Oh, that Keith Olbermann, he's SOOOOOOOOO over the top. Everbody knows that the real reason for the War of Southern Perfidy was 'cuz the atheofascists of the North wanted to force their Yankeecommie ways on the brave sons and luscious debutantes of the deep south.
UK Labour Party wants journalism licenses, will prohibit "journalism" by people who are "struck off" the register of licensed journalists.
with a comment of my own:
Keith Olbermann has never been 'struck off' as a licensed journalist.
On the other hand, I'm not sure that could be said of the fraudcasters over at Faux News, or any number of other unethical media employees of Rupert Murdoch.
Olbermann is part right and part wrong and makes some generalizations. He is right in that slavery was indeed the leading reason for succession but it can be argued that the war was not fought solely because of slavery.
Certainly South Carolina, followed by Mississippi and Florida succeeded due to the defense of slavery and even mention it in their articles of succession. The other states that formed the Confederacy, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas no doubt supported slavery as well.
When Federal troops marched on the South to quell the rebellion, less than half of the slave states within the U.S. had even succeeded. Only after the South was invaded did Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Arkansas succeed from the Union. They joined the Confederacy some months after.
There are several facts that support the claim that the war was not fought to end slavery, at least not entirely.
1. Only three out of the original seven states that formed the Confederacy listed slavery as a reason for succession.
2. All four of the States that joined the Confederacy late, only listed their contempt for Northern aggression into what they perceived to be a lawful action by the states. They only succeeded following Federal troop movements against the Confederate states.
3. Five (including the breakaway West Virginia) slave states did not succeed at all. If the war was solely about slavery, why would 40% of the slave states fight to preserve the Union?
4. There is no doubt that slavery was a hot issue with abolitionists in the North. Some abolitionists even raised a few companies for the North, however, slavery was not a campaign slogan at Federal recruiting efforts. Lincoln specifically forbid slavery to be used as a war cry.
5. Lincoln wrote several letters to slave states that had not yet rebelled explaining that, though he personally abhorred slavery, the issue was not a part of the coming war which would be wage solely to reunite the nation
6. Congress passed the Crittenden-Johnson resolution that specified that the war was fought not for "overthrowing or interfering with the rights or established institutions of those States," but to "defend and maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and to preserve the Union."
7. Slavery, as a United States institution, was never abolished during the civil war or even during Lincoln's lifetime (13th amendment was not ratified and law until almost eight months after Lincoln was assassinated.
So while it would be incorrect to say that slavery was not at all a root cause of succession, it is not entirely accurate to say that it was the only cause of the Civil War. It is equally wrong to generalize the war as being a "war fought to free the slaves" though that was indeed a result of the war.
Slavery wasn't just the primary reason for Southern seccession--it was the sole reason.
If one looks at the Declarations of Causes of Seceding States, it's pretty apparent. The VP of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephens famously asserted "Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition."
Get that? The foundation of the CSA wasn't some principle like democracy, Marxism, socialism --it was based on slavery.
FWM has fallen prey to the "Lost Cause" revisionism.
And what do you think about that new Adam Winkler story I wrote about today which says the NRA started in part because the Southern boys were such good shots compared to the Yankees?
Oh, that Keith Olbermann, he's SOOOOOOOOO over the top. Everbody knows that the real reason for the War of Southern Perfidy was 'cuz the atheofascists of the North wanted to force their Yankeecommie ways on the brave sons and luscious debutantes of the deep south.
ReplyDeleteI'm moderating this comment:
ReplyDeleteShall not be infringed has left a new comment on your post "Was the Civil War about Slavery?":
I wonder if this will apply to foreign journalists....
http://boingboing.net/2011/09/27/uk-labour-party-wants-journalism-licenses-will-prohibit-journalism-by-people-who-are-struck-off-the-register-of-licensed-journalists.html
UK Labour Party wants journalism licenses, will prohibit "journalism" by people who are "struck off" the register of licensed journalists.
with a comment of my own:
Keith Olbermann has never been 'struck off' as a licensed journalist.
On the other hand, I'm not sure that could be said of the fraudcasters over at Faux News, or any number of other unethical media employees of Rupert Murdoch.
Olbermann is part right and part wrong and makes some generalizations. He is right in that slavery was indeed the leading reason for succession but it can be argued that the war was not fought solely because of slavery.
ReplyDeleteCertainly South Carolina, followed by Mississippi and Florida succeeded due to the defense of slavery and even mention it in their articles of succession. The other states that formed the Confederacy, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas no doubt supported slavery as well.
When Federal troops marched on the South to quell the rebellion, less than half of the slave states within the U.S. had even succeeded. Only after the South was invaded did Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Arkansas succeed from the Union. They joined the Confederacy some months after.
There are several facts that support the claim that the war was not fought to end slavery, at least not entirely.
1. Only three out of the original seven states that formed the Confederacy listed slavery as a reason for succession.
2. All four of the States that joined the Confederacy late, only listed their contempt for Northern aggression into what they perceived to be a lawful action by the states. They only succeeded following Federal troop movements against the Confederate states.
3. Five (including the breakaway West Virginia) slave states did not succeed at all. If the war was solely about slavery, why would 40% of the slave states fight to preserve the Union?
4. There is no doubt that slavery was a hot issue with abolitionists in the North. Some abolitionists even raised a few companies for the North, however, slavery was not a campaign slogan at Federal recruiting efforts. Lincoln specifically forbid slavery to be used as a war cry.
5. Lincoln wrote several letters to slave states that had not yet rebelled explaining that, though he personally abhorred slavery, the issue was not a part of the coming war which would be wage solely to reunite the nation
6. Congress passed the Crittenden-Johnson resolution that specified that the war was fought not for "overthrowing or interfering with the rights or established institutions of those States," but to "defend and maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and to preserve the Union."
7. Slavery, as a United States institution, was never abolished during the civil war or even during Lincoln's lifetime (13th amendment was not ratified and law until almost eight months after Lincoln was assassinated.
So while it would be incorrect to say that slavery was not at all a root cause of succession, it is not entirely accurate to say that it was the only cause of the Civil War. It is equally wrong to generalize the war as being a "war fought to free the slaves" though that was indeed a result of the war.
Ummm...no.
ReplyDeleteSlavery wasn't just the primary reason for Southern seccession--it was the sole reason.
If one looks at the Declarations of Causes of Seceding States, it's pretty apparent. The VP of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephens famously asserted "Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition."
Get that? The foundation of the CSA wasn't some principle like democracy, Marxism, socialism --it was based on slavery.
FWM has fallen prey to the "Lost Cause" revisionism.
And what do you think about that new Adam Winkler story I wrote about today which says the NRA started in part because the Southern boys were such good shots compared to the Yankees?
ReplyDelete