By Mac and O...

By "Mac" and "O" you'll always know

true Irishmen, they say.

But, if they lack both "O" or "Mac",

no Irishmen are they.

The Scottish prefix "Mc" translates into English as "son of...", which is then followed by the surname.

Therefore, "McCain" literally means "son of Cain".

The Irish prefix "O" translates into English as "grandson of...", which is then followed by the surname.

Therefore, "O'Bama" literally means "grandson of Bama".

You learn something every day.

October 31: The Feast of Unclean Spirits

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." ~Psalm 101:3

"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." ~Psalm 141:4

Slavery and the Insanity of the 1860's: Robert E. Lee

There is little question that the vast majority, if not a full unanimity, of the leadership of the Confederacy were for the institution of slavery; this is a certainty. But, my point here is that the war was not about slavery.

I've found a few quotes from Robert E. Lee that best fit the topic at hand.

"So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained." ~Robert E. Lee

It's clear that he was basically opposed to slavery, and expressed how disinterested he was in the continuation of it.

He also said what I feel to be one of the best quotes of the war:
"This war is not about slavery." No interpretation needed there!

Another of his quotes, however, needs a bit more attention:

"In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it however a greater evil to the white man than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former.
The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence." ~Robert E. Lee

It isn't natural for any person to work under another for little or no gain, so it is necessary to justify certain practices in order to go along with the crowd.

Enslavement of Africans had been a long established institution all over the Western world, so those participating in it would have seen little error in its continuation.

Robert E. Lee, being a Christian, points out that he morally objects to slavery, but legitimizes it by saying that it helps in "their instruction as a race". He apparently, though erroneously, saw their "subjugation" as a necessary evil.

Even today, supporters of segregation point to God making "white man white, and black man black" for a reason: segregation, and to break this ordained separation would be destroying His ordinances. This idea is rather silly, and is, in fact, heresy.

There are only two races identified and recognised by God: Christian and non-Christian.

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
~Galatians 3:27-29

"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." ~Colossians 3:11

Had the war never started, and slavery continued to this day, I would fight to the death to end it; had the South won the war, and slavery continued to this day, I would fight it all the harder.


The institution of slavery didn't end in America because of the war, however.
And, I feel that, had the South won, it would have eventually phased-out, as it has in numerous other countries.

Slavery will forever be the blot on the banner of the Southern Confederacy's cause; it has, and always will, blind many to the true meaning of the war.

Slavery and the Insanity of the 1860's: The Honest Truth about Honest Abe

I was just thinking about the oft disputed relationship between the "Insanity of the 186o's", if you will, and slavery.

First of all, I feel it unnecessary to go into any great detail of how slavery, of any form, is repugnant in a free and Christian society.

Also, I feel it equally unnecessary to go into any great detail of the supposed "inferiority" or "superiority" of any man compared to another of differing skin shade, or the segregation thereof; this is equally repugnant in a free and Christian society.

What is noteworthy, though, is the position of the North and of the South on the matter, especially when contrasting them with the current presuppositions of modern opinion on the subject.

The most common opinion is that the South wanted slaves and the North didn't. To relegate both sides into such a paradigm, though, would be naive, as well as disrespectful to the men who died in that war.

To begin with, Abraham Lincoln, the supposed "Great Emancipator" of the slaves, may not be the greatest example of a Christian war-time President.

In response to a letter from Horace Greeley, somewhat critical of Lincoln's handling of the crisis, the President writes what I feel summarizes Lincoln's truest stance on the institution of slavery in America during the war:

"I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was."

If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them.

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.

I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views. I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free."

Greeley replied to this, once again critically, charging Lincoln to consider whether his domestic policies, as President, were following the law or rising above it.

What is clear to me is that Lincoln was opposed to slavery, but not to a degree that he would have wanted a war to end it. He perhaps saw slavery as his personal justification for a war that had already begun. The war greatly disturbed Lincoln to the point of near madness; in that, I pity him.

He abused his powers domestically by eliminating Habeas Corpus, among many other things, but I don't believe he was purposely usurping power; rather, I think he was simply unqualified and unconditioned to hold his office during the war.

I don't despise Abraham Lincoln; rather, I see him as a greatly fabled man, too caught up in matters beyond his control.

What Should It Be Called?

Everybody in America knows what "the Civil War" is, but the strange thing is that it was anything but a "civil war".

A "civil war" is best defined as two or more factions competing for control of a common political center; the war that took place in the 1860's did not fit this definition.

