On Aug 28, 12:32=A0pm, S Witmer <witmergr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 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
amoun=
t 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?!? =A0Hmm...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?
Correction - the vote fraud numbers related to the election of the
territorial representative to Congress. Still, the example stands and
voter fraud and intimidation were rampant in Kansas.
And...forgot to mention the sack of Lawrence, Kansas by proslavery
Border Ruffians...but that's apparently a marginal issue, too.
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