Southern Secession Commissioners and Causes of Civil War - Book Report/Review Example

Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War, Charles Dew Part I The author, Charles Dew, emphasized that the Union states illegally used force to impose its decision to free the slaves on the Southern States (Dew 1). The Southern states had sent commissioners to the other states to convince them to secede (separate) from the rest of the United States because the Republicans under United States President Abraham Lincoln did not agree with the Southern States’ decision to exercise the States’ right to keep the slaves as personal property of the Southern slave owners. Dew affirms the previous historians’ account that the Civil War cropped up because of the slave issue. The Union solders wanted the Confederate states to free the African American Slaves. On the other hand, the Southern States’ apostles of disunion (Southern Secession Commissioners) convinced the other Southern states to secede from the Union states as a matter of states’ right and to prevent the Republican (Union) states from meddling in the internal affairs of the Southern States. The Southern States’ 1860 to 1861 Apostles of Disunion came from Alabama, Lousiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Georgia. Further, the author does not agree with the previous historians treated the topic of the slave issue of the civil war (Dew 1). The previous historians created an impression that the Southern states have to right to keep the slaves as person properties. The previous historians created an impression that the Union States are completely right in forcing the Southern States to free their personal property, the slave. This image runs counter to the constitution’s democratic principle of ownership of property and the right of the state to exercise its political, economic, social and other rights and power over its citizens and residents. Furthermore, the author shows that some authors create an impression that the Southern states have a right to create and maintain their own destination (Dew 1). The same authors emphasize that the Southern States have the constitutional duty to prevent other states from preventing its political decision to maintain its own internal policies, including classifying the slaves as not equal to the White slave owners. The authors create an impression that the Southern States refuses marriages between African Americans and the superior White Race. The author offers a vivid answer to the issue of Slavery (Dew 1). Likewise, the author clearly answers the question that the Southern States have the right to secede in order to prevent the Republican states from meddling in the internal political, social, economic and other policies of the Southern States. The author insists that the Southern States have the states’ right to be free from the meddling affairs of the Republican (Union) states’ preference to the slaves within the Republican (Union) states (Dew 1). If the Southern (Confederate) States won the war, the current society of the Southern would be different. The current African Americans will continue to be slaves. As a person growing up in one of the Southern States, Dew’s personal opinion on the issue is biased in favor of his Southern States’ preference. Part II: The author includes documents to support his thesis and other statements (Dew 1). Dew includes the speeches and other documents contributed by institutions like Williams College, Library of Congress, Library of Virginia, Museum of the Confederacy, state historical society of Wisconsin, Mississippi Historical Society and University of Carolina. The author also uses the contributed materials from scholars to bolster his thesis and other emphasized issues. The scholars include Jon Wakelyn, John Hubbell, Jessie Hutcheson, and Ken Stampp. Further, the author uses the Douglas Southall Freeman’s Lee’s Lieutenants voluminous records to back up his concepts (Dew 1). Dew also scrutinized the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies to back up his issues. Dew states that the Southern states severed their ties with the Republicans on December 20, 1860. In response, the Republicans attacked the South to prevent the Secession and force the Southern States to free the slaves. Furthermore, the author interprets the evidence as bible truth. Dew insists that the evidences prove that the Southern States have a right to chart their own destiny, without the unwarranted interference of the Republican (Union) states’ minding the Southern States’ internal businesses. The primary evidences and secondary resources that include Michael Holt’s research, J Mill’s Thornton research, Peton Mccrary Article, Clark Miller article, and Dale Baum’s article prove that Dew’s slave issues are convincingly correct (Dew 1). Dew included the speeches of the Southern political leaders during 1860 to 1861 to back up his contentions that the coming Civil War was caused by the slave issue. Dew mentioned affirmed war records that the Civil War formally started with the battle of Fort Sumter Charleston, South Carolina when Confederate soldiers attacked the Union Soldiers’ fort on April 12, 1861. The author uses the speeches of the political leaders of the Southern states as evidence to support his book’s issues (Dew 1). The author uses the primary evidences offered by scholars and institutions to prove his several points. One of the evidencs is Stephens’ 1871 Cornerstone Speech stating the secession was the only way to prevent the Union states’ forced freeing of the Southern States’ slaves. The author treats the acquired evidences as bible truth (Dew 2). This is understandable. As a person growing up in one of the Southern States, Dew writes in a bias manner, favoring the Southern States’ preference to keep the slaves and prevent the African Americans from being equal to the White man in society. Dew goes forward to explain why current Day Southern States still insist of their right to keep the slaves by honoring the long dead Confederate soldiers, commanders, and other Confederate symbols. Dew affirms the many historians offer different interpretations of the past (Dew 1). Some interpretations affirm the same issues. Other historians present conflicting events or issues. Dew uses primary speeches and other documents created by the Southern States’ political leaders to back up his book’s contentions. The interpretations affirm the book’s overall arguments that the South had the right to secede or keep its slaves, and that the Republicans, Northerners, have no right to interfere with the internal affairs of the Southern States. Part III: The author, Dew, should be well completed for this literary masterpiece. He used lots of time, energy, and money to gather the evidences to prove his concepts. Dew spent lots of time, money, and energy searching for primary sources. Dew also spent time searching for secondary sources to prove his points. The book contains very convincing evidences that will sway the doubting readers to side with the author. In fact, the book will even persuade current day readers to take the time machine and travel back to fight on the side of the Confederate army. The book has several strengths. Dew presents primary evidences to prove his point. Likewise, Dew presents secondary references to prove his pro-slavery and pro-secession concepts. The book opens the eyes of the current generation. The book has its weaknesses. Dew does not offer enough evidences to prove that the Slaves have the right to freedom. Dew does not offer additional evidences to prove that the Republicans were forced into the war. In concluding, the book has some flaws. First, Dew’s book is filled to the brim with plenty of sources to prove his contentions. However, Dew should include more evidences that favor the Union’s side of the story, including the right of the slaves to be free. The book lacks evidences. The author should include more evidences including more primary resources and speeches of the Union (Republican) political leaders. The Dew book is very compelling. The book will surely strike most readers as an original work of historic art that originally looks at the slave issue from a different point of view, the view of the Southern States’s right to chart their own political destiny. Clearly, the book’s thesis convinces me to side with Dew’s thesis. The author’s inclusion of historical evidences, especially dates of historic value, vividly supports the author’s points of view. Surely, the author excellently used the acquired sources to present a very original and convincing concept that the Southern States should not be bothered, in terms of running their internal affairs. Dew is right in interpreting the evidences. The war proves that the Southern States’ people were willing to die for their causes, secession, right to keep slaves, right to keep the African Americans as unequal to the White person, and right not to be interfered by the Republican (Union) states. Dew’s book is very clear, direct to the point, and easily understood by the readers. Lastly, the entire book is very strong in many points. The book is weak in terms of gathering evidences that counter the author’s points of view. Works Cited Dew, Charles. Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War. Virginia: University of Virginia Press, 2002. Read More