Lincoln and Slavery

It was one of those "laws still on the books" books, doesn't mean enforced just sitting there, not removed. Now I hadn't heard that it had been negated by the other law but that makes perfect sense, however this law stood on the books, rather then be removed as it can be, which it was in 1999...now ALSO, it has been a while, so beforwarned, it could have been Missouri or something.

Unless I'm specifically researching something most of what I write is off the top of my head.

"Slavery was just the powder keg"

Not according to Alexander Stephens, Vice-president of the confederacy.
Read what he had to say before the war.

Modern History Sourcebook:
Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883):
Cornerstone Address, March 21, 1861
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883), although originally opposed to secession, was elected vice-president of the Confederacy. After the war he returned to political service in Georgia and in the House of Representatives. He was elected governor of Georgia in 1882 and died in office.
--------------------------------------
We are in the midst of one of the greatest epochs in our history. The last ninety days will mark one of the most memorable eras in the history of modern civilization.
---------------------
Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and moral condition. [Applause.] This, our new Government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It is so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North who still cling to these errors with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind; from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is, forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics: their conclusions are right if their premises are. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights, with the white man.... I recollect once of having heard a gentleman from one of the Northern States, of great power and ability, announce in the House of Representatives, with imposing effect, that we of the South would be compelled, ultimately, to yield upon this subject of slavery; that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics, as it was in physics or mechanics. That the principle would ultimately prevail. That we, in maintaining slavery as it exists with us, were warring against a principle-a principle founded in nature, the principle of the equality of man. The reply I made to him was, that upon his own grounds we should succeed, and that he and his associates in their crusade against our institutions would ultimately fail. The truth announced, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics as well as in physics and mechanics, I admitted, but told him it was he and those acting with him who were warring against a principle. They were attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal.

In the conflict thus far, success has been on our side, complete throughout the length and breadth of the Confederate States. It is upon this, as I have stated, our social fabric is firmly planted; and I cannot permit myself to doubt the ultimate success of a full recognition of this principle throughout the civilized and enlightened world.

As I have stated, the truth of this principle may be slow in development, as all truths are, and ever have been, in the various branches of science. It was so with the principles announced by Galileo-it was so with Adam Smith and his principles of political economy. It was so with Harvey, and his theory of the circulation of the blood. It is stated that not a single one of the medical profession, living at the time of the announcement of the truths made by him, admitted them. Now, they are universally acknowledged. May we not therefore look with confidence to the ultimate universal acknowledgment of the truths upon which our system rests? It is the first Government ever instituted upon principles in strict conformity to nature, and the ordination of Providence, in furnishing the materials of human society. Many Governments have been founded upon the principles of certain classes; but the classes thus enslaved, were of the same race, and in violation of the laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature's laws. The negro by nature, or by the curse against Canaan, [note: A reference to Genesis, 9:20-27, which was used as a justification for slavery] is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our system. The architect, in the construction of buildings, lays the foundation with the proper material-the granite-then comes the brick or the marble. The substratum of our society is made of the material fitted by nature for it, and by experience we know that it is the best, not only for the superior but for the inferior race, that it should be so. It is, indeed, in conformity with the Creator. It is not for us to inquire into the wisdom of His ordinances or to question them. For His own purposes He has made one race to differ from another, as He has made "one star to differ from another in glory."

The great objects of humanity are best attained, when conformed to his laws and degrees [sic], in the formation of Governments as well as in all things else. Our Confederacy is founded upon principles in strict conformity with these laws. This stone which was rejected by the first builders "is become the chief stone of the corner" in our new edifice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Source:

Alexander H. Stephens, "Cornerstone Address, March 21, 1861 " in The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, etc., vol. 1, ed. Frank Moore (New York: O.P. Putnam, 1862), pp. 44-46.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.



Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook.



© Paul Halsall, July 1998
[email protected]

I don't know how to reply to this.

Read in its historical contrast, it's interesting.

Read in a modern forum, it's appalling.

