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Thread: A Southerner Repents, A Confession By Fred Reed

  1. #1

    A Southerner Repents, A Confession By Fred Reed

    My sins creep up on me, sent by the Devil, and beset me by surprise. I know not what to do. A month ago, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, I sat on the banks of the Rappahannock River, upon which as a stripling I had canoed and fished, and reflected on how much I liked the South. I knew I should not. At least I am told that I should not, chiefly by people who would make a hoe seem a pinnacle of intellect, but these are the bedrock of Yankee society, and I must respect them.
    Besides, I fear that meridional leanings are in my blood. Yes, alas. I am tainted. I am Frederick Venable Reed. Charles Scott Venable was on Lee’s staff, and Andrew Reid Venable of the staff of Jeb Stuart. We have never looked fondly on Federal intrusion. So there I am.
    And yet, much as I loved the peace and light of the riverbank in that Southern town, much as I treasured a boyhood of BB guns and bare feet and dogs with no licences and people who talked slow and suppple as the Good Lord intended, I had to concede the sins of the South. Even today, the dark stains remain. The signs are everywhere.
    Although it wrenches my soul to confront it, there are reasons why the South has so often been wracked by racial rioting—by outpourings of the rage of the downtrodden against an unjust civilization. However much the states of the old Confederacy may seek to deny it, they cannot. People do not take to the streets, burn their homes and cities, unless pressed beyond forbearance by the cruelty of the oppressor’s iron fist.
    Thus these eruptions of racial desperation have occurred all across Dixie: in Detroit, Ferguson, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Washington DC, Watts, St. Louis, Cincinnati. Yes. Though I am a son of the Southland, I will not lie. The truth is the truth. I bow my head in shame.
    And I am further forced to own that, while the black population of the North prospers, and mingles easily with its white brethren in casual but sincere amity, in the South the Negro huddles in the slums, denied schooling, and living on the meager charity of whites. Should you doubt this, look to Newark, Trenton, Camden, Detroit, Chicago, Flint, Gary. The flowering of blacks in the North a century and a half after the end of the Civil War, the rise in scholarly achievement, the frequent and accepted intermarriage of the races—here we have irrefutable proof of the superior moral culture of the North.
    There is worse. The absence of all artistic expression in the South, of anything higher than the dull, the stolid, the ignorant and industrial—oh, I can hardly go on, so greatly does it pain me.
    Yet I will bear up manfully, and say it: The South has been devoid of all culture. Yes. From Massachusetts came country music, gospel, jazz, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, Zydeco, indeed all music that is originally and characteristically American. And it was a young man from Tupelo, New Jersey, who brought about rock’n’roll.
    There is no avoiding facts, such as the overwhelming number of fine blues singers from Maine and Vermont. The South, lacking the creative spark, satisfied itself with repeating the tired music of Europe, the Beethovens and Mozarts. It was pretty fair music, I grant, and they played it tolerably well for mere copiers.
    Or talk to visitors from foreign climes and remote lands. To a man they will attest, I promise you, of a preference for the relaxed courtliness of New York to the acerbic harshness of Memphis.
    A Southerner will lie about this. Yes. He will tell you, with no trace of shame, that as you go south you notice a change of atmosphere, of mood, even of sunlight. It shows, he will say, even in the distance from Washington to Fredericksburg, only an hour to the south. People in the Yankee Capital are neutral, neither welcoming nor hostile, having the character and savor of wallpaper paste. There is nothing to them. They are just a passel of people in the same place—so will say the mendacious Southerner.
    But go south, he will say. By Fredericksburg, you find yourself assured of a smile, of courtesy without distance, of helpfulness. Relations between the races grow easier and more natural—the silver-tongued apostle of Dixie will say. He will imply that in the South you could even come to like humanity, though I grant it would be a pretty far stretch.
    It was Marse Bob, Robert E. Lee, who said of confederation as distinct from central power, “…I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have practiced it….”
    I reluctantly confess this to be a slander upon our great nation. Heaven forfend, so mad was General Lee that in his crazed imaginings he may have thought that the Federals might wage war in—this is almost too absurd for utterance—Afghanistan, or Iraq. Indeed, he may evenn have conjured up armored military vehicles in the hands of uncontrolled police all across America, or–here I may strain the reader’s credulity–little boys being led from school in handcuffs for pointing chicken fingers and saying “Bang.” Aggression abraod? Despotism at home? Fah. A crass libel on the Yankee Capital.
    Now, if I were a vile friend of Dixie, which I assuredly am not, I would say that Yankees constitute the most glitteringest, most self-satisfiedest and preening collection of pious frauds ever to inflict a groaning earth. The first thing a damn Yank does in any circumstance is to adopt a moral pose. His every action is driven by goodness. Why, before the Yankees destroyed Iraq, they could hardly sleep so great was their urge to spread democracy. Oil, Israel, and the Lincolnian craving for empire had nothing to do with it. Aggression abroad? Not a trace of it.
    So I would say were I an apologist. I am not, so I will not say it.
    But it is the attitudes of the South to those of darker hue that are most damning. Southerners were unembarrassed by these reprehensible notions.
    Consider: “There is a natural disgust in the minds of nearly all white people to the idea of indiscriminate amalgamation of the white and black races … A separation of the races is the only perfect preventive of amalgamation, but as an immediate separation is impossible, the next best thing is to keep them apart where they are not already together. If white and black people never get together in Kansas, they will never mix blood in Kansas ..”.
    Now, I am a poor sinner, and a man of little education, and cannot remember with confidence whether this was said by Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, or Abraham Lincoln. I expect it was Joan of Arc. If it had been Mr. Lincoln, he would be revealed as a…pious fraud, an early George Wallace.
    There you have it. I have revealed the stains of perfidy and crime that come of being a Virginian. Yet I will atone. I plan to spend the rest of my life helping black children from Alabama to move to Detroit, where they will enjoy the splendid education, the perfect social equality, and the high economic station that Yankees, never hypocritical, provide for those darker than they.
    http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/10/f...erner-repents/
    Last edited by William Tell; 10-24-2014 at 11:03 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by dannno View Post
    It's a balance between appeasing his supporters, appeasing the deep state and reaching his own goals.
    ~Resident Badgiraffe






