| REASONS Eighteen sixty one was not the first time we heard about Confederation, as opposed to Federalisim. This was the heading they had for The Constitution Of The United States Of America when it was first written, and is still.. Our Founding Fathers wanted a Confederation where the individual retained his rights of freedom and property. One where the States Governed themselves , and maintained a Central Goverment to help hold them together, and deal with problems that might arise between the states. To maintain an Army made up of soldiers collected from each of the states, who would protect the Confederation from forign powers. It was clear that they did not want a Federal Goverment that would take controll of them. They set the goverment up with a check and balance system, where the diferent branches would keep check on each other. There is however a law of nature that states birds of a feather will flock together. And one about honor amoung thiefs. How are honest people going to set up a goverment that will be run by dishonest people. I suppose it ran pretty smooth for a while, but pretty soon greed, graft, and the love of power took over. the politicians in office got their heads together, and they no longer looked upon the people as their bosses. Yes the people are supposed to be the boss. A goverment Of The People , For The People, And By The People., But how long did that last? There were times , once in a while, that there would be enough opposition in politics, like it was in the first part of the ninteen hundred's. The republicans were very strong on the side of buisness, and the rich, while the democrats stood up for the little guy, the poor, and for unions., This did serve to keep a check on goverment for a time. But there was a price controll on oil, the oil people who were very powerfull, and in controll of the Republican party wanted to do away with the price controll laws. The President in office in ninteen sixty three would not go along, and they had him killed. There was no more check and balance after that. and as soon as the Radicals got their man in office there were no more price controlls. The murdered presidents brother ran for office, and would have been elected, they killed him too. Another brother might have run, as he was a Congressman, but he was afraid to. The reason he was so afraid to was the night he left a party with a lady, and was chased by another vechle untill he crashed into a lake and the lady was drowned. He hid for the rest of the night, and reported what had happened the next day. He never mentioned running for president again. although he has been a Congressman untill this day,2006. This is the same kind of goverment we had prior to 1860, when the first Reopublican President , Aberham Lincoln , was elected. He was a Corporate Lawer before being elected. Not a Rail Splitter. He might have slpit a rail or two in Kentucky where he was born, But he hadn't split any recently. Lincoln was real unpopular by a lot of the people, reguardless of what you have been taught. He was however in good standing with the big buisness men in the North. They paid for his campane, and got him elected, eventhough the Southern , for the most part , hated him. Eventhough being the president, and first lady, they were never accepted into Washingtons elite socity. Mrs, Lincoln had some rough edges herself. When Lincoln was elected and was on his way to Washington to take residence there, he got word that his life was in danger. He was traveling by train, so he disguised himself and changed trains a couple times , and sneaked into Washington under cover. The south had been having trouble with the federal goverment for years before Lincoln was elected. The south claimed that they was being charged what they considered high prices, and unfair tax, for everything that they bought from the northern states. They complained, and argued with the delagates in washingtion. Their delagates argued, and tried to pass bills, but it was to no avail. The Southern states began buying a lot of the things they needed from England, and other places. Then the Federals began passing, Laws, Tarriffs, on these imports. The South felt put upon by these tarrifs. They suffered from them much more than the North. The south was geting more and more discouraged with their federal goverment. A goverment that as you remember was designed as a Confederation, to simple help hold the States together, and settle disputes. It was stated in their Bill Of Rights, that if the people of any state decided that the central goverment was not in their best interest, and felt that they would be better off without such a goverment, they could pull out of the union. There was a lot of talk about this in the 1850's. In the 1850's there was talk about slavery, and today it is widely believed that the war was over slavery. That the north declared war on the South to free the Slaves. But that is far from the truth. Many people were against slavery, as am I. but the Law was not against it, and Lincoln was not against it. He said that he didnt believe in it, and I suppose he was telling the truth about that. But he understood the law, and felt that