“I think you lack an accurate sense of the sequence of events here, so let’s review:”
I don’t disagree with your sequence of events. I don’t deny the part the seceding States played, but I wasn’t trying to address that.
At the beginning of the thread it says “Lincoln was the same sort of tyrant, and personally responsible for the deaths of over 800,000 Americans in a war that was unnecessary and unconstitutional.” I was writing in opposition to statements like that when I wrote “everyone seems to give too much credit or blame to Lincoln when it should be given to the Northern States”. I believe too many credit Lincoln with more power than he had. If he hadn’t had backing, support, and all those volunteers from the Northern States things would have been different.
So, if I understand, your point is that Lincoln was in no sense a "dictator", but rather a constitutional President who lead by the consent & active support of his voters?
Sorry, sir, if I had misunderstood earlier.