Why? Most people - as in the overwhelming majority - did not own slaves. The issue of slavery hardly touched them. What did touch them directly however were tariff and taxation policies which sucked money out of their wallets and lined the pockets of Northern industrialists.
I'll repeat, if you don't believe it was about slavery, then post an affirmation that you agree with every point made in these declarations.
What are you driving at here? Do I believe the Northern states violated the Fugitive Slave Clause of the US Constitution? Yes, I do. If you want something else be specific.
Just wow. Would you have rescued the slaves if you were in a position to do so?
What do you mean "just wow"? They plainly did violate the fugitive slave clause of the US Constitution. What would I have done had I lived in the mid 19th century? I have no way of knowing that. I would have a very different worldview had I been born and raised in that time. We are all products of our time and place. We don't pop out of the womb with brains full of knowledge. What we are taught, those around us, what the world is like, what information and influences we have shape all of us.
positive legislation, prohibiting its existence or extension therein.
Yes, they were against THE SPREAD of slavery to new territories. They were not against the EXISTENCE of slavery where it already existed. Do I need to post all the quotes from Lincoln about this? He said it many times. Publicly. So did just about every other Republican who was around then.
That's one reason why. Not everyone in the South supported slavery, and wouldn't have been on board for going to war to defend it.
It was the same thing in the North where not everyone supported abolition - there, I've admitted it again - and President Lincoln had to talk from both sides of his mouth.
What are you driving at here?
I was clear. If you don't believe it was about slavery, then post an affirmation that you agree with every point made in these declarations.
They plainly did violate the fugitive slave clause of the US Constitution. What would I have done had I lived in the mid 19th century? I have no way of knowing that.
That's fair enough, but with your worldview now, would you have returned the slaves to their "owners"?
This should make you appreciate what the abolitionists in the South had to deal with, those whom you say violated the Constitution on returning slaves.
Yes, they had good guys in the South who took great risks to free slaves. I admit that too. Why you'd choose to associate with the confederates over them is beyond me.
Yes, they were against THE SPREAD of slavery to new territories.
prohibiting its existence or extension therein
Do I need to post all the quotes from Lincoln about this? He said it many times. Publicly. So did just about every other Republican who was around then.
I've already answered that with Frederick Douglas's oration here, but if you feel the need to waste more bandwidth at FR, then go ahead.