Posted on 01/20/2016 5:03:47 AM PST by 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."
Is that an attempt at some sort of rebuttal? Are you arguing that it was started to free the slaves?
So what you are saying that the States seceded from the Union because they thought Abe Lincoln might interfere with their property right to own other human beings as chattel slaves.
That ol DegenerateLamp - whadda kidder. It’s amazing that there could be people here that are so simple-minded that the basic concepts can be explained to them (over and over) and they still insist upon a strawman.
First of all, nobody here except pro-Confederates disputes actual facts of history.
On the subject of black slaves serving their masters in the Confederate army, there is no dispute -- zero, zip -- about that.
Of course some did.
But how many, really?
Well, first we have to remember, the total number, everyone included, of whites in the Confederate Army approached one million.
According to this source, the number of blacks who shouldered arms for the Confederacy was circa 5,000 max 10,000 -- that is from one half of one percent to perhaps 1%.
Black slave laborers -- setting up camps, cooking, washing, building roads & fortifications, driving supply wagons, etc. -- numbered maybe another 50,000.
This at a time when total black slaves numbered about four million, of whom at least one million were military age men.
So fewer than 1% of the Confederate Army were black troops, and fewer than 1% of military age slaves served as Confederate soldiers.
To my knowledge, no all-black Confederate units actually fought against Union forces.
'His case can be seen as representative,' said Stauffer. 'Masters put guns to (the heads of slaves) to make them shoot Yankees.' "
At the same time, nearly 180,000 freed-blacks (about 10% of total Union forces and half from Confederate states) volunteered as paid soldiers in the Union Army, in 175 regiments, usually as rear garrison guards, but sometimes fighting -- notably in the Crater at Petersburg, Fort Wagner & Nashville.
At Fort Pillow, around 300 US colored troops were massacred by Confederates under Nathan Bedford Forrest.
"The 41st USCT regiment was among those present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox."
Eighteen Union colored troops won the Congressional Medal of Honor:
Source for data on Union colored troops.:
US Colored troops at Fort Lincoln (Washington DC), November 1865:
Sgt. Major Christian Fleetwood, Medal of Honor recipient:
The Union had already launched their strike. It never landed because the Confederates found out about it, and took Sumter before the Union could deliver the first blow.
But the Union strike force was on the way when it all happened. They just don't teach you the parts of history that make them look like the bad guys.
Pea Ridge has posted excellent contemporary letters regarding Lincoln's secret strike force which was under way when the events at Sumter made their mission unnecessary.
I will also point out that under the precedent of the Revolutionary war, the Military assets at Lexington and Concord belonged to the colonists, not the British. The Union should have relinquished control of that fortress which belonged to South Carolina before the Union ever existed.
No nation on earth would accept a foreign controlled fortress in one of their Major cities.
The funny part is that you are laboring under the misapprehension that the North started the War. It was the South that began the fighting! Of course the South didn’t start the war “to free the slaves”. That’s a real knee-slapper!
No one believed a fanatic would sacrifice 600,000 people to subjugate them. King George of England gave up with only 15,000 casualties.
They thought they could win because they figured the Northern States would not keep sending men to die in a meat grinder for no better reason than to subjugate others.
The idea was suggested in the anti-federalist papers, but people didn't give it any credence at the time.
Thirdly, the absolute command of Congress over the militia may be destructive of public liberty; for under the guidance of an arbitrary government, they may be made the unwilling instruments of tyranny. The militia of Pennsylvania may be marched to New England or Virginia to quell an insurrection occasioned by the most galling oppression, and aided by the standing army, they will no doubt be successful in subduing their liberty and independency. But in so doing, although the magnanimity of their minds will be extinguished, yet the meaner passions of resentment and revenge will be increased, and these in turn will be the ready and obedient instruments of despotism to enslave the others; and that with an irritated vengeance. Thus may the militia be made the instruments of crushing the last efforts of expiring liberty, of riveting the chains of despotism on their fellow-citizens, and on one another. This power can be exercised not only without violating the Constitution, but in strict conformity with it; it is calculated for this express purpose, and will doubtless be executed accordingly.
See my post #84 above.
Exactly how was the South paying 50%-80% of the Federal budget? Income Taxes, property taxes,
What “strike” was that. Lincoln had told the Governor of SC that he intended to resupply Sumter via row boat. That nothing but provisions, no ammunition, no additional troops would be provided to the fort. The ships off the coast were there to do just that.
Not even close Lampster.Try again.
jeff davis himself explained it many years later. He used an analogy. He said that if an arm is raised and holding a gun pointed at you, of course you will knock that arm away. That was his explanation for the south making the first strike at Sumner. But he wasn’t very bright. He probably went to his grave not ever realizing that that gun wasn’t loaded. Lincoln suckered him.
Lincoln took the position of King George the III, and the Southern States took the official position of the US government as outlined in it's founding document.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Now if you want to take issue with what rights they exercised, you should take it up with the Founders of the US government who not only recognized those rights, but who wrote protections for them into the US Constitution.
Just check where the history books have been published.
And once again, here is “off his rockrr” to ad nothing of any merit or intellect to the conversation.
So they left because they thought Lincoln would interfere with their right to own slaves. Where in the Constitution is slavery a “protected right”
(State song of Maryland, written by an expatriate in Louisiana during the War of Northern Aggression.)
Maryland, My Maryland
I
The despot’s heel is on thy shore,
Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!
II
Hark to an exiled son’s appeal,
Maryland!
My mother State! to thee I kneel,
Maryland!
For life and death, for woe and weal,
Thy peerless chivalry reveal,
And gird thy beauteous limbs with steel,
Maryland! My Maryland!
III
Thou wilt not cower in the dust,
Maryland!
Thy beaming sword shall never rust,
Maryland!
Remember Carroll’s sacred trust,
Remember Howard’s warlike thrust,-
And all thy slumberers with the just,
Maryland! My Maryland!
IV
Come! ‘tis the red dawn of the day,
Maryland! My Maryland!
Come with thy panoplied array,
Maryland! My Maryland!
With Ringgold’s spirit for the fray,
With Watson’s blood at Monterey,
With fearless Lowe and dashing May,
Maryland! My Maryland!
V
Come! for thy shield is bright and strong,
Maryland!
Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong,
Maryland!
Come to thine own anointed throng,
Stalking with Liberty along,
And chaunt thy dauntless slogan song,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VI
Dear Mother! burst the tyrant’s chain,
Maryland!
Virginia should not call in vain,
Maryland!
She meets her sisters on the plain-
“Sic semper!” ‘tis the proud refrain
That baffles minions back again,
Maryland!
Arise in majesty again,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VII
I see the blush upon thy cheek,
Maryland!
For thou wast ever bravely meek,
Maryland!
But lo! there surges forth a shriek,
From hill to hill, from creek to creek-
Potomac calls to Chesapeake,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VIII
Thou wilt not yield the Vandal toll,
Maryland! My Maryland!
Thou wilt not crook to his control,
Maryland! My Maryland!
Better the fire upon thee roll, Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,
Than crucifixion of the soul,
Maryland! My Maryland!
IX
I hear the distant thunder-hum,
Maryland! My Maryland!
The Old Line’s bugle, fife, and drum,
Maryland! My Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-
Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!
She breathes! she burns! she’ll come! she’ll come!
Maryland! My Maryland!
Article I, Section 2, Clause 3; Article I, Section 9, Clause 1; and Article V contain wording that provides sanctions for slavery.
A few decades ago I read the book "Patriotic Gore" by Edmund Wilson. Now I know where the title came from.
The articles cited acknowledge the existence of slavery in the United States. They do not protect it as a right.
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