Posted on 03/28/2008 12:15:10 PM PDT by cowboyway
Over the last few months, celebrations for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday have drawn attention to the Kentucky native's life and his legacy as president. But the 200-year anniversary of another Kentucky president's birth, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is receiving mixed reviews.
"I'll say it this way - winners write history," said Ron Bryant, a Lexington historian writing a book on Davis. "We need heroes, we need villains. Lincoln became a hero and Davis a villain."
Davis was born in what is now Todd County, Ky., in 1808, one year before Lincoln. Davis served as the only president of the 11 southern states that seceded from the Union between 1861 and 1865. The Confederate States of America surrendered in 1865, and Davis was locked in prison the same year.
Despite being denounced by many civil rights groups, signs of Davis' legacy can still be found throughout the state.
In Southwest Kentucky, a structure resembling the Washington Monument stands in memory of Davis. At 351 feet tall, the Jefferson Davis Monument is the fourth largest freestanding obelisk in the world, according to Kentucky State Parks.
Although Kentucky never seceded from the Union, a statue of Davis stands in the rotunda in the state's Capitol building.
"The Civil War is still very much alive in many places," said Cliff Howard, a Jefferson Davis impersonator. "Kentucky was on both sides of the fence. It still is."
Having heard of Kentucky's reputation for "being a little backward," integrated strategic communications senior James Davidson Jr. was not surprised about Davis' statue in the Capitol building.
Davidson, first-vice president of UK's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said a statue of Davis leaves a bad impression.
"What is Frankfort saying to the rest of Kentucky with it being there?" Davidson said. "I respect everyone's heritage and Southern tradition, but given the history, I think it shouldn't be there."
The statue of Davis, installed in 1936, is one of five statues in the Capitol building. Lincoln is the largest in the center, and Davis stands in the corner behind his right shoulder. Former Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay, physician and drafter of the state constitution Ephraim McDowell and former Vice President Alben Barkley also stand in the rotunda.
The last time Davis' statue came into debate was 2003, when a coalition of African-American groups protested its presence in the Capitol building. A state advisory committee left the issue up to former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who took no action during his term.
Gov. Steve Beshear does not plan to remove the statue because Davis is a historical figure who represents part of Kentucky's cultural history, a spokeswoman said.
Student Government President Nick Phelps said his feelings on the statue in the Capitol building resembled how he felt during a controversy two years ago about a 46-foot mural in Memorial Hall depicting the history of Lexington and its surrounding area. The mural, which some said stereotyped American Indians and blacks, was not removed.
"I was not in support of removing the mural, so I would not support removing Jefferson Davis," Phelps said. "I don't think we should remove history. I think it removes the question, 'Who is he?' "
Many students might ask the same question about Davis.
In Kentucky, the Civil War is part of the middle school curriculum. Unless students take an advanced placement history course in high school, that's usually the last time they focus on 19th century American history, said Nayasha Owens-Morton, a U.S. history and African-American history teacher at Bryan Station Traditional High School.
William Campbell has taught a class on Lincoln at UK for about 10 years as an English and honors professor. Students going into his class know little about the confederate president, he said.
"About Jefferson Davis, Kentuckians tend to know that he was from our state, that there's a memorial dedicated to him somewhere in the state, and that he was the president of the Confederacy," Campbell said. "Of Lincoln's writings, most have read only the Gettysburg Address. Of Davis's writings, most have read nothing."
Pitts:About the Confederate Battle Flag, Remember This: NAZIS Have a Heritage Too.
free dixie,sw
There is no comparison between a Southern democrat of 1860 and a northern left wing communist democrat of 2008.
Hell, there isn't even a comparison between old school Southern democrats, such as Zell Miller, to todays left winger.
And if you really want to go there, todays Republican party doesn't much resemble conservatism anymore, either.
You address no issues. You merely spout manure and demonstrate your ignorance.
Really? Neither one cared about or had any real loyalty to their country.
And if you really want to go there, todays Republican party doesn't much resemble conservatism anymore, either.
It hasn't since the Southern Republicans took over.
the facts are that the WBTS was caused by just that sort of ARROGANT, unyielding,south-HATING, SELF-righteous, opinion on the part of the 19th century's DAMNyankee minority.
that selfsame stand on the part of TODAY's DY minority may well be the cause a SECOND WBTS. (btw, do you work for OBAMA's campaign or HILLERY's???)
free dixie,sw
what is NOT PROHIBITED by the Constitution is PERMISSABLE.
the RIGHT of secession (which is that of the PEOPLE as represented in mass by their state(s) was NEVER CEDED to the federal government;therefore, it REMAINS one of the POWERS of the several states.
free dixie,sw
Murder and rape are NOT PROHIBITED by the Constitution. I guess you think that they are PERMISSABLE.
Besides, unilateral secession as practiced by the Southern states in prohibited by the Constitution. The Supreme Court said so.
Not everyone. Just you.
the USSC said that "separate but equal", "abortion on demand" are Constitutional & has made any number of other STUPID decisions.
be sure and DEFEND Plessy v. Fergusoon & Roe v. Wade OR tell us, once & for all, that you are WRONG in EVERY way about the "9 black-robed crows" being INFALLIBLE! (the last time i looked, NONE of the 9 justices were the POPE!)
laughing AT you WEAK attempt to cover up the fact that the CONSTITUTION does NOT prohibit secession. (if that;'s the best argument you have, you have LOST the argument, have had "your clock cleaned" & just aren't smart enough to know it.)
free dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
inasmuch as he was informed weeks ago that i would NEITHER read NOR answer his STUPIDITY, arrogant silliness & FILTH, one must assume that he is BRAIN-dead & "has no life". in addition, he is MORALLY UNFIT to BE a FReeper.
laughing AT anyone who is THAT clue-LESS.
free dixie,sw
swattie, you are the gift that keeps on giving! I have no doubt that you think you are doing a devastating job of ripping us up, but what the rest of the world sees is a pathetic dirty little creature standing on the corner howling at the moon.
