[JoeRedskin]

While this is a whole other kettle of fish, let's be clear, if you believe the Civil War was about anything other than the South's insistence that it had protected property rights in the ownership of humans and rebelled when it appeared that those rights may be infringed upon by the Federal govt., I would assert that you are seriously mistaken.

Southern apologists can point to the economic tariffs or any other side show they may wish to - those could have been negotiated out if the south agreed to restrictions on slavery (not even abolition). Yes, there were other tangled webs involved in the Civil War but, at there core, was the fundamental disagreement over slavery.

Yes. The Emancipation Proclamation was, in fact, an alomost purely political move. Lincoln is on record as saying that if he could save the Union w/out freeing any slaves, he would do so; If he could save it freeing all the slaves, he would do that; if he could save it freeing some but not others, he would do that. Lincoln opposed slavery but held the Union in higher regard than any other political goal.