The Cival War From The Souths Point Of View

"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and institute a new government." (Declaration of Independence 1776)

The southern States now stand almost exactly in the same position as our ancestors did some 85 years ago. The difference is that Great Britain made no pretense that we were equal and had an equal say in matters. The Northern States, having the majority in Congress, claim the same power over us in legislation as the British Parliament did. The government of the United States has become a consolidated Government, and the people of the Southern States are compelled to meet the very tyranny their fathers threw off in the Revolutionary War. The tariffs which were imposed upon the South, forcing us to buy products from the North, sounds similar to what Great Britain did in the past does it not? "The reason for possible secession will be found at the foundation of our political fabric, in our complex organism, in the fundamental law, in the Constitution itself, in the conflicting constructions which it invited, and in the institution of slavery which it recognized and was intended to protect." (John B. Gordon)

The Union was formed under the Constitution and that we were not creatures but the creators of that Union. We gained our independence, freedom and sovereignty from the mother country and had not surrendered these upon entering the Union; by the terms of the Constitution all rights and powers not delegated were reserved to the States. We feel a growing need for freedom from the central Federal authority in Washington D.C. We feel that each state should have state rights and make there own laws. We do not want to take over the government and run the states as the north does, but rather want a fair say in issues that concerned the state.

Southern slave states must prepare for secession. The recent election of the Northern Republican Abraham Lincoln will not favor us at all. We need to ask ourselves, if not one person from the South voted for this man, then how did he get elected? Lincoln is a moderate in his opposition to slavery. He pledged to do all he can to oppose the expansion of slavery into the territories. We need to open our eyes; Lincoln sees the Southern slave states as his cotton machine. He would not want to stop his money making machine would he? Therefore he does not want to abolish slavery but to stop its expansion.

Those Northerner's value there economic enterprise where as we hold a much greater value on our social values. If we tried to take away the Yankees economic enterprise they would be ready to fight where as we (who do not wish violence) are ready to leave. We are an order of society guided by the planters' genteel code. People of the south are proud to be whom they are and our values are honorable like being courteous and hospitable people. Different from the northern Yankees, for who's only matter in the world is material and individual