A term synonymous with the Civil War is the "War of Northern Aggression"; while there is no apparent bias with this appellation (!?!), our friends in the North find this term a bit one-sided.

"War Between the States"

I find fault with this term, as it is somewhat confusing and incorrect. (The United States of America was at war with The Confederate States of America, but Maine wasn't at war with Virginia.)

"War of the Rebellion"

I disagree with this one, also. The Confederacy wasn't in "rebellion" against anything; it was, and is, perfectly legal and moral for any state to secede from the Union.

"Second American Revolution"

Again, there was no revolt. Contrast this to the actual Revolutionary War, where there was a revolt against the controlling government by the subservient colonies.

"War of the Insurrection"; "Slaveholders War"; "Great Rebellion"; "War to Save the Union"

1. There wasn't an "insurrection"; 2. the war had less to do with slavery than any other cause; 3. there was no "rebellion"; 4. "What a noble title!" Oh, brother!

There are a few more obscure titles for "The War", but what I want is a clear, precise, succinct term for it.

Therefore, I shall be starting yet another poll for you, the reader, to decide what the unfortunate events of the 1860's shall be referred to on this blog.

I will be adding the poll at a later time, so if you have any suggestions, comment them; submit as many as you like.

Crumpled Currency

"No State shall... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; ..."
~U.S. Constitution

Somewhere along the line, somebody decided that the Government doesn't really need to obey laws.

The first act of deliberate disregard for this particular law was in 1862. (<---Interesting.) It was called a "Legal Tender Note".

There were also gold and silver certificates throughout this whole sordid ordeal, and these were redeemable in actual money.

But, we now know the dollar as a crumpled up piece of greenish-white paper that is redeemable in... nothing.

"Gee, I wonder why our economy is going under."

"Get me me pipe!"

Yes, those were the famous words that forever enshrined Grandma Margaret into the family history book. (She was Irish, hence the excessive use of "me".)


She was one of many pioneers of Kansas, and one of the very first settlers of Abilene. At one time, her picture hung in a museum there; we went to see it once, but they'd taken it down. (Go figure.)

And so, in honor of Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Margaret, I shall temporarily change my current profile picture from the statue of a minuteman to a photo of Grandma Margie.

Enjoy!

On the Goat Front...

With the turn in the weather, it has become necessary to start feeding alfalfa hay to our goats.

This particular kind of hay is full of crumbled up bits of dry alfalfa that like to catch in the early morning breeze and fly into my face! It's not a nice sensation to be digging alfalfa out of my ears all day, so that's one drawback.

We have two pastures that are separated by a single stretch of fence, one being larger than the other. After spending weeks repairing and re-repairing fences, we now have them confined to the smaller pasture... at least for now.

One good thing: they've stopped getting their heads caught in the fences! (Their horns act as catches, keeping them from pulling their heads out of the square mesh fencing.)

They like to stick their heads out to get at the grass just outside of the fence.
(That's one place we don't have to mow.)

Pictures of the little boogers can be found at the link to the right: "NottaLotta Acres".

What's That Rumbling Noise?

I think it's about 1.5 million American patriots rolling over in their graves.

Why have we reached such a state of depravity that we are forced to choose between a Fascist and a Socialist for president? Why must we have a government made up of professional politicians and career-long criminals? Why has my country and its people crawled, walked, skipped and jumped down the path of moral depravity?

How is it that we have broken every rule and principle of Freedom, proudly defending every institution of modern slavery?

I don't even know what America used to look like; I'm too young to even know what it was like to live in a truly free society.

"'Republic': I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober how ever they choose. Some words give you a feeling; 'Republic' is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat."... Some words can give you a feeling that make your heart warm; 'Republic' is one of those words."
~ John Wayne, in "The Alamo"

Too few people even know what "Republic" means. Too often, governments opposed to the idea of a free Republic use the word to describe their own country. (People's Republic of China, for one.)

What we have is a Federalized Constitutional Republic, but most Americans falsely call it a "Democracy". Only our elections are democratic.

A Democracy is rule by the people, but a Constitutional Republic is rule by law through representatives.

But, nobody cares. Nobody wants to care, anymore. There would be a national outcry if the voting on "American Idol" was rigged, but not if our own national elections were.

Those who realize the truth may only turn to God for the answer; others will turn to destruction.

Hacking Democracy

I know, I know, America is not a Democracy. Our Government is a Constitutional Republic, but we do have democratically elected civil servants... or do we?