That Tyrant Lincoln

Lincoln’s War of Northern Aggression cannot be justified by the statist pipe dream that he “freed the slaves”. Lincoln did not end slavery. He did not abolish compulsory servitude. He universalized it when he instituted the draft. If we are to respect and uphold the individual’s right to own oneself, then we must respect this right in the means, and not just the ends. If a man should not be forced to pick cotton, then neither should he be forced to carry a gun. No talk of “sacrifice for liberty” can justify compulsory military service or civilian deaths. No one can abolish compulsory servitude by forcing a man to serve in the military. No one can abolish property in humans by shelling towns, leveling whole cities, and treating residents like commodities that can be spent. No one can rightfully force another to sacrifice. The individual should be allowed to choose whether to sacrifice, and which objects and to what degree to sacrifice. This is implied by the principle of Individual Sovereignty. Lincoln did not respect this principle. He compelled men to serve in the military and he ordered actions which resulted in numerous civilian deaths. For this he is not just a slave master, but a mass murderer.

Neither can Lincoln’s War of Northern Aggression be justified by any talk of “preserving the Union”. That very principle which demands the abolition of slavery (Individual Sovereignty) also demands the right to secede. If a man should be allowed to choose whether and for whom to work, then he should also be allowed to choose whether and by whom to be governed. If we do not wish to be ruled by the government over us, we should be allowed to declare ourselves independent of it without giving up our land or leaving the country. To vindicate “preserving the Union” is really to vindicate government’s claim to ownership of your property, your body, and your life. The Union is not some venerable institution for our emancipation; it is a machine for the subjugation of the individual. No one who speaks accurately of freedom can praise Lincoln’s war to preserve the Union.