On the record
Slavery was made the pretext for, and, I believe, was, the real cause of the war.
Source
gutenberg.orgJohn Sherman: “Slavery was made the pretext for, and, I believe, was, the real cause of the war.”
Editor's note · Context
Sherman asserts that slavery was not only a pretext but also the fundamental cause of the Civil War.
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It was settled by this war that we have a country limited in its powers by the constitution of the United States fairly construed.
Canada and Mexico as independent republics will be more valuable to the United States than if carved into additional states.
Our family of states is already large enough to create embarrassment in the Senate, and a republic should not hold dependent provinces or possessions.
If my life is prolonged I will do all I can to add to the strength and prosperity of the United States, but nothing to extend its limits or to add new dangers by acquisition of foreign territory.
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