Quote Originally Posted by JaggedEdge
Sorry, I just realized I worded that a little wrong. It was about slavery, but it wasn't an ethical descion on Abe Lincolns part. He did not feel everyone was equal and that slavery was wrong. He was pissed because the South had free labor. I just get annoyed at how Lincoln is alway's portrayed with a halo over his head.

In one of his adresses he actually said something along the lines of, not caring if a single black man is freed. My g/f knows the exact quote and am having trouble finding it right now, but will post it later.

On top of the selfish reason for starting the war (not an ethical reason,) he ignored the states rights do declare themselves independent. It was a protected Constitutional right at the time, which he completely ignored. Today only Texas still holds the right to withdraw from the United States.

He is just one of those people in history that annoys the crap out of me. The fact everyone teaches pretty things about him pisses me off. He is this American hero when really all he did was start an unconstitutinal war...

Slavery being abolished, was not his main reason for the war though.
I agree with you up until the last sentence. Slavery was his main reason for the war. As soon as the South attacked, he responded. The stimuli for the South attacking was slavery.