Lessons From the Civil War #218
By Hank Silverberg
April 9,1865 was the day Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulyssis S. Grant at Appomattox. The defeated Confederate States of America,
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| (Surrender at Appomattox, Courtesy of battlefields.org) |
And almost immediately after Appomattox the myths began about the causes of that war and who was to blame for starting it.
I write about this today because the myths persist all these years later and still seem to find their way into contemporary politics. That war was the biggest failure in American political history. And the wounds, despite Mr. Lincoln's plea, have never really healed.
School children across the south were taught for decades that the war was about state's rights and that the south went to war because the north was trying to tell them how to run their lives.
In some ways that's true. The northern states were telling the southern states that human beings should not be enslaved, and that slavery should not be expanded in new territories in the west. But that is not the way it's played in revisionist history.
Slavery in our early colonies was not exclusive to the south, but by the mid-19th century there were vast differences in the economic systems of the two regions. The states in the industrial north had abolished slavery and relied on mostly immigrant labor while the agricultural south relied on slave labor for much of its commercial activity.
Sure, the war was partially about economics. The southern economy would have collapsed without slave labor.
Sure, it was about state's rights--a state's right to make it legal to own another human being.
You will find that laid out in 19th century American English in the succession documents of all 11 confederate states. (Kentucky and Missouri as slave states, were recognized by the government in Richmond as confederate, but they remained in the Union. Some people even dispute this fact.)
https://thafacts.com/was-kentucky-a-confederate-state-or-a-union-state
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/virginia-ordinance-of-secession-april-17-1861/
But the overriding cause of the American Civil War was the preservation and expansion of slavery.
Here is just one part of the Confederate State's Constitution that refers to slavery:
Article I, Section 9, Clause 4 prohibited the Confederate government from restricting slavery in any way:
“No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed.”
This is all history, but here is why it is relevant today, even though the geography no longer matters. I still hear and see the debate raging on social media daily about state's rights. If the war proved anything, it's that the federal government has the ultimate say in many cases and that "state's rights" are not relevant on many national issues.
That has not, however, stopped people from using this argument on issues like abortion, same sex marriage, or LGBTQ+ rights.
Substitute Blue for North and Red for South.
Here are just two examples:
Florida passes the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law prohibiting the teaching about alternative lifestyles in public schools.
New York City's new mayor encourages the LGBT+ community to come live in his city where they will be welcome.
And the politicians seem to feed on it all.
Florida's weird Republican Governor Ron Desantis warned this week that his state may end up in a "Cold War" with neighboring Georgia if Democrat Stacey Abrams wins the governor's race in November. He specifically mentioned gun control, immigration and the LGBTQ+ community as the battleground on which they will figh.
There are many more examples but to be honest, when I started to research them, I got dizzy, and my computer crashed.
Let's hope these issues don't divide us again. 1861-1865 should have cured us of violent insurrection. (The Confederate Battle Flag, the Stars and Bars, played a supportive role in the January 6th Capitol riot.)
Covid Not Dead Yet!
You probably are no longer wearing a mask or worried about social distancing. And it's more likely you have been vaccinated. But here's some news. Covid-19 is not dead yet. Sixty-eight members of Washington's elite have found that out the hard way. They are all among the 700 or so people who attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner this past week that has turned into a super- spreader event.
Attendees were required to show proof of
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| (Omicron variant, UCDavis health) |
Among those who were there who have now tested positive for the virus are Commerce Secretary Gina Ramond, Attorney General Merrick Garland, the President's sister Valarie Biden, Congressmen Adam Schiff of California and Joaquin Castro of Texas, and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The symptoms have all been light, like a sore throat and mild fever for them all. The press secretaries for both the Vice- President and the First Lady also tested positive after attending the event. More test results are expected this week.
Ironically, this was the first Gridiron dinner since 2019. It was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic.
Among those also at the dinner were the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Fauci says those who run such large functions are now going to have to pay closer attention to trends.
As of last Thursday, Covid cases in D.C. were up 58%. The highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 is now accounting for most cases in the U.S.
The number of Covid cases across the country was up 2% in the last two weeks, but some larger cities have much larger increases. For example, New York City was up 50% in the same period.
Supreme Court Politics
After all the talking, all the speculation and all the unfair negative comments, we will have a new Supreme Court Justice this summer. Judge Ketanji Brown- Jackson has been approved 53-47 to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when Justice Steven Breyer officially retires this summer. Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the high court.
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| (The current SCOTUS) |
As I watched the hearings, I was frankly disgusted by the tone of some of the questions she was asked. One senator, Indiana Republican Senator Mike Braun, even had the gall, during the hearings that he was not part of, to suggest the infamous Loving Vs Virginia case that legalized interracial marriage back in 1967, is not the type of case the Supreme Court should rule on, saying it should be left to the states.
It came as Jackson's White husband sat behind her in support during the hearings and reminded me of what those Republican votes against her were really about. It was not just party loyalty, though I imagine the senators told themselves that. I have the strong feeling that some of them just don't like the idea of a Black woman, who is more qualified than any of them, serving on the high court. The subtle racism and sexism were appalling. I know all 47 of them, if asked, would deny that had anything to do with their vote. But their treatment of Judge Jackson, and Senator Braun's comments say otherwise. It is a reminder to us all that racism and sexism remain as major trouble spots for the United States.
Of note, cheers for Republican Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski who saw a very qualified candidate and voted "yes" for Jackson.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
(My book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:
HankSilveruberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature. )
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
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