A Myth

Earlier this year or perhaps even last year in a discussion with a man known in these parts for his knowledge of local history, this man made the statement that the Civil War was about States Rights and not slavery. At the time I thought what more important right did the southern states have at that time than slavery. Someone sent me a book titled "The Myth of the Lost Cause". It was that myth the local man, a well known man in these parts, repeated to me in that discussion. The myth is The Civil War was not about Slavery, it was about states rights. This author has dug deep into the history of 1860-1861 when Mississippi and other deep south states were talking about and trying to convince other states to secede. They had ambassadors  from states like Mississippi that traveled to these others states like Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and even Texas to persuade them to secede and help form the confederate states to protect the institution of slavery. It is well documented. The deep south felt that ending slavery as the Republican party and Northern states, abolitionists and others were trying to do would be devastating to the economy of the south. There way of life, in the cotton states would be destroyed if they didn't find some way to protect their right to own slaves. They have tried to rewrite history, saying slavery was on its way out anyway and that is not why we fought the civil war.  It is well documented by not only the speeches these Ambassadors / representatives from the deep south made in trying to persuade other states to join their cause but their fight to keep the protection for slavery in congress / in the constitution. If they could not keep the protection in the constitution, then their only choice was to form a Confederate States of America. They were losing to the northern or Black Republicans as they called them. Lincoln got elected and it appeared he was going to end slavery. There are still some people down here that still spread the myth of the lost cause today. It is well documented that the Republican Party was the party that fought to end slavery. It is well documented that the Republican party was the party that supported and voted for equal rights. Today I don't think we can recognize either party. Today it seems to be about control. I don't trust either party. That being said the only hope for any people is Jesus Christ and his death on a cross for our sins. IT is Jesus that changes the hearts of men. God is still sovereign as he was in 1860-61. The hope for all Blacks and Whites and any color in between is in God and we come to God through Jesus Christ and the pardon of our sins. There is no other way. We should be proud of our country to have risen from such an awful past. We are not perfect, we never will be this side of eternity. But we have come along ways in this nation and we should be proud of the progress we have made. That progress was made with the help of God almighty. God bless, LVZ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28