“An easier path back to sanity is to strengthen states’ rights.”
That’s true, but a state’s right to secede is the ultimate right from which all other rights descend. Without that right, a state has no bargaining power.
Perhaps the idea of secession is only considered “unthinkable” because people fear that any move to secede will inevitably lead to another tragic Lincoln War to squash it.
If the federal government just let it happen without bloodshed, the two countries thus formed could theoretically co-exist as neighbors, and even learn from each other’s policy successes and failures.
Really, your idea of strengthening states rights and the idea of secession are not that different. After all, one of the most important state’s rights is….the right to secede.
Exactly. Would it have been so awful had Lincoln not started a bloodbath but instead had simply let the original 7 seceding states go in peace? There would be 3 Democracies north of the Rio Grande instead of 2. So what?
Are you “horrified” that Canada exists? Does it harm the US that not all of the territory north of the Rio Grande is incorporated into one country? Has that impoverished anybody or denied anybody their freedom? Of course not. We trade and do business with Canada and have long had very good relations - we are after all both products of the British Empire. Both speak English, have the common law, have a free market, are democratic, believe in individual rights, etc etc.
There is no reason to think it would have been any different with the CSA vis a vis the USA. They could have gotten along, done business with each other and had good relations. In fact, the credible threat of secession by the states would act as a very effective brake on the power of the federal government to be oppressive or abusive toward some states in favor of others or the special interests in others.
Of course, the Federal government in 1861 did let it happen without bloodshed, but Democrat Fire Eaters insisted on provoking war, then started, declared, invaded and waged war in every Union state they could reach.
We can only guess whether similar events would play out again.
Amen