Board Thread:New on Alternative History/@comment-72.185.4.15-20130303025444/@comment-32656-20150510092522

More like a fear of what the north would do, imo. They felt like they were being crushed by it - Ferry only added the spectre of uprisings to it.

You not only forget that they had been trying similar things prior to then, but that the Ferry event was one of many things that alarmed them. Imo, any united ticket is going to be more pro-south, and their interests (more than just slavery, fyi) and cost them northern votes between that and the slavery aspect. Bet too on that compromise not being Douglas, who led one of the factions. A lesser known person from between the two would have won it, in that light. Even if Douglas is the nominee - he would not be - you're still talking at least a 5-10% loss in Dem votes, nationally, to the Republicans, because of the positions he would have to take. And I suspect that Bell's message would get him more votes there, too. Losing those two states, imo, is insignificant.

That he failed to gain momentum on those ballots means he loses - too many wanted him to lose. Either you make progress, or you lose, at those conventions. Look at Lincoln's rise, by comparison. Chase and Bates have the same problem, overall, as Seward. It's rather obvious that Lincoln was the only one who stood any real chance, in the end, of winning the nomination, especially given that the party recognized that someone from a more westward state would be a crucial advantage.

Big difference between the talk the North did after 1812, and the threats the south did. So long as the result was legitimate, they'd tolerate it.

Lemmon v. New York ruling against NY would not have had that effect, imo. Same reason as why they were able to abolish it in the first place - environment not suitable. Not that I would be so fast to think the court would have ruled against it, either - State's Rights would dictate that NY get to do it, and the court loved that idea. And, as the lower court noted, they did not have to bring their slaves to that state on their way to Texas.

Advocate for it = not neutral.

Not quite - he agreed with the SC decisions, while Lincoln did not. Goes well beyond the territories. And Lincoln did think it had the right to mess with it within reason, imo.

Douglas died from Typhoid fever, which you get either from contaminated water, or uncleanliness. Takes a while to incubate, up to 30 days, and usually starts mild - one may not even know they are sick for days after that time period. We have no idea, as a result, where he contracted it. Now, a different result does most likely leave him alive - but your overall logic is faulty.