-Caveat Lector-
I would like to agree with your thesis that the southern states would have
abandoned the institution of slavery on their own without federal
intervention, but I don't think it was a likely prospect.
In general, I'm opposed to the use of force against people. I dislike the
idea of pushing people around for whatever reason. But I believe that
most of us on the list would agree that some measure of force or coercion
is necessary for the maintenance of a civil society. I know we can go on
and on about these topics (what is the best form of government...when
should military force be used....what constitutes a violation of our civil
liberties...etc), but I think most of us have to recognize that
until there is some major transformation of human nature and human
society, "power" or force must be used in order to maintain order within a
civil society.
The American federal government during the 1860s was not the superpower
state of today.... One of the tragedies of the period was that once
having "freed" the slaves, the Federal government found itself not having
either the will nor the wherewithal to protect and to insure the civil
liberties of black Americans. Not having a way of supporting themselves,
many of the former slaves understandably looked to their former masters
for guidance and support in their new status. Clearly, the Federal
government had a responsibility to these individuals to help them to
become productive members of a society for which they were ill prepared
to enter... Lacking the funds/political support/a workable plan, the US
government more or less abandoned these individuals to the tender mercies
of a market economy that the newly freed slaves didn't understand...
Plus, look at the
condition of southern agriculture after the Civil War...not a happy
picture.... Of course, some states fared better than others..but my point
is that the concept of freedom is a tricky one. Are you truly "free" if
you are illiterate, without marketable skills,lacking capital in a society
that considers you to be less than human? The prevailing social
philosophy of the time--"root, hog or die"--might have been workable IF
the former slaves would have had the wherewithal to support themselves
(land,tools,food,shelter,etc)...instead, they found themselves having to
sell what little skills they possessed in an economy that had been
devastated by war. The federal government just wanted the problem to go
away.... White Americans were more interested in getting on with their own
lives...putting an end to the enmity against the former rebels... What to
do with the recently freed slaves was not particularly high on the
political agenda.... (Of course, there were those who were prescient
enough to warn their fellow countrymen of the consequences of ignoring the
situation. But they weren't listened to..).
There are sins of comission and sins of omission... The Reconstruction was
a disaster for a variety of reasons...and I'm sure everyone has their
ideas on what went wrong.
Some of us argue that the government should play a positive role in
helping people...others argue that ANY kind of aid is unconstitutional,
etc... And much of our list discussions on these topics are carried into
abstract terms...
I would only point out that these concepts of "freedom" and "liberty" must
be placed within an economic/social/historical/cultural framework for them
to be properly understood.
Have a nice day everyone,
Wm
On Thu, 7 Jan 1999, Howard R. Davis III wrote:
> -Caveat Lector-
>
> William Hugh Tunstall wrote:
>
> >
> > When the southern military commanders took up arms against their
> > government...that was a TREASONOUS act in my book.
> ***
> Jefferson Davis spent several years in prison after the war begging
> to be released or put on trial for treason. I think it was seven years
> before he was released without a trial. Why was he never tried? It is
> believed that it was well known that the Supreme Court would have thrown
> out a conviction. This would have been untenable in the North since then
> there would have had to be an acknowledgemnt that the southern states
> had had the right to end their ties to the union. Virginia had even in
> their acceptance of the Constitution and the creation of the union had
> stated that they were free to leave the union if they later desired.
> They were accepted into the union on that basis and all other states
> should legally have been in the same position. All of the states which
> severed their ties with the union did so in a legal manner.
> Though I completely agree with you that slavery is immoral and should
> never have been permitted, as I have stated before, the "Civil War" was
> not fought over slavery. That was the smokescreen that was used to
> justify a war of agression whose purpose was to turn free states into
> colonies of a federal government. The southern states have suffered for
> over a century as a result.
>
> >
> > The Union was in the right to put an end to slavery. The South was in the
> > wrong. The issue has been decided.
> >
>
> Slavery was wrong. There is no disagreement from me about that. (Though
> I would not be surprized if the slaves were not economically better off
> during the period prior to the "Civil War" then afterward. The
> destruction of the war and the subsequent treatment of the south created
> an economic situation which was hard for both races). However, when the
> southern states entered the union they agreed to the creation of a
> federal government with limited powers. That federal government was not
> given the power to end slavery. Can you show me anywhere in the
> Constitution where the federal government was given this power? Legally
> the only way was through amendment. This was the only lawful way for the
> federal government to end it. However, the states also could have
> individually ended the practice within its area. Many southerners were
> in favor of this. Many had already freed their slaves and the economic
> justification of slavery was diminishing. As I have stated before, I
> believe that slavery would have ended in the south within twenty or
> thirty years if it had been left to the states. I believe that this
> would have been preferable also because I believe that it was the moral
> obligation of the people of these states to end it. If this had been the
> case, I believe that the relationship between the races in both the
> south and the north would have improved at a much faster pace.
>
> best wishes, Howard Davis
>
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DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
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