What if the South Won?

[ihopehefails]

Here is a rhetorical question but what if the south won would the issue of slavery be legally settled in favor of the southern slave owners?

This is the conclusion that many big government federalist seem to believe because we are constantly told that state's rights was destroyed with the civil war. Unfortunately this was true but only because it established the federal government superiority by military force and not by the constitution which should be the correct argument since the constitution is the supreme law of the land and not a military campaign.

Now if the south won would they be able to claim the same "might makes right" attitude in the department of owning slaves or even state rights? The answer is 'NO' because the constitution is supreme over any state or federal government and is even supreme to a military campaign but people who believe that the federal government is superior to the state governments resort to "the civil war settled it" when their constitutional arguments fail but would the south been equally justified to say "the civil war settled that issue" about slavery if they had won?

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Slavery would have died out in the south of its own accord the same way it did in the north.

 

[Shogun]

Maybe. I doubt it but maybe.



What we all can agree on, however, is that if the south won then Charlie Daniels would be President right now.

 

[rightwinger]

If the South won, none of us would be talking english right now

 

[Big Black Dog]

If the South had of won the War of Northern Aggression, there would be grits on every menu in our country!

 

[bodecea]

Read Harry Turtledove's books on alternative history of the Civil War.

 

[Shogun]

If the South won then Alabama would have written our new national anthem.

 

[ihopehefails]

Slavery would have died out in the south of its own accord the same way it did in the north.

I believe that but my point is would the same might makes right argument been able to override any argument about the constitutionality of civil rights or federal rights? Would the south have been able to say "we kicked your ass so stop trying to enforce constitutionally legal law down here"?

 

[rightwinger]

We would have a Waffle House on every corner instead of a Starbucks

 

[ihopehefails]

If the South had of won the War of Northern Aggression, there would be grits on every menu in our country!

Is grits greasy? I like greasy food.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Slavery would have died out in the south of its own accord the same way it did in the north.

I believe that but my point is would the same might makes right argument been able to override any argument about the constitutionality of civil rights or federal rights? Would the south have been able to say "we kicked your ass so stop trying to enforce constitutionally legal law down here"?

The south wouldn't have had to say that. They had their own government, their own Constitution, and their own laws. They wouldn't have to say anything to the U.S.

 

[☭proletarian☭]

If the South won, none of us would be talking english right now

huh?

Did they not speak English in the CSA?

 

[ihopehefails]

We would have a Waffle House on every corner instead of a Starbucks

Starbucks is overpriced because no one should pay more than $5 for ground up seeds stewed in hot water.

 

[Luissa]

If the south had won, the north would have waited awhile and invaded again. Slavery was on it's way out, and in order to win I think the south would have had to use the slaves to help fight the war and probably would have had to free them in the process.

 

[Liability]

If the South had won, obviously they would not have compelled the losing Northern States to remain part of their confederacy (after some brief period, perhaps, of humiliating occupation). Cessation would be perfectly acceptable, of course.

So the United States of America or the Confederate States of America would not exist as one single nation. There would be at least two nations where there now is just this one.

And The Lincoln Memorial would look a whole lot different as would the "copper" penny and the Five Dollar Bill.

 

[☭proletarian☭]

The Union wasn't fighting over slavery and didn't care about the *******. That's why there were loyalist slave states in the Union.

The North was motivated by economics, plain and simple, like most of the wars we've been involved in since.

 

[ihopehefails]

Slavery would have died out in the south of its own accord the same way it did in the north.

I believe that but my point is would the same might makes right argument been able to override any argument about the constitutionality of civil rights or federal rights? Would the south have been able to say "we kicked your ass so stop trying to enforce constitutionally legal law down here"?

The south wouldn't have had to say that. They had their own government, their own Constitution, and their own laws. They wouldn't have to say anything to the U.S.

What if they agreed to rejoin the union, hang lincoln, but ever since then there victory was used to reject constitutionally legal laws? Would might make right over the constitution and does it make might make right now involving all matters between the state and federal government?

 

[LuckyDan]

Not sure I understand your question but had the south won, it would not have changed the US Constitution, it would have resulted in a continuation of the confederacy. Westward expansion would still have proceeded for the US with non-slave states.

Remember too that The Supreme Court hastened the coming of the War with the Dred Scott decision, which essentially upheld the right to own a slave, or at least denied citizenship status and protections to blacks. That's why the Civial War amendments were necessary.

 

[Mr. Peepers]

Well, Corporations would be in hog heaven. Slave wages and indentured servitude forever! Oh wait. That's happening now pretty much...

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

I believe that but my point is would the same might makes right argument been able to override any argument about the constitutionality of civil rights or federal rights? Would the south have been able to say "we kicked your ass so stop trying to enforce constitutionally legal law down here"?

The south wouldn't have had to say that. They had their own government, their own Constitution, and their own laws. They wouldn't have to say anything to the U.S.

What if they agreed to rejoin the union, hang lincoln, but ever since then there victory was used to reject constitutionally legal laws? Would might make right over the constitution and does it make might make right now involving all matters between the state and federal government?

I assume that had they won the war and then rejoined the Union that they would have made sure that state sovereignty would be respected. I don't know what they would or would not have done regarding "might makes right."