Semi Autonomous Confederacy

NothingNow

Banned
The precedent set would be that it would require military action to happen, because both sides could hurt the other, but neither could kill

Or the South couldn't and the North lacked the will to do it. Because the only really plausible CSA victory not involving massive devastation in the South is the North deciding to let them go, instead of taking the time and effort to go down there and slap their shit.
 
I once read a theory on the internet that in Lee's pocket there was a letter from Jefferson Davis to the British ambassador which would essentially cede control to Queen Victoria and make the CSA a "privileged colony" similar to Canada.

However, it's probably complete bollocks.

It does sound nuts. As slavery was banned in the British empire.
 

RousseauX

Donor
I was thinking of a time when the White House staff consisted of a butler, cook and a private secretary. I can't think of any good reason to have thousands of people employed there. Note that I said good reason as opposed to any reason.
Modern administration tend to be pretty complicated and the size of the country dictates that your executive really do need quite a few rank and file bureaucrats to function. I mean, it would be nice if 4 people could run the executive branch but it's pretty unrealistic. And I feel that there probably weren't actually a time when the white house staff was 3 people.
 

RousseauX

Donor
Instead of going to war with the north, what if the Confederacy tried to become a semi autonomous region, with its army reduced to a large militia, direct control over slavery in its territory and some level of economic control? How could this happen?
That was pretty much what was in place before the civil war, with the exception that the south also had significant degree of control over the national political process in the federal government.
 
I honestly can't see any Republican administration agreeing with this. If the South dominated the government through the 1850s and 1860s, maybe there would have been a gradual devolution. Maybe.
 
I was thinking something where the first part of the war has both sides dealing heavy damage to the other, so neither side can win but both can hurt the other badly. Then they both go to the diplomatic table.

Normally I would agree with this, but with the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the South's slaves, I don't think a compromise could possibly be reached. The Proclamation wouldn't (and really couldn't) be rescinded, and if the South loses slavery, then it's lost the war.

Actually OTL the two sides did meet at the diplomatic table late in the war, in 1865; Lincoln (who met with the Confederate representatives in person) offered that the seceded states could be immediately accepted back into the Union, to delay the passage of the 13th amendment by a few years, and indicated that he could get enough wealthy backers to pay for the South's slaves, in exchange for the South re-joining the union. Apparently some Confederate advisers wanted to take up the offer, but Jefferson Davis shot it down.
 
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