[BroJoeK]

cowboyway: "In other words, he's brilliant when you agree with him but when you disagree with him then he's confused and disoriented."

No, when the good judge understands & agrees with the facts of history, then he's brilliant, but when he does not understand or acknowledge the real facts, then he's confused & disoriented, just like you are, FRiend.

cowboyway: "The revisionist gymnastics that you False Causers have to go through to justify disHonest's Abe's illegal war is shameful.
Have you ever actually read a detailed history or do you just go to the NEA's website for talking points?"

Of course, I have several books here covering this subject, including:

1. Bruce Catton, "The Coming Fury"
   
2. Russell McClintock, "Lincoln and the Decision for War"
   
3. William Freehling, "The Road to Disunion"
   
4. William Cooper, "We Have The War Upon Us"
   
5. James Huston, "Calculating the Value of the Union"
   
6. William Freehling, "The South vs the South"
   
7. Shelby Foote, "The Civil War, vol. one, Fort Sumter to Perryville"
   
8. John Fredreiksen, "Civil War Almanac"

All are easily available at reasonable prices from Amazon.

And your outrageous claim that "Lincoln's war" was illegal is laughable in light of the fact that on May 6, 1861 -- before a single Confederate battle death -- the Confederacy formally declared war on the United States, and sent military aid to pro-Confederates fighting in Union Missouri.
But any discussion of "illegality" ends long before that point, with repeated Confederate provocations for war, culminating in it's military assault on Union troops in Union Fort Sumter.

So the real question is not why did Lincoln accept the Confederacy's war, but rather, why did Jefferson Davis & company rush so blindly & foolishly into it?

[cowboyway]

No, when the good judge understands & agrees with the facts of history, then he's brilliant, but when he does not understand or acknowledge the real facts, then he's confused & disoriented, just like you are, Friend.

Wow. Just when I didn't think that your dung pile could get any higher......

Of course, I have several books here covering this subject

I'm sure the NEA would approve of your reading list.

And your outrageous claim that "Lincoln's war" was illegal is laughable in light of the fact that on May 6, 1861

The truth will set you free:

The Jersey City American Standard wrote, "there is a madness and ruthlessness' in Lincoln which is astounding . . . this unarmed vessel . . . is a mere decoy to draw the first fire from the people of the South, which act by the pre-determination of the government is to be the pretext for letting loose the horrors of war." The Providence Daily Post also wrote, "Mr. Lincoln saw an opportunity to inaugurate civil war without appearing in the character of an aggressor."