Don't spin the Civil War

Washington Post ^ | 12.27.10 | E.J. DIONNE jR.

[trumandogz]

The Civil War is about to loom very large in the popular memory. We would do well to be candid about its causes and not allow the distortions of contemporary politics or long-standing myths to cloud our understanding of why the nation fell apart.

The coming year will mark the 150th anniversary of the onset of the conflict, which is usually dated to April 12, 1861, when Confederate batteries opened fire at 4:30 a.m. on federal troops occupying Fort Sumter. Union forces surrendered the next day, after 34 hours of shelling.

[rahbert]

“actually read a little”

Read a little what? Instead of hurling cutely formulated insult, suggest some book titles.

[MBB1984]

The song was written by a Unitarian and not a Christian. Though it has extensive Christian imagery, it is certainly not a Christian song.

[RegulatorCountry]

I found Non-Sequitur to be infuriating and often in opposition to my own views, but I never doubted his sincerity, and he was a worthy opponent in debate.

My sentiments may be in the minority, but he’ll be missed on our frequent refightings of the Civil War on FR.

[jimt]

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything."

Abraham Lincoln, Fourth Debate with Stephen A. Douglas at Charleston, Illinois, September 18, 1858

[MBB1984]

What never made sense to me is that the states had to be readmitted to the union. If they never recognized secession what was the purpose for readmission to the union?

[Vision]

This is a really opportunity to establish in everyone’s mind that the Republican Party was anti-slavery and that Abe Lincoln was a Republican. You would be shocked at how many people do not know that.

And if you get ambitious and mention Martin Luther King was a Republican, their heads explode.

[MBB1984]

Why did he receive the zot? Was he supportive of homosexuality?

[lentulusgracchus]

The "progressives" are mandating everything else, why not a state approved official version of history, too?

Dionne is just turning again, like a dog on its vomit, to the revisionism taken in hand for political indoctrination purposes by the Clinton Administration. Clinton personally commissioned two Red-diaper professors, Eric Foner and James McPherson, to rewrite all the historical materials available at the national military parks, to make sure the visitors get the Democratic message that the South was Morally Wrong because Crackers Are Endogamously Bad.

The Democrats and their media stooges have been pushing that theme since the 1980's. Longer, if you count the civil rights movement as another phase of the campaign. Which has all been about:

• Resistance to socialism, by the "mossbacks" in the 40's, Republicans in the 70's and later, and

• Breaking the "Finkelstein Box" in order to elect Democrats to the Presidency, by alienating "battleground State" voters from Southern conservatives and the "old America".

It's all about establishing a one-armed, corporatist People's Republic on the ruins of the American Experiment.

[Lonely Are The Brave]

DEO VINDICE

http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo44.html

[Hegewisch Dupa]

!!! That’s a damn good point

[Repeal The 17th]

I find that most people think the 1800’s south was entirely comprised of wealthy white plantation owners and black slaves. Of course, we know this is not true. There were some wealthy blacks, and many more poor whites.

I do a lot of historical research in census records from that time and it is obvious from those documents that few whites owned any slaves. My own ancestors were share croppers on the same plantations as slaves, and worked right along side them. The slaves were well cared for by their owners, while the share croppers had to take care of them selves.

The plantations were all of the entire economy of the south. If you were not a member of a land-owning (wealthy) family in the agrarian south, then whether you were white or black, you earned your living from them.

[samtheman]

They should teach it accurately. The anti-slave faction was the Republicans. The pro-slave faction -- whether it be northern copperheads or southern successionists -- were Democrats.

[Le Chien Rouge]

I love Civil War thread arguments!!!

So much fun to watch the war repeat itself on the internet.

[RegulatorCountry]

I believe he stated that he had faith in the professionalism of our military, even in the face of the repeal of DADT. Non-Sequitur struck me as being more of the oldline Republican “good government” sort, and not much of a social conservative.

[DocH]

I am from Georgia, and many of us call it "The War of Northern Aggression".

That's as neutral as I can get. :)

[samtheman]

Yes, let’s just stop spinning it. Secession didn’t suddenly become verboten and “union” sacrosanct just because the southern states attempted it. The Constitutionality of secession had long been assumed, even by secessionist movements in prissy New England.

Yes, let’s just stop spinning it. The African slave trade was almost entirely a creature of New England shipping interests, with a majority of so-called “slave ports” being decidedly north of the Mason-Dixon.

Yes, let’s just stop spinning it, the 3/5ths Compromise, so ignorantly attributed to “racist” southerners and demagogued to infinity, was a compromise insisted upon by northern interests, who did not want slaves counted as fully human in order to prevent Congressional reapportionment from shifting political power to the south.

Yes, let’s just stop spinning it.

Yes. Indeed.

[central_va]

What never made sense to me is that the states had to be readmitted to the union. If they never recognized secession what was the purpose for readmission to the union?

Why wasn't ONE southerner tried for treason? Col. Wirz was tried for conspiracy and murder, not teason.

[catfish1957]

Years CW fought in real life- 4

Years CW fought here at FR- 11

[Repeal The 17th]

“...I could go on for quite a while...”
-
Please, do!

[Repeal The 17th]

ping to stand watie, wherever you are...