The New Confederacy

[Will Posey]

In my opinion, the causes of division between North and South in the mid 1800s lay deeper than the institution of slavery. There were basic political differences between the two sections, particularly regarding the role of the central government.

With growing migration, and with poor farming practices having depleted the capacity of many farms to produce sufficiently to make a living, many farmers in the South felt the pressure to pull up stakes and move to the new lands in the west.

Those who had slaves naturally wanted to keep them and use them in their new locales. This raised the issue of "slave or no slave" in the territories. The centrists, mostly in the North, were opposed to extending slavery to the territories -not on moral grounds- but because they knew that Southerners would be drawn to areas where slavery was permitted and wield more political power.

So, it was politics, not morality, that drove the anti-slavery movement.
IMHO

However, I see no virtue in seeking a "New Confederacy". I believe those who are so engaged are misguided, but being misguided is one of those rights we as Americans so fervently espouse. I see no value in fighting them, as they will defeat themselves in the end.

[ole]

However, I see no virtue in seeking a "New Confederacy". I believe those who are so engaged are misguided, but being misguided is one of those rights we as Americans so fervently espouse. I see no value in fighting them, as they will defeat themselves in the end.

Amen, Will. However ....

So, it was politics, not morality, that drove the anti-slavery movement. IMHO

It was a lot of things, including politics, morality, prejudice, cultural difference, economic difference, and on and on. There was no single motor to the anti-slavery movement. The anti-slavery and pro-slavery folks had a great many motives for their positions. One of those motives was political power. Most folks, north, south and west, didn't much care one way or another.

Just a thought.
Ole

[matthew mckeon]

The abolitionist movement was active throughout the English speaking world. In reading the new bio of Frederick Douglass, it is interesting to see how money, ideas and people moved from England, Ireland, Canada and the US.
The rhetoric and ideas flowed in unlikely currents. Recently I read Caleb McDaniel's essay on the influence of Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Emancipation movement in Ireland on abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison.

Whatever else you can say about the abolitionists, they were sincere in their detestation of slavery.

However, the movement to limit slavery's expansion into the territories brought in a lot of folks with little interest in abolishing slavery, and a lot of interest in keeping the west open to free labor and farmers, i.e. "free soil, free men, Fremont" I second Ole's post above.

[FSPowers]

There is no way that a "New Confederacy" is going to happen. The issue was decided in April of 1865 and we still deal with the fall out.

While I favor smaller government (I'm a Reagan Conservative) and disagree with about 90% of the liberal position, secession will not work. Especially now while the nation is at war. We need to be more united than ever. (not lockstep, but with respect)