Reply #77: The US Constitution was ratified without any slaves approving as well

[jobycom]

So that nullifies it? If so, the South was justified. If not, the South was justified (on this narrow issue).

My only question, treating the Civil War as a current event for the sake of discussion on whether the CW was a good or bad thing is whether or not it brought about more peace and freedom. That's a hard question. Horrible numbers on both sides died, and the South continued--like Iraq--to suffer a igher death rate after the war because of the poverty and living conditions. This killed black and white southerners. It also created an animosity that has not faded between races, and was a primary cause in the continued repression and abuse of one group of people. The death toll was very high. That's the part we know. What we don't know is how long slavery would have lasted otherwise, and whether the transition from it would have been easier than what followed. That's a point that will always be debated. But I don't by any argument that starts off with "The South wasn't justified, or committed treason, or whatever." The North didn't believe that, or they would have tried it in court. They very pointedly avoided doing so, because the prevailing view was that the SOuth MAY have been legally justified, and no one wanted a court ruling that the North was wrong and all the results of the War had to be undone.