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To: Heyworth
What a guy. He didn't beat his 75 slaves.

Your obvious sarcasm not withstanding it always seems unfair to me to judge people of yesteryear's, by the standards of today. If we did that to some monumental people, even in recent history, few would measure up.

One case in point would be FDR, not just for the internment of US citizens and the stealing of their property (under the guise of 'failure to pay taxes), but also for the economic policies he both implemented in some cases and other policies that he failed to implement. His actions combined led this country down a decline which has no comparable economic catastrophe in modern (post 1900) times. Yet we honor this man with a memorial?

I consider the Presidential performance of FDR from 1933 to 1941 to be probably the worse Presidential period in history and any Right thinking person on this board should concur.

As to Davis, his actions regarding the treatment of slaves, was not only legal at the time, but was far ahead of his colleagues.

And if the man had failed him, Davis had the power to sell his wife and kids and make sure he never saw them again.

Yes, all slave owners had that power, Washington, Jefferson among them. However, Davis denied himself that power and issued instructions that families not only not be broken up, but that they also be housed together.

You seem like a fair person (unlike some others on this thread), you should take the time to buy the book (I receive no commission [ ;) ]) and improve your knowledge on the subject, it may open your eyes a bit.

223 posted on 09/05/2006 4:13:10 PM PDT by Michael.SF. ("Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men." -- General George S. Patton)
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To: Michael.SF.
Your obvious sarcasm not withstanding it always seems unfair to me to judge people of yesteryear's, by the standards of today.

And yet a huge number of people in the country recognized slavery as an evil at that time, and had for years. Read Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration, where he cites slavery as one of the evils perpetrated on the Americans by the Brits. There's no real basis for you to claim that people in 1860 didn't recognize slavery as a moral evil.

As to Davis, his actions regarding the treatment of slaves, was not only legal at the time, but was far ahead of his colleagues.

The problem is that kindly slave owners were still slave owners, complicit in a system that was, then as now, evil. This is actually one of the main themes of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

225 posted on 09/05/2006 5:41:39 PM PDT by Heyworth
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