My grandpa and his brother and his brother’s son were just plain ole SIMPLE country boys. Their neighbors were going off to fight the Yankee’s so “By God” they were going too ...simple as that!
Their ancestors are still here today and in my opinion still feel that very same way. If a Civil War were to break out the same feelings would hold today.
I can’t swear my Grandpa did not like slavery but I would bet a lot of money he did not. He was too poor to own slaves and all my family have to much RESPECT in them to enjoy or tolerate abuse of another human being. But, “them DAMN Yankee’s aren’t going to push us around!”
I absolutely can relate to your words, Sir.
They must have thought to themselves: “Who are those gentlemen in the federal Government in faraway DC, who think they can push us around with impunity? Who do they think they are? Are they permitted to do so by the Constitution? Don’t think so.
If they up there in DC want slavery to go, okay, let’s discuss this issue without ire - most of us white Southerners are no slave-owners anyway, and thus neutral to the institution of slavery - while not a few of us are in fact opposed to owning a fellow human being as property, as if he or she were a bed or a kitchen table.”
And yes, I could relate to them very well... :-)