Posted on 04/10/2015 5:03:22 PM PDT by lqcincinnatus
One hundred-fifty years after Appomattox, many Southerners still won’t give up.
One hundred fifty years ago, on April 9th, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House and the Union triumphed in the Civil War. Yet the passage of a century and a half has not dimmed the passion for the Confederacy among many Americans. Just three weeks ago, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) appeared before the Supreme Court arguing for the right to put a Confederate flag on vanity license plates in Texas. Just why would someone in 2015 want a Confederate flag on their license plate? The answer is likely not a desire to overtly display one’s genealogical research skills; nor can it be simplistically understood solely as an exhibition of racism, although the power of the Confederate flag to convey white supremacist beliefs cannot be discounted.
Rather, displaying the Confederate flag in 2015 is an indicator of a complex and reactionary politics that is very much alive in America today. It is a politics that harks back to the South’s proud stand in the Civil War as a way of rallying opinion against the federal government—and against the country’s changing demographic, economic, and moral character, of which Washington is often seen as the malign author. Today’s understanding of the Confederacy by its supporters is thus neither nostalgia, nor mere heritage; rather Confederate sympathy in 2015 is a well-funded and active political movement (which, in turn, supports a lucrative Confederate memorabilia industry).
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I’m fourth generation Irish and my people fought for the Union. The South wanted to preserve slavery and fought a war to do so. Just like the Brits who fought wars to enslave people.
What LBJ said concerning the Civil Rights legislation was “If this bill passes I’ll have them n****rs voting Democrat for the next two hundred years’’.
That ain’t the Stars And Bars on either side of that picture you put up there now is it?
Historically, Texas was under the govt. of six countries.
Six Flags over Texas is a historical fact. It is something important to them. France, Spain, Mexico, Republic Of Texas, Confederacy and U S.
All are flown in Texas as part of their heritage.
“Sons of the Confederacy”
It’s Sons of Confederate Veterans (of which I used to be a member) that does the license plates. “Sons of the Confederacy” is a different outfit, and IIRC, Klan-ish.
And now we are slaves to the "union" again. Freedom is in the Republic. The States. Not the Federal government, British or American.
My Southern Missouri ancestors fought on the side of
the North and I am proud of that fact. However, I respect
the “Stars and Bars” flag and believe that it still stands
for states rights even though as applied to slavery
the states rights aspect was misguided and just plain wrong.
But that certainly does not negate the importance of
states rights.
Old Ben had three ancestors in the Union army — but though the South seceded to keep slavery, it did NOT start the war.
That happened when the North invaded.
“It’s alive in me.”
Maybe some antibiotics lol.
Exactly.
They were sent to fight people who had done them no wrong by the Government which supposedly didn't believe in slavery.
I am tenth generation Irish, County Cork, and my people fought for the South. At Fredericksburg my Irish people probably fought your Irish people. Fortunately, we were behind the Stone Wall.
My gosh, then what is this strange feeling I have had since BHO has been President?
While I understand the sentiment, I wouldn't fly a confederate flag myself. As a symbol it has been too badly damaged in the court of public opinion and would only distract from the message. It is too closely associated with slavery and racism to be of any value, despite it's larger message.
I like the Betsy Ross flag, or the Gadsden flag better. The Betsy Ross flag represented Independence from Britain, and the Gadsden flag represented the will to fight for freedom.
If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.
Just goes to show that the sticking point wasn't slavery, it was Independence. Lincoln was willing to tolerate slavery, but he wasn't willing to tolerate Independence for the Southern States.
You might check and see if your people were forced to fight for the Union. They grabbed the Irish right off the boats and put them in a war against people who had done nothing to them. Talk about treating people sh*tty.
As for slavery, Lincoln was willing to preserve that, (see post above) but he wasn't willing to allow independence.
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| "I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
That happened when the North invaded.
I am sympathetic to the concept of secession, and I believe the South had the right to do so when they did, (See Declaration of Independence.) but they opened fire on a Union fort. That was the stupidest possible thing they could have done.
Their arrogant pride got the better of them. Had they just went about business as normal, and ignored the Yankee fort commanding the entrance to Charleston, the secession would have eventually become a fait accompli.
Instead they kicked the Hornet's nest, and of course the Hornets were going to respond. At the time, the Northern states had acquiesced to a peaceful secession. The only person who's benefit was served by the attack on Ft. Sumter was Lincoln. Without it, he never would have had a casus belli.
I have read arguments that Lincoln did everything he could think of to provoke them into attacking the fort. Whether this be true or not, it certainly played into his interests.
No one forced my ancestors to fight.
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