he had no right to interfere with that law. The North did not declare war on the South, neithere did the South declare war. The south felt it had a perfict right to pull out of the union, and did so. It never intended to go to war, or to take over Washington.. The CSA only wanted to be left alone. R.C. Here is a quote from Lincoln. "If as the friends of colonization hope, the present and coming generations of our countrymen shall by any means, succeed in freeing our land from the dangerous presence of slavery; and, at the same time, in restoring a captive people to their long-lost father-land, with bright prospects for the future; and this too, so gradually, that neither races nor individuals shall have suffered by the change, it will indeed be a glorious consummation." -- July 6, 1852 - Eulogy on Henry Clay Lincoln wanted to see the slaves freed slowly, as to create no hardships, and to resettle them in their former homeland. The slaves were being freed by some of the slaveholders prior to the war, and I believe that in not so many years slavery would have been a thing of the past. R.C. Lincoln to Joshua Speed "You know I dislike slavery; and you fully admit the abstract wrong of it." -- August 24, 1855 - Letter to Joshua Speed I think Lincoln really did not like slavery, but he had no love for the black people, I will give you quotes to prove this also. Lincoln to Horace Greely “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause." -- August 22, 1862 - Letter to Horace Greeley . In the September 18, 1858 debate, Lincoln said: I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And in as much as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race”. The Civil War ended on the ninth of April 1865, Lincoln was killed on April the 14th, only five days after the war ended, but Lincoln had been making plans to deport the freed slaves. He had always believed that they should be returned to their own homeland. He believed that they should never have been brought to America. R.C. All peoples Need Hero's, But if the decendents of American Slavery wants to choose hero's, they need to look elswhere than Lincoln. Anything that he did that helped them, he did for other reasons. R.C. The Civil war, or War Of Northern Agression, was not about slavery. The Capitolist Federals like to call the war, "The War Of The Rebelion" . The South Rebeled againgt the North the same way that the Continintal Congress Rebelled against England in the seventeen seventies. They Rebeled against agression. The Lincoln people put the Slavery spin on the war when they thought it might be lost otherwise, and when they thought that England might Join forceses with the South. That is when, and why, The Emansipation Proclamation was handed down. That is why that at the end of the war Artical Thirteen was rewritten, and passed. Artical thirteen was about to be passed befor the war began, but it read quiet differently then. R.C. In 1861, an amendment, number thirteen, was signed by President Lincoln. This was the only proposed amendment that was ever signed by a president. That resolve to amend read: "ARTICLE THIRTEEN", No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State." (In other words, President Lincoln had signed a resolve that would have permitted slavery, and upheld states' rights.) Only one State, Illinois, ratified this proposed amendment before the Civil War broke out in 1861. However it was clearly understood that radification would occure, the Bill had great support, including that of the president. This was happing even without support of the southern delagates, as they had already pulled out of Washington, and was now part of the Confederacy. If Washingtons stand on slavery was important to the southern states, they would have taken more interest in this bill. They saw that Lincoln was gathering his soldiers in Fort Sumpter, and attempting to supply them by sea. And that he was amassing a great army to fight them, so they fired on Sumpter. Silently saying, "WE dont care what you think about Slavery. Take your Bill and shove it. So once more Artical thirteen died on the table. Anybody with even half a brain can see that the war was not about slavery. The thoughts of the majority, both North and South was that it was leagle, and that it should be left alone, Otherwise they would not have been passing a law excluding slavery from any action by Congress. John Brown had been caught and hung by the Federals a few years earlier when he tried to stir the slaves into rebelion. Robert E Lee, and J.E.B.Stuart was two of the officers, Federal at that time, who arrested John Brown. A lot of the Movies that have been made start with John Brown as if he was part of the war. He was premature. He was just a dirty old man that was being paid by trouble makers in the North to make trouble in the South. Politics at that time seemed to be divided somewhere near the Mason Dixon Line. There was a lot of hatred. I believe that the Northern Aristocrats hated to think of the Southern Planters sitting around under their Magnolia Trees Drinking Mint Julip, and watching his slaves make money for him. I dont agree with slavery, no one should be owned