You play at this moronic “shunning” game, yet you still respond to me (only in the way of MY choosing, not yours ;’}
You are too cowardly to stand and fight for what you believe, but have no reservation against hiding behind women or the mods in order to find refuge while you shout spittle-flecked invectives.
Your ignorance is invincible, your powers of persuasion are atrophied, and your tolerance is nonexistent. You are the poster child for modern liberalism.
Now, say something stupid - I dare ya!
fwiw,i can live with that, Mr Minister of DAMNyankee PROPAGANDA. (i have to tell you though that you still are seemingly the ONLY member of "the DY coven" who has both a functioning brain & an education. that is unless Sherman has joined the coven???)
free dixie,sw
Pity would, I think, be the more appropriate word.
“600,000 plus dead. Thousands of women, children and the elderly left homeless and destitute. Economic ruin. Thousands of square miles ruined. 11 states under military occupation and subject to the exploitation of human vultures swooping down from the north. The Constitution ignored and a powerful, centralized federal government ruling the people.
Indeed. I guess the Southerners knew for a short time, before the reign of terrorism against the Republican Party and freed blacks and the reinstitution of tyrannical and racist Democratic rule, how it felt to be black. And only some years, not centuries.
George Washington reportedly told his aide that if the two sections were to separate over slavery (as indeed, anyone who follows history knows was the cause of the sectional strife) he would join the North.
At least men like the Laurenses, Lafayette, the Father of Our Country (GW) and Thomas Jefferson were aware of the evil of slavery, how it inured Southern gentlemen and ladies to tyrannical and despotic and arbitrary rule over other human beings (the antithesis of liberty and the independent yeoman farmer unafraid and unashamed of laboring with his hands) and how it was actually a long-term economic and moral detriment to the South and to the Republic. They also foresaw that a great conflict would arise between the sections over slavery.
The Southrons/Neo-Confederates seemingly spit upon the great example of the JEffersons and Washingtons, slave owners with a conscience and insight, and embrace men who would attempt to enshrine one of the most horrific and violent institutions in the history of mankind in PERPETUITY, condemning untold millions to misery and to intellectual and material poverty and suffering for all time, is a testament to their moral blindness and lack of TRUE patriotism.
it must be hard to have to try to lead the group of "useful idiots"/bigots/filthy-talking louts/LIARS/fools/antisemites/leftists/weirdos that comprise "the DAMNyankee coven" on FR.
free dixie,sw
just how STUPID & DISHONEST the REVISIONIST position that "slavery was all" is partially illustrated by the following:
1.slavery existed in both north & south,
2. the percentages of slave ownership were about the same in both regions,
3. only 5-6% of American citizens owned even one slave,
4. slavery was DYING an UN-lamented natural death by 1860 & would have died out within a decade, absent the war,
5. MANY northern slavers planned to KEEP their slaves after the WBTS &
6. lincoln (the tyrant & tool of the northeastern elitists) was perfectly willing to protect slavery PERMANENTLY by Constitutional amendment, if the south remained in the union &
7. (even if the MYTH is true & the war was solely/mostly "about slavery"===> it is NOT truthful.) KILLING a MILLION Americans (MANY of the DEAD were SLAVES) to end slavery a decade earlier than it would have died, absent the war, seems a REALLY high BLOOD-PRICE to pay, don't you think???
in actuality, the WBTS was about just TWO main things:
1. whether the south could freely leave the union of states, which her states had freely joined AND
2. would the south/southerners remain "under the boot-heel" of the financial/social/business elites out of the northeast.
fwiw, i know it was hard for you/most Americans to learn that there was no real Santa Claus, Easterbunny & the Tooth Fairy. NOW it's time to "put away childish things" & learn/admit that the WBTS was solely about FREEDOM for dixie.
and finally, what caused the bitterness felt by most traditional southerners, even today, was NOT losing the war & Reconstruction. the REAL source of bitterness was the WAR CRIMES & CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, which were committed against TENS of THOUSANDS of defenseless, civilian women/children/prisoners of war by the "filth in blue that flowed down from the north".
free dixie,sw
Thus spoketh the ultimate Lost Cause Loser. You have to go to DHimmicratic Underground to find more virulent Anti-Americanism. From the ugly baseless revisionism of history, to the nasty bigoted slander against an entire people because of the alleged actions of a few (generations ago mind you!), and with pointless insults thrown in for good measure.
I couldn’t have pointed to a better illustration of what a treasonous character this swattie is and why he has no business on a pro-American site like FreeRepublic.
FreeRepublic from bigoted losers like swattie!
as you are the foremost "worshiper of the 9 crows" of the USSC, i would have thought that you would have jumped at the chance to tell us why SEPARATE BUT EQUAL & ABORTION ON DEMAND were such "wunnerful, wunnerful" & WISE decisions of the court.
further, i would have thought that you would have defended DREDD SCOTT, too, as you seem to believe that the USSC's members are somehow INFALLIBLE.
it comes down to this, N-S, either you defend the STUPID & UNCONSTITUTIONAL decisions of the USSC or you should tell everyone WHY we should believe SOME decisions are INFALLIBLE & other decisions (the ones you do NOT like and/or choose to defend) are WRONG.
frankly, i don't think you have the GUTS to do either.
free dixie,sw
every time i see/hear someone mention "neo-confederates", i know i'm dealing with a south-HATER, a FOOL or a person who is simply ignorant of the term's origin & thus does NOT know that he/she is using a TERM OF ABUSE.
free dixie,sw
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