I thought I would start a separate thread to discuss General Lee and others, and the statues. I did not post this in the Charlottesville thread because I did not want to deflect from core issues being discussed there.
Lee does not fit the definition of a traitor. He honorably chose to side with the secession. In a previous post I referred to the South as rebels. That is not entirely accurate. Perhaps my Northerner was kicking in.
The South peacefully issued the Articles of Secession in December of 1860. They felt they had the legal right within the Constitution to do that, citing States Rights. The North did not recognize the secession because they felt that the South did not petition Congress for approval. It was not until after the War that the secession process was tighten-up.
And so at the time we had the South believing they legally seceded and the North believing it was a rebellion.
The Civil War itself started when the South fired on Fort Sumter the following April, declaring that the presence of the Fort was a violation of their lawful sovereignty. The War escalated when the Union marched on Richmond which led to the Battle of Bull Run. From there the war was escalated into the full 4 year conflict.
Given the North won the war, Lee had to abide by the North's view that it was a rebellion. he applied for and was granted amnesty.
As aside, I recommend reading the account of the surrender at Appomattox.
Starts on Page 1709 of Volume II of Grant's Memoirs: https://goo.gl/iaxaYV
Grant did much to begin the healing and Lee followed suit in his life after the war. It seems thought the job is not done.
The Appomattox surrender was only that of the Army of Northern Virginia. The CSA did not fully surrender until later.
Jefferson Davis was charged with treason but never convicted. There is an argument that he beat it on a technicality. Jimmy Carter restored his citizenship in 1978. Amazing, given that is only 40 years ago.
(Edited to correct typos)
Lee does not fit the definition of a traitor. He honorably chose to side with the secession. In a previous post I referred to the South as rebels. That is not entirely accurate. Perhaps my Northerner was kicking in.
The South peacefully issued the Articles of Secession in December of 1860. They felt they had the legal right within the Constitution to do that, citing States Rights. The North did not recognize the secession because they felt that the South did not petition Congress for approval. It was not until after the War that the secession process was tighten-up.
And so at the time we had the South believing they legally seceded and the North believing it was a rebellion.
The Civil War itself started when the South fired on Fort Sumter the following April, declaring that the presence of the Fort was a violation of their lawful sovereignty. The War escalated when the Union marched on Richmond which led to the Battle of Bull Run. From there the war was escalated into the full 4 year conflict.
Given the North won the war, Lee had to abide by the North's view that it was a rebellion. he applied for and was granted amnesty.
As aside, I recommend reading the account of the surrender at Appomattox.
Starts on Page 1709 of Volume II of Grant's Memoirs: https://goo.gl/iaxaYV
Grant did much to begin the healing and Lee followed suit in his life after the war. It seems thought the job is not done.
The Appomattox surrender was only that of the Army of Northern Virginia. The CSA did not fully surrender until later.
Jefferson Davis was charged with treason but never convicted. There is an argument that he beat it on a technicality. Jimmy Carter restored his citizenship in 1978. Amazing, given that is only 40 years ago.
(Edited to correct typos)
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