We can learn a lot from McPherson and Foner -- of course but it it impossible to learn a few basic facts from either.
Instead of candor, historians for reasons largely their own (alluded to later) they gingerly avoided being candid about the these above facts.
These basic facts they knew, of course.
But they did not present them candidly, nor show them as basic.
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Ironically it is impossible -- not just difficult -- to learn in a candid way the following seven basics of the spread of slavery and Civil War.
As explained by Benjamin Franklin half the truth is often a great lie.
There is also a Chinese saying: to give part of the story is to give birth to a new lie
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Those basic facts include, but are not taught by any of the above. Nor can yo u find them in US text books, at least until college level
✔️ That Jeff Davis created and used Dred Scott decision to justify murders and invasions to spread slavery
✔️ Jeff Davis's obsession to violently spread slavery and justify that violence since US invasion of Mexico
✔️Southern War Ultimatums
✔️ South leaders sent two groups of paid men to invade and kill Kansas citizens, the first in 1854, then much larger group in 1856, using Kansas Act as pretext
✔️That Jeff Davis sent US troops to protect those paid men.
✔️ That Davis knew 90% or more of Kansas citizens were against slavery when he sent paid killer to murder them.
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✔️Why did Jeff Davis need or want paid men? No mention by any of the above historians.
✔️How did Jeff Davis justify those and other paid men he sent to terrorize and kill Kansas Citizens?
Yet to know why Jeff Davis needed, wanted, and sent paid men is perhaps the single most important fact to know -- and teach.
The second most important thing to know --specifically how did Jeff Davis justify those paid men, and all they did?
Davis could not possibly have bee more clear, more empathic. Not one of the historians above mentione any of that.
The point is -- South leaders explained it best --
Until they lost .
Smiling Jeff Davis and his wife on their wedding Day.
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At war for the "ENTIRE SOUTH " By 1856
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NOTHING MORE BASIC
So why the fuck have most of our most famous historians mentioned it it in a candid way -- much less teach as basic.
SENDING US TROOPS
TO PROTECT HIS PAID MEN
1856-- the year Jeff Davis sent US troops to protect his paid killers. Davis sent an earlier group of paid men in 1854.
Those paid 1854 men could not terrorize or kill enough Kansas Citizens -- Kansas citizens still resisted slavery.
Davis had to give up spreading slavery for GOD -- or send more paid men.
Davis not only sent 2000 men Davis in 1856, he sent US Troops to protect his paid men
1856 Jeff Davis (Secretary of War) sent US troops to protect his paid men. 1856
Here is how Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspapers revealed it.
US text books avoid being specific, using vague terms like "pro slavery" or "anti slavery" forces.
It is therefore impossible (not just difficult) for students to learn from such sources that the "pro slavery forces" were not only sent by Jeff Davis but 2000 of them were paid men, according to US Senator Atchison, boasting about it.
Even worse, if possible.
Even worse -- it is impossible (not just difficult) for students to learn from such sources that Davis sent US troops to protect his paid men.
✔️ No one alive -- if paying attention -- were neutral or unaware of Jeff Davis's paid men he sent in 1856.
✔️Davis already sent a smaller group in 1854 -- Davis sent the bigger group, paid men, because his small group did not terrorize and kill enough.
✔️No one alive -- if paying attention -- were unaware Jeff Davis sent US troops to Kansas specifically to protect these paid men.
It's important to know -- there was no big plot, conspiracy or desire to make students dumber about the basics. Making students (or anyone else)clueless about actual events is the inevitable consequence, regardless of the intent of the text book publishers or teachers when part of the story is omitted.
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Do they matter?
Should we know, teach or or care about Jeff Davis's paid men of 1854 and 1856 ?
It was basic to the men Davis hired to invade torture and kill, of course.
By the time Lincoln and the US Army defeated Jeff Davis's paid killers and rebel troops, Davis hired men murdered over 3,000 men -- and dozens of women and children.
