• themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    I answered that question. They wanted to secede because the federal government wasn’t enforcing federal law, specifically the escaped slaves act. States were using their own courts and their own legislatures to free slaves, and the federal government was not willing to override states’ rights. The states’ right to own slaves was not in jeopardy at that time. The only states’ right that the secessionists wanted to avail themselves of was the right to secede, which they didn’t actually have.

    • Kethal@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      The fact that the confederates originally wanted a federal right to own slaves is little different from them wanting states’ rights to own slaves. The fact that they changed from one argument to an incompatible one, and both were about the right to own slaves is just further proof that the arguments are simply disingenuous pretext. The civil war was about the right to own slaves.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        The Confederate states had a federal law enshrining slavery. They had states’ rights to own slaves. At no point prior to secession did the federal government try to take a state’s rights to own slave or pass federal legislation abolishing slavery. They didn’t change arguments, slavery was always the priority, it was just opposing states’ rights while states were freeing slaves while the federal government was supposed to try to stop them.

            • Kethal@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              I’m sorry. I see you’re point. She should be saying “secede because the federal government won’t enforce slavery.” Very different, and the picture above is totally wrong.

              • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                No worries, I could have been clearer and more direct, and there are enough people who want to defend the Confederacy on the internet that it’s a reflexive action to argue with anyone who seems to be pushing “alternative history.” So I can’t really blame you for questioning me. Stay vigilant, bigots don’t fight fair.

                • Deuces@lemmy.world
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                  11 months ago

                  Dude, I was just following this whole argument being like, he hasn’t said anything wrong… Yet…

                  Thanks for not being a bigot!

                  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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                    11 months ago

                    I get that. This is a subject where typically, anyone trying to discuss the “nuance” is really just an apologist trying to veil their bigotry.