The issue of slavery was a dead horse regardless, it was slowly dying, strangling under it own cost.
But certain fire eaters in the south refused to accept this, and they knew the only way to avoid losing money was to expand it into other territories.
Years ago I read a study conducted by someone who figured up the cost of subsidized manumission by the government versus to cost to the north fighting a 5 year war!
We would have been 5 or 6 times better off by buying them out and setting them free!😀
But it still riles me some to hear revisionist history claiming that the north waged a war for the purpose of freeing the slaves.
Lincoln in fact relieved 4 separate department commander for declaring slaves free in their department. Even after the emancipation proclamation took effect in the south, slaves still held in states in the union and southern territories under northern control were not effected at all!
Reon

"Preserving the Constitution, fighting off the nibblers and chippers, even nibblers and chippers with good intentions, was once regarded by conservatives as the first duty of the citizen. It still is." � Wesley Pruden