And yet --- I just had a wag (
2aguy ) try to tell me "the Democrats started the Civil War and fought the Republicans".
You'd like to say it was war between north and south, but in reality, it was war between Republicans and Democrats.
Might want to essplain the War Democrats then.
Might want to essplain Lincoln's running mate too.
Those who need
explaining know not much about American history.
Republican party is established to stop expansion of slavery into territories and to abolish the slavery. If you were proponent of slavery or slave owner, you could not join the party, and party was primarily joined by northern Protestants, blacks, workers, farmers, former Whigs and, yes... some Democrats who were against the slavery. Democrats who supported slavery stayed in Democratic party. Just as racists stayed Democrats in south, despite leftist and revisionists today claim there was a imaginary "party switch". That means, all slaves in United States, some 4.5 million, at the brink of Civil war were owned by Democrats.
War Democrats were not against slavery, they were against Confederacy. Since they were pro slavery, they couldn't join Republican party, and those who supported Lincoln's Civil War policies joined Unionist party while avoiding being on "Republican" ticket. Therefore Lincoln's running mate was technically Unionist, formerly "War Democrat".
Is that clear enough for you? If not, find someone to
essplain it to you.