The Embodiment of the Emancipation Proclamation

Why A Southern Perspective of the Rebellion’s 150th?

A Shreveport educator has been elected national head of Sons of Confederate Veterans

The above mug shot was taken from this article.  The educator, and I use that term lightly, pictured is Charles “Chuck” McMichael of Shreveport, La. and is now the new head of the largest Confederate “Heritage” Organization in the country…The SCV.

In the article Mr. McMichael briefly explained that the SCV would be working over the next couple of years towards the goal of presenting the “southern perspective” of the civil war for the 150th anniversary starting in 2011.  He says,

“One overall goal will be working to prepare for the sesquicentennial of the Cause for Southern Independence to make sure the true history is presented to the people. And in all instances and everywhere uphold the honor of our Confederate heritage.”

  

I am constantly perplexed about the idea of having to put forth a “southern perspective”.  What is the purpose of the “southern perspective”?  What is the “southern perspective” compared to the main line interpretation of the events of the Rebellion?  Is there a fully “Northern perspective” of the Rebellion that differs not only from the main line perspective, but from the “southern perspective”?  Will the “southern perspective contain information about “Black Confederates” or Confederate slaves and will that story be told by the old white men that make up the SCV or will African-Americans have some input? (Let’s hope they use more African-Americans besides old H.K.!)

I know that as your read those questions you already know the answer just as much as I did when I wrote them.  I fear that this “southern perspective” will be a continuation of the Lost Cause Mythology that this country is now beginning to shake off.  I have already heard of showings of “Gone with the Wind” in some southern towns…but maybe this is just typical and not connected with anything but nostalgia.  I wonder how soon we will see special showings of “Birth of a Nations”?…maybe at the White House again!

Also, on a more personal note – as a teacher myself, I would love to be a fly on the wall of Mr. McMichael’s classroom.  If you ever wonder how or why the myth of the lost cause continues to permeate our nation’s character, it is because of teachers like Mr. McMichael.  Could being a teacher and the CIC of the SCV be a conflict of interest?

Quotations: The Series

The process of reading history books for me has always included a pencil in which to underline quotes and information that interests me.  Most of the time these quotes and statements tend to run opposite of the neo-confederate version of history.  So, this series will be those quotes as sort of a review of the book and/or document that I am currently reading or have read in the past. 

The first book I will be highligthing will be “Days of Defiance: Sumter, Secession and the Coming of the Civil War” by Maury Klein

So, here goes my first favorite quotes from the book.

“This clash of stereotypes became potent ammunition in the sectional conflict. ‘Free society!’ wrote an editor in Muscogee, Georgia, ‘[W]e sicken at the name.  When it is but a conglomeration of greasy mechanics, filthy operatives, small farmers, and moon-struck theorists?  All northern, and especially the New England states, are devoid of society fitted for well-bred gentlemen.  The prevailing class one meets is that of mechanics struggling to be genteel, and small farmers who do their own drudgery, and yet hardly fit for association with a southern gentleman’s body servant.” (p. 36)

With quotes like this, it make you wonder why the south claimed Lincoln was a tyrant.  To find the tyrant maybe they should look a bit closer to home.

Klein also shows how the North returned fire…

” ‘We know that Southern aristocracy is not synonymous with comfort, thrift, cleanliness, and usefulness, honesty, decency, or common humanity.’ wrote a New York editor; ‘ we have learned to recognize it by the opposite of these traits.’  Edward Bates, a Missouri Republican, shook his head at the impractical ways of southerners. ‘They are an anomalous people,’ he observed, ‘the only agricultural people that I know of, who cannot live upon the products of their own labor, and have no means of their own to take those products to market.” (p. 36)

A Few Finds of Interest…

A new blog called Take Down The Flag, all about the process of removing the rebel rag from the SC statehouse grounds.  Doubt it will happen, but the blog looks interesting.

A book on Maps which contains a part about Mapping Slavery.

Brag Bowling Brags!

Old Brag and Davis

Well, it may not really be bragging, but in the video seen HERE, Brag Bowling of the Virginia Sons of Confederate Veterans says he looks forward to working with the American Civil War Center at Tredegar in the placement and interpretation of the Davis statue that has been accepted by the center. 

Now from watching the video, I did not get a sense that the center at Tredegar was all that set on working with Brag Bowling or the SCV on the placement of the statue.  Does Brag’s statement mean the statue donation is still on?  We shall see.

Davis Statue Accepted

Today the American Civil War Center at the Tredegar site in downtown Richmond, Va. accepted a statue of Jefferson Davis, his son and Jim Limber-a “resuced” black child “adopted” by the Davis family.  The decision came a few years after a statue of President Abraham Lincoln and his son Tad were placed at the Tredegar site despite opposition by Neo-Confederate groups and the SCV.

Today’s decision is not set in stone, the company that owns the site will still need to approve of this new accusation.  The center also said that they would decide where, when and how it will be displayed. 

If the Center has any sense at all it will use the statue to further the discussion of the three parts of the story there…including the one that deals with the cause of the war…Slavery.  To say I am dissappointed is an understatment, but hopefully the center will use the statue in a way to further the understanding of the position of the south in terms of slavery.  Maybe someone could donate a statue of the V.P. Stevens with his quote about slavery being the “Conerstone” of the Confederacy.

Anyone good at sculpting and who wants to start taking up a collection?

 

Billy Yank