[Cleburne]

If you read the writings and letters of Confederate soldiers you will find they were largely fighting for the same thing: defense of their homes. I could go and dig up some, but don't want to right ow so take my word for it:) Now, to be fair, the war was heavily edged on by nutcase slavery advocates, just as Northern South-haters edged it on. But this was not why most soldiers fought. This was not why most of the states left the Union. They were appalled at the thought of Northern invaders. Had the north handled the situation without the use of force, not only would racial relations be better today, but much bloodeshed woud have been spared, and all the nagative afteraffects would never have coem to haunt us.

Click on my profile for some further information on a defender of the SOuth who was not interested in slavery-well, that's not the best wording-he bacame interested in slavery in a novel way for a Southerner.

[JD86]

You are preaching to the choir...but I still appreciate it...:) One of the clearest examples of this was a conversation between a Union soldier and a Confederate soldier just before the end of the war. I am paraphrasing the Union soldier...he asked the Confederate why they continued to fight, they were sick, and hungry, and threadbare...yet they fought on..why? The Confederate soldier said..and I quote "because this is our land and you're on it."

[antienvironmentalist]

had the north handled the situation without the use of force, not only would racial relations be better today, but much bloodshed would have been spared

This is at best 20/20 hind sight and at worst 20/2000 hindsight. Lincoln did not know that it would be possible to handle the situation without an invasion,(look at what happened to Sumner by your politician whose name escapes me, how could we deal with this kind of people without war) How did we know that our country would not have completley fallen apart if we took the time for non violent negotiations. Desperate times call for desperate measures and you can't blame Lincold for feeling that the situation could not get much more desperate.

[#3Fan]

Had the north handled the situation without the use of force, not only would racial relations be better today, but much bloodeshed woud have been spared, and all the nagative afteraffects would never have coem to haunt us.

Nah, countries with big armies dominated the 19th century. Our union had to be preserved.