by anyone else. But we must think about the mindset of the people at that time, and it hasn't changed with some people even today. If you are born and raised with an idea being crammed into your head day in. and day out. Seeing the idea actually in practic. Accepted by your parents, Your Minister, and community. It might very well seem right to you. Myself, I was born in 1940, Schools were segregated. If Blacks rode the bus, they used the back seat. If they went to the movies they used the balcony. Now that is the way it was in Iaeger West Virginia. Just across the mountain in Buchanan County Virginia , blacks were not allowd. I suppose by law they were allowed, but the whites there were so adament about it, blacks would not try to live there. Trailways Busses began to run through there in ninteen fifty two, and after some trouble, blacks would ride the buss, and little by little they were accepted. Its not that these whites were bad people, I suppose the blacks considered them bad, I dont blame them if they do, but right or wrong, the whites thought they were right. Certainly, thinking that they are right dosen't make them right, but if they really think that they were right, it is easier to understand them, and to forgive them. As a child I called the blacks Niggers. Grade School taught me that they were Negroes. I thought that was what they were. It was like calling an Indian, an Indian, A german a German, and so on. I wasn't calling them any bad name. Perhaps they thought that I was, but the only thing that I was actuall guilty of was ignorance. I will say to the black Race, I do not hold myself above you, I am human, as you are human. and we are all individuals. Lets deal with each other as individuals and stop all of this racial crap. The first time I really began to understand the plight of the blacks was when the trouble around Georgia, and some of the other southern states were going on, early nineteen sixties, I think. I found out that they didn't have the right to vote. They could fight in our wars,, give their lives for our country, but they couldnt vote. A pure idiot could see that this wasn't right. But after the Civil War, it has been said that the mothers of the southern whites taught thier children to hate blacks. It may be true in some cases. There are good people and bad people in all races, and during the Civil war there were some black union soldiers that badly mishandled southern women, and children when they went into homes in the south where no menfolks were home. I guess there was white union soldiers doing the same thing, but as the blacks were not well thought of in the first place, it hurt more when a Reb thought about a black doing it, than it did when he thought of a white man doing it. Before the war there had been no real hatred by the whites for the black men. They were largly thought of as property, even as part of the livestock, but not hated. The war caused them to be hated. There were a lot of Blacks that fought for the South, they understood the real reason for the war, and was fighting for those reasons. Untill the Amsnsipation Proclamation came down, Jan 1st, 1863, which was the second year of the war, nobody thought the war was about slavery, which it wasnt ever. But the spin Washington put on it made some people think that it was. And in later years, as books were written, and selected for the school systems, everybody was taught that the war was about slavery, because the Federals were ashamed of the real reason. The one who wins a war writes the history of it. Here in America it is hard to ever get to the real truth. About anything. R.C. The country, Confederate States Of America was formed. South Carolina was no longer subject to the Federal Goverment in Washington. They looked around and saw federal troups on their soil. These were no longer their soldiers, but soldiers of a forign goverment, The USA,.instead of the CSA. They contacted the proper chanels in Washington saying, please remove your soldiers from our soil. They got a message back, we will as soon as we can make the arrangments. However overnight the soldiers were moved into Fort Sumptor, which was just offshore on an Island belonging to South Carolina, and preporations were being made by the Federals to ship in supplies. The Fort was Commanded by Major Anderson. General Beaureguard commanded the Confederates there. RC. On 8th April 1861Lieutenant Talbot and Mr. Chew, messengers from Lincoln, informed General Beauregard that the Government would supply Major Anderson with provisions—which were denied him by the South Carolinians—peaceably if they could, forcibly if they must. General Beauregard referred the message to his Government at Montgomery, and was ordered to reduce the fort. He summoned Major Anderson to surrender on 11th. The reply was: "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication, demanding the evacuation of this fort, and to say, in reply thereto, that it is a demand with which I regret that my sense of honor and my obligations to my Government prevent my compliance." Accordingly at 4:27 A.M. on 12th fire was opened from Fort Moultrie on Fort Sumter. To this Major Anderson replied