Re: Mike Gonzalez’s We Might Be Fooled Again
The Wall Street Journal op-ed July 10, 2020
A wonderful opening to a problem that is exemplified in today’s Letters to the Editor. Let’s throw in some serious facts, their referents, and some points unmade.
Too many people are talking historical inaccuracies from their Bully Pulpits. The American Civil War, aka The War of 1861 was NOT fought over slavery. It was fought over the issues of self-government set forth in documents such as The Declaration of Independence (USA 1776), The 1695 Englishman’s Bill of Rights,[1] and Thomas Paine’s two works, Common Sense and The Rights of Man.[2] The Glorious Cause mentioned for decades is that of personal freedom and the right to political self-determination as expressed in the above documents.
For decades prior to 1860, a primary stumbling block to abolition was how to compensate slave owners for the capital tied up in slavery. Lincoln even proposed that The Federal Government buy out the slaves, only to be refused by the Democrat congress on the grounds that that was unconstitutional.1
There were two secessions in 1860. The first was of the seven Deep South slave states trying to maintain their agricultural export economies made up of hemp, tobacco, and cotton almost exclusively to Europe. The second was when Lincoln unconstitutionally raised an army to invade The Carolinas, and having to cross Virginia to get there, Virginia then seceded to protect its sovereignty and political integrity.1
Slavery as an issue comes after Antietam’s casualty list comes out. Although a strong recruiting point by the Lincoln administration, keeping the Union together was the more important issue to most of the Northern populace.[3] When the bloodiness of Antietam reached Europe, both Britain and France decided that they should recognize and help the Confederacy in order to stop the bloodshed. Lincoln and his cabinet, aware of Europe’s attitude, promulgated the Emancipation Proclamation[4] which turned the major issue of the war from freedom and self-determination into a war against slavery.1 Supporting slavery, which is what the war became with the Emancipation Proclamation, would have been political suicide for both European governments, so the policy of interceding and ending the war died stillborn.
Just a few facts from 1860: according to the 1860 census, 32% of slave owners were black; 58% of slaves were black; 38% of slaves were Native Americans; 3% of slaves were Chinese (almost exclusively in California working on the railroads), and 1% were Irish.1
The profits from slavery went almost exclusively to Northern ship owners, British, Flemish, & French manufacturers, and British & Northern bankers. Most plantation owners were working bankrupts and, like Thomas Jefferson, died that way – bankrupt.1
For the historical fraud of black contributions and history to the United States and the failed policies of government which have resulted in the current mess, in addition to Mr. Gonzalez’s Op-Ed, I direct your attention to the following, which are a small part of the portfolio of works on these subjects out there:
Sowell, Thomas: Intellectuals and Race
The Vision of the Anointed
Discrimination and Disparities
Lefkowitz, Mary: Not Out of Africa
Dilorenzo, Thomas J.: Hamilton’s Curse
Bartlett, Bruce: Wrong on Race
[1] The Rights of Englishmen as discussed from 1758 through 1776 were codified in this statute and not just ephemeral musings as is currently suggested in the Common Core
[2] Adams, Charles: Slavery, Secession, & Civil War
Thomas, Hugh: The Slave Trade; a History of the North Atlantic Slave Trade
Freehling, William W.: The Road to Disunion, 3 volumes
McDonald, Forrest: States’ Rights and the Union
Neely, Mark E., jr.: The Union Divided
Foote, Shelby: The Civil War; a narrative
Mason, Matthew: Slavery and Politics in the Early American Republic
(and many, many more)
[3] Although, this ‘indissoluble’ union violated all rules of self-determination for future generation and the legal concept of ‘The Rule Against Perpetuities,’ it is still promoted as desirable and holy.
[4] Not only unconstitutional, but it freed NO slaves. The end of slavery in the United States comes with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. Its only purpose was to change the major issue of the war from Secession to Slavery and thus keep Europe out of the conflict.
