TURNING TO FABLES

It is something of a mystery to me why so many people, including Southerners, believe the lies they've been told about the War for/against Southern Independence, when the truth is so readily available. Perhaps the answer is found in the words of Russian revolutionary leader, and first premier of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin. He said, "If a lie is told often enough, it will become truth."
We know the Union had to perpetrate demonic lies in order to explain it's illegal invasion of the sovereign states of the Confederacy. They have demonized our honorable Confederate forefathers, and have made our noble Southern heritage a legacy of shame. And how did they do it? With lies. Lies that have been taught constantly and continually for almost a hundred and fifty years. And many people have become believers.

In his last letter from a Roman prison, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, the leader of the Ephesian Church. He warned that, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Tim. 3:13) Then he tells us, "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables." (2 Tim. 4:4) This Scriptural Truth is a reality today. Not only in the Church and the world at large, but in this country. We are a people "Turning to Fables."

We must overcome the lies with truth. Just as Jesus commissioned the church to spread the truth to the world, General S.D. Lee commissioned the Sons of Confederate Veterans with the Charge. It is our duty to spread the truth about our forefathers and our heritage.

We can boldly tell our friends, neighbors, and relatives: Our Confederate ancestors were not fighting for slavery. They were fighting to defend their country against an invasion. Yes, they failed, and our country was lost at the point of a sword. But, we can and should be proud of them for their service, and honor their sacrifice.

We say that this country is, "The land of the free, and home of the brave."

But, when the leaders of a state that asked our forefathers to leave their homes and go to war to suffer and die in it's defence, refuse to honor their memory for fear of being politically incorrect, that is not "brave." And, when we accept lies as truth, either out of ignorance or indifference, that is not being "free." Just ask Vladimir Lenin.

Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." My prayer today is for truth. May the Lord grant us the knowledge of truth, and the conviction to speak the truth to others. For Jesus' sake we ask.....Amen.

Brother Len Patterson, Th.D
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans
(http://www.scv.org/)

BOOK REVIEW: VIcksburg 1863 by Winston Groom

Winston Groom is one of my favorite historical writers and I just finished his latest book, Vicksburg 1863 (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2009). Vicksburg was one of the most important campaigns of the War For Southern Independence and was critical to the eventual victory by the North. Groom spends the first half of the book introducing the main players, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Shearman, John Pemberton, Joseph Johnston, Jefferson Davis, Stephen Dill Lee and others. He then lays the ground work for the eventual siege of Vicksburg by reviewing the earlier movements and battles, including the earliest attacks on Vicksburg by the Union Navy, the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou and the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson and Champion's Hill. There is also the thrilling exploits of the C.S.S. Arkansas, which ran the gauntlet of the Federal fleet to make a dramatic entry into Vicksburg.


When he get's into the siege, Groom quotes extensively from the diaries of Vickburg civilians to give the all important impact on the noncombatants who were trapped there and ruthlessly bombarded by Grant. I also appreciated Groom including the siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, which was going on at the same time and kept the Union Army split. Port Hudson is about 200 miles south of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River and kept the army of General Nathanial Banks tied up there, and kept that stretch of the river open to the Confederacy until both surrendered.

I also enjoyed Groom's detailing the famous, or infamous, drunken spree that Grant went on during the siege of Vicksburg. The spree was both disgraceful as well has humorous. It was too bad for the Confederates that Grant's irresponible behavior was basically covered up and he was never officially held accountable for it. I thought it courageous and honest to history to cover it as extensively as he did. Too many historians take the politically correct approach and either ignore it or dismiss it as unimportant. Grant deserved to be dismissed from the service, in my opinion.

There was plently of blame to go around for the loss of Vicksburg for the Confederacy. For the most part I think Groom was fair in his conclusions. However I disagree with his viewpoint that the Confederacy had no chance of victory after Vicksburg. It was a crippling blow, but I don't think a fatal one. Probably the Atlanta campaign of 1864 was much more of a fatal blow to the cause of Southern Independence, in my opinion.

I believe the book is a good overview of the entire campaign and I enjoyed the insights about the siege itself the most. I live only about five hours by auto from Vicksburg, so I try to get up there to tour the battlefield every couple of years. It is one of the most extensive battlefield parks in the country and I never get tired of visiting it. I think the visitor center too small, but the book store is pretty good. The driving tour is great with many important features, such as the Third Louisiana Redan, Stockade Redan, and the U.S.S. Cairo, which has its own museum.

