SOUTHERN VIEWS. |
I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A SCHOOL TEACHER IN A NORTHERN STATE THAT ASK ME MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SOUTH AND MY HERITAGE. HERE ARE HIS QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS. |
Q. I FEEL THAT THE SOUTHERN VIEW POINT AND THE VIEWS OF SECESSIONISTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS, IN PARTICULAR, OFTEN BECOME LOST IN THE DISCUSSION OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. I AM A HISTORY TEACHER WHO IS VERY DETERMINED TO LET ALL VIEWS ON HISTORY BE TOLD. I AM CURRENTLY RESEARCHING THE STORIES OF MANY SOUTHERNERS DURING THE WAR AND WOULD APPRECIATE THE VIEWS OF CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS, LIKE YOURSELF ON SOME VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES. IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. A. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT THERE IS A TEACHER THAT WANTS TO SHOW ALL SIDES TO AN ISSUE. AS YOU KNOW MOST THINGS IN HISTORY WERE NOT CUT AND DRIED AS TO WHO WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. THERE ARE AS MANY OPENIONS ON A SUBJECT AS THERE PEOPLE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT IT. MY OPINIONS ARE JUST THAT , MY OPINIONS, I DO NOT REPRESENT ANY ORGINATION OR GROUP BUT, I DO BELIEVE THAT I SOMEHOW REPERSENT THE SOUTHERN VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED 140 TO 145 YEARS AGO. YOU MUST REALIZE THAT YOU AND I ARE LOOKING AT THIS WITH YEARS OF HIND SITE AND DO NOT KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING THEN. YOU MUST ALSO REALIZE THAT TODAYS MORALS AND SENSE OF WRIGHT AND WRONG ARE NOT WHAT THEY WERE 140 YEARS AGO. WE KNOW HAVE THE LUXARY OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE HIGH MORALITY AND IDEALS BEHIND A SUBTECT WHERE AS THE PEOPLE THEN WERE FIGHTING EVERY DAY JUST TO SURVIVE. WITH THIS SAID, I WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AS BEST I CAN. Q. WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES? A. ALL WARS ARE FOUGHT OVER POWER OF SOME SORT. POWER OVER CONTROL OF MONEY, RELIGION, LAND OR GOVERNMENT, IN THIS CASE IT IS MY BELIEF THAT IT WAS OVER THE QUESTION OF WHO WOULD BE SUPREME IN THE CONTROL OF GOVERNING THE LIVES OF CITIZENS. WAS IT TO BE THE STATES OR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. THERE WAS A POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE INDUSTERLIST OF THE NORTH AND THE FARMERS OF THE SOUTH. THERE ARE MANY STATEMENTS IN THE NORTHERN NEWS PAPERS OF THE TIME THAT STATE THAT THEY COULD NOT LET THE SOUTH GO BECAUSE OF THE LOST REVENUE IT WOULD CAUSE. WHILE THE SOUTH BELIEVED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE THEIR MONEYS AS TAXES AND SPEND IT IN OTHER STATES. |
