Posted on 04/16/2008 5:14:19 AM PDT by bmweezer
Today, the nation's capital celebrates Emancipation Day - commemorating the Republican Party's abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, on April 16, 1862. Thats right, the Republican Party freed the slaves in DC, despite fierce opposition from the Democrats. Of course, none of the Democrats running the DC Government dares mention that fact.
During the Civil War, one of the nations leading abolitionists was U.S. Senator Henry Wilson (R-MA), who would later serve as Vice President during President Grants second term. In December 1861, Senator Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery in the District. The measure met with parliamentary obstacles from the adamantly pro-slavery Democratic Party....
Continued at http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com
Republicans today would benefit tremendously from appreciating the heritage of our Grand Old Party.
Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country, showing office-holders, candidates and activists how they would benefit tremendously from appreciating our Party's heritage of civil rights achievement. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is his acclaimed history of the GOP from the Republican point of view. Each day, his Grand Old Partisan blog -- http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com -- celebrates 154 years of Republican heroes and heroics. See www.republicanbasics.com for more information.
All good things that have been done for blacks in this country have been done by Republicans. Heck, the baseball color-line was broken by Republicans (Jackie Robunson, Branch Rickey). The Democrats have done nothing but harm.
It was also the Republican Party which prosecuted the Civil War, against a group of politicians who were nearly all Democrats.
So that would be the Republican party that trampled all over state’s rights and created the all-powerful federal government?
Are comparisons of today’s political parties to the parties as they existed 145 years ago really useful?
“Democrat” is just a fancy way of saying “Overseer”.
Democrats just moved slavery into the government via the welfare state.
The welfare state has devastated the future of many blacks and many whites.
DON'T FLAME ME- THAT IS AN ACTUAL QUOTE
I wish they could see how they are thought of by the party they support 90%
Sorry, pal, the Republicans just had a problem with the States’ Right to expand slavery. The all-powerful federal government was the product of the Wilson and Roosevelt Democrats with the help of the “progressive” Republicans.
Still waiting for the Democrats to make reparations.
Amen. The states rights argument was used by pro slavery democrats to justify the rebellion. It was the Democrats who used the power of SCOTUS via the Dred Scott decision to constitutionalize slavery and throwing out the Missouri compromise which supported state rights. Then they proceeded to cram down slavery in the territories via the Kansas-Nebraska act. Please read of the mini civil war there!
It’s so funny how the line they give today is...
“the democrats and republicans have switched places nowadays.”
When they do, it will be our money
That doesn’t count. I’m not talking about the US making reparations. We’ve done that. I want the Dems to make reparations, like Mercedes made reparations for its Nazi affiliations, etc.
I never let anyone get away with that one. Democrats have been bad news for 150 years. The Republican party was founded to take them on and it has been trying to do that 150 years. There’s been no switching in purpose or philosophy.
Oh please! Exactly what state's right did they trample all over in creating this "all-powerful federal government'?
There is no such thing as "states' rights."
States are governments and governments do not have rights. They have powers.
Only people have rights.
and created the all-powerful federal government?
The Founders created the federal government.
Are comparisons of todays political parties to the parties as they existed 145 years ago really useful?
Absolutely.
The Democrats of 1860 were characterized by disloyalty to America, machine politics, patronage, racial and ethnic division, organized labor and economic populism.
All those characteristics are still strongly marked to this day.
The main difference between the two parties is that economic populism today has come to mean protectionism whereas in 1860 - in an agrarian economy based largely on raw commodities - it did not.
Dems never use their own money.
It is always other peoples money
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.