Is Bush the worst President in history?

I will answer you just this once, since you don't know what you are talking about. The Morrill Tariff, which America lived under for over half a century after it was passed DURING the War of the Rebellion, was passed by Congress AFTER the Southern states had seceded and they were NO LONGER voting in Congress.

Is that simple enough for even you to understand?

The major tariff votes taken in the decade before the Civil War were all basically won by the SOUTH. The South joined with the northern representatives from the Northwest--states like Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Miinnesota to keep tariffs relatively low before the war.

The farmers there did not want to pay more for their tools and farm equipment either. Anyway tariffs were not what the South seceded over. They seceded because with the election of Lincoln they had finally seen that they were on the way to losing their political power.

To understand why the Civil War was fought, you need to look at the years between the end of the Mexican War and Fort Sumter. The tensions were raised repeatedly to feverish levels and the outright hatred many of both sides came to feel built up until Lincoln's election sent it boiling over the top.

 

Look, if you want to know why the Civil War occurred read a good book or books on it. I might recommend James M. McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" surely one of the best American history books ever written on any subject or if you are really into it read Allan Nevin's series of books on the period called "Ordeal of the Union." Those might be the best series of American history books ever written.

If you are a political junkie, I can assure you that the decade leading up to the Civil War is even more fascinating than the war itself.

 

One other thing on the "tariff issue." The new states joining the Union would have started out as primarily rural states mainly populated by farmers. Therefore these states would have almost certainly voted with the South on the tariff issue.

Farmers don't like tariffs on manufactured products.

The South had nothing to fear from them coming into the Union on the tariff issue. In fact, it would probably have increased the number of anti-tariff Congressmen and Senators.

What the South feared was more FREE states coming into the Union and eventually voting against them on slavery.

 

The Southern States had no chance of defeating the Morrill Tarriff. The Northern Industrial states held more seates in the house because of population, and in the Senate because there were more yankee states.

 

The worst all time was John Quincy Adams. And then William Clinton. The longest inaugral speech, leading to the shortest term? Harrison.

 

quotes by Abe Lincoln

" Any people anywhere being inclined and having the power have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government, and force a new one that suits them better."

" Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties." although he did interfere with the Constitution by fighting to keep the south from exercising their states rights.

" This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it"

"the love of money” was at the root of Lincoln’s attempts to preserve the Union." - Charles Dickens

just a few quotes by lincoln, i'm at work now and don't have time to look for any where he expresses his racist views but i will get to that later tonight.

 

Speaking of books Another one would be "The Founding Brothers"

I am sure that it has a different view from the book mentioned by CB

 

"I would not if I could abolish or modify slavery" Union General William Sherman

"I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters of the free negroes, or jurors, or qualifying them to hold office, or having them marry with white people. I will say in addition that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which, I suppose, will forever forbid the two races living together upon terms of social and political equality; and inasmuch as they cannot so live, that while they do remain together, there must be the position of the superiors and the inferiors; and that I, as much as any other man, am in favor of the superior position assigned to the white man" Abe Lincoln

"The attempt to reinforce Sumter will provoke an attack and involve war. The very preparation for such an expedition will precipitate war at that point. I oppose beginning war at that point. I would advise against the expedition to Charleston. I would at once, at every cost, prepare for war at Pensacola and Texas. I would instruct Major Anderson to retire from Sumter" Sec. of State William Seward. We all know what Lincoln did despite this advice.

"Resolved, that neither the Federal Government, nor the people, or Governments of non-slave holding States, have a purpose or a Constitutional right to legislate upon, or interfere with slavery in any of the States of the Union" Resolution that had unanimous Republican support in the House of Reps, Feb 11 1861. Rcorded in the Congressional Globe
If the "civil war" had just been about slavery there would've been no need for the south to secede because a law protecting slavery was more than likely going to be passed.

In an attempt to keep Southern States from leaving the Union, a thirteenth amendment to the Constitution, very different from the current one, was whittled out of the Crittenden Compromise by both Republicans and Democrats, with Lincoln's approval and even his signature. It was approved by Congress on February 28, 1861, and submitted to the States for ratification on March 2, 1861. It declared:

"No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor orservice by the laws of said State."

"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so" Good 'ole Abe Lincoln

The great majority of Confederate soldiers owned no slaves. The 1860 United States census revealed that about 25% of white Southern families, or about 6% of the total white Southern population held slaves. Why would 94% of the white southern population be willing to fight and perhaps die to prolong an institution that did not benefit from?

Yet another of Abe Lincolns quotes saying he wasn't in favor of abolishing slavery on preserving the union:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union""

 

sorry my last couple posts have been so long, I just wanted to show that the war wasn't about slavery and more about economic/preserving the union.

 

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I have explained to you the historical facts. Just because you WANT something to be true, right winger, history is history.