Bobert--

Citing the Underground Railway does not help your cause. "Underground"--so obviously not accepted by Southern elites. That is not evidence slavery was on the way out.

I cited Jefferson (yes I know he died in 1826 and the Civil War started in 1861)--as indication that as early as Jefferson southern elites were refusing to give up their slaves. If anything, the situation worsened after Jefferson--with King Cotton progressively more dominating Southern society. You have produced no evidence slavery was withering on the vine.

I consider myself from the "Dragnet" school of historiography--"Just the facts, ma'am".

That's why I believe that Bush did not make his case for invading Iraq, that the
Stratford man's case as writing Shakespeare has not been established, that there's no evidence of "No Irish Need Apply" signs in the US ( though the sentiment may well have existed), that John Smith was not "saved" by Pocahontas,----and that it's not established slavery was on its way out in 1861.