A Yankee Apology

[Ga.windbreak]

http://www.geocities.com/scvcamp1399/perloff-apology.htm

Some very good points originating from Jefferson Davis.

[SouthernByGrace]

Well, that's one convert! Only 225 million to go and we're good!
On a serious side, That shows a man who understands what he sees with his own eyes. Bless his Yankee heart! 

Great article, Gw

SBG


DEO VINDICE

[ironfoot]

Lots of issued raised in the link. I am not going to write a book responding to them all. In brief...

Lincoln said that to appease the South, it was not enough for the North to not say slavery was wrong, or to keep silent on the subject, but that the South demanded the North say it was right, and that Lincoln would not do. So when Lincoln was elected President, as an unapolegetic opponent of slavery, the South seceded.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/cooper.htm

It is hard to be completely sympathetic with the South's claim of victimhood in the war, when the reason it seceded was to keep a large part of it's population in slavery.

[Cabin4]

It is hard to be completely sympathetic with the South's claim of victimhood in the war, when the reason it seceded was to keep a large part of it's population in slavery.

Sympathy has nothing to do with it. Lincoln's actions were illegal, unwarranted, unconstitutional & unmandated. The south had every right and authority to leave the Union. 600,000+ troop deaths and tens of thousands of innocent civilian deaths cannot simply be considered worthy as a means to end slavery.

[subdjoe]

It is hard to be completely sympathetic with the South's claim of victimhood in the war, when the reason it seceded was to keep a large part of it's population in slavery.

Sympathy has nothing to do with it. Lincoln's actions were illegal, unwarranted, unconstitutional & unmandated. The south had every right and authority to leave the Union. 600,000+ troop deaths and tens of thousands of innocent civilian deaths cannot simply be considered worthy as a means to end slavery.

Especially when every other western nation somehow managed to put an end to slavery within its borders without going to war over it. And when slavery seemed to be quietly dying in the south.  Many southern leaders were against it on moral grounds.  Given a few more decades it would have been gone, dead of natural economic causes and social pressure. 
 
I can't give the north the moral high ground on the issue of slavery since the slave holders there first sold their slaves south, then pushed for abolition.  And the anti-black laws several of them had.  We also can’t make the mistake of judging our ancestors by our 21st century egalitarian mores and values.  I’m pretty sure that from their point of view we make the excesses of the Prodigal Son seem like moderation exemplifie

[cleveland48]

Thanks for the very informative read.  I enjoyed that very much,and I believe you are right that slavery would have purged itself from the system eventually.  It's sad that som many young people died are were horribly wounded during it.  I'm from MS, and I love reading about the civil war.  Even though I believe slavery wasn't right I understand why it happened, I mean america wasn't the first to have it.  But my home state is one of the most hated by in the whole south still or it seems that way.  Anyways thanks for the read, and explaing your strong moral foundation.

[SouthernByGrace]

Welcome to the forum, cleveland48. Glad to have you. Hope you stick around for awhile. If you like a good read, navigate back to about page 3 or 4 and look for the "Yankee Myth" series of threads. They are numbered so they are easy to navigate. Talk about informative? The opening posts are great, in and of themselves, but the discussions within are just as good.

Again, Welcome to the "War Room."

SBG
DEO VINDICE

[Ruskin]

The invention of the tractor would have put an end to slavery due to economic reasons.  Lower upkeep and works without complaining.

[TopperT]

Now that I have retired, I have begun a study of the Civil War, and as I begin the task of educating myself, I have come here to this forum, many other online sources, and the vast array of texts on the subject.  This will fill my retirement years and I look forward to this part of my life with great interest.

I have a long way to go in this process of self-education and re-education, but the first thing I have learned is that almost all I had ever been made to understand about this period is simply not true or to be fair, is "not quite" all that is........ 

Most of what I have of recent read to date is, like "A Yankee Apology", very thought provoking.  For the record my Great Garndfather was a 25 year old immagrant from France who enlisted and ended up with the 3rd Massachusetts Cavalry.  Its my goal to visit the battlefields where he was.  I also plan to spend a lot of time here, listening and learning and contributing when I can.  Thanks for a great place to "continue" my education.  Jim.

[Dee]

There must be some where by someone, a chronology of the fight with the North concerning cotton and other textile prices. This after all, as most here know, was the real reason for the war. Somewhere, someone, recorded the back and forth war of words and threats SPECIFICALLY, on these issues.
As I watch the PERPETUAL Yankee encroachment TODAY,  erode further and further into "MY" FREEDOMS, led by the "NEW LINCOLN", a Yankee Apology seems indeed a silly thought, does it not?

[nealglen37]

I will certainly not appologize about something that happened before I was born.............I don't appologize to the south........I don't appologize to Mexico for us taking Texas..............I don't appologize to African americans for slavery..................all that happened before I was born.