What difference does it make what happened in 1862? Lott implied that segregation would have been a good thing to have NOW. The GOP is accused of using coded racism to get elected, now! If the Southerners want to say it was "States Rights", Why not, if it makes them feel better? If Northerners want to claim it was all about liberation, again, why not? My history book, which was written in Britian, said that the war was fought over MONEY and POWER, changes in the economy and thus the relative importance of the states. That seems the most plausible to me. Contrary to what many "patriots" say, soldiers may fight for ideals, but politicians don't go to war for them.