Blacks and the Confederacy

Townhall.com ^ | January 20, 2016 | Walter E. Williams

[Kaslin]

Last July, Anthony Hervey, an outspoken black advocate for the Confederate flag, was killed in a car crash. Arlene Barnum, a surviving passenger in the vehicle, told authorities and the media that they had been forced off the road by a carload of "angry young black men" after Hervey, while wearing his Confederate kepi, stopped at a convenience store en route to his home in Oxford, Mississippi. His death was in no small part caused by the gross level of ignorance, organized deceit and anger about the War of 1861. Much of the ignorance stems from the fact that most Americans believe the war was initiated to free slaves, when in truth, freeing slaves was little more than an afterthought. I want to lay out a few quotations and ask what you make of them.

During the "Civil War," ex-slave Frederick Douglass observed, "There are at the present moment many colored men in the Confederate army doing duty not only as cooks, servants and laborers, but as real soldiers, having muskets on their shoulders, and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down loyal troops, and do all that soldiers may to destroy the Federal Government and build up that of the traitors and rebels" (Douglass' Monthly, September 1861).

"For more than two years, negroes had been extensively employed in belligerent operations by the Confederacy. They had been embodied and drilled as Rebel soldiers, and had paraded with White troops at a time when this would not have been tolerated in the armies of the Union." (Horace Greeley, in his book, "The American Conflict").

"Over 3,000 negroes must be included in this number (of Confederate troops). These were clad in all kinds of uniforms, not only in cast-off or captured United States uniforms, but in coats with Southern buttons, State buttons, etc. These were shabby, but not shabbier or seedier than those worn by white men in rebel ranks. Most of the negroes had arms, rifles, muskets, sabres, bowie-knives, dirks, etc. They were supplied, in many instances, with knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, etc., and were manifestly an integral portion of the Southern Confederacy Army. They were seen riding on horses and mules, driving wagons, riding on caissons, in ambulances, with the staff of Generals, and promiscuously mixed up with all the rebel horde" (report by Dr. Lewis H. Steiner, chief inspector of the U.S. Sanitary Commission).

In April 1861, a Petersburg, Virginia, newspaper proposed "three cheers for the patriotic free Negroes of Lynchburg" after 70 blacks offered "to act in whatever capacity" had been "assigned to them" in defense of Virginia.

Those are but a few examples of the important role that blacks served as soldiers, freemen and slaves on the side of the Confederacy. The flap over the Confederate flag is not quite so simple as the nation's race "experts" make it. They want us to believe the flag is a symbol of racism. Yes, racists have used the Confederate flag as their symbol, but racists have also marched behind the U.S. flag and have used the Bible. Would anyone suggest banning the U.S. flag from state buildings and references to the Bible?

Black civil rights activists, their white liberal supporters and historically ignorant Americans who attack the Confederate flag have committed a deep, despicable dishonor to our patriotic Southern black ancestors who marched, fought and died not to protect slavery but to protect their homeland from Northern aggression. They don't deserve the dishonor. Dr. Leonard Haynes, a black professor at Southern University, stated, "When you eliminate the black Confederate soldier, you've eliminated the history of the South."

[HandyDandy]

In 1976, Lee’s citizenship was restored by Congress, about a century after Lee’s death. The posthumous restoration of Davis’ citizenship soon followed, in a 1978 resolution by President Jimmy Carter.

[HandyDandy]

There is also this:

"Some imprisoned members of the Confederate Cabinet petitioned President Andrew Johnson for pardons. Johnson was cautious about granting pardons to the senior Confederate leadership and would not act quickly; the pardons were withheld. However, he did allow the applicants to be released from prison. On October 11, 1865, President Andrew Johnson issued an order providing:

"Whereas the following-named persons, to wit, John A. Campbell, of Alabama; John H. Reagan, of Texas; Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia; George A. Trenholm, of South Carolina, and Charles Clark, of Mississippi, lately engaged in rebellion against the United States Government, who are now in close custody, have made their submission to the authority of the United States and applied to the President for pardon under his proclamation; and Whereas the authority of the Federal Government is sufficiently restored in the aforesaid States to admit of the enlargement of said persons from close custody: It is ordered that they be released on giving their respective paroles to appear at such time and place as the President may designate to answer any charge that he may direct to be preferred against them, and also that they will respectively abide until further orders in the places herein designated, and not depart therefrom..."

Of course, Jeff Davis never petitioned President Andrew Johnson for a pardon.

