A 1859 NYT editorial scolding abolitionists as unreasonable and doing harm to the cause...

[Hortensis]

12. Don't forget CONTEXT. It was a hugely passionate issue that involved and divided

families, towns, the entire nation. A lot lke today. There were various anti-slavery factions and parties, a group for every range of viewpoint-- all the way from those trying to confine slavery to the southern states and prevent its spread on one end (likely including this NYT piece's author) to those who cheered the murders of non-slaveowning farmers by probably psychopathic raiders -- in the name of god and abolishing slavery. And of course the passions of those who believed god ordained slavery, or just passionately feared having to wash their own laundry.

Craziness, violence, factional anger, irrationality, fear rampant. There were years of calls to calm down before it destroyed their democracy and factional murders in regions where slavery was contested became much worse. This one came shortly before it finally blew up in civil war.

Sound familiar at all? Society changes, personality doesn't.