[rockrr]

The south went to war over The Particular Institution. The north went to war over security. People who had been partners, neighbors, and even kin initiated hostilities against us and declared themselves our enemies. They breached the constitution, the law, and the peace. They stole everything that wasn’t nailed down and promised to steal more.

The set themselves apart from the rest of the union and said “We aim to kill you”.

The reaction from the north was perfectly appropriate, if perhaps understated and tentative. Lincoln approached it like a spat, hoping that cooler heads would prevail. It took him awhile to realize that there would be to sensible talk coming from the southron fire-eaters.

Lincoln did what he could and what he had to do to preserve the union - the whole union.

[Mr. K]

There is nothing in the constitution that says the president is required to “preserve the union”

There were, however, specific guaranties that states could LEAVE the union if it was not working out.

Imagine that the civil war was NOT about the federal government forcing the southern states to give up slavery, imagine it was about forcing the southern states to,... I dunno... buy health insurance.

[Mr. K]

There is nothing in the constitution that says the president is required to “preserve the union”

There were, however, specific guaranties that states could LEAVE the union if it was not working out.

Imagine that the civil war was NOT about the federal government forcing the southern states to give up slavery, imagine it was about forcing the southern states to,... I dunno... buy health insurance.