Replies

Here's a concept for you ...

In a truly free society, the right of secession is inherent!

The Constitution was ratified (approved or agreed upon) by the individual states, and while it was agreed to, its compact didn't alter the State's rights. Leave aside anything added to the Bill of Rights after the War of Northern Aggression, and deal only with what was in place in 1860. If we were truly a "free society" then the South had the inherent right of secession! I don't believe that when the Constitution's framers signed the document, they were signing away any of their rights or liberties they fought so hard for. They did it to establish a credible form of government, to compete on the world's stage. However, Lincoln was a proponent of a strong central government which goes against the fundamentals of liberty. It becomes an instrument where the few dictate to the many. This is in clear contradiction to the principles of liberty.

Slavery was a moot issue, the Northern industry had profited from slavery as well, so it was really disingenuous of Lincoln to use it as a foundation for his war. Had the South have won, slavery would've died out anyway.

But then it all comes down to this ... who ever wins, makes the rules. Your assertion that the Supreme Court ruled the Southern States secession was illegal, is only common sense when you think about it. What were they going to say " Oops ... we f**ked up!" They are the interpreters of the Constitution, and we all know that interpretation does not always contain the original intent of its founders! Interpretation is subject to human frailty (predjudice) and opinion. So by their ruling they admitted that we do not live in a truly free society.

When Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg address " Our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal ..." He was really saying that what he was doing was NOT engaging in the original intent. For liberty means freedom from onerous constraint of the power of another!

In a truly free society, the right of secession is inherent!

Next time I would get it in writing.

...so it was really disingenuous of Lincoln to use it as a foundation for his war.

Lincoln did not make it a foundation of the war well after it began. Rather it was the south which made defense of slavery the cornerstone for their reasons for secession.

Had the South have won, slavery would've died out anyway.

I have no doubt that had the south won slavery would have died out eventually. But what moral justification is there for 20 or 40 or 60 or more years of slavery and what evidence is there that the lot of the ex-slaves would have been any better had it died a natural death?

As for the Supreme Court, I would ask what better alternative do you suggest? The need for someone to interpret the Constitution is there. Who else other than the Supreme Court?