CONFEDERATE HEROES MONTH

January is a very special month for those of us of Confederate Heritage. It is the month that our two greatest military heroes were born, Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Not only do we pay tribute to those two Southern greats, but all of our Confederate ancestors and the great and good principles for which they fought. In spite of what our politically correct culture tells us about the causes of the War For Southern Independence, we know the truth is that they were fighting to rescue us, their descendants, from overpowering, centralized government, that makes a mockery of the founding principles of the United States -- which were limited, constitutional government where the real political power was in the state and local governments where the people have the most control.     This "Principle of Confederacy" was what the Founding Fathers gave us in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence and in 1789 with the U.S. Constitution. In fact, if you read the writings of the Founders, you'll see that they frequently refer to the U.S. as a Confederacy. They knew the dangers of highly centralized government, which eventually descends into some form of totalitarian dictatorship. The Confederate Constitution of  1861 preserved those founding principles of 1776 and 1789. That's why Lee, Jackson, Davis and our Confederate ancestors were willing to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.      And let us not forget the noble women of the South when we are celebrating Lee and Jackson. Without the self-sacrificing support of Confederate women, the men would not have lasted very long in the field. Just as the men suffered in camp, on the march and in battle, so did the women who kept home and family together during those very trying  times.

     While overwhelming numbers and resources prevailed for the North, the principles of Confederacy for which the South fought, are still very much alive and well in the political debates of modern America. In this Confederate Heroes Month, let pay tribute to our noble ancestors and the cause for which they fought.

THE CONFEDERATE SOUTH IS PRO-LIFE

There's no doubt about it. The Confederate South is the most pro-life part of the nation. Without the Confederate South, the federal government would be much more pro-abortion than it is already. But at least the Confederate South is saving as many unborn babies as it legally can under the horrendous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which forces the evil practice of abortion on all 50 U.S. states.

It is a shame that Louisiana, a pro-life  Confederate state, is forced to allow this diabolical practice. It is also a shame that it is represented in the U.S. Senate by a pro-abortion senator, Mary Landrieu, Democrat. Here is the response from the Louisiana Right To Life organization to Landrieu's latest pro-abortion vote in the federal senate on the so-called health care bill:

December 10, 2009              
LA Right to Life Releases Newspaper Ads Reminding
Senator Landrieu: Abortion is NOT Health Care
Louisiana Right to Life Urges Senator Landrieu to oppose “cloture” on H.R. 3590.
Baton Rouge, LA ‐‐ In conjunction with Louisiana Family Forum Action and the Acadiana Right to Life Committee, Louisiana Right to Life has published half‐page ads in three prominent
Louisiana newspapers.  The ads call attention to Senator Mary Landrieu’s recent vote in favor of abortion funding and urge Senator Landrieu to oppose the vote on “cloture” on H.R. 3590.
 
The half‐page ad will run in The Advocate on Thursday and the Times Picayune and Lafayette’s The Advertiser on Friday.  Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of the Louisiana Right to Life
Federation, made the following comment after the releasing the ads:

“Senator Landrieu has asserted in the defense of her vote against the Nelson Amendment that pro‐lifers manufactured the issue of abortion in order to ”scuttle” health care reform.  However,
this ad reminds Senator Landrieu, and Louisiana, that we believe abortion is not health care, and without the Nelson Amendment, the Senate health care bill will authorize government
funding of abortion.”

“We hope Senator Landrieu stands for Louisiana values by opposing ”cloture” on H.R. 3590,” Clapper concluded. 

Louisiana Right to Life Federation (LARTL), established in 1970, works through education and legislation to restore the right to life in Louisiana by opposing abortion, euthanasia, and other life destroying actions.
 
Enclosed: Ad Run Thursday in Advocate in the Main News Section
Additional Resources Available Online at www.ProLifeLouisiana.org/Healthcare:
 Point by Point Rebuttal to Senator Landrieu’s December 8th Press Release
 Louisiana Right to Life December 8 Press Release on Defeat of Nelson Amendment

### 

God bless and protect the unborn, and God bless our Confederate South!
Mike Jones

WAR ON SOUTHERN CIVILIANS

The Lincoln administration's deliberate war on innocent Southern civilians would, if it happened today in any foreign nation, no doubt be considered a war crime. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell details the cruel way the O'Hara family was treated by a single forager, and then Gen. William T.Sherman's main army while burning and robbings his way from "Atlanta to the Sea." After reading Gone With The Wind, I wanted to read a straight history on the campaign for comparison, and found War Like the Thunder Bolt by Russell S. Bonds (Westholme, Yardley, Pa. 2009) to be an excellent read.

In his book, Bond gives a very good historical account of both the Atlanta campaign, as well as the burnings of Atlanta and the mistreatment of civilians. The campaign stretched from the summer of 1864 to that fall, leaving the whole region devastated, the city, as well as other towns, in ashes and many civilians destitute and in a starving condition. Battles of Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Ezra Church and Jonesboro are all detailed, as well as the dramatic assumption of command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee by Gen. John Bell Hood.

