War of Union Ascendance . . .

[redcliffsw]

It's obvious that secession of the Southern states was a threat to the existing U.S. empire's breadth and durability in 1861 since it directly reduced its size and opened up the western region to a competitive force.
-Michael S. Rozeff

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/124816.html