[central_va]

Tell truth Bro you’d of probably like to see Davis swinging rime the gallows, wouldn’t you? Lee too right?

[rockrr]

Tell truth Bro you'd of probably like to see Davis swinging rime(sic) the gallows, wouldn't you?

That corpse would be pretty ripe by now don't you think?

[HandyDandy]

Democratic President Andrew Johnson pardoned about 7,000 people in the “over $20,000” class by May 4, 1866. More than 600 prominent North Carolinians were pardoned just before the election of 1865. President Andrew Johnson pardoned, commuted or rescinded the convictions of 654 people during his term. Among them are:
* Confederate soldiers - unconditional amnesty to all Confederates on Christmas Day 1868; earlier amnesties requiring signed oaths and excluding certain classes of people were issued both by Lincoln and by Johnson. Among them were:
* Charles Anderson
* Richard Anderson
* Eli Bruce
* Horatio Bruce
* Augustus Garland
* James Owens
* Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States
* Samuel Arnold - charged with conspiring to murder Lincoln
* Dr. Samuel Mudd - charged with conspiring to murder Lincoln

[central_va]

Not an answer but cowardly dodge. IYO was is a “historical” mistake to not hang Davis for treason? It is simple yes or no question.

[HandyDandy]

BJK: Davis then became a model citizen, urging reconciliation between South & North.

Technically, a model "non-citizen". So, in effect, perhaps in retrospect, he, as an individual, did achieve personal and total secession from the USA. A man without a country.

[BroJoeK]

central_va: "Tell truth Bro you'd of probably like to see Davis swinging rime the gallows, wouldn't you?
Lee too right?"

I don't know why you keep throwing that out, since I've answered it before.
I agree with Lincoln & others that eventual pardoning of imprisoned Confederate leaders, yes, including Davis, Stephens & Lee, was a much better way to win peace and reconciliation than hanging them would have been.

[BroJoeK]

HandyDandy: "Democratic President Andrew Johnson pardoned about 7,000 people in the “over $20,000” class by May 4, 1866."

Thanks!
I've not seen that number 7,000 before, and am curious what the "over $20,000" class refers to -- their parole bond amount?
I wonder how many were "under $20,000" and for how long they remained imprisoned?

[BroJoeK]

HandyDandy: "Technically, a model 'non-citizen'. "

As you mentioned before, the technicality may have been that Davis refused to apply for full pardon & citizenship?
I note, for example, that Alexander Stephens, having served in Congress (from Georgia) before the war was reelected (in 1873), and served in Congress after the war.
Davis was also reelected, to the US Senate (1875) but was refused admission, based on the 14th Amendment, Section 3.

So, I'm not certain what-all the technicalities were...

[BroJoeK]

jmacusa: "When Grant was leaving for Appomattox Lincoln said to him 'Let them up easy'. "

And to make certain it happened even after his death, Lincoln in 1864 selected East Tennessee Democrat Senator Andrew Johnson to replace former Republican Maine Senator Hannibal Hamlin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

[cowboyway]

A general amnesty was issued by Johnson but Davis was still under indictment. The Supreme Court just let it die without issuing a formal order of dismissal. Why didn’t they want a trial? Because the outcome would have been embarrassing for the federal government and the late disHonest Abe.

[BroJoeK]

cowboyway: "A general amnesty was issued by Johnson but Davis was still under indictment.
The Supreme Court just let it die without issuing a formal order of dismissal."

No, Davis was indicted for treason in 1865, served two years in prison, released on $100,000 bail paid by prominent northerners.
His federal case came to trial in December 1868, in a district court headed by former Ohio governor and Lincoln Secretary of Treasury, Justice Salmon Chase, then acting as circuit judge, and Chase favored dismissal of the charges.
After preliminary arguments, President Johnson issued a pardon covering Davis, December 25, 1868, following which the court case was dropped.

My opinion is that Davis & other Confederate leaders could have been convicted of treason, with some courts & judges, but not with others.
Seems to me Johnson's pardons worked out best for all.

[HandyDandy]

There were 14 exceptions (of "classes of men"). The $20,000 class was the 13th exception, bolded by me below.