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Davis's paid men were basic to Davis -it was his idea he recruited them, he sent them, he had them paid.
He put it together.
HOW IMPORTANT WERE THE PAID MEN ?
It was basic to Lincoln -- Lincoln quickly got back in politics precisely because South leader Jeff Davis pushed the Kansas Act throught Congress.
FIRST GROUP:
Davis quickly sends the first group of men -- led by US Senator Atchison- men to invade Kansas, specifically to to terrorize and kill to spread slavery.
That was the plan -- clearly -- because the 800 men were already waiting for Atchison to arrive.
The plan was -- quick show of violence- kill a few if needed, so they claim Kansas as slave state. That did not work - Kansas citizen fought back.
Davis took almost two years do to "Plan B" plant B-- hire 2000 men to invade in 1856 -- and Davis sent US troops to protect those paid men.
Utter nonsense -- 95% of Kansas citizens were against slavery -- that's the entire reason Davis had to hire paid killers
Not to pick on Catton, because historians love to show they know all the details.
Read 10 or 20 of such books and you may notice much of your time is spent being told superfluous BS. But as students -- we assume such details are important.
It's sort of a pattern.
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DIRECTIONS TO THINGS
NOT PEOPLE
Another pattern -- do not use names.
Directions do things -- the "South" did this and the "North" does that.
Apparently people don't do much -- directions but boxes do thinks . The Cotton gin was one of five causes the Civil War.
Jeff Davis using 2000 paid killers to invade torture and kill Kansas Citizens to spread slavery for God -- did that cause anything?
NOPE. That was not a factor. That was so trivia we are never told anyone was paid, and no one sent the killers, or we would have been told.
So surely no one with a name hired 2000 paid killers to invade torture and kill to spread slavery. It had to be a direction, it had to a box.
If Someone did hire and send paid killers, 2000, it did not matter who when why and were.
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DO NOT MENTION JEFF DAVIS
WAR ULTIMATUMS.
Another rule Catton followed, and set the tone for others. Do not even hint, for example the name of the US Senator who used 800 paid men to invade terrorize and torture Kansas citizens.
Do not hint that this man personally led his men on the first of several invasions -- all with the same goal -- to terrorize torture and kill Kansas citizens in order to spread slavery to the Pacific.
And he bragged about it to cheering crowds. Why mention such trivia!
But pour on the news about belt buckles and canteens.
Catton made these rules by example, example that McPherson and others largely followed.
CATTON RULE 2) Do not mention this.
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95% of Kansas citizens were against slavery.
Do not mention this. An overwhelming of Kansas Citizens were against slavery. Don't hint, don't mention that.
Let generations stupidly assume Kansas citizens were killing Kansas citizens .
No. Davis hired paid killers -- paid men --to invade torture and kill. But it's more important to know about the belt buckles.
Yet nothing was more important than the paid killers -- --but do not make any of that clear.
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Almost idiotically teachers repeat the distortion by those who passed Kansas Act -- Douglas and others claimed Kansas Act was about "states rights" and "Popular Sovereignty."
Weeks after Jeff Davis (with Stephen A Douglas and US Senator Atchison) took Kansas Act to President Pierce to be signed -- Atchison personally shows up in Kansas ithe 800 men (hired men) to invade terrorize and later kill Kansas Citizens who tried to vote against slavery.
Catton did not mention that either -
✔️ that these were paid men
✔️ not Kansas citizens
✔️ they were there as planned result of Kansas Act
✔️ that this group of paid men were just the first group of paid killers
✔️ That Jeff Davis as Secretary of War sent, funded, and approved all groups
NOt just vote -- Atchison's men attacked, terrorize and tortured -- later killed-- Kansas citizens who even published anti-slavery newspapers.
We do get some information -- vague BS about "pro slavery vs anti slavery " forces.
If that were not enough, Atchison men forced Kansas Citizens to take a pro slvery oath -- if they refused they were ordered to leave Kansas.
