG from you eye before trying to remove the splinter from another person's eye.
the unvarnished truth is that the southland NOW is a HALF-century or more ahead in attaining the goal of a "colorblind society", when compared to ANY northern state. for example, BOSTON,MA, this instant (according to the SCLC), has more segregated/one-race schools than AL, GA & MS, combined. further the National Headquarters of the KKK is in OHIO (we southrons are really glad of that!).
free dixie,sw
Actually, let's suppose a bit further. If the South had won, would that really have been the end of it? I seriously doubt it. Much of the underlying cause of the war had more to do with westward expansion, and the question of whether new states and territories would be "free" or "slave" states.
A victory for the South would not have done much to stop westward expansion by either North or South, and it would undoubtedly have sharpened the conflicts over territories.
Overall, I think that even if the North had acquiesced to secession, the war would probably have started anyway, in the west. And even if the South had won, the war would have begun anew, in the west.