Re: Abolition is overemphasized by modern historians

On Aug 28, 10:45=A0am, "Barry" <barryhack...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> "S Witmer" <witmergr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>
>
news:acc3b1b7-e186-41b5-8221-58458709e393@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > On Aug 27, 6:21 pm, "F~A~R~V~A: Morning \(The Death of Night\)"
> > <flyhighfreeeb...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> By 1860 the Dem party had divided unto 2 factions due to the huge amount
=
of
> hysteria being disseinated by the anti-slavery propagandists who were
> working to divide the country with what was really a marginal issue.

<snip>

Marginal issue?!?  Hmm...let's see...

Millions of human beings held as property, bought, sold, and whipped,
with not even rights to remain with their own blood kin, let alone
testify in court...but that's a marginal issue.

Settlers in "Bleeding Kansas", pro and anti slavery, murdering each
other in the night...but that's a marginal issue.

Massive intimidation and voter fraud over the state constitution of
Kansas (somthing on the order of 6,000 votes cast, with less than
3,000 registered voters in the state)...but that's a marginal issue.

US Congressman Charles Sumner nearly beaten to death on the very floor
of the US Senate over slavery related comments...but that's a marginal
issue.

Filibuster expeditions, some backed by members of the US and states
government, expressly for the purpose of expanding slavery territory
trying to overthrow other governments...but that's a marginal issue.

Laws in various southern states made it illegal to speak publicly
against slavery or disseminate abolitionist materials via the US
mail...but that's a marginal issue.

An abolitionist newspaper editor murdered and his printing press
destroyed by a rampaging mob...but that's a marginal issue.

The court case for Dred Scott makes it all the way to the Supreme
Court...but that's a marginal issue.

John Brown and his crew attack a federal arsenal trying to spark a
slave uprising and are tried and hanged for treason...but that's a
marginal issue.

One of the two major political parties - the Democrats - tears itself
into pieces over the doctrine of Popular Sovereignty (the idea that
the residents of a state can decide for themselves whether the state
should be free or slave)...a marginal issue.

The Northwest Ordinance, Missouri Compromise, Wilmot Proviso,
Compromise of 1850, Lincoln-Douglas Debates...all apparently marginal
issues.



Maybe you could elaborate on what a *major* issue would be, if none of
these qualify as such?