What Liberal Dictate does Cass want to twist out of this old story? There must be some new IM-moral of the story that has been overlooked till now.
He finds feminist themes, brings approving attention to the sex as mild as it is, nearly goes to the fainting couch over the depiction of slaves, and declares that the Confederate flag needs to come down hinting strongly that its display is rooted in racism. But he does show some pity for the people who have reverence for that flag and admits that the reverence can be honorable, which is more than you’ll get from most liberals. I think his main intent here is to tie the flag to a vanquished past.