'Refined, highfalutin' principles': The northern public, the constitution, and slavery, 1861-62
Title:
'Refined, highfalutin' principles': The northern public, the constitution, and slavery, 1861-62
Author:
Siddali, Silvana R.
Appeared in:
American nineteenth century history
Paging:
Volume 2 (2001) nr. 2 pages 60-81
Year:
2001
Contents:
Early in the Civil War an anticonstitutional rhetoric arose on the Northern home front in response to military delays and defeats as well as congressional debates over the constitutionality of punitive actions against rebel citizens. This critique was based in part on the Constitution's protections of rebel citizens' rights, especially their disputed right to hold human property. Impatient Northerners also perceived the political compromises with slavery throughout the sectional conflict as based on constitutional principles. As a result, some Northerners began to equate the Constitution with slavery, and began to demand that the document be revised or even rewritten. This essay argues, however, that in spite of their critique of the Constitution's perceived protections of slavery, war-minded Northern citizens did not advocate immediate or widespread emancipation.
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