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  3. #2
    Fred's always a good read, but he has it all wrong.

    If there is any place the Police/Military State is worshiped without question is the Old South.

    To paraphrase The Call:

    "I believe there are any Dixiecrats,
    And there ain't no Yanks,
    Just corporate criminals,
    Playing with tanks!"

  4. #3
    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Fred's always a good read, but he has it all wrong.

    If there is any place the Police/Military State is worshiped without question is the Old South.

    To paraphrase The Call:

    "I believe there are any Dixiecrats,
    And there ain't no Yanks,
    Just corporate criminals,
    Playing with tanks!"
    This is sadly true. People down here in SC are a lot more supportive of war than people in Kentucky.
    Stop believing stupid things

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Fred's always a good read, but he has it all wrong.

    If there is any place the Police/Military State is worshiped without question is the Old South.

    To paraphrase The Call:

    "I believe there are any Dixiecrats,
    And there ain't no Yanks,
    Just corporate criminals,
    Playing with tanks!"

  7. #6
    The US is made up of various nations.

    The Northeast.

    The Midwest.

    The Deep South.

    The West Coast.

    NYC/LA

    Texas (minus Austin)

    FLORDIA.

    EDIT: Florida is so different I had to misspell it
    Last edited by pessimist; 10-25-2014 at 07:48 PM.

