Abolitionist writer Lysander Spooner, reflecting on the outcome of the US Civil War
(media.kotakuinaction2.win)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (85)
sorted by:
There was no reason the South shouldn't have been able to withdraw from the union under the basic tenets that formed the foundation of the country. The Declaration of Independence clearly states that governments are formed by men, and when men no longer feel that their government is serving their needs they are free to leave and start a new one.
To say that they didn't mean that to apply to the United States as well is to completely lack understanding of the frame of mind of the founders.
Unfortunately, slavery is such a morally repugnant institution that we have allowed the issue to be clouded by the fact that the North ended it. Saying that the North was the right side in the Civil War is basically an ends justify the means argument and wouldn't be any different then saying it's okay to deny due process to a particularly offensive criminal.
and thats why jefferson was never tried for treason...
Yes, it would have been a trial on the legality of succession, and not a question the north wanted answered. If he was found innocent that would have meant they just spent the last 4 years killing people and ravaging the South without any legal justification.
Interestingly, after he was held without bail for 2 years, a bunch of prominent Northern businessmen pooled their money to bail him out; people who didn't share any of his beliefs but felt that he was being denied due process and that was wrong. I have often said that in the past we were a more principled people, and that sort of thing demonstrates it.
pretty decent summary of the war tbh