Stacy sez:

Secession in 1860-61 was meant to pre-empt the usurpation of power by the federal government. Look at the manifest abuses of federal power today, and one must conclude that the South was correct in seeing “all the consequences in the principle” — the heinous imperial principle that the states are mere “districts” or “provinces” of the central government — and very wisely did they seek to avoid “the consequences by denying the principle.”

You can natter on about slavery and racism and treason and such all you want to, but on the main point, the adherents of Leviathan were wrong and the South was right. Smaller governments, having less power, are less abusive than large governments.

Never mind that one person can abuse power over another. You know, like keeping them in slavery.