Confession and Apology

I had every intention of finishing my Black History series, but I realize right now may not be the time. You see, as I studied, I found that the Democratic Party consistently opposed civil rights and even repealed some of the laws that did get passed. They actually managed to remove Black Legislators who had been elected.

I guess I wanted to lay the facts out and then ask – why on earth do African Americans so vehemently support the Democratic Party? I realize that now the Democratic Party is the party of entitlements and welfare. Maybe that is why.

But, what started it? The Republican Party fought hard to give and protect equal civil rights.

That said, I now wonder about our public employees. I have not said much, but our state (Wisconsin) is broke. We do not have enough rich people to tax.

The public unions gladly take your dues and usually get Democrats elected for you. But have they really helped you? Why don’t you have the supplies you need if they are working for you? Why not put that money into your local schools and keep some control for yourself instead of paying dues?

Maybe the unions should give back just a little of that money to our schools for some of the basic supplies that are needed.

I know that there have been times when unions have really helped the poor workers. Now, however, they seem to clog the system with demands that are bringing the state down. Does it really have to take more than a year to negotiate a contract?

So, now the Democrat Senators have fled the state. I understand that the pink slips would not have gone out if they had come back. Are they actually helping the situation by doing this?

I do not believe the Republicans want to beat the workers into the ground. In fact, your average Republican is probably low and middle class. We live and work here too. Wisconsin does have some of the best civil service protections in the country.

I’ve read. I’ve studied. I have nothing to gain but maybe a state that won’t go bankrupt. I’m being transparent and honest. I want to understand and welcome your comments. I will not argue. I most likely will not comment. I only reserve the right to remove any comments that are vile and obscene.

With that, I hope to return to Black History next February when I can concentrate on the wonderful richness that these Americans have given our country.

Early Civil Rights II

While Black Americans gained rights by law, Democrats despised them and used any means to keep them from voting, sometimes devious, sometimes violent.

For example, in Georgia they ruled that while Blacks might be elected, they could not serve. They went so far as to expel 31 elected Blacks from the Legislature.

Democrats also rushed the floor of the Louisiana Legislature to seize power from the elected Black Republicans. Federal troops had to restore peace and return the African Americans to their positions.

Congress, therefore, required Confederate States to rewrite their state constitutions to include equal civil rights. This brought on massive resistance, riots and attacks.

Much opposition to Black Americans occurred state by state. In 1866, however, Democrats formed a group to break down the Republican government - the Ku Klux Klan. Thirteen volumes documenting the Congressional investigations in 1872 conclude that the KKK played a prominent role in the Democratic Party through murders and public floggings.

In 1866 Congress passed the Civil Rights law that made it illegal to deprive a person of civil rights because of race, color or previous servitude. Democratic President Andrew Johnson vetoed this bill, but Republicans overrode it.

Two more civil rights laws were passed that year - one protecting marriage, one prohibiting slave-hunting.

Three years after the Civil War, Democrats were still refusing to recognize any rights of citizenship for Black Americans. Knowing that these laws could be easily rescinded by a future Congress, the Legislature moved to guarantee these rights with the 14th Amendment. Once again, no Democrats voted for the Amendment.

African Americans progressed so well through the Republican Party that Democrats fought back. They ignored the 13th and 14th Amendments by manipulating laws and election results.

In 1868 General Wade Hampton, a former Confederate General, became the Democratic Governor of South Carolina. As a member of the Resolutions Committee, he inserted a clause into the Democratic platform declaring that federal civil rights laws were “unconstitutional, revolutionary and void.” He even demanded abolition of Freedmen’s Bureau.

Knowing that the civil rights laws could be overturned, Congress passed the 15th Amendment; it guaranteed that voting rights could not be denied on the basis of race or color – the final of the 3 post War civil rights Amendments. It passed along straight partisan lines with no Democratic votes.

Early Civil Rights

During and after the Civil War, Republicans worked to guarantee civil rights for Black Americans. Even though “states rights” was the cry from the South, it really meant the right to slavery, Black Codes, segregation and institutional discrimination.

With the elections of 1860 and 1864, Republicans gained a firm control of the federal government.

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863. This more clearly defined the objective of the war and represented a major step toward total abolition of slavery. In addition, it turned foreign popular opinion in favor of the Union because both England and France had eliminated slavery in the previous decades on moral grounds.

In 1864 Republicans passed several civil rights laws. They equalized pay for soldiers in the military, be they white or black. They repealed the Fugitive Slave Law with almost unanimous opposition of northern Democrats.

The new Freedmen’s Bureau distributed medicine, food, and clothing and supervised captured Confederate lands.

The Republican party platform of 1864 called for a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery completely. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued, they knew that if they lost legislative power, slavery could once again be instituted.

Congress passed this 13th Amendment even before the war was over. All 118 Republicans voted for it. Of the 82 Democrats, only 19 voted to end slavery. That was merely 23%.

To commemorate the passing of this amendment, Congress (only Republican members, Democrats would not join) asked Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, a Black preacher, to deliver a sermon in the House.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 defined Blacks as U.S. citizens and promised them “full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property,”

Johnson, our Democrat president, vetoed this bill, but Congress passed it over the veto.

Knowing that southerners would bring a court challenge to this bill, Republicans moved to make it permanent with the 14th Amendment.

Former Confederate Rebels were not allowed to vote unless they swore an oath of allegiance to the U.S. and an oath to respect civil rights of Black Americans; many refused and, therefore, the Republican party was the main party for several years.

The 1866 midterm election sent 2/3 Republican majority to each house and within a year, Blacks were registering to vote. Southern Republican legislatures protected voting rights, prohibited segregation, established public education, opened public transportation, State police, schools, etc. to Black Americans.

Many Blacks were elected to state legislatures. Of the first 632 Black State Representatives, all of them were Republicans. The Blacks and the Republicans were dedicated to equal, civil rights for all.