If they did not leave -- they were killed.
Sound like "states rights" or "popular sovereignty to you?
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BUCHANAN ELECTED:
JEFF DAVIS HAS NO POWER:
KANSAS CITIZENS CAN VOTE:
Franklin Pierce lost the election of 1856--largely because he allowed Jeff Davis to invade and kill Kansas Citizens, and because allowed Pierce allowed Davis to use US soldiers to protect his paid killers.
So without Davis's paid killers in Kansas , and without US troops to protect Davis's paid killers, Kansas Citizens can vote.
Even after Kansas citizens voted overwhelming against slaveryJeff Davis still demanded -as a war ultimatum no less-that slavery must spread into Kansas.
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Davis's insane logic?
You should know this -- Davis justification to violently spread slavery was the Dred Scott decision.
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CATTON RULE 2)
DO NOT MENTION JEFF DAVIS AND STEPHEN A DOUGLAS PUSHED THE "VILE FRAUD" OF KANSAS ACT, THEN, AS PLANNED
CATTON RULE 3) Give readers no hint, much less report candidly, that Jeff Davis Stephen A Douglas and Senator David Rice Atchison took Kansas Act for President Pierce to sign.
Nor give any hint that ater President PIerce signed the Davis/Atchison/and Douglas Kansas Act -- Davis sent his first group of men to invade Kansas, to terrorize and later kill Kansas Citizens for speaking against slavery.
Those men were already waiting near Kansas, for Senator Atchison to lead them on the first invasions and killing sprees of Kansas Citizens. That was the entire purpose of Kansas Act --
1854
CATTON RULE 4)
Give no hint, much less report candidly that Jeff Davis 1856 sent 2000 more paid men to kill Kansas Citizens, when his first group of men did not kill enough Kansas citizens. 1856
CATTON RULE 5)
Give no hint that 95% of Kansas Citizens were against slavery.
Kansas citizens confirmed they were overwhelmingly against when 95% voted against slavery
The point is
✔️Kansas (white male) citizens in 1854 were overwhelmingly against slavery -- See if you can find any clear mention of that by McPHerson, Foner, Foote, Ken Burns, Kearns --- or in any widely use US Text book.
✔️ Jeff Davis Stephen A Douglas, and Senator David Rice Atchison knew Kansas citizens overwhelmingly against slavery -- that is why then sent men to terrorize -- later torture and kill-- to make Kansas a slave state..
It was Stephen A Douglas who famously said that in 1854, though Douglas used the term "19 of 20"
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NEVER MENTION JEFF DAVIS'S WAR ULTIMATUMS OR PAID KILLERS
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Turns out Catton was mistaken about some of the canteen details, but he tried hard, right? He set the scene -- we could almost smell the coffee he wrote about.
Admittedly the type of canteen is more important.
Still if Bruce Catton could have found place to mention numerous invasions, paid killers, US troops sent to protect the paid killers, sent by Jeff Davis, and the thousands of murders that happened as a result....
Maybe McPherson might have thought such things were almost as important as the belts, canteens, and kinds of coffee, and find space somewhere for them. Who knows? McPherson and others might have even mentioned such trivial details!
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Was that Catton's fault?
No.
Bruce did not promise to harm them if they mentioned things candidly like 2000 paid killers Davis sent to invade torture and kill by 1856.
McPherson never mentioned those 2000 paid killers, much less explain who sent them, who paid them, and why anyone sent them.
Sure as hell was important to those killed -- those tortured and those who fled Kansas to remain alive.
Sure as hell was important to Lincoln who got back in politics the same weeks Jeff Davis's first group of paid killers arrived in Kansas
Sure as hell was important to the millions of slave, including slave women whipped and tortured for trying to escape the madness of being raped, their children sold as punishment.
Sure as hell was important to President Franklin Pierce, who backed Jeff Davis groups of paid killers, and backed Jeff Davis sending US troops to protect his paid killers.