We also read profiles of the many colorful personalities involved, including Confederates Hood, Joseph E. Johnston, Patrick Cleburne; Yankees Sherman, George Thomas, Benjamin Harrison, and civilians like 10-year-old Carrie Berry, who withstood the siege and occupation and recorded it in her diary. The mistreatment of civilians was every bit as portrayed by Mitchell in Gone With the Wind.

War Like the Thunderbolt, The Burning and Battle of Atlanta by Russell S. Bonds, Westholme Publishing Inc., Yardley, Pa.; 522 pages; maps, photographs; bibliogrpahy; endnotes; index; $29.95 index.

The Sum of Good Government

Thomas Jefferson's "Doctrine of States Rights" was the political foundation of the government of the Confederate States of America. Here are some Jefferson quotes that summarize "Good Government."

"The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government." --Thomas Jefferson to Maryland Republicans, 1809. ME 16:359

"The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it." --Thomas Jefferson to M. van der Kemp, 1812. ME 13:135

"The first object of human association [is] the full improvement of their condition." --Thomas Jefferson: Declaration and Protest of Virginia, 1825. ME 17:444

"The happiness and prosperity of our citizens... is the only legitimate object of government and the first duty of governors." --Thomas Jefferson to Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1811. ME 13:41

"The energies of the nation... shall be reserved for improvement of the condition of man, not wasted in his destruction." --Thomas Jefferson: Reply to Address, 1801. ME 10:248

"Here... will be preserved a model of government, securing to man his rights and the fruits of his labor, by an organization constantly subject to his own will." --Thomas Jefferson to William Plumer, 1815. ME 14:237

"The freedom and happiness of man... [are] the sole objects of all legitimate government." --Thomas Jefferson to Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1810. ME 12:369

"The equal rights of man, and the happiness of every individual, are now acknowledged to be the only legitimate objects of government." --Thomas Jefferson to A. Coray, 1823. ME 15:482

"To preserve the peace of our fellow citizens, promote their prosperity and happiness, reunite opinion, cultivate a spirit of candor, moderation, charity and forbearance toward one another, are objects calling for the efforts and sacrifices of every good man and patriot. Our religion enjoins it; our happiness demands it; and no sacrifice is requisite but of passions hostile to both." --Thomas Jefferson: to Rhode Island Assembly, 1801. ME 10:262

"All religions are equally independent here, our laws knowing no distinction of country, of classes among individuals and with nations, our [creed] is justice and reciprocity." --Thomas Jefferson to the Emperor of Morocco, 1803. ME 19:136

Why Did the South Lose?

This is a question that has plagued many. Why did the South lose the war for Southern independence? I'm not speaking militarily, or referring to strategies, fighting ability, or armaments. These points have been studied and analyzed for almost a hundred and forty-five years. I speak here of something much deeper and far more important.

If the South was right, and we know that it was. If the Southern Cause was true, and we know that it was. If the Southern army was far more Christian than the Union army, and we know that it was. If the Confederate president and leadership were vastly more honorable and Godly than those of the Union, and we know that they were. And, if God is on the side of what is right, true, Christian, and Godly, and we know that He is. Then, why did the South lose?

There is one, and only one, possible answer, and to me it seems obvious. It's not over! Oh, the shooting war may have ended long ago, but the battle rages on. The struggle for what is right, true, and Godly has not ended. Our Southern heritage and the principles of our founding fathers are still under attack. And we, like those brave Confederates who faced the barbaric Union invaders, are still being forced to defend what is true and Godly against deceitful and demonic oppressors.

Consider the nation of Israel. In A.D. 70, and again in A.D. 135, the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem, renamed it, and denied the Jews any hope of ever seeing their homeland again. But, nearly nineteen centuries later, long after the Roman Empire had fallen, Israel rose from the ashes and is once again a strong and powerful nation. It's never over until God says it's over.

Consider also our Lord. He was executed as a criminal with criminals. His followers were in fear and despair. They had believed Him. Trusted Him. And now, He was dead. The Romans who crucified Him, thought it was over. The Jewish leaders who sought His death, thought it was over. Even His disciples and friends, thought it was over. But, it wasn't over. Three days later Jesus arose from a cold grave turning death into victory, and despair into joy.

The Bible tells us, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" The South's Cause of truth, freedom, justice, and Christian Godliness is not lost. It's just not over. And I know it's not over because we haven't won yet. We may not know God's plan, or exactly what He is going to do. But this we can know: It may take nineteen hundred years or just a few days, but God's side always wins.

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D.

Chaplain, Army of Trans Mississippi

Sons of Confederate Veterans