When my interest in The Great American Fratricide was ignited in 1964 I asked those who should have known, What caused the war? Was it slavery? Oh no!, I was told. States rights, tariffs, governmental representation, these caused the war. So was I told by learned individuals of both sides of the fence. Not even a little bit? No, not at all. Fifty years later, Ive posited the same query, What caused the war? Now the politically correct answer is slavery. Not culture differences? That pesky States Rights? Those onerous tariffs? No, not at all. Im calling B.S. on both eras. Slavery certainly was an issue, but it was not the only irritating pebble in the national shoe. I had three ancestors who served the Southern Cause. One had a vested interest in the Peculiar Institution. Two were hardscrabble dirt farmers who could hardly make it from day to day, much less own chattel. My husbands ancestor was fresh off the boat after landing in Philadelphia from Germany. Im hard pressed to believe he cared a whit about the black mans plight. He simply wanted to establish himself in his adopted land. The average soldier didnt give a fig about slavery. It was a political football more than anything. The only folk who were interested in fighting to end slavery were the USCT troops; not the average soldier in blue. It is my dearly held belief that it was The Good Lord Himself that cared. He said, This is going to end and heres how it will be accomplished. Lincoln acknowledged as much in his Second Inaugural Address. For those who completely deny slaverys role, I would suggest a reevaluation of the facts and human nature. And I hope that those who beat their chests in pride at slaverys dissolution are in the front ranks of the Civil Rights Movement in every way. If not, those folks are the most base of hypocrites.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 23:38:18 +0000
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