False accusations on modern day Confederate movement.
Argues against accusations that have been made on the modern day Confederate Nationalists. by Levi S.
(centrist)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Many people today when they hear the word "Confederate" a parade of thoughts go through their minds, like Civil War, or the South. But most of all, people think of only two things: slavery and racism. Modern day Southern Nationalists have been accused of those two things and many other things such as being anti-American and ignorant. But what people forget is that the last Confederate movement was over 150 years ago, the modern day Confederate movement is in a new society and governmental environment.
Accusation #1. Confederates are racist.
When asked if the American Civil War was fought over slavery, most historians will say... NO. While slavery was certainly a factor in the war, it was a pretty small one. Most historians will say that the Civil War was fought over states rights and Federal Government interference into state government. Also, modern Confederate have openly said that they are in no way associated with the KKK or Neo-Nazis, if anything, Confederates are enemies with those kind of racist groups.
Accusation #2. Confederates are anti-American.
In the Civil War, another factor was the fact that the Federal Government was beginning to "shift" the American Constitution. An example of this was that Abraham Lincoln was against the 10th Amendment which states the following: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.In short, the 10th Amendment is the Right to State Sovereignty, granting the Federal Government not interfere with State Laws and other State issues. The Federal Government began to stop following this right before the war. To get to the point, when you think about it, the Confederates were the ones who were really following the Constitution by upholding their right to secede given to them in the Constitution.
So we will continue to see these accusations go on and on as time goes by, because of government interference in schools, children will only be told the Union side of the war and will continue to make the youth of America think of the Confederates as bad anti-American, racists. Until the people are taught the truth, these false accusations will continue.
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Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2009-12-10 05:24:57
Actually, I think you'll find that most historians will say that the states rights issue leading up to and during the Civil War had to do with the southern states demanding the right to engage in a slave-based economy, while the northern states dominated industrially and used the Federal government to create protectionist legislation that made it impossible for the southern slave-based economy to prosper. This is precisely what the Confederacy meant by the term, "states rights". So claiming that the issue of slavery was not a major part of the Civil War is not accurate.
Also, the term "states rights" is a serious misnomer and a bastardization of the English language, because states do not have rights. Even the 10th amendment recognizes this fact, because it does not refer to rights at all. Rather, it refers to powers, which are quite different from rights. The purpose of the 10th amendment was not to give, grant, or recognize rights for states. Rather, the purpose of the 10th amendment was to restrict the powers of the federal government. The southern states during the Civil War wrongly interpreted the 10th amendment to mean that states could choose to violate human rights in order to justify slave-based economic activities.
Agree with Walt. The War was basically caused because the South got tired of the North taxing and tarriffing them to pieces.
With the exception of the abolitionists, no one really cared about the welfare of the slaves. And a good majority of the abolitionists disliked slavery because of proximity to black people and really wanted them shipped back to Africa so they wouldn't "pollute the continent". Without exception, most of the holy veil taken up by Northerners about the Civil War being about "slavery" was taken up in the 20th century.
The South beleived that the Federal Government was growing too powerful. I agree with them. Like today, i feel that the Government is too big and too strong. States need more say-so, more power to decide how to manage their own turf and to regulate their own systems and property (not that they dont already, they jut need more of it in my opinion). The Federal Government should only serve to keep the States united, in-line with the Constiution, and to enforce national laws. Other than that, States should own soveringty. I think the South should have been able to leave the Union. Honestly, the price of 600,00 Americans to keep 11 States apart a dysfunctional Union is ridiculous. Although I do not agree with the Southern mind-set of a slave-based economy, I feel that over time Slavery would have met its end too in the South, and that if the CSA had been able to remain independent from the US Federal Government that African Americans would have the same rights and status as they do today in the current state of the United States of America. I feel that the Confederate Consitution would have solved many of the frustrating and critical political issues this country suffers from today, and I beleive that the CSA would have had the potential to be a very good country. I Believe in States having a great amount of power, and I beleive in a limited Federal Government that regulates these States only to the extent where they are kept in line and in unity as a Nation. States should reserve the right to secede, but secession should be taken very seriously. I beleive that for a state to secede it should undergo a timely process that consists of an overwhelming majority in State Legisalitve Houses, high majority by the highest State Judges, a unanimous agreement by the State Governor and his Administration, and perhaps even a majority vote by the people its self. I think that would justify a State having the right to secede. Remember, we are the United STATES, not the United Federal Government. This country was foudned on States, and these States have had their powers diminished. I think many issues could be solved if the massive Federal Government today gave much of its powers back to the States, who know how to handle these issues better. Though, this is all an opinionated response but I think there is some truth to what I am saying.
