BAYNE Home Who is Floyd Other Sites Email Me Commentary-- Updated 2/6/06! WC Archives |
Floyd's Opinion
Honorable Lincoln?This letter was sent to the Richmond Times-Dispatch on April 9, 2002, but was not printed.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Greetings, Good Sir. I trust you are well. I am writing in response to a recent COD letter on your editorial page. I refer specifically to the letter "Confederate Monument Already Exists in D.C.", by David Giancaspro, a 7th grader at Manchester Middle School. My first reaction to his letter was anger at the ignorance regarding the pronouncements of Lincoln as an "honorable" man. Other statements raised my ire until I got to the end and saw that it was written by a 7th grader. My anger then turned to disappointment and frustration. I bear no malice toward the young letter writer as he is only regurgitating that which is force-fed him by our school system. He knows no better. I now simply wish to point out some historical facts for his, and other’s, edification. This in the hope that he will seek knowledge of this period in our country’s history beyond that which he gets in the classroom. Less than a month after the bombardment of Fort Sumter the "honorable" Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus. Anyone, including northern newspaper editors, who dared speak out against "Lincoln’s War" were arrested without warrant and incarcerated without trial. Many for the duration of the war. When chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Roger B. Taney, issued an opinion in the "Ex parte Merryman" case, rebuking Lincoln for taking away the right of habeas corpus, Lincoln not only ignored the courts decision, but issued an order for the arrest of the justice himself. As for freeing the slaves, there is so much one could point to to prove that this was nothing more than a political ploy and not based on his "superior" morals, but I will simply put forth this Lincoln quote, "If I could preserve the Union without freeing a single slave I would do so". As for Grant and his lackeys, they changed the face of warfare as it was then known by (with Lincoln’s approval and blessing) taking the war to the southern civilian population. Rather than focusing on destroying the army that they faced in the field, they also made it U.S. Army policy to burn and destroy any and all private homes, businesses, and buildings. To take (read steal) the property and livestock of any farm or home they passed without compensation to the owners. Is it any wonder that to this day there are southern families which revile the names of Grant, Hunter, and Sheridan, just to name a few. I could go on, but you need the space for other letters. Before closing I would like to challenge our young 7th grader, and any who subscribe to the picture he paints of Lincoln and his accomplices, to read two books. They are: When in the Course of Human Events (Arguing the Case for Southern Secession) by Charles Adams and Was Jefferson Davis Right? by James R. & Walter D. Kennedy. Having read these fine examples of scholarly research I have no doubt that they will come away with a very different view of the "honorable" Lincoln. Sincerely, Floyd C. Bayne
|