Sure as hell was important to Roger Taney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who swallowed Jeff Davis's insane claims that blacks are not human beings, and inserted that claim and other claims into Dred Scott decision.
But it was not quite important enough for McPherson -- nore hundreds of others, nor millions of text books, to actually teach candidly. Look as you might - - McPherson avoided names of men who sent paid killers, explanation of their justifications to spread slavery.
Call me crazy, call me stupid, call me a fool -- there are the men I now trust more: men who where there.
Not only there-- but these men were in control.
South leaders -- with names you know. Jefferson Davis, Alexanders Stephens, Robert Tombs, US Senator David Rice Atchison.
Maybe most important -- Stephen A Douglas. (Douglas was a Davis and Slave Power ally at this time, as you will see and should already know)
Without Douglas helping Jeff Davis create and sell the two part "Machinery to Spread Slavery" as Lincoln correctly called Kansas Act and Dred Scott decision, it's possible that slavery ends peacefully, as Founding Father intended to happen.
Jeff Davis and his ilk made it a crime -- a crime punishable by public torture - to speak publically or preach publically against slavery. Men were, as a result, arrested tried and tortured in public for such actions, and could be tortured in public for just owning the "wrong " book.
The fact our schools and historians fail to teach this basic fact has made more people dumber about slavery and Civil War than anything else,.
Of all the villains of this era -- Stephen A Douglas is the most vile.
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If you know nothing and care nothing about this -- the main point here -- these shit heads bragged bout this -- until they lost.
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AFTER THEY LOST
being human beings
After they lost -- naturally -- South leaders and the suckers defending them later came up with all manner of bullshit and nonsense.
Worse, some of that nonsense made up by fools and pathological liars ended up in US Text books.
Perhaps worse that than, historians like Foner, McPherson, Catton, do not bother to challenge the nonsense directly.
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I TRIED DAY AND NIGHT
FOR 12 YEARS
Typical of that nonsense is Jeff Davis often repeated lie.
The big lie is this one -- that he spent 12 years trying to avoid violence -- when the record shows, including his own boasting and his own justifications, his controlling role for in vasions and murders.
DAVIS ENJOY KILLING MEXICANS
Davis married Zachary Taylor's daughter, Taylor put Davis under him, always safe. From that time on, Davis displayed almost an obsession to spread slavery.
Stealing half of Mexico's land after US troops, by order of Davis's father in law -- via James Polk, was apparently the joy of his life.
Davis was still eager to spread slavery in US-- to spread slavery to the Pacific, and to created a slave empire -- that would include killing citizens of Latin American to make much of Latin America part of his empire of slavery
Spreading slavery was a "duty to God." Slavery was a "Divine Blessing."
The only reason you don't know that - you are not taught candidly what Jeff Davis did -- who he had murdered, who he had killed, and why he had them killed.
Specifically, Davis claimed slavery was Godly. Even more -- Davis claimed a "Constitutional Requirement" to spread slavery by the Dred Scott decision.
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These knowledgeable men explained why they sent thousands of killers to invade, torture and kill to spread slavery.
Or they justified the invasions and killings.
These men explained - bragged in detail and at length -- who they would kill and why they killed them (meanings -- why their paid men killed them.)
AGAINST STATES RIGHTS
Jeff Davis explained his justifications for invading and killing to spread slavery...even against states rights.
Nothing is more important at that time that Jeff Davis, starting in 1854, sending two groups of paid men to violently spread slavery, other than his spoken and written justifications for those invasions and murders -- those are more important.
Yet none of the historians above thought it was important enough to mention the term paid killers or paid men. None mentioned Jeff Davis as a person that sent anyone anywhere, Likewise the historians above did not mention, much less make clear, Jeff Davis's justifications to hire and send them to kill to spread slavery
Davis was exceedingly aware, acutely aware, that 90% or more of Kansas citizens were against slavery. He explained his justifications (religious and constitutional) to invade and kill Kansas citizens.
