- July 7th, 2020, 9:18 pm
#603533
“ Nowhere in the Constitution, as it was written in 1787, is the concept of citizenship actually defined. In the five places where the Constitution refers to citizenship, it speaks of citizens of the states, and citizens of the United States. But the Constitution made no effort to sort out the relationship between the two, leaving the strange sense that Americans possessed a kind of dual citizenship, in their native State . . . and in the Union.
Until the Civil War settled matters, there was a plausible vagueness in the Constitution about the loyalty owed by citizens of states and the Union, and so long as it could be argued that Lee was simply functioning within the latitude of that vagueness by following his Virginia citizenship, it would be extraordinarily difficult to persuade a civilian jury that he had knowingly committed treason.”
At that time, people considered themselves citizens of their State first the United States Second. So fighting for ones State would not seem like a treasonous act. Secondly, they made their intentions clear in advance. There was no clandestine or secretive move. Soldiers from a West Point declared themselves States declared themselves sides were clearly drawn. Thirdly, there were no provisions prohibiting the secession of States from the Union. Fourthly, you had Ft Sumpter, but there is a reason it can technically be called the War of Northern Aggression. The CSA didn’t invade territories of the North until well into the War. Finally CSA soldiers and citizens were never labeled Traitors by congress and in fact the opposite on several occasions. Those are just reasons in broad strokes. I obviously am not an advocate of the main reason the Southern States decided to leave the Union. But to call them a Traitors is just rewriting history.
The American Revolution was by far a more treasonous act than the Civil War
thepostman wrote: ↑July 7th, 2020, 8:13 pm I'm not sure they can be viewed as anything but traitors.https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/blog ... -traitors/
“ Nowhere in the Constitution, as it was written in 1787, is the concept of citizenship actually defined. In the five places where the Constitution refers to citizenship, it speaks of citizens of the states, and citizens of the United States. But the Constitution made no effort to sort out the relationship between the two, leaving the strange sense that Americans possessed a kind of dual citizenship, in their native State . . . and in the Union.
Until the Civil War settled matters, there was a plausible vagueness in the Constitution about the loyalty owed by citizens of states and the Union, and so long as it could be argued that Lee was simply functioning within the latitude of that vagueness by following his Virginia citizenship, it would be extraordinarily difficult to persuade a civilian jury that he had knowingly committed treason.”
At that time, people considered themselves citizens of their State first the United States Second. So fighting for ones State would not seem like a treasonous act. Secondly, they made their intentions clear in advance. There was no clandestine or secretive move. Soldiers from a West Point declared themselves States declared themselves sides were clearly drawn. Thirdly, there were no provisions prohibiting the secession of States from the Union. Fourthly, you had Ft Sumpter, but there is a reason it can technically be called the War of Northern Aggression. The CSA didn’t invade territories of the North until well into the War. Finally CSA soldiers and citizens were never labeled Traitors by congress and in fact the opposite on several occasions. Those are just reasons in broad strokes. I obviously am not an advocate of the main reason the Southern States decided to leave the Union. But to call them a Traitors is just rewriting history.
The American Revolution was by far a more treasonous act than the Civil War
Last edited by Purple Haize on July 7th, 2020, 9:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Potentate of The Dark Side
Aspiring Upward Basketball Coach
Suck on my Funk and Wagnalls! - Unknown
Aspiring Upward Basketball Coach
Suck on my Funk and Wagnalls! - Unknown