Lee the Enigma

matthew mckeon · #91 10-21-2007, 08:02 AM

I am reminded of the great line from the musical "1776" about the Declaration of Independence(really).

Tory Delegate: "....this illegal rebellion!"

Ben Franklin: "Mr Dickinson, I'm surprised at you. Rebellions in the first person are always legal, as in "our rebellion." Only rebellions in the third person, "their rebellion" are illegal."

larry_cockerham · #92 10-21-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cw1865

Read my posts, you will see I am decidedly pro-Union.

If you read my posts, along with all the blarney, you'll discover I'm pro Union as well. Legally and patriotically, there was really no other conscious choice.

Lee, Forrest and a few others thought differently and paid with blood for their decision. In fact both those guys would well have preferred a legislative solution rather than four years of terror. This was a most complicated affair having many nuances, twists, crazy fools doing dumb things, not so crazy fools doing things for the wrong reasons, some fools doing heroic things and others just trying to survive.

cw1865 · #93 10-21-2007, 10:05 AM

Well, do you concur with me that the actions of individuals like Lee do not constitute treason?

ole · #94 10-21-2007, 11:11 AM

There were likely a great many tricks that could have been used to show that rebellion was not legally treason--especially since so many of the players' grandfathers had conducted a much admired rebellion.

Thank goodness the rads saw the light and gave up. Although it would be great fun to monitor a mock trial on that subject staged by top Constitutional lawyers.

ole

ole · #95 10-21-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Forrest perhaps wasn't bearing arms against the government, but merely the annoying soldiers bearing arms against him?

A bit difficult to make that argument, Larry, since attacking soldiers wearing the uniform and carrying the flag of the USA is bearing arms against the government.

ole

larry_cockerham · #96 10-21-2007, 12:51 PM

I still suspect Forrest was looking at a sword and rifle muzzle without really thinking about the legalities of the situation.

Should a major general (also private, colonel and lt. general in his brief career) have known better? Even one with a half year of formal education and $2 million bucks in the bank? Of course he did. This was war. He knew the risks of being a traitor same as the next guy. Goes back to the statement Ben Franklin made about the American revolution. "Gentlemen, we must hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately". That was no small risk and was not taken lightly. Neither was the American Civil War. It was time to fight, didn't much matter which "side" you were on or where you came from.