state and federal governments, deciding on separation is that in practice, if a vote were taken in congress, the separating state(s) would always or almost always be in the minority.

Jim,
George and I discussed this on the board a couple of weeks ago or so. My position was, Yes, those states wishing to leave were in the minority. However, the political party they belonged to was in the majority...almost monolithic...the Democratic party. The Mid-West till then was much more partial to Southern States than they were to New England. New York...the state and the city... had strong economic ties to cotton, hence the slave system. There was certainly a strong sentiment against any war throughout the North. Excepting abolitionist New Englanders. Might not, had this been taken to the National Congress, something short of violence been worked out? A possible alliance of some kind at least. We are talking of people who spoke the same language, read the same books and had the same Judeo-Christian religion and rights of law. Now, we will never know for sure.

Jim, I don't know what the answer to the border problem is...I fear for our country..It seems like none dare offend our leader, I mean President. But I'm off topic.

Bye the bye. Have you ever read the Cousin's War?
James.