Seven score and four years ago today, General Robert Edward Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House in the Old Dominion, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the behemoth that was to run around the world “making it safe for democracy” rose as a phoenix from the ashes of the war.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Those Confederate States of America Surrendered
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
The loss of the rebel states to the USA also spelled the certain doom of the monarchy of Emperor Maximilian and Empress Charlotte in Mexico. This was done in the name of republicanism and the "Monroe Doctrine" -that charming idea that said the US can have a whole hemisphere to itself but woe to any other power anywhere in the world that tried to do the same.
I feel compelled to point out that the Confederate States of America never surrendered. The various armies surrendered, but President Davis urged continued resistance to the United States.
I'm sorry. We Confederates tried.
I feel compelled to point out that the Confederate States of America never surrendered. The various armies surrendered, but President Davis urged continued resistance to the United States.
Formally and technically, you may be right, sir or madam. However, I believe it was a de facto surrender.
Being a Southerner myself, I would second Denver's point, in part.
But you are also correct about the de facto surrender. A slightly more interesting question for those of us whose sympathies would have been with the C.S. is when de facto became de jure if it did. I would argue that the war truly ended and surrender effectively became legal when "reconstruction" ended, and the U.S. authorities withdrew their occupation troops and the southern States held elections and drew up constitutions without federal guns pointed at their governing bodies. In my own State (Texas) that would have been 1876.
Post a Comment