[William McKinley]

I found this letter/article, and found it fascinating, since it shows a better picture of the political forces at play during the pre-Civil war years than we get from either history books or from revisionist websites.

I found myself nodding with the gentleman often, at the start. But over the course of the reading, I found myself getting more and more frustrated with the indifference at actively ending what even he called an abomination. I couldn't help but also think about how another person I admire, Taft, was reluctant to have America take on the evil of the Third Reich.

I believe that this paralysis in the name of principle in the face of abject evil has done a great disservice to some wonderful and correct principles, and to this day the damage has not been overcome.

[William McKinley]

Also, for the few who enjoy reading things from the past, I posted earlier today some satire from some conservative Federalists during the early days of the country here.

[Buckeye Bomber]

I often consider this type of question, especially using the same example as you did, Senator Taft of my great state of Ohio. In the end, states rights and local control are all well and good, but sometimes there are circumstances that require bold, national action. I'm not happy with the steps Lincoln took during the Civil War, but I am pretty pleased with the result. Senator Taft, in the end, realized that the tides of history had caught the United States. He unflinchingly voted to declare war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.