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Civil War not over states’ rights, but another war may be

    Re the Jan. 16 reprint of an editorial, “States’ rights redux,” from the Post-Intelligencer of Paris, Tenn.: The essay begins with this question, “Didn’t we fight the Civil War over whether federal law prevails over states’ rights?” The author of that article presumes erroneously that we did, but that presumption is sheer nonsense based on a complete distortion of history!
    The American Civil War was a fight to save the nation from breaking apart. In the mid-19th century, the country was expanding into the Western territories. New states were being created and added to the union. During this time, there was a growing recognition of the evils of slavery Beginning in Massachusetts and spreading quickly, the movement to abolish slavery gained strength. With each passing day, more Yankees signed on. Unfortunately, the Constitution protected slavery where it already existed, so the anti-slavery advocates turned their attention to preventing the South from spreading the hateful institution into the newly forming states.
    Southern politicians fought back, but they realized that they would ultimately lose the political battle to the larger, more populous North. Southern leaders decided to pull out of the union; they would create their own country. The rebels formally seceded from the United States, crying “states’ rights,” but their real goal was to perpetuate the plantation system upon which their slavehold aristocracy rested.
    One only needs to examine the outcome of the Civil War to understand that it had nothing to [do] with states’ rights! The war ended when the North had accomplished its two objectives: the reunification of the country and the abolition of slavery. To ensure the freedom and civil rights of the ex-slaves, the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were added to the Constitution. There was no change made to the Constitution that elevated federal law over the rights of the states.
    In fact, after the dreadful war, many northern congressional politicians wanted to punish the southern states. The congressmen were determined to treat the states as conquered territory. They intended to confiscate and redistribute the rebel property and deprive many souther citizens of their voting rights. Abraham Lincoln had to fight hard to prevent that. He insisted that upon resuming their place in the union, the southern states were entitled to exercise all the rights and receive all the protections guaranteed by the Constitution.
    Years of tireless work of by the ultraliberal elements of both political parties have brought our once-proud democratic republic to this state of lawlessness. Now the federal government is securely in the hands of progressive politicians (progressive is the American term for Marxists and socialists) who are constantly enlarging the scope of federal power at the expense of states’ rights and individual liberties.
    The American Civil War did not decide that federal law trumps state law. In fact the Constitution placed the preponder ance of power in the hands of the states and its citizens, and that has never been legally changed. The shift in power from state to federal level has come about be cause of feckless American public has let it happen.
    If the voters do not wake up soon elect freedom-loving men and women integrity who respect the Constitution, we might one day find ourselves in another civil conflict. This time the war would actually have to be fought not only to reclaim the rights of the states, but also to take back our personal freedoms!

    PAMELA TERLAAK-POOT
    Broadalbin

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The American Civil War did not decide that federal law trumps state law. In fact the Constitution placed the preponder ance of power in the hands of the states and its citizens, and that has never been legally changed. The shift in power from state to federal level has come about be cause of feckless American public has let it happen.