Last Tuesday evening nine local faith leaders spoke out at a rally in front of the Talbot County Courthouse. Each one gave clear testimony about their understanding that the presence of the Confederate Monument on the Courthouse lawn represents an immorality imposed during the time of Jim Crow to foster intimidation of dark-skinned citizens of Talbot County. That it is still there is an insult to morality, to justice.
Please consider this as you continue to think about moving the statue.
Sarah Sayre
Claiborne
paul callahan says
Sarah,
The majority of Talbot citizens view this monument first and foremost as a memorial to our Talbot ancestors which also happens to have confederate symbols. It is not, and never was, a monument to the confederacy.
Additionally, due to the selection of an unarmed boy holding a flag in the ceremonial position of surrender it is illogical to believe that the purpose of this memorial had any intention of intimidation. We as Americans do not judge people or groups of people by what laws were being passed or what movie happened to be playing during the time.
It is an American custom to honor our veterans on courthouse grounds, and yes by an act of Congress these men are veterans. Our veterans are not honored based upon the popularity or the war they fought, and they are not dishonored because a misinformed few later judge them or the conflict a century or so later. Our veterans are honored because by their actions they exhibit traits that we as Americans hold in the highest esteem. Our Nation was founded because of men willing to stand up against tyranny, and to stand for the right of self-government. It is because of men like these that you and I are able to freely express our opinions publicly, that we have religious freedom, and our religious leaders can express their opinions on the Court house steps.
These men were the products of their time. They experienced the greatest Constitutional crisis this Country has ever seen. They experienced their Constitutional rights and liberties unlawfully taken and their homeland occupied by a foreign force. They did not have a crystal ball to tell them how things would turn out and they decided to act in the only means left available to them. The majority respect that.
The accusation put forth that these men only acted to preserve slavery is a myth put out by those who have their own specific agenda and has no basis in the facts of history. Mr. Lincoln did not send Federal troops into the States to end slavery and abolition was never a war objective until the war’s third year.
I would like to refer you, and anyone else reading this, to Mr. Lincoln’s inaugural speech of 1861 and to Frederick Douglass’s Freedmens Monument Speech of 1876. You can easily google both and once you do you will realize the truth of the events of that time. I refer you to these original sources because third party organizations, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, are publishing incorrect talking points meant to manipulate many such as yourself. I am asking you to read and think for yourself.
We do not need to change or manipulate history to support the social justice movement. Once you understand the true history, you will realize the social justice movement and this memorial to our veteran ancestors are not mutually exclusive.
Yes confederate symbols have become offensive. Though they are very nondescript on this monument, they are there and the symbols should be removed in respect to those that find them offensive. As I stated this is first and foremost a memorial to our veteran ancestors that happens to have confederate symbols.
These men have earned their place. More importantly the history of what they did and what Maryland experienced during the US Civil War needs to be preserved and told.
Charles Barranco says
Mr Callahan,
Are names of slaves from Unionville inscribed on the monument, or only white boys who fought for the Confederacy? If only White Talbot Boys, I believe your argument falls.
It’s apparent to the reader that you have clouded the real issue which is, the monument doesn’t represent all the residents of Talbot County. You seem to be in agreement with Justice Taney;
Slaves were property and couldn’t be counted as humans.
Thus, only White Talbot Boys were counted. Nes Pas?
I doubt the Majority of current citizens want the monument to remain.
Btw, where did you get that survey? A cite please.
One last thought, but really a question;
Would you want a remembrance of seeing your mother and sisters raped and beaten and your father lynched?
Paul Callahan says
You obviously have not read the speeches I recommended you to read.
Do you even know there were 4 slave states in the Union that continued practicing slavery during the entire war?
Do you understand that Mr. Lincoln said he had no intention or authority to end slavery?
Do you know that Lincoln said he would forever guarantee slavery in the Southern States if they just returned?
Do you understand that Mr. Lincoln stated his only intention was to reunify the States and he would protect slavery to do so?
Do you realize the Maryland legislature put out a proclamation that the war was only about union and slavery would remain afterwards?
Do you know that Mr. Douglass stated that Mr. Lincoln only used the moral grounds of abolition during the war’s third year to support his goal of reunification?
Once you understand these historical facts how can anyone say the men from Talbot went to war in 1861 to protect slavery? – that is a myth.
Slavery was an evil – you have no argument there, but that is not why these men went to war.
It would be great if we could put our efforts to creating a memorial to both the white and Colored Union soldiers. It is far better too build then to tear down.
The issue has been voted on several times in the past. There were many that ran for county council on the platform to remove this memorial. The majority rejected them – they got few votes. If the majority wanted the monument removed those candidates would have been elected to do so.
PS Unless we have citizens who are 170 years old I don’t believe anyone alive in Talbot saw theIr mothers, sisters or fathers harmed during the Civil War.
Please read what Mr. Douglass recorded for us. Please read what Mr. Lincoln said his intentions were…… think for yourself and not how others want you to think.