re: Bubba Watson to paint over Confederate flag on General Lee

quote:

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So how do you argue with someone who uses the Articles to make their case that the war was about slavery?

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FIrst off, I would point out to them that there were more slave states still choosing to remain in the voluntary union than had initially seceded.

Understanding this point should hopefully illuminate the reality that most states were content with federal protection of slavery. Just as some states were seceding in part so that they could decide for themselves what to do with slavery. Other states decided not to secede for the explicit reason that they thought the federal government was their best bet for protecting slavery. So, who are the "bad guys" here?

Secondly, I would not allow them to lump all of the people of the Southern states together just because a few of the state conventions mentioned slavery in these ordinances which really only amount to brief formalities. I also would remind them that Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina did not secede until after Ft. Sumter when Lincoln sent orders to the governors of the states remaining in the union demanding that they provide soldiers for an armed invasion of the 7 deep South confederate states. The governors of these states told Lincoln to go frick himself......and held secession conventions where their people then voted in favor of secession and joining the confederacy not to celebrate slavery, but to stand against Lincoln's treason and fight this evil invasion to the death if necessary.

And don't forget about miZzzouri Kentucky and Maryland that tried to decide for themselves whether or not to secede after Ft. Sumter, but were prevented from doing so by armed federal troops that took over their state governments.

Slavery can not be detached from the causes of The War. But, it should not be used to dishonestly rationalize what LIncoln did. Slavery pulls at the heart strings and clouds the subject with emotion, but I believe that even the northern yankees of the time would laugh at the idiotic bullshite explanations we are fed today for what they did.