Free Republic

...The decision comes with no guarantee of where or whether the statue might be displayed or how it is interpreted.

Over the last few months, celebrations for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday have drawn attention to the Kentucky native's life and his legacy as president. But the 200-year anniversary of another Kentucky president's birth, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is receiving mixed reviews. "I'll say it this way - winners write history," said Ron Bryant, a Lexington historian writing a book on Davis. "We need heroes, we need villains. Lincoln became a hero and Davis a villain." Davis was born in what is now Todd County, Ky., in 1808, one year before Lincoln. Davis served as the only president of the 11...

The thought of having to dignify the legacy of the Confederacy’s only president by driving my car over his highway rather than his decrepit corpse is enough to make me want to vomit...If there is to be a Jefferson Davis Highway it should begin at the African Civil War Memorial and end at his grave, where onlookers can pull over and spit.

Death of Jefferson Davis Remembered - The Christmas of 1889 was a sad time in the South. By Calvin Johnson Jr. Staff Email Contact Editor Print Jefferson Davis - AuthenticHistory.com December 6th, is the 118th anniversary of the death of a great American Hero---Jefferson Davis. The "Politically Correct" would have you forget the past...But do not forget the history of the men and women who made the USA great. Caution, this is a family friendly story to be shared. The Sons of Confederate Veterans have declared 2008, the "Year of Jefferson Davis." Remembrance events will include the re-opening of "Beauvoir"...

The General's Eggnog One quart of cream One quart of milk A dozen eggs One pint of brandy A half pint of rye A quarter pint of rum A quarter pint of sherry Christmas of 1826 was snowy, cold and lonely for the cadets of West Point. Though called "men" they were really teenage boys -- some as young as 17 -- and they wanted to celebrate Christmas. Young Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederate States of America, was amongst them. But West Point then, as it is now, was a house of order and discipline. The military...

DONT BELIEVE THE MEDIA LIE currently being propagated that claims Beauvoir is beyond repair. I believe it is a smokescreen being used to keep the public fooled long enough for them to go in with bulldozers and push what remains of her over - thereby conveniently erasing one more "stain" from Mississippi's "evil Confederate history." then on the "Skycopter on the Gulf Coast--Second Tour" link for the video. (See link in first post) The video is about 16 minutes long in WMP format and the few seconds they spend showing Beauvoir is around the 9:35 mark. Larry McCluney, 1st Lt....

Should Your Personal Life Be An Affair Of State? Should your personal life be an affair of state? That's what divides libertarians and true conservatives from the modern Jacobins who falsely wear the label of "liberal" or "moderate." The libertarian/true-conservative position is that your private and personal affairs are not the business of the state as long as you refrain from applying force or fraud against your fellow citizens. The Jacobin position is that your life belongs to the state and your personal interests may be sacrificed for the common good, which, of course, the Jacobins will define. The most...

The onetime president of the Confederacy's name may soon be consigned to the history books at a Palm Beach County middle school. Jefferson Davis Middle in Palm Springs is poised to join other schools nationwide shedding the name of the Civil War leader in favor of a less divisive moniker. At next week's school board meeting, a committee of students, staff, parents and historical society members plans to ask to rename the school Palm Springs Middle. The school, built in the 1960s, is reopening in a new facility in 2007 on land annexed this year by Palm Springs. It will...

Q: After having read many accounts of the Civil War, I still don’t understand why South Carolina fired on Ft. Sumter, galvanizing the North into war.  What do you think might have happened had the South continued to let these coastal forts be manned by the Union for a longer time? Hanson: I think conflict was inevitable, because the South had little appreciation of Northern industrial power nor of the competence of a number of formerly nondescript Union officers. The best officers of the Mexican War had joined the Confederacy and there was an erroneous general impression that all superior...

All the South has ever desired was that the Union, as established by our Forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government, as originally organized, should be administered in purity and truth. --Robert E. Lee Why do Americans continue to remember their past? Perhaps it is because it was a time when truth was spoken. Men and women took their stand to give us the freedoms we now enjoy. God bless those in military service, who do their duty around the world for freedom. The Hall of Fame for great Americans opened in 1900 in New York City. One thousand...

If you have visited the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, you know that it is called the Arlington of the Confederacy due to the fact that many famous Confederate people are buried there. Upon entering the cemetery, one finds Confederate President Jefferson Davis first. Then you drive to what is called on the map as President's Circle. In the middle is James Monroe. A few yards away is John Tyler. Aside from these two presidents, there are 26 Confederate generals buried here. Among the more famous are JEB Stuart, George Pickett, Henry Heth and Fitzhugh Lee. John Tyler was an...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... . U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. . . Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family...

