According to The Civil War by Geoffrey C. Ward -- a book based on Ken
Burn's award winning documentary, after A. Lincoln was elected, the
Charleston Mercury wrote:
"The tea has been thrown overboard, the revolution of 1860 has been
initiated."
Jefferson Davis' inaugural address:
"Our present political position has been achieved in a manner
unprecedented in the history of nations. It illustrates the American
idea that governments rest on the consent of the governed, and that it
is the right of the governed , and that it is the right of the people
to alter or abolish them at will whenever they become destructive of
the ends for which they were established [note the similarities to the
Declaration of Independence]...Obstacles may retard, but they cannot
long prevent, the progress of a movement sanctified by its justice and
sustained by a virtuous people.
Confederate Vice President, Alexander Stephens on the same day
(inauguration of Confed Pres):
Our new government is founded on the opposite idea of the equality of
the races...Its cornerstone rests upon the great truth that the Negro
is not equal to the white man. This...government is the first in the
history of the world, based upon this great physical and moral truth.
I would say the answer is yes. However, there is sure to be much to
be argued on both sides of the table. If you wish to learn more about
Ken Burns' Civil War documentary, visit http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/
Mr.Protagonist |
