Sheldon, you are exactly on the money! The real reason why Lincoln had his "Civil War" (a more accurate phrase for this war is "The War of Northern Aggression") is to "preserve the union", not to free the slaves.Take a look at the timeline: in 1860, Lincoln was elected president; later in 1860, South Carolina succeeded from the union; in 1861, 10 other states followed South Carolina; later in 1861, Lincoln started his war, violating the Constitution he swore to preserve, protect, and defend (Amt 10); 1863, Lincoln made his Emancipation Proclamation "freeing the slaves".Now, I find fault with the last one. First of all, it's been two years! Immedately after succession, war broke out. But after two years, Lincoln wants to free the slaves? And the Emancipation Proclamation didn't free the slaves; it only freed the slaves in the Confederacy. Slave-owners in states like Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware got to keep their slaves. Ron Paul might have mentioned that, but hind-sight is always 20/20.