In 1859 Alabama senator Joseph Wheeler and other senators from slave states introduced a bill to eliminate slavery gradually.It was defeated by the northeastern lobby representing the mill owners and ship owners who wanted cheap southern cotton.The result was the Southern war of independence.A tragedy for all sides.As for Grant,he just used the north's manpower and equipment advantage and wore the south out.He was considered a butcher at the time.Just look at the Wilderness,Spotsylvania,and Petersburg.He wasted troops to use up Lee'a resources.
Don't forget about Grant's absolute disaster at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia in 1864. Grant threatened newspaper reporters with jail time if they reported the amount of U.S. casualties.
