A House-Divided

[Gene C]

For not having much clout as you assert, the secessionists sure did bust up the country.

I may have overstated my point.
Extreme viewpoints on either side of the issues rarely have the political clout to win. They have to cloud the issue, they can't win on their basic premise
In my opinion, if the secessionist viewpoint had been clearly stated, without the firebreathing rhetoric, it would not have been a majority opinion of the people of the south.
But that's my opinion, and it has a margin of error of +/- 40% to 45%.
And your right, they sure did bust up the country.