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The American Civil War
The American Civil War, sometimes referred to as the "War of Northern Aggression".
There were many causes to the American Civil War, not just the slavery issue as it taught in American schools. In this thread we will discuss things pertaining to the American Civil War.
There were many causes to the American Civil War, not just the slavery issue as it taught in American schools. In this thread we will discuss things pertaining to the American Civil War.
Comments
One lesson I draw from the results of the American Civil War is that to exercise your own rights of freedom (as a state) is not allowed unless the federal government agrees.
History would indeed be different if the North had not forced the South back into the United States. My argument does not look at the future of the country in that regard. My argument is that by forcing the southern states back the North succeeded in cementing the power of the federal over that of the state and that we have suffered because of this ever since.
Actually, I think we should knock the French around a bit and tell them that they WILL speak German as their official language for a while. Those bitches seem to have forgotten who saved their ass. TWICE.
As far as I'm aware, two is still a greater number than one.
They still owe us their thanks for saving their ass more than they have helped us. Ungrateful snooty ass bastards.
Oh, and I'm really sick of the "we saved your ass in WWII" thing. I've used it before, but now I feel childish. Nobody on this board did anything in WWII, and none of us want to return to a foreign policy where we would have to repeat that period in history. Using that line is as stupid as black Americans asking for reparations.
Art I, § 10 of the Constitution:
No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.
No state shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection laws: and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress.
No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.
The states didn't have the right to secede and confederate. They certainly did not have the right to fire on Fort Sumter. They were treasonous rebels that needed to be put down hard.
No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.
That's just what they did. Now, if the states seceded individually and then behaved, they might be on better ground. As I recall, they were not too sure what to do when South Carolina left by itself. When they all started leaving, allying, and then starting the war, that's when they run into problems.
There was a struggle with the central gov't of the Confederacy. The Confederate gov't wanted power. It would have been similar to America under the Articles had it been allowed to continue. Eventually, they would have been weak enough to be slaughtered worse than they actually were.
I, frankly, would have supported the North. And this is coming from a Texan, by the way. If the South had won, I would have been raised a racist. And that is something that makes me shudder!
Should I infer, from what you are saying that the Southern states had the right to succeed but, because they left en mass and formed their own union they were somehow wrong?
As soon as they leave do they not remove themselves from the jurisdiction of the Constitution? I'm not trying to be an ass here and parse words but, it seems to my non-legal eyes and ears that as soon as they leave the union they are no longer bound by its laws.
Lincoln never recognized that any state had the right to secede for any reason. This makes sense, even if you can't find any written prohibition against it. If you recognize the right of one level of government to secede, what's to keep all other levels from seceding? If the CSA had won, how would they have kept Texas from seceding from the CSA? What would have kept counties from seceding, like the Kingdom of Jones tried to do in Mississippi? What then would have kept individual cities from seceding? If a government is going to work, it must have some stability. A government built on the idea of secession is not very stable.