I don't know what else to say.

Thanks for that quote. Of course from a modern point of view, slavery is disgusting and unthinkable. But there were millions of otherwise decent, law-abiding, church-going Confederates who earnestly believed slavery was natural and moral.

I wonder what beliefs/practices of our contemporary society might be looked upon with disgust by persons 150 years from now?

This is an interesting point. Thomas Jackson (aka Stonewall) was not particularly religious at all, as a boy. He had been Sunday meetin' Anglican when at West Point (at which the unofficial, established religion was Anglicanism for many, many generations), and later, while with the Army in Mexico, he met the Archibishop of Mexico, and discussed catholicism with. He asked for fifteen minutes, chatted for several hours, and was then frequently a guest at the AB's palace. Later, in Florida, feuding with Major French, religion seemed to be no part of his personal equation.

Then he got the job at Lynchburg, Virginia Military Institute, and became a quite devout adherent of Presbyterianism. He became a very rigid thinker in regard to his personal beliefs, but retained his tolerant views with regard to others (he didn't care what god they believed in, or what practiced they followed, so long as they were godly). He seems to have taken Presbyterianism with the same attitude he displayed in teaching gunnery and the mathmatics of artillery, there are many, many wrong ways, but there is only one, mathmatically certain way to do this. James Ewell Brown Stuart (usually incorrectly referred to as "Jeb" Stuart, even in his too short lifetime), was just as devout and evangelical as Jackson, despite them being complete opposites in terms of public persona, and despite being a Virginia "High Church" anglican. The both of them worked tirelessly to bring chaplains to their army, and both attended divine service, anybody's divine service, on Sunday, military operations permitting. Tent revavalism had become somewhat popular in the 1850's, but it now became a great movement in the South, especially in the Army of Northern Virginia.

It is incomprehensible from our vantage, that such genuinely sincere, religious men could call upon their people to make God's crusade to defend their property rights in other human lives . . .

This quote from the above post shows how ignorant they were in the past. "The substratum of our society is made of the material fitted by nature for it, and by experience we know that it is the best, not only for the superior but for the inferior race, that it should be so." Unfortunately, many still believe that 'their' race is superior over others in this country. When will they learn? c.i.

I, too, have often wondered this same thing.

I have heard--yet I can't confirm, though I have tried to--that 3/4 ths of black males from the ages of 18-25 are imprisoned.

If true, I think this to be one of the greatest causes for disgust for our times.

I've wondered if the income derived from the prison system and from private prisons has encouraged a modern form of slavery or at least of captivation.

Can anybody confirm these statistics? How would I go about researching such a thing?


Setanta: Thanks ever so much for your commentary. Always much appreciated.

cicerone imposter: So true, and so sad. Whether or not a race is superior is a moot point. Slavery should not be condoned under any circumstances.

It's also important to realize that southerners were acting in their economic interests in perpetuating slavery. People have a bad habit of justifying whatever is in their own personal economic interests; as such some southerners attempted to pass slavery off as being downright virtueous (ie 'were Christainizing/civilizing these poor African heathens' etc). After several decades this sort of thinking became so deeply ingrained in southerners that they couldn't get away from it...
And of course if you endanger a man's livlihood or his property he's not going to be happy. To give you some sense of the threat southerners saw in the possibility of the federal government outlawing slavery before the war, imagine the federal government today trying to outlaw cars (adjusted for inflation a slave was worth about as much as a nice car).

And yes, the questions of what faults future generations will see in us is an interesting one...
I suspect that we'll be berated for eating meat (I'm not even slightly vegetarian, but I freely concede that cows/pigs/chickens are treated pretty abysmally) or owning pets (you do realize your opressing that cocker spaniel don't you?)
Though this is assuming that future generations are inclined to find fault with us; so far as I can tell were rather unique culturally in asserting that we're better than those who can before us (something more akin to ancestor worship seems to be more normal amongst most peope at most times.)
Anyway, I hope some of that makes sense...