  8. #7
    I'd say Louisiana doesn't fit into any of those categories. Its colonial roots were too distant from the other territories, and the culture is a lot different. Especially south of I-10.
    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler

  9. #8
    What do people expect? The northern liberals invaded the south, pillaged and burned everything, ruined the economy and took away people's land and jobs. Then they went back to their comfy little lives in the north. Reconstruction is a laugh. Industrialization went into the north while the southern families were left to put their lives back together. Northern liberals have run the police state ever since. They took their cut off the top and the South got what was left over.

    Now they are all moving here for the nice weather and bringing their liberal politics and unions down here.

    I'm not originally from the South, just so you know.

    And one more thing: the Northern warmongers don't mind sending our Southern military units overseas. You just look. The 101st is the first to go and the last to come home.
    Last edited by euphemia; 10-25-2014 at 08:10 PM.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by torchbearer View Post
    I'd say Louisiana doesn't fit into any of those categories. Its colonial roots were too distant from the other territories, and the culture is a lot different. Especially south of I-10.
    AFAIK, there's no place like it. Never been there, but I've sampled the music and culture via radio and such. AZ is rather unique in some ways, but it has lots in common with some other Sun Belt states like New Mexico and Texas.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  12. #10
    I stopped reading at the part where he insinuates Elvis brought about rock & roll music. Plenty of artists were playing rock & roll before Elvis. After reading AF's post, I went back to see why he made that comment and yeah, this is a poorly thought out piece.

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by tobismom View Post
    What do people expect? The northern liberals invaded the south, pillaged and burned everything, ruined the economy and took away people's land and jobs. Then they went back to their comfy little lives in the north. Reconstruction is a laugh. Industrialization went into the north while the southern families were left to put their lives back together. Northern liberals have run the police state ever since. They took their cut off the top and the South got what was left over.

    Now they are all moving here for the nice weather and bringing their liberal politics and unions down here.

    I'm not originally from the South, just so you know.
    Indeed! They used to come visit here for nicer winters and tourist traps (Garnd Canyon and such), but then they started moving here en masse. I hardly know anyone who's a real native of AZ.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  14. #12
    And every year those Yankee so-and-sos disrespect our football. They keep changing the rules to try to give a championship to the Big 12 or the Big 10.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Antischism View Post
    I stopped reading at the part where he insinuates Elvis brought about rock & roll music. Plenty of artists were playing rock & roll before Elvis. After reading AF's post, I went back to see why he made that comment and yeah, this is a poorly thought out piece.
    True^^ This is also very false->
    From Massachusetts came country music, gospel, jazz, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, Zydeco, indeed all music that is originally and characteristically American.
    The closest thing to characteristically American music to come out of MA was shape note music-and that's loosely based and medieval European styles.
    Last edited by heavenlyboy34; 10-25-2014 at 09:07 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by tobismom View Post
    What do people expect? The northern liberals invaded the south, pillaged and burned everything, ruined the economy and took away people's land and jobs. Then they went back to their comfy little lives in the north. Reconstruction is a laugh. Industrialization went into the north while the southern families were left to put their lives back together. Northern liberals have run the police state ever since. They took their cut off the top and the South got what was left over.

    Now they are all moving here for the nice weather and bringing their liberal politics and unions down here.

    I'm not originally from the South, just so you know.

    And one more thing: the Northern warmongers don't mind sending our Southern military units overseas. You just look. The 101st is the first to go and the last to come home.

    I believe the hatred and vitriol of racism between light skins and dark skins are a natural consequence of that civil war. Had we ended slavery the way England did... people would be a least a tad bit harmonious.
    The story of Alexandria during the civil war. Union troops arrive. Use the slaves to go steal cotton and bring it back to their barges. The Union army leaves with their loot.. and leave the dark skin humans behind for retribution.
    Last edited by torchbearer; 10-25-2014 at 08:37 PM.
    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by tobismom View Post
    And every year those Yankee so-and-sos disrespect our football. They keep changing the rules to try to give a championship to the Big 12 or the Big 10.

