Q. WHO IS AT FAULT FOR THE WAR AND WHY?
A. I CHOOSE NOT TO SAY THAT IT WAS ANYONES FAULT. ALL PARTIES SHOULD BE WILLING TO ASUME SOME OF THE BLAME, BUT I WILL STATE THAT THE NORTH WAS DEFINITELY THE AGRESSOR IN THE CONFLICT. THIS WAS NOT A CIVIL WAR, IT WAS A WAR FOR FREEDOM. THE SOUTH NEVER WANTED TO OVERTHROW THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ALL THEY WANTED WAS TO CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY. IT WAS THE NORTH THAT INVADED THE SOUTH. THE SOUTH COULD HAVE WON THE WAR EARLY ON WHEN AFTER FIRST MANASSAS THEIR ARMY HAD THE NORTHERN ARMY IN SHAMBLES BUT CHOSE NOT TO MARCH THE 25 OR SO MILES INTO WASHINGTON. THE SOUTH BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD MADE THEIR POINT AND THAT THE NORTH WOULD NOW SUE FOR PEACE. THIS WAS NOT TO BE. ONLY TWO BATTLES WERE FOUGHT ON NORTHERN SOIL AND IN BOTH CASES IT WAS AN EFFORT ON THE SOUTH'S PART FOR A VICTORY TO WIN SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONS OF EUROPE. THE SOUTH FOUGHT ON THE DEFENSE THRU THE WHOLE WAR, AT FIRST BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO AND LATER BECAUSE THEY HAD NO OTHER CHOICE.
Q. DID THE SOUTH HAVE THE RIGHT TO SECEDE?
A. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE STATES THOUGHT THEY HAD THAT RIGHT. OTHER STATES NOT IN THE SOUTH HAD TALKED ABOUT SECESSION IN EARLIER YEARS. THE DECLERATION OF INDEPENDANCE SAYS THAT IF A PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY ARE BEING UNFAIRELY TREATED THEY CAN AND MUST SEPERATE THEMSELVES FROM THAT GOVERNMENT. SO MY ANSWER IS YES.
Q. WHY DID THE SOUTH SECEED?
A. IT WAS NOT THE SOUTH AS SUCH IT WAS 13 SEPERATE STATES AND TWO TERRITORIES THAT SECEDED FOR SEPERATE REASONS. THE FIRST COASTAL STATES LEFT MOSTELY BEAUCAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC POLICIES OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF THAT TIME. MANY OF THE OTHERS LEFT ONLY AFTER THEY SAW SUCH THINGS AS THE ARREST OF MANY PEOPLE IN MARYLAND WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW. AS TO WHY MY ANCESTORS SECEDED, THE CLOSEST I CAN COME IS LETTER FROM THE PEOPLE OF FRANKLIN CO. TENNESSEE( WHERE MY ANCESTORS ARE FROM) TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE. THE LETTER STATES THAT BECAUSE THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS BETRAYED THEIR TRUST, IF TENESSEE DOES NOT SECEDE THEY WANT TO BE TRANSFERED TO THE STATE OF GEORGIA SO THAT THEY CAN JOIN THE SOUTH.
Q.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NOTION THAT SLAVERY CAUSED THE WAR?
A. SLAVERY WAS A FACTOR IN THE WAR BUT NOT THE CAUSE. AT THE TIME THE WAR STARTED VERY FEW PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT WERE EVEN TALKING ABOUT STOPPING SLAVERY. EVEN OLD HONEST ABE SAID HE DID NOT THINK THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT TO ABOLISH THE PRACTICE. ONLY AFTER TWO YEARS OF WAR DID HE PASS THE EMANCIPATION PROCLIMATION. IT IS ALSO IRONIC THAT IT FREED NO ONE. IT DID NOT APPLY TO THE NORTHERN STATES OVER WHICH THE U.S. GOVERERMENT HAD CONTROL BUT ONLY TO THE SOUTHERN STATES WHERE THEY HAD NONE. IT WAS A WAR TOOL AND NOTHING MORE.
Q. WHY DO YOU THINK THE NOTION THAT SLAVERY CAUSED THE WAR IS SO PRESISTENT? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY? WHO WAS AT FALT FOR SLAVERY?
A. SLAVERY IS WRONG, ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE. SLAVERY HAS BEEN PRACTICED FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME UNTIL THE PRESENT DAY. IT IS CAUSED BY MANY THINGS. IGNORANCE,FEAR AND POWER ARE A FEW OF THESE THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO INSLAVE ANOTHER. FROM THE DAYS OF THE PHAROES UNTIL TODAY IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, SLAVERY IS STILL PRACTICED AND TOLIRATED. MANS GREED WAS THE CAUSE FOR SLAVERY IN THIS CONFLICT. YOU CAN DECIDE WHICH GROUP WAS THE GREEDIEST. THE BELIEF THAT SLAVERY CAUSED THE WAR IS SO PRESESTENT FOR TWO BASIC REASONS. THE FIRST IS THAT THE NORTH NEEDED TO JUSTIFY WHY 600,000 MEN DIED IN A WAR THAT MANY FELT WAS UNNECESSARY. THE SECOUND IS THAT OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN EASIER FOR MOST TEACHERS TO SIMPLY SAY THAT IT WAS SLAVERY INSTEAD OF GETTING INTO A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION AND HOW IT'S MEENING HAS BEEN DISTORTED OVER THE YEARS.
IN THE 1860'S THE DAYS OF SLAVERY IN THE U.S. WERE NUMBERED EVEN WITHOUT THE WAR. SLAVERY WAS ON THE WAY OUT. IT PROUBLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW MORE YEARS BUT IT WAS DYING. I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THE RACEST FEELINGS THAT LINGERED UNTIL OUR TIMES WERE CAUSED BY THE FORCEFUL WAY IT WAS IMPOSED ON THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE. THEY WERE ANGRY AT THE WAY RECONSTRUCTION WAS HANDELED AND THEY STRUCK OUT AT WHAT THEY FEARED AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THE BLACKS.
