Part Two: For this reason I take a knee...

Author John Taylor [fellow Alabama Gazette columnist introduced last edition] provided some quotes from his Union at All Costs book to help illustrate ‘Judas rhetoric’ to cloak avarice for revenue:

Lincoln delivered his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861. He made several interesting comments regarding slavery: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” His main concern was tariff revenue to finance traditional big govt. Republican programs and protectionist wealth transfers to those Lincoln represented as an attorney and ‘lobbied’ for. Lobbying would be a term made more noteworthy under Lincoln’s general ‘who could do the math’ - i.e., Ulysses Grant in White House a few years later.

A few more quotes to reveal Lincoln’s greater concern over power to collect the tariff: “And open Charleston, etc., as ports of entry, with their ten per cent tariff. What, then, would become of my tariff?” [from Dabney, 8. Lincoln’s comments to Colonel John B. Baldwin]

“I remember,” says Mr. Stuart, “that he used this homely expression: ‘If I do that, what will become of my revenue? I might as well shut up housekeeping at once.’” [from Dabney, 11. Lincoln’s comment to A.H.H. Stuart during his April 12-13, 1861 visit]

After Fuller’s plea for peace and recognition of the sovereignty of Southern States, Lincoln responded, “But what am I to do? ...what shall become of the revenue? I shall have no government? No resources?” [also Dabney 11. Lincoln’s response to Rev. Richard Fuller of Baltimore, MD, a key figure in Southern Baptist history who baptized Annie Armstrong, pivotal in creating the Women’s Missionary Union]

“…the deciding factor with him (Lincoln) was the tariff question. In three separate interviews, he asked what would become of his revenue if he allowed the government at Montgomery to go on with their ten percent tariff… Final action was taken when nine governors of high tariff states waited upon Lincoln and offered him men and supplies.” [from Lyon Gardiner Tyler, originally printed in Tyler’s Quarterly in Volume 33, October and January issues, 1935.]

Just as Judas Iscariot’s concern for revenue was cloaked in concern for the poor, Lincoln’s concern for revenue is cloaked in abolitionism. I still consider Lincoln the greatest politician this nation of once independent States ever produced...if Lincoln had not come along, there would’ve been another, perhaps shorter, less folksy version to get the job done. And a final quote from Taylor’s work: “Many patriotic men of the South who cared little or nothing about slavery were stirred with the deepest indignation at the suggestion of the National government subduing a sovereign State by force of arms, and said that a Union that could only be held together by bayonets had better be dissolved; and for the principle of State rights and State sovereignty the Southern men fought with a holy ardor and self-denying patriotism that have covered even defeat with imperishable glory.” [from Charles Beecher Stowe, “Honest Confession Good for the Country,” http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/macon/newspapers/CV/cv1911pg12.htm]

So how does one reconcile all this in conclusion? It is time for freedom, liberty and independence advocates to realize they’re a conquered minority.

Progressives who put US on our soviet path have won. Using abolitionism, reconstruction terrorism/voter suppression (disenfranchising those who fought for their State’s independence to sow hatred) white supremacy, sterilization, discriminator federal gun laws, Jim Crow laws, red lining, racism, segregation, federal wage laws, regressive SSA tax, etc. has carried the day. Machiavellian genius putting in stone undefined ‘lost cause’ prose to use the zeitgeist at any given time to promote more govt. control and desired wealth transfers. The cause of States who fought against Lincoln’s treason/acts of war (from states who wanted a forced coalition) was to repel invaders and hold onto their independence won in 1783 and reaffirmed in 1816.

The cause of freedom and independence is indeed lost. Khrushchev’s 1959 forecast has come to fruition. America embraced the soviet path Lincoln and the Republicans started a century prior, seemingly ignorant of the end they’ve chosen. There’s a reason Lenin and Marx held Lincoln in such high regard.

Slavery and Confederate monuments are not driving the current shameful results. There are no Confederate monuments in racist Boston, PC Portland, lynching Minneapolis or bullying Buffalo – places which championed Lincoln’s abolitionist rhetoric to cloak desired wealth transfers. All who held dear what traditional Yankees accomplished in the American Revolution, what our soldiers and sailors did keeping our independence 1812-6 and Confederates (black and white, Greek and Jew, Hispanic and Nordic) who fought modern Yankees to retain their independence may consider the wisdom of letting go and wait for the implosion observed in the early 1990s Soviet bloc. Remarkable how many remained productive to delay collapse this long.

As an avowed God Supremacist (see my Sept. 2019 column), I whole-heartedly embrace the Holy Spirit and ask Jesus’s forgiveness – esp. in the South were we know better – to accept and act on progressive lies/hate, white supremacy, murder and sterilization of those they found undesirable is shameful. Collapse is unstoppable as modern, hegemonic Yankees (Blue & Red soviets) continue ‘progressing’ their national socialist programs which inevitably make things worse instead of enjoying the blessings of life, liberty, property and competition which kills discrimination.

