[Shooter 2.5]

You have the problem. If they wanted to avoid war, why didn’t they outlaw slavery on their own? Same reason there’s human smugglers today. Evil, greedy people.

[algernonpj]

If they wanted to avoid war, why didn’t they outlaw slavery on their own? Same reason there’s human smugglers today. Evil, greedy people.

Because Lincoln did not fight the Civil War to free the slaves. He fought it to 'save the union', i.e. establish the rights of the central government over those of the states.

Per Lincoln in a letter to Horace Greely:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. "