Our forefathers' wisdom brought together 13 colonies as one for defense and commerce purposes. At any time any of these colonies felt violated of their rights granted at the Constitutional Convention, they had the right to leave the union.
The states were to preserve their power and their identity, but clearly in 2009, that's not the case. Out government has become a strong centralized government that often walks over the Constitution for partisan legislative and judicial gain. As the Federal Government has left the gold standard, turned control of our money to the Federal Reserve, increased and created unfair taxation, and most recently printed money to bailout private entities, any of the 50 states should have the power to leave the union. Obviously, this is not what our forefathers prescribed.
The southern states secession began in during Abraham Lincoln's victory over the issue of slavery. Slavery was a driving economic factor in the poorer southern states, and the fear of northern economic superiority drove southern states to fight for the rights of slave owners. I am by no means justifying slavery, but the southern states, realizing a possible economic collapse and the violation of states' rights, seceded from the union. They were well within their rights.
Once they announced their secession, the United States government needed to extract federal troops from forts in the south, since the south no longer would depend on the federal government for protection. Jefferson Davis attacked Fort Sumter to remove the northern influence and presence from the South. The southern secession added four more states after the attack. When Lincoln organized Union troops to keep the country together, he violated the power of secession, probably denying it forever.
Since the Civil War, the power of the Federal Government has grown at an alarming rate. So far gone is the idea of centralized state governments that rely on a weaker federal government to insure interstate commerce and defense, schools rarely teach this truth to students anymore.
Each year the federal government grows and removes more responsibility from the states. A perfect example of this is education. It was not intended and should not be the federal government's responsibility to shape education policy, but we know the states have given up their power for federal funding. Now the Department of Education is far too influential in our nation's schools.
In a Faustian deal, the states have given up their identity and most importantly their ability to stand up to the abuse of power in Washington. We may be 50 different borders, electoral contests, and smaller governments, but we are now one super glued union. To stand up for states' rights now using the Second Amendment might provoke a scene similar to Tiananmen Square. We don't like to think of our country like that, but to regain the rights of the states will require defeating firepower not even imagined during the first time the South tried it.
Lincoln abused the power of the Federal Government. Now we have to observe the results. Regardless of whether slavery was right or wrong during the debates of the 1850s, the real tragedy of the Civil War is the loss of states' rights.
[For the record, slavery was wrong. Please don't flame me thinking this is a proslavery blog.]
4 comments:
"...we know the states have given up their power for federal funding."
What else do we do? They have us by the balls. The states need federal money. What, short of Civil War II, do we do to keep federal funding but loosen the death grip on our "goods"?
This is a good post - I wanted to leave a message and say hello - it's been a while since I've been over to visit. I hope that you had a good Christmas and New Year's Holiday.
(Now: Southern point of view)
The south will disagree on the cause(s) of the War Between the States -
It was not about 'slavery' - or the right to own slaves - but rather at the beginning of the conflict the issue was the abolistionists concern over the 'expansion of slavery' into the western territories.
Lincoln said that the reason for the war was to "Preserve the Union" - if he could do so and free the slaves - he would. If he could do so and not free the slaves - he would.
Even the NAACP are beginning to change their views. I ran across this article the other day, here's what they had to say concerning Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation:
Event Brings Home True Meaning of Jublilee Day
The true cause(s) of the WBTS was high tarifs placed on the southern people to support large northern industrialists - and the Lincoln's Administration's desire for bigger government.
In other words, the WBTS was a fight between federlists and anti-federalists - with more than a little tad of Marxism added to the mix.
Obviously, there has always been a cultural and religious difference between the north and the south - indeed insults were flying for almost 50 years before the WBTS ever happened.
This is still happening today...didn't George Washington, in his Farewell Speech, warn us of 'men of design', political parties, regional disputes, and interference in other countries problems (political -war)?
The WBTS should have never happened. The US is the only country that saw fit to cause the death of 650,000 americans - all because Lincoln and the elites wanted more government power.
Other slave holding countries freed their slaves peacefully - over time. This is what CSA President Jefferson Davis wanted to do - to give them time to be educated and own property so that they could be self-reliant and prosper and not be dependent on the government.
Note - 1* Later, near the end of the 19th century, the US saw it's first social programs - not only to help freed slaves but immigrants. The US was experiencing the largest mass immigration exodus to one country ever recorded in human history. Today, those programs, certainly needed at the time, are no longer a hand-up - but a constant hand out.
IMHO - What government has done by implementing so many social programs, over the years it has caused many people to be dependent on the government for almost everything - americans have forgotten how to be self-reliant.
Note - 2* Sotherners use the term War Between the States or War of Northern Agression or War for Southern Indepenence for 2 main reasons:
1 - Civil War is a definition used when a rebellious faction attempts to overthrow the government. The Confederate States did not attempt to overthrow the US government - the CSA, having their own seperate government, took a defensive position against invasion of the Union armies. Yes, the Union had dissolved - there were 2 seperate countries - the USA and the CSA - Lincoln chose not to acknowledge that.
2 - The mindset of the 19th century American was very different from that of today. Back then, Sovereignty of the States and States Rights were most important - people first thought of themselves as a Georgian or a Virginian, etc. - and as an American second. The southern states seceded to avoid a radical and increasingly tyrannical government that wished to destroy those States Rights.
Note - 3* The biggest fault of our founding fathers was their decisions on the issue of slavery. They should have outlawed it, freed the slaves, at the signing of the Constitution.
Would that have prevented the WBTS?
I doubt it. Because, you see, money and power will always rule the day - and it eventually corrupts.
Will the States ever secede again?
I believe they will - with the SW going back to Mexico.
But I won't join in being devisive nor will I promote agression. There's one thing that Americans (civilian and government) should consider:
Whenever (if) you make the decision to be fight for a cause - make sure that it is the right and just cause. This applies to any circumstance in your life...Because once you make a sound decision to take a stand on that cause, the actions that you take can never be erased. This is especially true of the military. A President of the US makes decisions that will follow Americans for centuries - throughout time.
Lincoln made a decision at/about Fort Sumter - that decision, and the resulting 650,000 American lives lost, can never be erased...not ever...
I don't think any of the States will ever regain their rights as they once were and were meant to be.
I don't think it's because We the People 'can't' do anything - rather the people have lost their will - to even pay attention. Free checks and xboxes are now more important than education and an interest in our government - like voting! - or what type of place that we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.
Isn't it amazing that for years we were taught how great Lincoln was, but most of us don't really look into the truth about how his actions led to big government.
The real cause of the WBTS??? Here is an 1876 quote attributed to Otto von Bismark:
"It is not to be doubted, I know of absolute certainty," Bismarck declared, "that the division of the United States into two federations of equal power was decided long before the Civil War by the high financial powers of Europe. These bankers were afraid that the United States, if they remained as one block and were to develop as one nation, would attain economic and financial independence, which would upset the capitalist domination of Europe over the world."
More at http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=843
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