There are a lot of points that you made I will see if I can answer some. I am not sure if one can say from reading on a forum if I am liberal in all thing or not . Political terms can be very subjective at best. All wars are political the CW especially so but I don't know if the CW can be viewed from a 21st century left/right conflict. Thats an interesting concept though. If we were to view the CW in that context then there were a lot more liberals the conservatives because per the noted author James Mcpherson the North enjoyed a 2.5 to one advantage in manpower due in no small part that 10% of all Southern White men who fought in the CW wore the blue uniform and some of these units such has the 1st and 2nd Ark fought very well and they fought in Mo. Of course the Union cause was not hurt by the many Afro-American men the majority southern born who fought for the Union some in Mo ( the 1st Kan Coloured Reg )and also Indian units such has the 1st and 2nd Indian Home guard. Thats a whole lot of liberals. Not to mention that the majority of men in Mo wore blue not grey its been quoted that 110k men wore blue vs 40k grey in conventional units plus throw in a few thousand more in irregular units.

By definition a citizen of the United States can not invade another state since he/she has a legal right to be there anyway especially while in the uniform of the United States Armed Services. Lyons acts were not illegal in the sense that not only was he not censoured by the US Army he went in something less then a month from Capt to Brig General not a bad career move.

Did the US armed forces eat up everthing in sight sure they did has did the CSA when Lee was in Maryland and Penn. It would be unrealistic for the US Army to posess enough trains and steamboats to transport all their food especially since the RR were always attacked and steamboats can't travel on all rivers during the summer campain season because the river is low and US Army units caould bot be confined to rivers and RR's they needed to be whereever the CSA was.
Has far has us having less civil rights now then back in the 1860's that depends on ones definition of civil rights and what social/demographic group one is.

Also the Liberal Union was very forgiving of its enemies othern the say to little Archie Clement and a few others. Jo Shelby became a US Marshall , Longstreet became US Minister to the Ottman Turkish Empire and even Frank James was pardoned. I think Frank James in 1913 said it best when he said that both sides committed evil. War is not a great way to solve political differences that we will always have has the CW in Mo proved.

Take Care,
Leonard