with three of his barbette guns, after which the batteries on Mount Pleasant, Cummings's Point, and the Floating Battery opened a brisk fire of shot and shell. Major Anderson did not reply, except at long intervals, until between seven and eight o'clock, when he brought into action the two tiers of guns looking toward Fort Moultrie and Stevens's iron battery. The fire continued brisk all day. At 7 P.M. a heavy rain-storm caused a cessation of hostilities till 11 P.M. Major Anderson appears to have employed the interval in repairing damages. At or about 11 P.M. the fire recommenced, and a shell was thrown into Fort Sumter from each battery every twenty minutes during the night. With daybreak the heavy bombardment recommenced from all the batteries ; the fire was returned from Fort Sumter with vigor until about 8 A.M., when Fort Sumter was perceived to be on fire. Major Anderson's fighting then slackened, but the fire of the besiegers increased in intensity. At about 10 A.M. Major Anderson lowered his flag to half-mast in token of distress ; perhaps as a signal to the United States vessels which were lying at anchor outside the bar, unable to get into the harbor so as to participate in the conflict. About half past ten one or two explosions took place in the fort ; it has since been ascertained that these proceeded from the heating of piles of shells. Meanwhile the fire progressed rapidly ; the whole roof of the barracks was a sheet of flame, and flames and smoke issued thickly from the casemates. At or about eleven Major Anderson ceased firing, and devoted his whole attention to putting out the fire. At about noon some of his men were noticed on the wharf of the fort handing in buckets of water ; the besiegers' fire, which had never slackened, was at once directed upon them. In a few minutes afterward Major Anderson hauled down his flag. A boat then put off, containing ex-Governor Manning, Major D. R. Jones, and Colonel Charles Allston, to arrange the terms of surrender, which were the same as those offered on the 11th. These were official. They stated that all proper facilities would be afforded for the removal of Major Anderson and his command, together with the company arms and property, and all private property, to any post in the United States he might elect. Major Anderson stated that he surrendered his sword to General Beauregard as the representative of the Confederate Government. General Beauregard said he would not receive it from so brave a man. The correspondent of the Press telegraphs on 14th: " The last act in the drama of Fort Sumter has been concluded. Major Anderson has evacuated, and, with his command, departed by the steamer Isabel from the harbor. He saluted his flag, and the company, then forming on the parade-ground, marched out upon the wharf, with drum and fife playing 'Yankee Doodle.' This is how the war began, Lincoln, who was the man charged with maintaining peace amoung the States, and should have been doing everything within his powers to prevent bloodshed amoung Americans, acted more like a war maker, than a peace maker. The trouble should never have gotten to this state of being. This should have been settled in Congress, and it was the responsability of the president to see that it was. Reguardless of what anybody claims, Lincoln wanted war. Why? who can figure a politiciasn. Perhaps he was simply complying to the wishes of his backers. The Radical Republicans. This was their first President, But it wasn't their last. More Americans were killed in The American Civil War than all of the other Wars put together. And it was so un-nessessary. A lot of things led up to the war. But the failure of Goverment was the cause. Then we must blame the leaders of our Goverment. Lincoln was new in office, but none of this was a suprise to him, this had been building up for a long time. He commanded the federal arm forces. If he was really concerned about the people he was charged with, the "We The People " of America. He would have prevented War. Politics are politics, but by damned War is serious. He should not have simply gotten involved in the arguments, on the side of those who paid for his election of course. He should have worked in behalf of America as a whole. All persidents should do this. But they dont. Some presidents in modern times act more in concern with forign countries. We have no choice in who we elect, we are given a one out of four choice for president, those already in power pick these four. They pick four that they can depend on to continue buisness as usual. A visious cycle. A no win situation for we the people Its Taxation without representation all over. We elect representativies , but they represent everybody except us. So we have no representation. But what can you do. Just what I am doing, Complain. and cry. Insted of listening to what we want, even if we send a clear message, they tell us what we want insted. To them, what we want is always what they want. It makes little difference who we elect. Democrats all died out under Reagan, the only ones left except for maybe one or two, are Democrats in name only. We have a one party system, which is really no system at all. |