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But I do like the argument that neoconfederates want to freeze Lincoln.

My husband is from Illinois, and one of his ancestors was General Emory Upton, a Union general, although he did have one Confederate ancestor who switched sides rather than remain in captivity.

He reads Southern Partisan, which I've looked at, and think is blather, all about the Lost Cause. I grew up in Louisiana, and have lived in the Deep South all my life. I've been studying Louisiana history all my adult life, including a lot about slavery.

Slavery is nothing to romanticize. If I were to admire any way of having slavery, it would be the Spanish laws, which had a legal provision called coartacion, which allowed a slave to purchase his or her freedom by paying the master the slave's own fair market value.

If the master refused to deal, the slave could petition the court for a hearing, and even a lawyer, and an appraisal, and the court would set a price, and if the slave could raise that much money, the court would give them a certificate of freedom.

After Louisiana became a United States territory, this was abolished.

The system of coartacion encouraged slaves to become small time capitalists, and work during their time off, and save money. It was far from ideal, but there was a great deal of humanitarianism that no other system had. It derives from the Roman system.

Neoconfederates buy the Reconstruction myths about moonlight and roses and white pillars and happy darkies frolicking in the quarters. They like living in a fantasy world.

Neoconfederates buy the Reconstruction myths about moonlight and roses and white pillars and happy darkies frolicking in the quarters. They like living in a fantasy world.

Why not see what the ex-slaves said?

'Why, Miss, the only thing I can remember right off hand that we children done was fight and frolic like youngsters will do when they get together.'
John F. Van Hook, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938, Georgia Narratives, Vol. IV, Pt. 4, p. 73
Now Missy, how come you wants to know 'bout dem frolics us had dem days? Most of 'em ended up scandlous, plumb scandlous. At harvest season dere was cornshuckin's, wheat-thrashin's syrup-cookin's, and logrollin's. All dem frolics come in deir own good time. Cornshuckin's was de most fun of 'em all. Evvybody comes from miles around to dem frolics. Soon atter de wuk got started, marster got out his little brown jug, and when it started gwine de rounds de wuk would speed up wid sich singin' as you never heared, and dem Niggers was wuking in time wid de music. Evvy red ear of corn meant an extra swig of liquor for de Nigger what found it. When de wuk was done and dey was ready to go to de tables out in de yard to eat dem big barbeque suppers, dey grabbed up deir marster and tuk him to de big house on deir shoulders. When de supper was et, de liquor was passed some more and dancin' started, and sometimes it lasted all night.
Paul Smith, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938, Georgia Narratives, Vol. IV, Pt. 3, p. 334.
We had plenty of amusements in those days, such as corn-shuckings, dances, running, jumping and boxing contest. Saturday was the big frolicking time, and every body made the most of it. Slaves were allowed to tend little patches of their own, and were often given Saturday afternoons off to work their crops, then when laying by time came, we had more time for our patches. We were allowed all we could make over and above our certin tasks.
David Goodman Gullins, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938, Georgia Narratives, Vol. IV, Pt. 2, p. 85.
We would sing and pray Easter Sunday and on Easter Monday we frolicked and danced all day long! Christmas we allus had plenty good sumpin' to eat and we all got togedder and had lots of fun. We runned up to the big 'ouse early Christmas mornin' and holler out: 'Mornin', Christmas Gif'!' Then they'd give us plenty of Sandy Claus an we would go back to our cabins to have fun twel New Year's day. We knowed Christmas was over and gone when New Year's day come, kazen we got back to wuk that day atter frolickin' all Christmas week.
James Bolton, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938, Georgia Narratives, Volume IV, Pt. 1, p. 100.