I discovered this page fairly early in the morning, whilst I browsed the Internet for certain other information, regarding the late unpleasantness between the states.

All concerned in the great “Lee/Jackson Debate” seemed quite sincere, and mostly articulate- save a few personal low blows- in their opinion; which seemed mostly predicated upon the institution of slavery as the cause (or a cause) of the “War Between The States”.

As the old Saw goes “the winners write the history”. Nay, they also teach that same history- generation after generation- with the same slant as when it was written. When I began learning American History, in the third grade, Appomattox was not yet three generations removed from that time. Lincoln- who by the way lived in a log cabin and studied by firelight, which relates to some sort of a wonderful character trait, that we at Saint Mary’s School should have strived to emulate- promised to free the slaves. Thus, as President, he in fact freed the slaves, and also saved the Union: All in one fell swoop. Therefore, this Blog leads me to believe that- not unlike Sister Margarita- you have been reading the winners version of Mr. A. Lincoln’s fidelity to The Constitution, and his conduct and culpability regarding the events, leading to, and surrounding the Late Unpleasantness.

The “Winners” first bit of history: Slavery was a major issue, which precipitated the war, and that Mr. Lincoln freed the slaves. Both historical heresy. As an issue, as someone on this page said, Slavery was akin to our modern day issue of Abortion: militants- moderates- and all. Although, Slavery was less prevalent than today’s abortions, it too was not illegal. Honest Abe had not the Constitutional power to free any Slaves in the United States of America. The Emancipation Proclamation, which applied only to “the States in rebellion”, was on shaky ground with Northerners, because it smacked of denial of private property at the whim of the Federal Government. It was in fact unconstitutional. However, the Proclamation was a political master stroke, which kept Great Britain from recognizing the CSA as an independent nation, and it surely helped re-elect the man. The United States Constitution- alone, in the Thirteenth Amendment (12/06/1865), freed all persons in bondage.

Should Mr. Lincoln have respected The Constitution, and not raised an army to march South to punish the secessionists and set things right, he would have looked to the Supreme Court and the Constitution for LEGAL guidance in the matter of secession- which by the way, is not prohibited by the Constitution. His first step of unfounded aggression, which violated the Southern States Sovereignty, was certainly illegal- even when compared to contemporary events. Think ahead to what the world did with Slobodan Milosevic for aggression, etc. in Yugoslavia. Then, consider the orderly dissolution of the USSR. Which event- with respect to Lincoln’s actions- would have saved the life and limb of nearly a million Americans?

The war was about the Sovereign States rights and power in the Federal Legislature. That is- the power to tax and thereby regulate economic behavior. Since the founding under The Constitution, the agricultural South had been a cash cow for the Northern industrialists. Taxes and Tariffs had favored Southern commerce with the North, rather than with England. After the Founding, the government policy was to promote American industry, including the means of manufacture and distribution. The new government’s rational was that we needed to be truly independent of England, not only politically, but also economically. To this end, we needed to manufacture domestic products and build our own industries. Seemed fair enough at the time; therefore, the Southern States relented. This tax and tariff policy took on a life of it’s own, which in one guise or another, still survives. However, the Northern industrial and agricultural interests took a big hit when the world market price of cotton went sky high. Again a brisk, lucrative, Southern trade developed with England to supply their textile mills- with the profits from such trade purchasing English goods. In the Southern United States, the Pound Sterling note spent better than any Yankee paper. As an aside to “distribution”, note that most Southern goods were shipped in Yankee Bottoms.

Note the following Plank of the 1860 Republican Party Platform (Furman University)

“12. That, while providing revenue for the support of the General Government by duties upon imports, sound policy requires such an adjustment of these imposts as to encourage the development of the industrial interest of the whole country; and we commend that policy of national exchanges which secures to the working men liberal wages, to agriculture remunerative prices, to mechanics and manufactures an adequate reward for their skill, labor, and enterprise, and to the nation commercial prosperity and independence.”

Note the following excerpt from South Carolina’s Address to the Slaveholding States

“The Southern States now stand in the same relation toward the Northern States, in the vital matter of taxation, that our ancestors stood toward the people of Great Britain. They are in a minority in Congress. Their representation in Congress is useless to protect them against unjust taxation, and they are taxed by the people of the North for their benefit exactly as the people of Great Britain taxed our ancestors in the British Parliament for their benefit. For the last forty years the taxes laid by the Congress of the United States have been laid with a view of subserving the interests of the North. The people of the South have been taxed by duties on imports not for revenue, but for an object inconsistent with revenue — to promote, by prohibitions, Northern interests in the productions of their mines and manufactures.”

