Posted on 02/25/2007 7:43:34 AM PST by OrioleFan
Lee was an avid reader of Northern newspapers smuggled across the lines. From them he gleaned not only bits of military intelligence but also – and more important in this case – information about Northern politics and the growing disillusionment with the war among Democrats and despair among Republicans. One of Lee’s purposes in the Maryland invasion was to intensify this Northern demoralization in advance of the congressional elections in the fall of 1862. He hoped that Confederate military success would encourage antiwar candidates. If Democrats could gain control of the House, it might cripple the Lincoln administration’s ability to carry on the war. On September 8 Lee outlined his ideas on this matter in a letter to Davis. “The present posture of affairs,” Lee wrote, “places it in our power…to propose to the Union government…the recognition of our independence.” Such a proposal, coming when “it is in our power to inflict injury on our adversary…would enable the people of the United States to determine at their coming elections whether they will support those who favor a prolongation of the war, or those who wish to bring it to a termination.”
This desire to influence the Northern elections was one reason Lee gave serious thought to resuming the campaign in Maryland even after Antietam. That was not to be. Democrats did make significant gains in the 1862 congressional elections, although Republicans managed to retain control of Congress. But morale in the Army of the Potomac and among the Northern public plunged to rock bottom in the early months of 1863 ...
Antiwar Democrats in the North – self-described as Peace Democrats but branded by Republicans as treasonable Copperheads – became more outspoken and politically powerful than ever. Lee followed these developments closely.
I found this magazine in an out of the way book and magazines store yesterday. The article was a teriffic read. It outlined General Lee's goals for the Pennsylvania campaign. His primary goal was to influence the congressional elections in favor of Democrats who would force an early termination and recognition of Southern independence.
Thank you Joe Hooker.
Now we just call 'em Cut 'n Runners.
If you truly want to experience the history as it happened. There are many archives on line where you can read Civil war vintage news articles. What is especially interesting is reading about a battle or campaign and reading it as printed in a Rebel newpaper and then reading the same thing printed in a Yankee newspaper. It's amazing how different they are. It's also eye opening to read today's revisionist (PC) version. A good source (for those interested) is Civilweek.com. The site has excellent resources but appears not to have been updated in several years. If you want a particular week in the war you have to walk back from the last page to the first.
Yankees Win!!..Theeeeeeee Yankees win!
John Sterling...
The morale problem in the Army of the Potomac in early 1863 didn't have a whole lot to do with Hooker. It was more a result of the disaster at Fredericksburg followed closely by the fiasco of the "Mud March".
Likewise, there is an element in today's Democratic party that shows more sympathy for the enemies of America just because those enemies are also enemies of GOP principles just as they were in 1863.
No doubt and Hooker did do a good job of rebuilding their spirits. Then came yet another defeat for the army.
Dixie Ping
history is repeating itself with different players
Shame it didn't happen...a destroyed South, 600,000 dead Americans and 1 dead Constitution...all to force 11 southern states to submit to rule from Washington...real role model that Lincoln was...for other dictatorial consolidators of power and enemies of federalism...Bismarck...Lenin...and Hitler...that is why the MSM and the leftist public schools celebrate Lincoln
The individual states of the American Union could not have possessed any state sovereignty of their own. For it was not these states that formed the Union, on the contrary it was the Union which formed a great part of such so-called states. Certainly all the states in the world are moving toward a certain unification in their inner organization. And in this Germany will be no exception. Today it is an absurdity to speak of a ‘state sovereignty’ of individual provinces....In particular we cannot grant to any individual state within the nation and the state representing it state sovereignty and sovereignty in point of political power....National Socialism as a matter of principle, must lay claim to the right to force its principles on the whole German nation without consideration of previous federated state boundaries.
--Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf
It's interesting how historians clearly see how the media was biased in the past and yet modern journalists claim they are completely objective.
I think Lee was taken by complete surprise how quickly the Army of the Potomac was on his heals.
Do you hold it against the Founders that they induced France to act against their fellow Englishman for the furtherance of their rebellion?
The bid for Southern Independence was a bid for limited federal government. The last attempt to keep the consolidation of power from continuing in Washington, D.C. We have seen what that failure wrought - trillions in debt and the federal government recognizing no limit to its powers.
They tried to stop Leviathan before it grew too entrenched. They were crushed for their temerity, their homes and property torched to compel fealty to the politicians in Washington, D.C., and our liberties are the victim.
And what you call "submission to Washington" was a much better prospect than submission to Richmond and Slavery Inc.
"We can never live in a Southern Confederacy, and be made hewers of wood and drawers of water for a set of aristocrats"— William Brownlow, Knoxville Whig
Perhaps we should change that to Neo-Copperheads.
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