How would you have treated confederate leaders?

[A18]

And yet, you still insist you're not a Stalinist.

[A18]

Yeah. And then after losing the war, you'd get hanged by your own men for being such a ing idiot.

[A18]

The reason why Jefferson Davis never was put on trial for treason was that he would have argued, successfully, that the Constitution and the Declaration gave the states the implicit right to secede if the federal government overstepped its authority. 

Having Lincoln win an election was overstepping authority?

No. The 1860 GOP campaign plank to halt the spread of slavery into the territories was, however, very clearly unconstitutional. That Lincoln was elected president made that unconstitutional campaign promise essentially a fait-accompli.

How in the world was that unconstitutional?

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

[A18]

"Needful" is a very relative concept. Needful for what? I think it is implied that Congress can make rules and regulations that it deems "needful" for whatever purpose.

[A18]

I disagree on the courts. I think that clause is just giving Congress the authority to make general rules and regulations that they deem needful for whatever purpose.

There is no objective way to determine what a "needful" rule is.

[A18]

If the courts tried something that stupid, I'm sure the Congress would just pass a law revoking their jurisdiction over the matter.