There once was a time, when there was a horrible war; a war Between the States. General Lee stayed true to his beloved Virginia and fought for the Confederacy. Though it is true, the South had slaves. But so did the North. Yet, the Northern slaves were never talked about. They were never brought attention to. Abraham Lincoln only freed the slaves because he felt in doing so, it would “help save the Union.” But this was after the war started, not before.
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.”
If freeing the slaves would not “help save the Union,” he would not have freed them. So please tell me, how the Civil War started because of slavery? It is true, however, it may have been an interest. But, it was not the driving force. The President of the United States wasn’t going to free them, if it was not to the Union’s advantage. Freeing the slaves was nothing more than a strategic move, not one of benevolence. The Cause of Slavery was restricted and banned from being enlarged in terms of territories, but it was not demanded by the Government to disband before the Civil War started. Fact! Still in President Lincoln’s Inaugural Address four years into the war he stated:
“If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God,
must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove,
and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the
offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the
believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this
mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.”
It was not until the close of the Civil War that Abraham Lincoln felt the war was a scourge by God due to slavery. He was basically saying that it was God who started the Civil War to wipe slavery out. Even Abraham Lincoln became a changed man. But his legacy was short lived. Confederate General Robert E. Lee was a God fearing man. Both he and President Lincoln prayed to the same God.
“Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God,
and each invokes His aid against the other.” Abraham Lincoln March 1865
The removal of the Confederate Monuments is a disgrace to our historical treasures. General Lee, right after the war, at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, “reverently knelt near the black man to receive communion with him. . . , risking his own reputation and standing to help heal the rifts of Union and race.” “General Lee took a step that day to end the racial conflict in this country.” This is the monument of a great man that the uneducated have torn down. This man, General Lee, tried to heal the rifts of racism. Being the leader that he was he led the way and the rest of the congregation followed him to the alter. How then can we accept these disgraceful actions against the Confederacy? Well, we can’t. Just like General Lee’s brave soldiers stood by him, a new breed of soldiers is rising up to defend the Confederate heritage. Truth must be accepted in order for change to take place. But, many hearts are closed minded and many ears are stopped. They see and hear what they want to. But those of us who stand for truth and justice, we will prevail! We will continue to honor this great man and both sides of the Civil War. We will honor their sacrifice and their bravery. But most of all, we will not forget either side!
Juliana
THE MEMOIRS OF SUMMER RAY 