re: Who is atop your Mt. Rushmore of world leaders in history?

Alexander III the Great
King Charlemagne (his grandpa almost made the list)
Constantine I
Augustus (Gaius Octavius)

Cyrus the Great
Alexander the Great
Ghengis Khan
Julius Ceasar
and I'd put Napolean in as DH

quote:

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"states in rebellion."

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Then he committed treason for using the military against the States.

Or hey let's look at what those critical of Lincoln said at the time, namely Clement Vallandingham of Ohio.

He was critical of Lincoln and the keystone of the republican party, the Morrill Tariff as "obscure, ill-considered, and unstatesmanlike."

After discussing the suppression of the press, suspension of habeas corpus, the blockade of Southern ports, and other dictatorial acts, Vallandingham then condemned the Lincoln administration for its persistent infractions of the Constitution.

See Lincoln wouldn't recognize the CSA government, because to do so would legitimize secession. However, if he would have declared war, and approved by Congress, it would have been constitutional to blockade Southern ports.

he wrote" the quartering of soldiers in private houses without the consent of the owners, and without any manner having been prescribed by law; to the subversion in a part, at least, of Maryland of her own State Government and of the authorities under it; to the censorship over the telegraph, and the infringement, repeatedly, in one or more States, of the right of the people to keep and bear arms for their defense.....free speech, too, has been repeatedly denied."

"The purpose of all of these dictatorial acts was not to "free the slaves" or even "save the Union," but national banks, bankrupt laws, a vast and permanent public debt, high tariffs, heavy direct taxation, enormous expenditure, gigantic and stupendous peculation...and strong government....no more State lines, no more State governments, and a consolidated monarchy or vast centralized military despotism"

Richard Sias, Mr Norm, Richard Petty and Buddy Baker.

Marcus Aurelius
Castro
Gadaffi
Mao

Churchill
Teddy Roosevelt
Benjamin Franklin
Patton
Chesty