[Colonel Kangaroo]

I think the real damage that was done to Constitutional federalism occurred in the early 20th century. While I don't agree with everything Lincoln did during the Civil War, I don't see any permanent damage done by Lincoln's actions to hold the Union together.

The contributions America made to the world in the 20th century would not have been possible if Lincoln had not held the Union together.

[DoughtyOne]

I don't think all the federal abuses that are evident today occurred in Lincoln's time. I would agree with that. I do think he laid the groundwork for it. As for what we could or could not have done in the 20th century without a dominating federal government, I'm not sure that's a good arguement for userped state's rights.