<p>An honor guard from the Sons of Confederate Veterans marches during a memorial service for Gen. Alfred Mouton before the Battle of Mansfield re-enactment. Mouton was the highest ranking confederate soldier killed at the Battle of Mansfield, which was fought on April 8, 1864.The Battle of Mansfield in April 1864 was the last major Confederate victory of the Civil War, one of the largest battles west of the Mississippi River and marked the sour end of a campaign personally planned by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Still, historians have mixed ideas over its place in the grand scheme of that conflict.</p>

The ceremony wasn't about Kentucky's homegrown Confederate president, but about Black History Month. Rep. Paul Bather, a Louisville Democrat, pointed to the Davis statue and said it had to go...Bather, who is black, is sponsoring legislation...that would have the statue removed from the state Capitol...Likenesses of former president Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, Dr. Ephraim McDowell and Alben Barkley are all standing in the rotunda with Davis.

The Transformation of Dr. Erenestine Harrison by Gail Jarvis In a recent LRC blog post, Elizabeth Wright discusses the transformation of Dr. Erenestine Harrison who, as a concerned black resident of Hampton, Virginia, began a petition to change the names of two primarily black schools that were named after Confederate heroes: Robert E. Lee Elementary School and Jefferson Davis Middle School. However, Harrison later withdrew her request. In an interview, Dr. Harrison cited two basic reasons for her change of heart. First, the flood of email and letters she received from Southern heritage supporters that provided information previously unknown to...

A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to remove the Jefferson Davis statue from the Capitol Rotunda and move it to the Kentucky History Center where it can be displayed for its historical value and context in history. WHEREAS, we recognize that Jefferson Davis has a significant role in history as a well accomplished veteran, politician, and statesman; and WHEREAS, there is no question of his status as a historical figure serving as Secretary of War, representing Mississippi as senator, and leading the Confederacy as President; however, his belief in the rights expounded by the Confederacy to own...

(AP) - Hampton resident Erenestine Harrison has dropped her petition to rename Jefferson Davis Middle School in response to strong arguments from individuals and groups dedicated to Southern history. "They convinced me, basically, that this means so much to them," Harrison said. "I don't think the black community cares as much about removing (the name) as much as they care about preserving it."Earlier, she decided to forgo a campaign to change the name of Robert E. Lee Elementary School because she uncovered information indicating the Confederate general's family opposed slavery.Davis served as president of the Confederate States of America during...

Gentlemen: I have transcribed this article from an English paper entitled "The Globe and Traveller" of September 2nd, 1864, of which I have an original in my possession. It is a negotiation interview between Jefferson Davis and Judah Benjamin of the Confederacy, and Colonel Jaques and J. R. Gilmore of the Union. I have emboldened a part that sums up what the South was all about. Warmest Regards ...Brian Lee Merrill **************************************** The Globe and Traveller (England) Friday Evening, September 2, 1864 AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT DAVIS The Atlantic Monthly in an article in the September number gives a narrative...

Richmond, Vir. - While the rain may have dampened their clothes, it did not dampen the spirit of those attending the 9th Annual National Jefferson F. Davis Memorial service conducted at his grave site in Hollywood Cemetery, on Saturday May 31, 2003 by the Jefferson F. Davis Memorial Committee of the Virginia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans in honor of his birth date of June 3. The service commenced with the advancement of the color guard of the Captain William J. Latane' Camp 1690 under the command of Commander Jefferson Ellett which was followed by The Legion Pipes and Drums...

It was lights and camera but not a lot of action at the Old Court House Museum Monday as a film crew set the scene to document the life of Jefferson Davis. Producers, writers and directors were painstakingly recording images of possessions of the only president of the Confederacy that are part of the museum’s collection. And though Davis may be best known for his role in the Civil War, that’s not what filmmakers from Flying Chaucer Films, a company based in New Orleans and Los Angeles, are trying to relay. “We’re doing this because we seek to do a...

June 3 was the birthday of one of the greatest Americans who ever lived. He was a graduate of West Point, a hero of the Mexican War, a U.S. senator, a secretary of war and the president of the Confederate States of America. I'm speaking, of course, of Jefferson Davis. It's unfortunate that we live in an age of ideologues and propaganda. No matter how intelligent, how accomplished, how compassionate, how noble in character, how admired by his contemporaries a man is, if he is on the wrong side of the current politically correct fence, then he's condemned. Even as...

