Floridians mark anniversary of joining the Confederacy

The Florida Times-Union ^ | January 10, 2011 - 12:00am | Kate Howard

[cowboyway]

It was 150 years ago today that Florida declared itself sovereign from the United States.

Some Southern states have marked the anniversaries of secession with celebrations; in South Carolina, a secession gala was met with protests and controversy.

In Florida, a reenactment was quietly held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Tallahassee on Saturday, where about 40 volunteers dressed in period attire performed a condensed version of the convention. It was at that convention where a 62-7 vote led to secession in 1861, making Florida the third state to leave and later join the Confederate States of America.

[cowboyway]

It was also about state rights, unfair tariffs and overall economic issues.

[cowboyway]

Ping!

[Vaquero]

I'm sure all the migrants (I assume the majority of the state at this point) living in ‘The Villages’ and elsewhere in Florida know or care....

I agree with your states rights take...but I bet the majority are not sons and daughters of the Confederacy...nor care.

[Plumberman27]

At that point in time it was all about tariffs and state rights. Slavery never entered the War of Northern Aggression until Lincoln started to run out of bodies and needed to bring in Black people to fight for the north. Keep in mind northern state and some of their generals even had slaves.

[Happy Rain]

Does anybody truly believe that 230 years ago,states and commonwealths who,since they were founded as colonies had always ran their OWN affairs with local love and fidelity, would enter into a contract with no way out if the government of that union was suddenly seized by a tyrannical regime?

[stainlessbanner]

FLA was the "breadbasket of the confederacy" - salt and beef supply line.

Tallahassee, FLA and Austin, TX were the only southern capital cities not captured.

[central_va]

I agree with your states rights take...but I bet the majority are not sons and daughters of the Confederacy...nor care.

All you need is a majority...

[central_va]

Does anybody truly believe that 230 years ago,states and commonwealths who,since they were founded as colonies had always ran their OWN affairs with local love and fidelity, would enter into a contract with no way out if the government of that union was suddenly seized by a tyrannical regime?

A good question for the FR Lincoln Coven. They'll be here soon enough.

[cowboyway]

Florida's role in the Civil War: "Supplier of the Confederacy"

[piroque]

Another from Natchez,Mississippi,Wasn't able to attend as I'm in Alabama for a spell... http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2011/jan/10/crowd-braves-cold-honors-anniversary-state-seccesi/

[APFel]

A fistful of baloney. Have a look at the laws and acts leading up to the American Civil War and quit spreading that nonsense.

APf

[central_va]

A fistful of baloney. Have a look at the laws and acts leading up to the American Civil War and quit spreading that nonsense.

Plumberman is correct, it is you who is full of baloney.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

At that point in time it was all about tariffs and state rights. Slavery never entered the War of Northern Aggression until Lincoln started to run out of bodies and needed to bring in Black people to fight for the north.

I took a look at the official declarations of secession composed by several state governments and they sure seem to think slavery entered into it:

Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union

Declaration of Causes of Secession(Georgia, Mississippi, Texas)

Some excerpts:

South Carolina: "Those States have assume the right of deciding upon the propriety of our domestic institutions; and have denied the rights of property established in fifteen of the States and recognized by the Constitution; they have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery; they have permitted open establishment among them of societies, whose avowed object is to disturb the peace and to eloign the property of the citizens of other States. They have encouraged and assisted thousands of our slaves to leave their homes; and those who remain, have been incited by emissaries, books and pictures to servile insurrection."

Georgia: "For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slave-holding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery."

Mississippi: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization."

Texas: "We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable."

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Keep in mind northern state and some of their generals even had slaves.

More like some slave states didn't feel the need to secede and some generals didn't let their loyalty to their state trump their oath as a United States officer.

[Verginius Rufus]

When Florida seceded in 1861, it had been in the Union less than 16 years--about the same length of time as between the O. J. Simpson trial and now.

The Tenth Amendment says that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. The Constitution nowhere says that states have no right to secede.

[APFel]

A ping for ya, junior. Keep striving to learn.

APf

[cowboyway]

Florida Declaration

Last and not least it has been proclaimed that the election of a President is an authoritative approval of all the principles avowed by the person elected and by the party convention which nominated him. Although that election is made by little more than one third of the votes given. But however large the majority may have been to recognize such a principle is to announce a revolution in the government and to substitute an aggregate popular majority for the written constitution without which no single state would have voted its adoption not forming in truth a federal union but a consolidated despotism that worst of despotisms that of an unrestricted sectional and hostile majority, we do not intend to be misunderstood, we do not controvert the right of a majority to govern within the grant of powers in the Constitution.

[southernsunshine]

It was also about state rights, unfair tariffs and overall economic issues.

And what was it about to the Union? Simply put, power and money.

[cowboyway]

Simply put, power and money.

Absolutely. The South was carrying the north and the north decided to bite the hand that was feeding them.

Additional territory is generally only acquired by conquest or purchase. In either case the slaveholding States contribute at least this equal proportion of men or money – we think much more than an equal proportion. The revenues of the General Government are almost entirely derived from duties on importations. It is time that the northern consumer pays his proportion of these duties, but the North as a section receiving back in the increased prices of the rival articles which it manufactures nearly or quite as much as the imposts which it pays thus in effect paying nothing or very little for the support of the government. As to the sacrifice of lives which recent acquisitions have caused how small is the proportion of Northern blood shed or laurels won in the Mexican war.

[Happy Rain]

It is easy to criticize in hindsight—affecting moral superiority over those who lived in long ago and much different times.A**holes focus on single issues that validate their personal hate-like painting George Washington as ONLY some white devil slave master and nothing else—well GW did own slaves yet he was still the chief founder of the most just and free country the earth has ever seen.
The South perceived Lincoln as a threat to their way of life and in essence he was because he was elected by those states where emancipation of the slaves would not result in economic collapse.
To the South, slavery was the ultimate necessary evil and even many Southerners were aware the institution was intrinsically wicked and damned to end someday.
When Great Britain outlawed slavery in her colonies she purchased the freedom of those slaves in areas where the economic impact of emancipation could result in war.
It worked and it was a shame that the United States couldn't come up with such a peaceful alternative to invading and laying waste to the South with atrocities,war crimes and typical Yankee bad manners.

Funny thing though—personally I AM glad Lincoln was a cruel determined savage in his efforts to preserve the Union otherwise the South would have won.
My CSA Army veteran great grandads were (respectively) South Carolinian and Tennessean first—Their great grandson is an American first.
So even though I cheer at Fredericksburg and curse at Gettysburg, I give a sigh of relief at Appomattox.