President Johnson's Amnesty Proclamation

On the 29th of May President Johnson issued a proclamation granting amnesty to all persons who have directly or indirectly taken part in the rebellion, with the restoration of all rights of property except as to slaves, and except in cases where legal proceedings have been instituted for the confiscation of property, on condition of their taking an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Union of the States, and to obey all laws and proclamations which have been made during the rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves. There are excluded from pardon, except on special application to the President, the following classes of persons: Those who have, in order to aid the rebellion, left judicial positions or seats in Congress, or who have resigned commissions in the army or navy, or absented themselves from the country; those who were educated at West Point or in the United States Naval Academy; those who have engaged in any way in torturing our prisoners; those who have been engaged in the destruction of our commerce, or who have made raids from Canada into the United States; all persons in military, naval, or civil confinement as prisoners of war; all persons who have voluntarily participated in the rebellion, and the estimated value of whose taxable property is over twenty thousand dollars; all who have taken and violated the previous amnesty oath; and all officers of the Confederate service above the rank of colonel in the army or lieutenant in the navy.

[HandyDandy]

I should mention the above referenced proclamation came in the year 1865. It was the first of several proclamations by Pres Johnson. That controversial 13th exception targeted a certain class of men who had all been worth at least $20,000 in the census of 1860. Preeminently these men were the elite planters who were the aristocrats that Johnson, and many in the North, blamed for a treasonous and catastrophic war. While some of the men may not have been serving the Confederacy in an official capacity, their wealth made them conspicuous. As members of the Confederate elite, wealthy planters came to symbolize two things in Union victory: the need to finally purify democratic society of aristocratic corruption and a patriotic desire to humiliate tyrants.

[jmacusa]

The only thing that has ended about The Civil War is the shooting. I wonder about that sometimes.

[cowboyway]

You're dodging the point (as usual). The point is that the federal government didn't want a trial. And why not? Because it would have exposed disHonest Abe as the war criminal that he was and would have upheld the right of secession.

President Johnson, Lincoln's successor, thought the easiest way out would be to pardon Davis, as he had pardoned many other Confederates. But Davis refused, saying, "To ask for a pardon would be a confession of guilt." He wanted a trial to have the issue of secession decided by a court of law - where it should have been decided to begin with - instead of on battlefields. Most Southerners wanted the same.

Also read: The Trial of Jefferson Davis, An Interesting Constitutional Question

[jmacusa]

What? You mean you’d have Davis dug up and hung? You’re a wild man Reb.

[cowboyway]

It is a famous letter from Madison on this very subject. It expresses the idea more directly than any other I've seen, but here's the key point: no founder ever contradicted Madison ' s words.

Really? Do you consider Thomas Jefferson a Founder?:

"Besides, if it should become the great interest of those nations to separate from this, if their happiness should depend on it so strongly as to induce them to go through that convulsion, why should the Atlantic States dread it? But especially why should we, their present inhabitants, take side in such a question?…The future inhabitants of the Atlantic & Missipi [sic] States will be our sons. We leave them in distinct but bordering establishments. We think we see their happiness in their union, & we wish it. Events may prove it otherwise; and if they see their interest in separation, why should we take side with our Atlantic rather than our Missipi descendants? It is the elder and the younger son differing. God bless them both, & keep them in union, if it be for their good, but separate them, if it be better."---letter to John C. Breckinridge,Aug. 12, 1803

"Whether we remain in one confederacy, or form into Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies, I believe not very important to the happiness of either part. Those of the western confederacy will be as much our children & descendants as those of the eastern, and I feel myself as much identified with that country, in future time, as with this; and did I now foresee a separation at some future day, yet I should feel the duty & the desire to promote the western interests as zealously as the eastern, doing all the good for both portions of our future family which should fall within my power."---letter to To Dr. Joseph Priestley, Jan. 29, 1804

I think Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, is completely in line with Original Intent, as am I. It's you False Causers that have distorted the original intent of the Constitution.

Philosophical question for you, professor: do you believe that maintaining the union is more important that individual liberty?

But Founders ' Original Intent is the Conservative point of view, so if you reject one, you've also rejected the other, FRiend.

The driving force behind the Constitution was individual liberty and removing the yoke of tyranny. If you answer yes to the question posed above then you've rejected original intent and conservative viewpoint.

BTW, I'm not your FRiend or friend.

[BroJoeK]

jmacusa: "The only thing that has ended about The Civil War is the shooting.
I wonder about that sometimes."

No, don't be discouraged, we are talking about a very small and shrinking minority, these days.
When Republican Governor, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, at the urging of, among many others, the state's Republican Senators, one of whom is black, orders removal of Confederate flags from state grounds, then you know something is very different than it was.

I don't agree with her action, I think those flags are just fine.
They honor the courage, loyalty, tenacity & resourcefulness of many Southern ancestors, qualities some of us still admire today.
But the SC governor's action does demonstrate that politics in the Deep South, well, just ain't what they used to be.