No one worked harder than the UDC and SCV to keep their flag and soldiers’ memory out of the hands of the progressives/ national socialists. When progressives started to warp the hearts and minds in the South to believe the war between the States was fought over slavery and to blame/use blacks (to advance their ends) is our greatest shame. Progressives used Confederate monuments to dupe (esp. poor) whites to believe their cause was not for independence/defense, and they’ll use monuments of this sort again and again to assert even more federal hegemony and hatred. When Black and Jewish Confederates began disappearing from SCV roles/meetings it was over – about the same time we observe the word ‘racism’ enter our lexicon [circa 1936] to show a new high watermark of this flawed thinking was also permeating and polluting the South.

In the Spirit of King/Lee (still recall chastisement by AU administrators for using this correct nomenclature on my MWF syllabi) I was compelled to stand against tyranny in my country. At age 25, I felt informed enough and in a position as a faculty advisor of a student group to protest Clinton’s 1997 Tuskegee Experiment apology visit. Student Libertarians bravely asserted apology, poor compensation, etc. was not enough; Pres. Clinton must prosecute all who engaged in this despicable, unlawful activity. Little wonder I winced whenever hearing Bill Clinton: ‘first Black President’ rhetoric - the student Christians, Democrats, et al were noticeably absent as student Libertarians were called anarchists and fools. These students understood the objective of ending qualified immunity for bureaucrats taking and destroying lives. It is pleasing to see the NAACP (more specifically the LDF) strongly taking up this issue these past months. As for Clintons – still waiting to lock her up – not that I think ‘pardoning amongst thieves’ on Trump overdrive these past months means DJ will ever be prosecuted. Good luck seeing this sort of raw, honest perspective out of the Colbert or Limbaugh clown shows.

Later, this libertarian student group (reviled by public servants like Felon Hubbard, Lowder, et al) and the Alabama State Libertarian Party pressed the issue of wrongfully taking land from mostly poor, rural Black landowners.

It got enough traction to press Gov. Siegelman to return land (w/o compensation for loss of use) to one family and promised to set up a ‘blue ribbon’ panel to address others who’ve suffered this abuse. Of course nothing was done – add another stomach churner to hear Siegelman called ‘Atticus Finch.’ Hard to take today’s highly vocal ‘anti-maskers’ seriously about unconstitutional mandates after so much silence on feds taking life and health in Tuskegee and Alabama State Lands Division’s wrongful takings in black belt counties. This may seem like picking on white politicians/governors like Clinton and Siegelman, but black politicians like Terri Sewell and Myron Thompson have been just as deleterious advancing tyrannical government with immunity thrust upon those least able to endure the burden.

Uninvited federal thugs in Oregon (sound familiar?) now have the attention of ‘leviathanists’ – esp. the so-called “Trump-troops’ unmarked uniforms and vehicles. A little too late to realize one is on the wrong side of history and would’ve been wiser to fight qualified immunity and federal hegemony these past decades instead of flags and monuments…

This topic of bending a knee for God or placing it on a neck for tyranny will require a rare three-part installment. In this part two, I hope I’ve convinced readers to look upon both parties with caution. None illustrates this better for the 2020 election cycle than Michael Bloomberg – now a modern Democrat after being a traditional Republican, worth approx. $60 billion. Mike could’ve started a new organization or given to the LDF, Institute for Justice, etc. to defend victims of govt. tyranny instead of spending about $1 billion running for President – again, hard to take seriously he was running because he cared for the common man. Republocrats’ worst nightmare is constraining govt. power and effective discipline when abused.

The last two anthems/songs I’ve publicly sung; “Lift ev’ry heart and sing” at Church and “Dixie” at a SCV meeting may make me the strangest citizen in all Alabama during these Covid days. Flabbergasted how many recently admitted ignorance of the black national anthem in a State with 24% Black populace, guess my knowing is more about being raised by my Carolina Momma. My writing in such a hate filled environment troubles some. I opened this discussion in part one with Apostle Paul’s instruction not to fear. It doesn’t matter if I’m again harmed by a blue demon or red demon; what does matter in death is that I did well in my Lord’s judgment combating all demons put in my path to Jesus.

Cling to the Holy Spirit in the tribulations unfolding; this is why I take a knee for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. I’ll support any other movement which fights tyranny disproportionately burdened by a group enduring wrongful discrimination/harm. Do this for their lives as I pray they’ll stand for my life and others when the tyrant’s knee is less deadly upon their neck. Part three next month will offer thoughts on removing the wrongful burden Judas rhetoric has compounded these past several score.

Psalms 95:6 “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”