Confederate States Of America (2005)

What's wrong about this photo? Or if you're a true-born Southerner, what's right?

While scanning through some of the up and coming movies in 2005, I ran across this intriguing title; "CSA: Confederate States of America (2005)". It's an "alternate universe" take on what would the country be like had the South won the civil war.

Suffice to say anything from Hollywood on this topic is sure to to bring about all sorts of controversial ideas and discussions. I was surprised that they are approaching such subject matter, and I'm more than a little interested.

For myself, I was more than pleased with the homage paid to General "Stonewall" Jackson in Turner's "Gods and Generals". Like him, I should have like to believe that the South would have been compelled to end slavery out of Christian dignity rather than continue to enslave their brothers of the freedom that belong equally to all men. Obviously it didn't happen that way.

Would I fight for a South that believed in Slavery today? I have to ask first, would I know any better back then? I don't know. I honestly don't know. My pride for my South and my heritage would have most likely doomed me as it did so many others. I won't skirt the issue, in all likelyhood, slavery may have been an afterthought. Had they been the staple of what I considered property, I possibly would have already been past the point of moral struggle on the point and preparing to kill Northern invaders.

So what do I feel about this? The photo above nearly brings me to tears, as I highly respect Abraham Lincoln. I don't care if they kick me out of the South. Imagine if GW was in prayer over what to do about a seperatist leftist California. That's how I imagine Lincoln. A great man. I wonder sometimes what my family would have been like today. How many more of us would there be? Would we have held onto the property and prosperity that sustained them before the war? Would I have double the amount of family in the area? How many would I have had to cook for last week for Christmas? Would I have needed to make more "Pate De Fois Gras"?

Well, dunno about that either. Depending on what the previous for this movie are like, I may or may not see it. If they portray it as the United Confederacy of the KKK I won't be attending.

This generation of our clan speaks some 5 languages in addition to English, those being of recent immigrants to this nation. All of them are good Americans. I believe the south would have succombed to the same forces that affected the North. Immigration, war, economics and other huma forces that have changed the map of the world since history began.

Whatever. At least in this alternate universe, it's safe for me to believe that we would have grown to be the benevolent and humane South that I know it is in my heart. I can believe that slavery would have died shortly before or after that lost victory. I can believe that Southern gentlemen would have served the world as the model for behavior. In my alternate universe, it's ok that Spock has a beard. It's my alternate universe after all, it can be what I want.

At any rate, I lived up North for many years. Wonderful people and difficult people. I will always sing their praises as a land full of beautiful Italian girls, maple syrup and Birch beer. My uncle ribbed us once before we left on how we were going up North to live "with all the Yankees". Afterwards I always refered to him as royalty. He is, really. He's "King of the Rednecks". I suppose I'm his court jester.

You did the Lexus/Nexus search for the "stink" comment, I provided like comments and observations.

I don't have Lexus/Nexus. I had read "Democracy in America" and knew that asinine 'stink of black' quote was totally out of character with the rest of the book. Therefore I knew that you were lying. Again.

The "Stink" comment (which dovetails with de Tocqueville) came from Raphael Semmes memoirs, where the first seven chapters he does one of the best arguments for secession of all.

Sure. Semmes, de Tocqueville. It's easy for someone like you to mix the two up. But are you sure Semmes wasn't talking about the south?

I posted the quotes that supported the point that the North was more racist than the South, in fact de Tocqueville said exactly that.

But you didn't point out the fact that de Tocqueville called southern slave legislation barbaric, or that southern racism was just as ingrained as Northern racism was. You didn't mention that, did you. You want us to believe that it was all sunshine and cotton candy for blacks in the south. Nonsense.

[Non-Sequitur] But Davis' counsel moved to drop the charges on 14th Amendment grounds weeks before Johnson issued his pardon. They were not anxious to take the case to court because they saw no reason to participate in Davis' quest for martyrdom. They knew better than Davis did that a trial could result in years in prison.

The 14th Amendment fig leaf, created by and proffered to the defense by Chief Justice Chase, would have terminated all possible prosecution of all Confederate officers, not just Jefferson Davis. It had been made known that President Johnson would view favorably a request for a pardon, but Jefferson Davis refused to request such a pardon. Eventually President Johnson issued an unconditional pardon at his own initiative.

"On the thirteenth day of May, 1867, Jefferson Davis sat in the United States court-room at Richmond accompanied by his counsel, Charles O'Conor and George Shea. After two years' captivity as a prisoner of war, he had been brought from Fort Monroe in obedience to a writ of habeas corpus and surrendered to the civil authorities for trial on an indictment for treason. ... O'Conor announces that the defendant is ready for trial on the indictment, William M. Evarts announces that the United States are not." (David Miller DeWitt, The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson, 1903, p. 232-3)

Had the Government wanted to proceed to trial, all they needed to do was announce, as did counsel for Jefferson Davis, that they were ready for trial. However, the Government, as is made clear by their deeds, did not dare to proceed to trial.

"The House appointed a committee to investigate the complicity of Davis and others in the assassination, and in July 1866, through its chairman, Mr. Boutwell, made a report followed by a resolution, 'that it is the duty of the executive department of the Government to proceed with the investigation of the facts connected with the assassination of the late President without unnecessary delay, that Jefferson Davis and others names in the proclamation of President Johnson of May 2d, 1865, may be put upon trial,' which was adopted nem. con." David Miller DeWitt, The Judicial Murder of Mary E. Surratt, 1895, p. 154.

Once they were unable to persuade Chief Justice Chase to prostitute himself and the Supreme Court to participate in another of their kangaroo courts under martial law, the radical whackos never successfully prosecuted anybody. They were practically forced to try John H. Surratt and that resulted in disaster.

The Government had offered a reward of $100,000 for the arrest of Jefferson Davis; $25,000 each for Clement C. Clay; Jacob Thompson, George N. Sanders, and Beverley Tucker. According to the Military Commission, they were all guilty as being members of a conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, William Seward, and Ulysses S. Grant.

"[Clement C.] Clay had been let go on parole as long before as April 19th, 1866; his property was restored to him in February, 1867; and proceedings under an indictment found against him for treason and consipracy, indefinitely suspended on the 26th of March of the same year. [Jacob] Thompson and [George N.] Sanders and [Beverley] Tucker returned to their country and appeared unmolested amongst us. Jefferson Davis died recently full of years and honors. At the death of Thompson, the flags of the Interior Department were lowered half-mast. Tucker was appointed to office not long ago by President Harrision. And all this, notwithstanding the Judge-Advocate had assured the Military Commission that the guilt of these men was as clear as the built of Booth or of Surratt, notwithstanding the Military Commission under his guidance so found, and, had these men been present before that tribunal, would doubtless have hung them on the same scaffold with Mrs. Surratt." David Miller DeWitt, The Judicial Murder of Mary E. Surratt, 1895, pp. 158-9.

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