The Cornerstone of the South
Continuing on from the post below, which featured a minor instance of Ron Paul's unapologetic race hatred, I think I will provide some more evidence to disabuse the near-majority in this country who have licensed themselves to buy into the lie that the Civil War was about "States' rights" rather than about the right of those who are rich enough to own other people.
What follows are a couple of excerpts from the famous "Cornerstone speech," delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, with the avowed purpose of setting forth the reasons for the secession:
If you need to be convinced that I have not somehow taken the above remarks out of context, you can read the entire text of the speech if you would like. You also might check out this site, which features various statements by both Stephens and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, to the same effect.
It has become fashionable among Republicans to openly champion views that should fill their listeners with disgust; unfortunately, the Republican party has, since Nixon, decided to exploit the same "peculiar institution" that produced the Confederacy: unapologetic race hatred; and their disgust is reserved for anyone who cares about the poor among us. Without their racists, Republicans would not win a single election, and to the Republican party, winning means more than the most sacred human principles. People like Newt Gingrich aren't that far off of Ron Paul's pace, and none of them shows a shred of shame at this behavior, as long as it works.
What follows are a couple of excerpts from the famous "Cornerstone speech," delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, with the avowed purpose of setting forth the reasons for the secession:
"The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution.
Our new government is founded upon...its foundations are laid, its corner- stone 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 normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.
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 were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails...They were attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal."
Our new government is founded upon...its foundations are laid, its corner- stone 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 normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.
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 were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails...They were attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal."
If you need to be convinced that I have not somehow taken the above remarks out of context, you can read the entire text of the speech if you would like. You also might check out this site, which features various statements by both Stephens and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, to the same effect.
It has become fashionable among Republicans to openly champion views that should fill their listeners with disgust; unfortunately, the Republican party has, since Nixon, decided to exploit the same "peculiar institution" that produced the Confederacy: unapologetic race hatred; and their disgust is reserved for anyone who cares about the poor among us. Without their racists, Republicans would not win a single election, and to the Republican party, winning means more than the most sacred human principles. People like Newt Gingrich aren't that far off of Ron Paul's pace, and none of them shows a shred of shame at this behavior, as long as it works.
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