June 3, 2003, is the 195th Birthday of Jefferson Davis. There is a highway that begins in Washington, D.C. and runs through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Oregon.Some call it the largest monument to an American.That (It) is the Jefferson Davis Highway in memorial to a man who graduated from West Point Military Academy, served in the United States Army, was elected as United States Senator and the Confederate States of America's first and only President-1861-1865.This story is about a man who served his God, his family and his country....

Heritage, or just another symbol of oppression? History, or an offensive image?Last week, the statue of Jefferson Davis that has stood in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort since 1936 came into question from black leaders claiming the image of the Confederate president was offensive."This is a seat of government in Kentucky, and I think he's out of place here," former state Sen. Georgia Powers told The Associated Press.As this controversy over Confederate symbolism began last week, another was coming to a close in Georgia. After months of wrangling in the state legislature in Atlanta, lawmakers approved, and the governor signed...

A group of black organizations is pushing to have a statue of a Confederate hero removed from the State Capitol Rotunda. And they're asking that candidates for governor choose sides on the issue. The statue of Jefferson Davis sits near four other statues on the rotunda. One of them is Abraham Lincoln. One former NAACP official called the statue offensive. Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Jackson said she thinks the statue should be removed and replaced with a statue of a famous Kentucky woman.

Black leaders are demanding the removal of Confederate President Jefferson Davis' statue from the Kentucky Capitol...Davis' statue, one of five honoring famous Kentuckians, has stood in the Capitol Rotunda since its 1936 unveiling. It was built through donations from the United Daughters of the Confederacy and a $5,000 appropriation from the Legislature.

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Black leaders are demanding the removal of Confederate President Jefferson Davis' statue from the Kentucky Capitol, questioning its place in a state that was officially neutral in the Civil War. "It's offensive," said Raoul Cunningham, a former state NAACP official. "Even in the days when he was alive, this state did not follow him. So why do we honor him today?" Davis' statue, one of five honoring famous Kentuckians, has stood in the Capitol Rotunda since its 1936 unveiling. It was built through donations from the United Daughters of the Confederacy and a $5,000 appropriation from the...

Davis' life is a cautionary tale -- an example of how talent and connections can fail to do more than produce a discredited, shameful legacy.... While ''Father Abraham'' paced the floors of the White House, worrying about the men dying, the slaves suffering and the Founders' dream shattering, ''Old Jeff'' Davis did all he could to perpetuate the dying, the suffering and the shattering. Amazingly, the Confederate president still stands with Lincoln in Frankfort, sharing honored space...It is an honor that Davis does not deserve.

Do you know what is considered by some people to be the largest monument to an American? Bring the family together to hear this story and see if your kids know the answer to this question. I will give you the answer at the end of this commentary. Look at your calendar and see what dates in history it shows for June 3rd. It more then likely excludes the that of a Great American the birthday of Jefferson Davis of Mississippi. The birthday of Abraham Lincoln is shown for February but no mention for Davis in June. This is more...

The Jefferson Davis monument will have a new home outside the Clark County Historical Museum. The Vancouver City Council voted 3-2 Monday to place the granite marker honoring the Confederate president at the museum, with one twist. Ownership of the monument will revert to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the group that dedicated the marker along Highway 99 near the Covington House in June 1939. If the museum decides someday it no longer wants the marker, the Civil War group would select a new location. The marker sat undisturbed for almost 60 years along Highway 99 until former City...

The small marker at the side of the road appeared so innocent that he had not noticed it before. But for some reason he cannot remember, Hans Dunshee took a closer look - and was outraged. So began a campaign which would inflame passions and loyalties dating back 140 years. The monument is a stone marker in Peace Arch Park, in Washington state on the US-Canadian border. It announces that the road leading south was named the Jefferson Davis Highway, commemorating the first and only President of the Confederacy, the short-lived government of the breakaway Southern states in the 1860s......

FORT MILL S.C. - Some meetings just seem to go on forever. That includes the controversy about the last official meeting of Confederate president Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet. Though it's been 136 years since that meeting, there seems to be disagreement about exactly where it happened. At least four sites along the route over which Davis and his Cabinet fled after the fall of Richmond, Va., in the spring of 1865 claim to have hosted the Last Meeting of the Confederate Cabinet. The controversy makes many just scratch their heads and ask: Why argue about it now? One of...