So enough already! In regard to the late unpleasantness: Forget about the Slaves, they were just a megillah to sell the war. Forget about the Great Emancipator- although he did emancipate us from the bounds of The Constitution and destroyed the Republic. Forget about the two sons of Virginia, who were the greatest “American” military tacticians, ever to don a uniform. Forget about the previous politically correct, and pusillanimous Virginia Legislature. Forget about the painted tapestry of R.E. Lee, on a down town Richmond flood wall, that was vandalized on several occasions and never returned. Forget about the “Winner’s History”- it ain’t so cousin.
The War was all about POWER IN THE FEDERAL LEGISLATURE- power to TAX whoever and whenever the majority, which had always favored “special interests”, decreed. Don’t Forget the people are still the people- as in “WE THE PEOPLE”- only the foolishness foisted upon us by political parties changes…Holy Chickahominy Bat Man!! We ARE re-living the late 1850′s. Go Figger…!!

Seafarer

Alter, if you’ve written all these comments to oppose a proposal that you actually support, I can’t help you any more than a good counselor could.

I’m sure someone somewhere wanted to leave the Union because they didn’t like Lincoln’s campaign policies on the iron trade, but I really don’t think that was the main issue that made people take up rifles.

Now onto more Alter lies:

“Brian has no reponse to the very large free black population of Petersburg that built the railroads of the Commonwealth leading up to the War does he.”

Yes, I do. We should honor them with Virginia Heritage Day.

“Brian also likely dismissies those blacks that fought for the Confederacy”

I do not. We should honor them with Virginia Heritage Day.

“And exactly what State was Jackson born in officially?”

I don’t care.

“Brian appears poised to dive right in to the current politics of the day here in the modern era”

Unlike the secret anonymous commenters on here, I actually live in the present, and do not yearn wistfully for the days when landowners owned blacks and possessed women as property.

“but fails to give Virginia’s past and its participants the same level of investigation”

No I don’t. I include them all in Virginia Heritage Day.

“level of distrust had nothing to do with slaves friends”

That’s why the South voluntarily freed all slaves before the Civil War. Huh? You mean they didn’t? No kidding…..

..and the average Federal soldier was bound up in service to defend the slave interests of “loyal” slave owners.

======================================

LittleDavid-
“I have no doubt that the “average” confederate soldier included the word nigger in how he would describe even the free black man.”
======================================

Use of the “N” was rather common in the 19th century…but more common in the North.

This is not to say that slavery was not a major issue to some or even the greatest issue to some, but not my Virginia. Brian appears poised to dive right in to the current politics of the day here in the modern era, but fails to give Virginia’s past and its particpants the same level of investigation. If he had or if you chose to undertake such investigation you very well may find a depth of greater understanding regarding the politics of the day in Virginia in the 1850′s leading up to April 1861.

Brian acts like the election of a Republican in Lincoln had nothing to do with the level of distrust Whigs and Demcrats in Virginia had for the North that overwhelmingly put Lincoln in office. FYO, that level of distrust had nothing to do with slaves friends and it flows through much of the politics of the day after Lincoln’s election. Brian evidently must liken slavery as an issue then to present day abortion rights I guess and yet even Brian knows its much more than that that has created the seperation between present day Democrats and Republicans. He is smart enough to know its never just one issue.

After wading through your comment sans paragraph breaks, I find issue with this.

Back in those days, money was even more important then it is today. Today the average citizen has the power to express his own ideas on the internet. But in those days the common voice was controlled by the editors of the newspapers.

Money back then had a big control on what was written and who was elected. Back then the money was behind secession and secession was the result. What was the dividing issue that separated the south from the north? The issue was slavery.

Even if the average Confederate soldier did not own a slave, he was bound up in his service in the defense of slavery. I have no doubt that the “average” confederate soldier included the word nigger in how he would describe even the free black man.

Alter’s responses would be more easily digestible if he learned to include paragraph breaks.

I do not have a degree in History or anything, however from my limited knowledge I understand that the issue of slavery was one of the things that drove the secession of the Confederate States. Is my understanding somehow incorrect?