[r9etb]

the fact that it became politically impossible to do so after the war is beside the point.

It's no more beside the point than you bringing the matter up in the first place. It has nothing to do with the historical fact that the Sectional Crises that led up to and caused the Civil War were driven by the South's desire to expand slavery into the western territories and states, and the North's desire to limit the spread of slavery.

[stand watie]

i'll agree with your position in this post provided you change " north" to "abolitionists".

most scholars would tell you that the VAST majority of northerners cared NOTHING about slavery, the plight of the slaves OR the expansion of slavery in 1860 AND they certainly would NOT have prosecuted a war (that KILLED a MILLION people) to hasten the end of a dying institution.

the populus of the north WAS willing to fight a war to "preserve the union".

free dixie,sw