Recently the Confederate monument on the grounds of the state Capitol in Montgomery was vandalised, and some of the faces and hands spray painted black.While the Southern Poverty Law Center is saying that it is not a hate crime, those representing Confederate veterans couldn't disagree more, and the representatives of the Alabama Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are asking for an investigation into the matter. They're also offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the vandalism.
The commander of the Capitol police said that they have no evidence that it was anything more than vandalism by misguided people, but I know that there are a lot of people who would adamantly disagree.
Here's a letter written to my down-home newspaper, by Roger K. Broxton, President of the Confederate Heritage Fund.
12-05-2007
Gov. Bob Riley should receive much of the blame for the recent vandalism at the Confederate Monument in Montgomery.
The governor’s false claim in his annual Confederate History Proclamation that Lincoln’s Tax War (mistakenly called the Civil War) was caused by slavery helped create an atmosphere of hatred for our Confederate veterans.
Abraham Lincoln made the following statement in his first inaugural speech, “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”
Lincoln then endorsed a constitutional amendment recently passed by the U.S. Congress, preventing the U.S. government from ever interfering with or abolishing slavery in any state, thereby eliminating slavery as any possible cause for the war.
Also in this same speech, Lincoln promised there would be no invasion of the South, except to collect taxes, now raised to 40 percent from 20 percent.
One month later, Lincoln started the war by ordering the illegal invasion of Charleston Harbor, S.C., with 11 armed warships to fortify Fort Sumter, a tax collection fort.
Riley has no official historical proof to support his false statement about slavery.
I challenge Riley to produce irrefutable proof or remove his false slavery language from the proclamation and help end this atmosphere of hatred for our Confederate veterans.
Roger K. Broxton, PresidentConfederate Heritage Fund Andalusia
8 comments:
You are right on target, Jan. Here's another quote from Lincoln on the same issue:
"I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views."
Letter from Lincoln to Horace Greely, August 22, 1862.
hermit..this was interesting, too. I think most of us don't know a lot about this, or have forgotten.
Or were never taught. I did three years teaching social studies in 5th grade classrooms. The text books were written for the New York and California markets, and they were pathetic.
hermit..that really is pathetic.
Have you ever heard of Bleeding Kansas? The Lowrie Gang? John Brown? The KKK? It was all about race. Nobody's defending the Union either. That's the problem you have, you always assume that if something happens, there are only two sides. American slavery was worst for society than the holocaust.
anonymous..why, yes, I have heard of all those, and as a matter of fact, the KKK burned a cross in my yard when I was a little girl, and I'm not black, so that couldn't have been about race, could it?
When you say "that's the problem you have" are you using the word, "you" in a general sense? You must be, because you don't know me, personally, so you have no idea what I am, or am not, assuming.
Whether American slavery was worse for society than the holocaust, well, I guess that would be a matter of opinion, depending on where you're coming from. Neither of them are anything to be proud of, in any sense.
Btw..have you ever heard of Nat Turner, whose initials were left on the vandalized monument, in his honor, presumably? I think that act, maybe, had something to do with race. Anyway, he's the one who led a rebellion in which whites were slaughtered, including children, all based on the fact that he believed himself to be a prophet, and on visions he received from God: "And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work - and until the first sign appeared, I should conceal it from the knowledge of men - And on the appearance of the sign, (the eclipse of the sun last February) I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons. And immediately on the sign appearing in the heavens, the seal was removed from my lips, and I communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four in whom I had the greatest confidence, (Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam) - It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th of July last - Many were the plans formed and rejected by us, and it affected my mind to such degree, that I fell sick, and the time passed without our coming to any determination how to commence - Still forming new schemes and rejecting them, when the sign appeared again, which determined me not to wait longer." Nat Turner:November 5, 1831
Slavery was wrong, yes. But there was evil and hatred, and misguided individuals on both sides, and there still is, regardless of how much people try to deny it, and excuse it, or make allowances for it, based on color or creed, or anything else.
Since you are from Montgomery, Alabama, you must know by now that the vandals were teenagers, and whatever the color they happen to be, what they did, no doubt, was fueled by the same old hatred which still abounds, on both sides.
Anonymous..btw, if you want to read about my KKK experience go to the August Archives and click on "Ignorance Breeds Ignorance."
Thanks for stopping by..come back, anytime.
Jan, I think you have a troll in anonymous. No one could actually be as ignorant as that, so my guess is that they are one of those sick individuals who simply meander around the net , trying to start a furor. My advice is to delete that kind of asinine comment and not reply at all.
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