[4CJ]

Lincoln was playing tiddlywinks? Lincoln exercised war powers - Mr. Madison held a different view as to his authority:

The powers delegated by this constitution, are appropriated to the departments to which they are respectively distributed: so that the legislative department shall never exercise the powers vested in the executive or judicial; nor the executive exercise the powers vested in the legislative or judicial; nor the judicial exercise the powers vested in the legislative or executive departments.

[davidjquackenbush]

I really don't understand why you expect me to accept that suppressing a rebellion is the constitutional equivalent of waging war. Please develop your point a bit, so I can see if I am missing something.