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Re: Mike Gonzalez’s “We Might Be Fooled Again” TWSJ Op Ed 7/10/20
Re: Mike Gonzalez’s We Might Be Fooled Again
The Wall Street Journal op-ed July 10, 2020
A wonderful opening to a problem that is exemplified in today’s Letters to the Editor. Let’s throw in some serious facts, their referents, and some points unmade.
Too many people are talking historical inaccuracies from their Bully Pulpits. The American Civil War, aka The War of 1861 was NOT fought over slavery. It was fought over the issues of self-government set forth in documents such as The Declaration of Independence (USA 1776), The 1695 Englishman’s Bill of Rights,[1] and Thomas Paine’s two works, Common Sense and The Rights of Man.[2] The Glorious Cause mentioned for decades is that of personal freedom and the right to political self-determination as expressed in the above documents.
For decades prior to 1860, a primary stumbling block to abolition was how to compensate slave owners for the capital tied up in slavery. Lincoln even proposed that The Federal Government buy out the slaves, only to be refused by the Democrat congress on the grounds that that was unconstitutional.1
There were two secessions in 1860. The first was of the seven Deep South slave states trying to maintain their agricultural export economies made up of hemp, tobacco, and cotton almost exclusively to Europe. The second was when Lincoln unconstitutionally raised an army to invade The Carolinas, and having to cross Virginia to get there, Virginia then seceded to protect its sovereignty and political integrity.1
Slavery as an issue comes after Antietam’s casualty list comes out. Although a strong recruiting point by the Lincoln administration, keeping the Union together was the more important issue to most of the Northern populace.[3] When the bloodiness of Antietam reached Europe, both Britain and France decided that they should recognize and help the Confederacy in order to stop the bloodshed. Lincoln and his cabinet, aware of Europe’s attitude, promulgated the Emancipation Proclamation[4] which turned the major issue of the war from freedom and self-determination into a war against slavery.1 Supporting slavery, which is what the war became with the Emancipation Proclamation, would have been political suicide for both European governments, so the policy of interceding and ending the war died stillborn.
Just a few facts from 1860: according to the 1860 census, 32% of slave owners were black; 58% of slaves were black; 38% of slaves were Native Americans; 3% of slaves were Chinese (almost exclusively in California working on the railroads), and 1% were Irish.1
The profits from slavery went almost exclusively to Northern ship owners, British, Flemish, & French manufacturers, and British & Northern bankers. Most plantation owners were working bankrupts and, like Thomas Jefferson, died that way – bankrupt.1
For the historical fraud of black contributions and history to the United States and the failed policies of government which have resulted in the current mess, in addition to Mr. Gonzalez’s Op-Ed, I direct your attention to the following, which are a small part of the portfolio of works on these subjects out there:
Sowell, Thomas: Intellectuals and Race
The Vision of the Anointed
Discrimination and Disparities
Lefkowitz, Mary: Not Out of Africa
Dilorenzo, Thomas J.: Hamilton’s Curse
Bartlett, Bruce: Wrong on Race
[1] The Rights of Englishmen as discussed from 1758 through 1776 were codified in this statute and not just ephemeral musings as is currently suggested in the Common Core
[2] Adams, Charles: Slavery, Secession, & Civil War
Thomas, Hugh: The Slave Trade; a History of the North Atlantic Slave Trade
Freehling, William W.: The Road to Disunion, 3 volumes
McDonald, Forrest: States’ Rights and the Union
Neely, Mark E., jr.: The Union Divided
Foote, Shelby: The Civil War; a narrative
Mason, Matthew: Slavery and Politics in the Early American Republic
(and many, many more)
[3] Although, this ‘indissoluble’ union violated all rules of self-determination for future generation and the legal concept of ‘The Rule Against Perpetuities,’ it is still promoted as desirable and holy.
[4] Not only unconstitutional, but it freed NO slaves. The end of slavery in the United States comes with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. Its only purpose was to change the major issue of the war from Secession to Slavery and thus keep Europe out of the conflict.
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