Sweet Home Alabama

Last year America’s finest news source broke the story that a leading public relations firm had advised the United States to cut ties with Alabama.

At this time, we believe it’s in America’s best interests to discontinue its relationship with Alabama,” said Hill & Knowlton senior partner Dylan Feldstone, adding that the United States and Alabama were “heading in two different directions right now.” “Please note that we are not saying there is anything wrong with Alabama. It’s just that as the United States works to maintain and strengthen its worldwide reputation, we believe it is everyone’s best interests if it parts ways with the state.

“We’re certain the state of Alabama will understand this,” Feldstone continued. “They know how these things work.”

Then this esteemed news organization offered this video to elaborate:

The story got local attention in Alabama as well.

We await the expected reaction from the usual parties.

The Confederate Soldier, Slavery, and Emancipation

Ben Jones, chief of heritage operations for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, reminds us that James I. Robertson once wrote:

“Just as most Northerners did not fight to end slavery, most Southerners did not fight to preserve it.”

Let’s add what followed for some clarification: “By and large, owning slaves was the privilege of the well-to-do. The rank and file of the Southern armies was composed of farmers and laborers who volunteered to protect home and everything dear from Northern invaders, to keep their traditions and be left alone.”

Ben’s kindly conceded that one should use “Confederates” rather than southerners, and for good reason.

However, this quote, from Tenting Tonight, one of the volumes in the Time-Life series on the American Civil War, raises far more questions than it answers.

What traditions? Who was not leaving them alone? What were they failing to leave alone? What needed to be left alone?