Which sounds good
Personal prospective. He was following orders. He was a military man. He didn't want to die or lead others to death. And he said nothing to whether he would free slaves because they deserved to be free. He said he would do it to avoid a war. He would give up his own personal wealth, to avoid fighting. This quote speaks nothing of his feelings upon slavery nor the cause for the war. Kinda like someone saying "i'd give up my computer, smart phone, car, and microwave if we could stop this senseless violence." imo.
it's not about lee's stance on the subject, it's about what role slavery played in causing the civil war. you said it best yourself.
But he didn't say it WOULD avoid the war. He said he would free the slaves he hypothetically owned at a great financial loss, if he didn't have to lead troops into battle. It sounds more like a major sacrifice on his part financially to spare lives than a rebuke of slavery.
he did not make a "would - if" statement, he said he would "free them all to avoid this war".
so if slavery wasn't "the" main contributing factor, what ranked higher?"I would free them all to avoid this war."
"I would kill my firstborn to avoid this war."
"I would take a dick in the ass to avoid this war."
"I would lick UB's sweaty balls to avoid this war."
ALL but one of these statements was within his power to do. Well, two unless you are THAT old
So what did he really say?
"I would end global warming if it would avoid this war."
"I would save Trayvon if it would avoid this war."
"I would bitch-slap Snookie if it avoided this war."
IMO, he was speaking to a hot topic of the time. A PART of the reason the war was fought. Not "the" main contributing factor.
There were several reasons for the Civil War. Slavery was a part of that. And was used as propaganda, just like the other causes.
I see your point, maybe he was caught up in the same type of social mentality that we have today. He really meant, I wish there were no slaves.
"i would free them all to avoid this war"
That's what i've been TRYING to get across but it seems that sometimes people project their opinions through random quotes
Well, as causes go, there was a MAJOR "Don't Tread on ME" attitude, taxation, so-called illegal trade with England, states rights, etc.
you have got to be kidding me.
show me the desperate pleas from robert e. lee citing these things as possibly preventing the war then. should be easy, as those were more major contributors than slavery, right?
how big was the south on states' rights? so big that they forced other states into submitting to their largest ever federal power grab. doesn't matter that the northern states treated those black people who fled to freedom as people, the south still viewed them as slaves, so submit to our bigoted will or else.
