Ever since Reconstruction we have heard the belly aching of the white people of the South whining about how the rest of America does not understand their heritage.
Back in the 1960's we did not understand the Southern heritage of forcing African Americans to ride in the back of the bus and we did not understand that proud heritage of segregation of public schools. We did not understand the heritage of turning fire hoses and police dogs on the Freedom Marchers and did not understand the heritage of white Southerners burning down African American Churches. We did not understand the heritage of the white people of the South not permitting African Americans to vote and do not understand why you would pay alliance to a system that oppressed people simply because the color of their skin.
Not only did the White people of the South lose the Civil War but they lost the war of Civil Rights! The next war they will lose will be the war of Demographics when the White Folk become a minority in the South! When that day comes I hope the African Americans who are in power have more intelligence and compassion then your heritage.
Wrong. Try a symbol of rebellion against federal tyranny, a symbol for states rights and limited government, a symbol for adherence to the constitution. What? You don't find these things worth keeping alive? I suppose you think a big bloated federal bureacracy is wonderful.
The war of 1861-1865 was less about slavery than it was all about how the Tenth Amendment is defined by the person with the most powerful army.
The results of that war still affect all Americans today. Do you complain about how the federal government willfully ignores the rights of states every day. And if the whole mess was about slavery, then we must be still fighting; else the wrong side won the battle against slavery and involuntary servitude.
Being over-taxed to keep officials fat and happy enough to take more of my rights away against my will is involuntary servitude.
Most likely the majority of Americans agree with you, which is why we'll never see a constitional republic again.
Oh please. You show your ignorance. Slavery is wrong. We got it. Compassion? Too bad the 500,000 slaves that came here didn't get to go to the middle east instead.
In the Arab world African slaves were highly prized as eunuchs. They were used as guardians of harems and as civil servants, some of whom amassed considerable power. But many young African men died in the process because of inept or infected castration. Now THAT'S compassion! /sarcasm
While you're in a wish-upon-a-star mood, see if you can get me some flying pigs to go with that.
Now, to be sure, the vast majority of Southerners looked on blacks with a less than wonderful view in regard to their intellect, and I would not suggest that racism was begun by the North-certainly not, as it has always been human nature to look down upon groups of people as a whole with no regard to individual merits, and such was the case for the pre-war black man. However, it is important to note that before the war, it was not at all an entire stigmata to associate with blacks-in fact, it might be common practise say, in the pine woods of Mississippi, for a black fiddler to play some reels along with white fellows on Friday night, and engage in acts of recreation at other times (it seems from Northerners views of the Celtinized South before the war, good work habits were not of particular esteem). Certainly no blacks found themselves at the end of an unjustified ripe as would become practise during and after Reconstruction, and hostility towards blacks was rather rare before the war. Instead, there existed a feeling that blacks were slightly subserviant to whites, but in a childlike manner-it was in general view that the black man best existed as a subordinate to whites. Now, you and I wold rightly say that that is not right-black men have the same mental capacity as anyone else. But this was the view in much of the South, and the North as well before the escape our inquiry. In fact, it was believed by many abolitionists after the war that blacks would need their tender care and some even went as far as to try to train them and instruct them educationaly. They soon found this to taxing though and generally gave up-the plight of the Negro was of no consequence any more now that they had been used for what was believed to be a noble purpose. It is something like our abandonment of the Afgahns once they had defeated the Soviets-the aftermath would be rather similar as you shall see.
Let us examine then ways in which animosity was stirred up betwix the white and blac men of the South during and after the war, and how it was resolved, or rather, left unresloved after the close of hostilities.
I will list several causes but will limit myself from going into them as it would likely bore you..
One, and particularly important to soldiers of the army, was the wide use of black soldiers. This was, as could been seen after the war, little more than a ruse to infiriate Southerners. As previously stated, they often had dim views of the black man's capacity in some roles, and the use of black soldiers was not only compounded upon by this, but the idea that these men would soon return to life in the South no doubt led to some bad ideas during the war, but the fact that former enemies now resided in large numbers around you was particularly bad after the war. And as soon as hostilities with the South were over, the black soldier was largely no more-very few black soldiers could be found in the post war army, and were not infrequently excluded or at least degraded upon application of military duty. They were but human pawns.
Then there is the complex issue of the violent end to slavery. This is most likely the greatest factor in bad racial relations, and it haunts us to this day. In most other Western cultures, slavery endend gradualy, and without ill effect. There are not groups of Irishmen still mad or disadvantged because they were once part of the slave class-slavery slowly disapeared in Ireland, not overnight in a violent conflict. And not only was slavery ended, but in theory, Southerners views of the black man were supposed to improve. They didn't-would you if you were forced at gun point to? Could you? Probably not-I doubt I could. And to make matters worse, Northerners quickly began explioting black voters to the expense of the South, bribing and coercing them by the droves to vote for schemes that were designed to rob states, counties, and individuals of what money and wealth they had remaining. The Reconstruction probably instilled more hatred in Southern hearts than did the war, and it was all intended by the North-a show em' not to mess with us type attitude.
In the end, both the white and black Sotherner was impacted horribly, and it continues to this day. You say how you wish blacks could control the South. Please do not misunderstand me, but I shudder at the thought, at least today. The poor black man has been so thouroughly used by the Federal government and corrupt politicians, that, coupled with a sad breakdown of black families (coming to the white man's culture as well), that all to often their communities and especially counties and cities dominated by African-American demographics have become swaths of poverty and crime-I'm sure you're aware that the term "going black" is not used in a positive sense. It is not because blacks are of some kind of inferior stock or some such nonsense (I believe that some of the most brilliant minds in our history were and are those of black men), but it is the result of a steady culmination of events brought down by a variety of factors, beginging with the Civil War and orchestrated by a falsely benevolent Federal governement who is good to the black man when it suits their purposes, whether it be getting elected, breaking the South, or trying out a new socialist program.
Thar, I'm done if you've gotten this far. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on my little piece, and certainly hope you don't brand me a "racists". Oh, and I would truely encourage you to purchase a book on Patrick Cleburne.
LOL. When that day comes, the American South will resemble today's South Africa. Enjoy, y'all!
I'm an ardent Unionist, but you are more irritating than I can be about this, and I have irritated some folks on this forum about the South, the Civil War, ad infinitum.
For you, but for them most of all, let me say that Robert E. Lee was one of the noblest Americans ever to have lived, showing a nobility, gravity, strength of character, and countenance unmatched by few Americans since the Revolution, and certainly unmatched by any American in my lifetime.
'On the eve of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, through Secretary Francis Blair, offered him command of the Union Army. There was little doubt as to Lee's sentiments. He was utterly opposed to secession and considered slavery evil. His views on the United States were equally clear - "no north, no south, no east, no west," he wrote, "but the broad Union in all its might and strength past and present."
Blair's offer forced Lee to choose between his strong conviction to see the country united in perpetuity and his responsibility to family, friends and his native Virginia. A heart-wrenching decision had to be made. After a long night at Arlington, searching for an answer to Blair's offer, he finally came downstairs to Mary. "Well Mary," he said calmly, "the question is settled. Here is my letter of resignation." He could not, he told her, lift his hand against his own people. He had "endeavored to do what he thought was right," and replied to Blair that "...though opposed to secession and a deprecating war, I could take no part in the invasion of the Southern States." He resigned his commission and left his much beloved Arlington to "go back in sorrow to my people and share the misery of my native state."'
Why don't you go through a personal nightmare like that, or even imagine one, before you go on about the South?
Great guns, man, you've got me whistling "The Bonnie Blue Flag." Goodness me...