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As with any radical movement, time is a crucial element. The South had in President Lincoln one of the strongest foes of abolitionism. He was also a strong Unionist. Whatever his personal anti -slavery views he had, he was not going to create a crisis that South Carolina created in 1860 by declaring itself a state in secession.Lincoln promised to not interfere with slavery in the south. He also not only pledged to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, but even more, he promised to end the loopholes that some Northern states had created to evade the Acts enforcement.

Also, the US Supreme Court had declared slavery as legal. As a moderate, he was in a position to control the radical abolitionist wing of the Republican Party.

The South also failed to take into consideration the fact that Lincoln would have to run for reelection in 1864, but that was not a certainty. This would give the Northern and Southern Democrat Party enough time to work out their differences and be united in the 1864 presidential elections.

They were the dominate US political party with a national base. Democrats existed in the North, Republicans had no standing in the South.

Additionally the nations larges city, NY City was a Democratic stronghold in the North.

The really distant prospect of the extension of slavery to the western territories was a problem for the south that industrial economics would soon enough leave slavery in the past. More related to the current situation, Northern and English textile mills needed cotton and their costs were lower due to slavery.

Impatience, bravado, and pride became the South's self created enemy. And to not visualize that the history of slavery was now at a point reaching critical mass. How much better to sit tight for four years and see what might be developed.

Under Lincoln, their terrible and immoral views on slavery, were good for another four years.


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Q: Why can it be argued that the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln was the best friend the South could have in Washington DC?
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