Appomattox Anniversary

[Felix]

On April 9, 1865, in the small town of Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, Generals Lee and Grant signed a document setting out surrender terms to Union forces for the Army of Northern Virgina. Fighting would continue for some time, but for all intents and purposes the Civil War was over.

Before the Civil War, folks said "The United States are;" after the Civil War, it could be said that "The United States is."

Some people think that was a dreadful outcome. Considering the alternative, I do not.

[legaltender]

And it took another 74 years before Marian Anderson was allowed to perform on the Mall.

She was denied the use of Constitution Hall.

[Felix]

Yeah, you'll notice I did not say that the result of the war was to free blacks. Once Reconstruction was over, it was back to the plantation, with both de facto and de jure discrimination that replicated slavery in another form.

The major immediate result of the Civil War was to preserve the Union, removing the possibility of individual states leaving it. Hence, "The United States is," rather than "The United States are."

[Kordax]

I've cruised through Appomattox scores of times & whenever possible, I've stopped at the Appomattox Motel, a throwback to the tourist court days where individual "cottages" were the norm for travelers. The owner is a Civil War relics expert with a very nice collection of mainly southern artifacts from swords to riffles, pistols, ammunition (fired & unfired), books, diaries, letters, and a large ball & chain used by a Fairfax family for unruly slaves from 1780 forward.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend a visit.

[tcrashfx]

WTF?

We lost?

[Deleted]

Not to worry. Just think of it as another treaty.

[Jay]

"
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." ... 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."

Lincoln

[tcrashfx]

We could stand another President like Lincoln these days.