Baltimore's Conflicted Legacies: “Respecting history” vs. “being offensive”?! (estate, title)

[Infinite_heights77]

Did you know that many African Americans were part of the Republican Party em masse after The War Between The States and during the Reconstruction period?

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

I'll have to agree with you on this one. As a self-identified conservative I'm well aware of the Republican party's rich legacy and role in the defeat of the South and the emancipation of blacks. While I'm not going to lose any sleep of a few monuments that no one gives a hoot about, I don't think that Confederate history is something that should be glorified either. After all they lost, right? It's time for them to relegate the Stars and Bars to museums or private property. That flag has no place in any official government building.

[designer_genes]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

I'll have to agree with you on this one. As a self-identified conservative I'm well aware of the Republican party's rich legacy and role in the defeat of the South and the emancipation of blacks. While I'm not going to lose any sleep of a few monuments that no one gives a hoot about, I don't think that Confederate history is something that should be glorified either. After all they lost, right? It's time for them to relegate the Stars and Bars to museums or private property. That flag has no place in any official government building.

Right. 100% agree.

[ToneGrail]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Did you know that many African Americans were part of the Republican Party em masse after The War Between The States and during the Reconstruction period?

Of course I know that.

[Chevalier de Saint-George]

That's interesting, never knew Baltimore had that many statues/monuments with ties to the Confederacy. Infinite_heights77, I forget which thread it was from but a Maryland poster said that all of confederate monuments in Baltimore were erected by Southerners who migrated to the area because no Marylander would ever think of doing that. Is it true that people from White people from KY and NC moved to Baltimore and erected confederate monuments?

[Infinite_heights77]

Many people don't.

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

Of course I know that.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by 80s_kid

That's interesting, never knew Baltimore had that many statues/monuments with ties to the Confederacy. Infinite_heights77, I forget which thread it was from but a Maryland poster said that all of confederate monuments in Baltimore were erected by Southerners who migrated to the area because no Marylander would ever think of doing that. Is it true that people from White people from KY and NC moved to Baltimore and erected confederate monuments?

I have never heard that. Baltimore City sent a ton of troops to the Confederate Army (and even more to the Union Army.) Interestingly, West Baltimore was a hotbed of Southern sympathy while East Baltimore trended Unionist. Small riots and other violence between the opposing groups continued throughout the war. The Union Army set up a fort on Federal Hill with its guns trained on the city (and not the harbor.) The Union also had a prison at Fort McHenry with a number of Southern sympathizing locals inside.

[paulklee53]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

These monuments should be melted down and sunk in a river. They offer nothing but a celebration of traitors.

I agree. They were traitors. But why does Maryland have any memorials to anything confederate - it was not part of the Confederacy!

[Chevalier de Saint-George]

Originally Posted by paulklee53

I agree. They were traitors. But why does Maryland have any memorials to anything confederate - it was not part of the Confederacy!

This topic is interesting. I've checked into it and surprisingly, some of Baltimore's elite families back then had Confederate sympathies. It did shock me to find out that 3/4 Civil War monuments are Confederate related and one to Roger B. Taney.

With that said, I think that they should stay up....they've been around for years now and perfectly brings out how divided the city (and state) was. They need to put up signs as to why they're up in the first place and add statues honoring abolitionists and Union soldiers.

[TerryMK]

It's amazing how few people understand local history. No Confederate was ever convicted of treason or of being a traitor. Why? Because the Constitution did not prohibit secession.....and still doesn't. If any one is in doubt, review the Constitution and specifically the 10th amendment. If you can find any language prohibiting secession, get back to me and I'll buy you dinner and fine wine at the most expensive restaurant in Baltimore


So why would so many citizens of Baltimore and Maryland have Confederate sympathies? Because the despotic Lincoln administration violated the Constitution by calling for 75,000 troops to invade the South, arrested members of the Maryland Legislature, arrested editors and destroyed printing presses of newspapers critical of his policies, illegally ordered the blockade of ports, mislead the Governor of South Carolina that no attempt would be made to refortify Fort Sumter, refused to meet with Southern Peace Commissioners who wanted to arrive at an amicable resolution, suspended habeas corpus, threatened Baltimore City with cannon fire from Federal Hill, ordered the arrest of public officials and prominent citizens without charges, engaged in illegal searches and seizures, ordered the arrest of the Chief Justice of the United States, and allowed his military forces to engage in warfare against civilian populations including the wanton and purposeful destruction of civilian residences, burning of crops, destruction of cattle, looting and other violence against Southern blacks and whites alike.

Lincoln even ordered the arrest and imprisoned Francis Key Howard, grandson of Francis Scott Key, at Fort McHenry. Of this, Howard wrote "hen I looked out in the morning, I could not help being struck by an odd and not pleasant coincidence. On that day forty-seven years before my grandfather, Mr. Francis Scott Key, then prisoner on a British ship, had witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry. When on the following morning the hostile fleet drew off, defeated, he wrote the song so long popular throughout the country, the Star Spangled Banner. As I stood upon the very scene of that conflict, I could not but contrast my position with his, forty-seven years before. The flag which he had then so proudly hailed, I saw waving at the same place over the victims of as vulgar and brutal a despotism as modern times have witnessed".

For those naive enough to think that the war was being fought to eradicate slavery, read Lincoln's 1st Inaugural speech in which he states "I understand a proposed amendment to the Constitution—which amendment, however, I have not seen—has passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service. To avoid misconstruction of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable". Lincoln was referencing the Corwin Amendment recently passed by both Houses of Congress which, upon ratification by the States, would have preserved chattel slavery in perpetuity. So much for the myth that the war was fought to preserve slavery.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

These monuments should be melted down and sunk in a river. They offer nothing but a celebration of traitors.

Originally Posted by paulklee53

I agree. They were traitors. But why does Maryland have any memorials to anything confederate - it was not part of the Confederacy!

Clearly not traitors. Secessionists.

The Confederates were not trying to overthrow the U.S. government or remove it from power in the states that remained in the Union. The were trying to disassociate themselves from it and form a new government of their own. I'm glad that they were unsuccessful in their attempt.