    If you survive the SEC unscathed, you are defacto the best team in college football.
    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler

  18. #16
    Oh, Blues came from the delta, and was recorded in Memphis. Elvis then recorded at the same studio using the music of the dark skins of the delta.
    You ain't nothing but a hound dog was original you ain't nothing but a possumn(or something like that)
    Things you can learn on the Sun Studio tour in Memphis.

    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler



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  20. #17
    Johnny Cash. Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley...
    rewritten history with armies of their crooks - invented memories, did burn all the books... Mark Knopfler

  21. #18
    Actually, the South did more to bring about changes in attitudes than the North did. Before the Voting Rights Act, blacks could not vote anywhere in the US, but I don't notice the North did much about that. The marches and lunch counter demonstrations happened in the South.

    The War Between the States was not about slavery. It was about taking away property rights and civil rights. And taking the property.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  22. #19
    And let's please not think the North is about compassion. My ggg grandfather died at Camp Chase, Ohio--one of the most notoriously brutal of the Union prison camps.
    Last edited by euphemia; 10-25-2014 at 08:28 PM.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  23. #20
    And speaking of northern liberals, Josephine Holloway and other blacks were forced to sit in the balcony of the Ryman Auditorium when Eleanor Roosevelt came to speak to the Girl Scouts. After the meeting, Ms. Holloway spoke to the First Lady (the honorary chair of GSUSA) and asked if she could help bring about integration in Girl Scouts. Mrs. Roosevelt said she could not do anything about it.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  24. #21
    And I've been to New York. If you don't think racism exists there, look at what abject failures their schools are and how the mayor of NYC continues to try to disenfranchise poor, minority children from having a quality education. He has done every thing in his power (with the help of the teachers' union) to try to stop the growth of quality schools. 70,000 parents marched on Albany and convinced the governor to advocate for them. As a result, many minority children are excelling in charter schools.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by torchbearer View Post
    Johnny Cash. Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley...


    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

    "for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. - Thomas Jefferson.

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by torchbearer View Post
    Oh, Blues came from the delta, and was recorded in Memphis. Elvis then recorded at the same studio using the music of the dark skins of the delta.
    You ain't nothing but a hound dog was original you ain't nothing but a possumn(or something like that)

    Things you can learn on the Sun Studio tour in Memphis.

    O rlly? Big Mamma Thornton's version (the original) was "Hounddog".
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  27. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by heavenlyboy34 View Post
    O rlly? Big Mamma Thornton's version (the original) was "Hounddog".
    I love Big Mama Thornton, she's from Alabama so it still works for the South. I don't know about the possum part.



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  29. #25
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song)

    The song has an interesting history but nothing about a possum.

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Antischism View Post
    I stopped reading at the part where he insinuates Elvis brought about rock & roll music. Plenty of artists were playing rock & roll before Elvis. After reading AF's post, I went back to see why he made that comment and yeah, this is a poorly thought out piece.
    Rockabilly was invented by a Mainer.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flagg

  31. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by heavenlyboy34 View Post
    This is also very false-> The closest thing to characteristically American music to come out of MA was shape note music-and that's loosely based and medieval European styles.
    That was Fred sarcasm.

  32. #28
    I almost forgot that the South gave us the musical genius of Johnathan Smith AKA Lil Jon.
    Stop believing stupid things

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    That was Fred sarcasm.
    awww.../facepalm@self...This kind of thing is why you shouldn't post carelessly, children. :/
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by heavenlyboy34 View Post
    True^^ This is also very false-> The closest thing to characteristically American music to come out of MA was shape note music-and that's loosely based and medieval European styles.
    You do realize the entire- every sentence- thing was tongue-in-cheek sarcasm don't you?
    ATTAINING FREEDOM
    Man must get rid of illusions that enslave and paralyze him; he must become aware of the reality inside and outside of him in order to create a world which needs no illusions. Freedom and independence can be achieved only when the chains of illusion are broken.
    --ERICH FROMM

    “In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness” Robert Griffin III

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