[TheDon]

The Union soldiers in that battle actually fought against self-determination; it was the Confederates who fought for the right of their people to govern themselves.

I find this argument laughable coming from the slave holding states.

Hi Walt, looks like these idiots haven't given up yet!

[Treebeard]

I've heard of H L Mencken, but not of you two. Run those credentials again, for those of us who missed them.

[Grut]

I find this argument laughable coming from the slave holding states.

The southern states were right about self-determination and wrong about Blacks. Americans are now up to speed on the idea that Blacks are people, and as a result we can say that they too have lost on self-determination as a result of Union actions.

[OBAFGKM]

"I find this argument laughable coming from the slave holding states."

You mean Maryland, West Virginia, New Jersey, Kentu... Oops, those were Union states. Sorry.

OK, I guess I'm not sure what you find laughable?

[El Sordo]

Don't forget that the Union had slave holding states too. Slaves states on the Union side were exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation.

Slavery was a minor issue in the Civil War.

[Colt .45]

The Southern States fought for the right of self-determination in their affairs, slavery was not an issue of great importance at the time of the framing of the Constitution and slavery was legal. However, you seem to conveniently forget that the Founders expressly set up a limited government with ENUMERATED powers, and that Thomas Jefferson said "The constitutions of most of our states [and of the United States] assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed and that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of press."

[Aurelius]

"I find this argument laughable coming from the slave holding states."

The argument isn't coming from "the slave holding states", Idiot. And anyone on FreeRepublic who wants to disassociate himself from the idiots won't ally himself with FreeRepublic's supreme idiot, WhiskeyPapa.