US Senator Atchison could get his paid men kill US citizens. He famously -- by 1856 -- already led two groups of men to invade and kill Kansas citizens
WHY NOT TRUST SOUTH LEADERS?
✔️their own boasting
✔️their own proclamations
✔️ their own books
✔️their own War Ultimatums
✔️their own written communications
✔️their justifications for invasions of Kansas citizens
✔️their justifications to send two groups of paid killers to invade Kansas, first 1854, then 1856
✔️their justifications for torture of Kansas citizens
✔️their justification to send US troops to protect their paid men.
By the way -- Lincoln spoke of all of this -- yet idiotically we fail to teach that Lincoln was not only right -- we fail to teach that South leaders bragged about it as loudly, as proudly, and as clearly as anyone can brag about anything -- until they lost.
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TOLD BY SELF CONFIDENT MEN
It is not a plot -- there is no plot to glorify men who tortured women, small women, too, as Robert E Lee did.
No plot to pretend Jefferson Davis did not hire thousands of paid men to invade and kill to spread slavery for God by 1856.
No plot to hide the fact Davis sent US troops to Kansas to protect the paid killers he already sent for two years.
That is what folks were told.
They were told and taught Davis's own favorite lie -- that he labored day and night for 12 years to avoid war, but the North was insane.
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The point is -- South leaders explained it all, in detail, in context, loudly proudly at length, to cheering crowds (much like Lunatic Trump gets crowds of stupid shits to cheer.).
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UNTIL -- THEY -- LOST
South leaders themselves -- such Jefferson Davis.
US Senator David Atchison
Roger Taney
Alexander Stephens
Stonewall Jackson
Robert Toombs
Robert E Lee
Were these men stupid, frivolous, joking, lying?
Where they vague, coy, or apologetic?
No. Quite the opposite.
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TWO QUESTION TEST YOUR TEACHER ?
Q Was anyone or any group in North America already killing to spread slavery to the Pacific by 1847?
A Yes, thousands of men -- already - were killing Mexicans citizens. WPresident Polk and "slave power" folks would steal most of Mexican land, -- land to use to spread slavery.
That was their plan -- they called it "Manifest Destiny" a term taught to this day by stupid shit teachers and US text books.
Manifest Destiny means "Due, really believe us, in many ways God wanted us to invade and kill Mexicans so what we could be rich and famous, and steal half millions quare acres to spread slavery ."
US HONOR AT STAKE
Polk's lie? Mexican Army attacked US citizens .
Polk's speech? American "honor" was at stake. We must avenge our honor.
Stupid shits ate it up. We fail to teach that Polk demanded killing Mexicans for our honor --that's such an obviously lie even high school teachers knoew better.
But we do teach the more insane idiotic and evil "Manifest Destiny. "
TO SAVE THE WORLD
FOR DEMOCRACY
Reminds me of US troops killing 3 million Vietnamese after US newspapers claimed we were "in Vietnam," to "Save the World for Democracy."
No mention of our our killing sprees inflicted on people who did nothing to threatened democracy -- but pissed off US because they resisted our killing sprees
We actually killed 3 million innocent people -- any were women and children we murdered by burning them to death with napalm.
Do you see any pattern here -- a fool, a liar, an egomaniac gets in power,
sends other fools to kill and be killed,
use some Orwellian double speak or outright lie to fool the stupid.
Soon teachers and text books join in the lies --- mostly because they are stupid.
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When US Grant wrote, in his amazing Memoirs, that the Civil War was payback for US killing in Mexico, he was referring to the invasions and murder Mexican citizens by US troops.
Grant was part of those killing sprees.
Grant, however would never do what almost every US history teacher does --and almost every historian does, and what millions of students are required to know for tests: claim US war against Mexico "Manifest Destiny."
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PRO TIP Before anything happens, like invasions, paid killers, men cheering to kill others, someone used words.
