There is plenty of judicial tyranny going on today, as well as demagoguery. In that regard, our country has regressed. And when a president or vice president makes a speech, he speaks only for himself and his biggest donors. Obama doesn’t speak for a majority of Americans today and Davis and Stephens didn’t speak for a majority of southerners then. Most southerners of the day probably didn’t even know who their VP was, just as most don’t know who the VP is today, even with mass media. And if they ever heard him give a speech, they would probably instinctively think he was a lying snake oil salesman.
I understand exactly what you are saying. I know that the majority of the soldiers of the Confederacy were most likely not pro-slavery, but rather duped by the true ringleaders of the “movement”. But that does not excuse any one from the present, (knowing what we know now) saying they are pro-Confederacy but not pro-slavery. That is a contradiction. All too many rebel soldiers had been led to believe that Lincoln and the North were tyrants. There is the famous example of the Reb being asked by the yank, “why are you fighting?” and the the Reb replied, “because you’re here!”
What makes you say that?
Most southerners of the day probably didn’t even know who their VP was, just as most don’t know who the VP is today, even with mass media. And if they ever heard him give a speech, they would probably instinctively think he was a lying snake oil salesman.
I'd say 33% will always be on the wrong side, 33% will not care enough but will pick the easy side, which these days is the Dem side because of the mass media. They'd rather be wrong than be made fun of.
Soakncider: “...Davis and Stephens didn’t speak for a majority of southerners then.
Most southerners of the day probably didn’t even know who their VP was...”
But of course Davis & Stephens DID speak for all Confederates in these matters, since they lead the government which first declared it’s secession and then declared war on the United Ststes.
As such, all Confederate citizens were bound, under penalty of law, to support their new government and it’s war on the United States — whether they fully agreed or not.
Yes, of course, many Confederate citizens did not care about slavery — especially in the Upper South — and would not fight ONLY to protect the slave - holding master class.
For them it was all about protecting their homes & communities.
However, those people did not make the laws, did not start the war, did not call up troops or lead them into battle.
Slave - holders did all of that, and much more, for the express purpose of defending their “peculiar institution”.