What were personal opinoins on the Civil War?

Personal opinions on the Civil War were largely divided along regional and ideological lines. In the North, many people believed that the war was necessary to preserve the Union and to end the institution of slavery. They viewed the South as having seceded illegally and as being in rebellion against the legitimate government of the United States. In the South, many people believed that the war was necessary to protect their states' rights and way of life. They viewed the North as having overstepped its constitutional authority and as being an aggressor in the conflict.

There were, of course, many variations of opinion within each region. Some Northerners opposed the war on moral grounds, arguing that it was wrong to fight a war to preserve the institution of slavery. Others opposed the war on economic grounds, arguing that it would be too costly and damaging to the nation. Some Southerners opposed the war on political grounds, arguing that it would lead to the destruction of the South's way of life. Others opposed the war on military grounds, arguing that the South could not possibly win.

Despite these differences of opinion, the Civil War was ultimately a conflict between two fundamentally different visions of America. The North's victory in the war led to the abolition of slavery, the preservation of the Union, and the establishment of a more centralized federal government. The war's legacy is still being debated today, but its impact on American history and culture is undeniable.

Here are some specific examples of personal opinions on the Civil War:

* Abraham Lincoln: "I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves, it should be first the voluntary slaves; the next, the slaves of necessity; the next, the slaves of the government; and last of all, the slaves of ignorance and vice."

* Jefferson Davis: "The war was not waged on our part to perpetuate slavery; but it became a war for that purpose on the part of the North. The North refused to treat slavery but as an evil - an evil so great that the Government based upon it could not possibly endure. The South denied this doctrine, and maintained that slavery was beneficial to both races, and that without it the social and political condition of the African in America could not be improved. The North went to war to enforce its views; and the South to defend its institutions. The war was thus purely sectional in its character."

* Frederick Douglass: "The cause of the slave was the cause of humanity; the cause of the Union was the cause of liberty. The two causes were one. ... The Union could not be saved without destroying slavery. Slavery could not be destroyed without saving the Union. They rose and fell together."

* Robert E. Lee: "The war is over, the Confederacy is dead. The South has been defeated, and I have no desire to add to her humiliation by prolonging the contest."

These are just a few examples of the many different personal opinions that were expressed during the Civil War. The war was a complex and multifaceted conflict, and there is no single answer that can account for all of the motivations of the people who participated in it. However, by studying the personal opinions of the people involved, we can gain a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the Civil War.