There is no exception to this rule.
Someone wanted to pump up the stupid and gullible to invade and kill - - and those "someones" never do any invading or killing. They stay safe.
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Before anyone could send US troops to protect Jeff Davis and Atchison's men, someone had to convince President Pierce to approve sending those men to Kansas.
That man was Jeff Davis himself.
Davis the entire time stayed in Washington as Secretary of Wa. Davis could convince the foolish Pierce of apparently any lie, and get Pierce to approve any level of force to spread slavery.
NOT JUST CHEER -- CHEERS NESSECARLIY CAME FIRST
Theses men, necessarily, could get crowds to cheer killing to spread slavery to the Pacific. Those who could not get , or would not get, crowds to cheer the violent spread of slavery did, could not be political leaders.
Not just cheer -- but after cheering obey -- obey the hate monger who paid them. Paid them specifically to invade, terrorize and eventually kill US citizens.
Much like Trump first his stupid shits and fools to hate and fear -- South leaders necessarily first got the crowds to hat and fear.
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YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES.
Our history text books, at least until college fail to candidly tell us what these specific men did, despite the fact these men were, until they lost -- blunt, candid, and proud of what they did.
Until they lost -- these South leaders bragge what they did - and bragged why they sent paid men and sent US Army troops, to do what those paid men and Army troops did.
WHO CREATED THE MACHINERY
AND PUMPED THE HATE?
Men whose names you know (or you would not be reading this ) are the same men Lincoln named -- specifically named --as creating the vile and violent "machinery" to spread slavery (by violence) to all of the US "North South East and West."
groups of paid killers to invade torture and kill to spread slavery -- long before Lincoln even ran for Senate.
Did these South leaders not know what they did and why?
Were they stupid? Were they joking?
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These-- who not only explained officially who they killed, and why they killed those men, they bragged -- bragged about who they killed and why.
Turns out South leaders had a lot to say. Men like Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens, US Senator David Ric Atchison, Robert Toombs, Roger Taney -- and the man who flipped flopped as needed for the moment Stephen A Douglas.
UNTIL THE LOST South leaders at the time -- in their own speeches, in their own war ultimatums, in their own publications and books, taught and bragged of things you probably never heard of.
You sure as hell did not learn in any US text book (until college level) that Sought leaders were -- notice the word already -- concoted a war and invasions of Mexico.
A war that was more like a three year killing spree.
You will not find a single US text book, until college, which explains the insanity of using US killing sprees and murder of Mexicans as the justification for further murders and invasion of US land.
Jeff Davis personally crafted the insane justification to invade and kill US citizens because Southern men "shed blood" while killing Mexicans. That justification, that insane justification, is taught to millions of students as a legitmate excuse to kill American citizens, as you will see, to spread salvery not just to the Pacific Ocean, but to spread salvery to much of Latin American.
There was one -- only one -- man who started this insanity, specifically the insanity of using one killing spree, as justification to kill more. His slogans, Davis's slogans and words, have been taught essentially as legitimate excuse that not only made killing probably 200,000 Mexicans in order to steal their land, but justify the invasion tortures and murder of American citizens.
He name was Jefferson Davis.
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ALREADY AT WAR
AT WAR TO SPREAD
TO SPREAD SLAVERY
TO THE PACIF
Until they lost -- South leaders not only sent paid men to invade torture and kill to spread slavery -- by 1856--- but they bragged about it.
During this time they did not mumble.
They were not coy. According Jeff Davis's "General of Law And Order," David Rice Atchison" the South was already at war --at war to spread slavery to the Pacific,.
Who was the South at war against ?
Look at who they invaded tortured and killed -- they were at war against the lawful citizens of Kansas.
Officially at war, per Atchison, and at war in fact, meaning Atchison and Davis sent paid men to invade Kansas and kill Kansas citizens.
It's important to know they bagged about and justified being at war -- before Lincoln even ran for Senate.