Open Letter To The Republican Party

The 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

Republican President Abraham Lincoln played the "Race Card" to win …

This classic commentary on the Emancipation Proclamation, "Abe Lincoln's Last Card; or, Rouge et Noir" (Red and Black), created by Englishman John Tenniel for the London Punch (a British weekly magazine of humour and satire, Volume 43, October 18th, 1862, p. 168.), was inspired after the London Times stated that Lincoln had played his "last card" in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Notice that Lincoln is a bit pudgy around the waist, suggesting that he is out of shape and not fit to fight. Also notice Lincoln's hair is in points, suggesting the horns of a devil. Apparently the London Punch viewed the Emancipation Proclamation as the gesture of a wily but weary and desperate gambler driven to engage his last resource. ¹

Emancipation Proclamation

"In his heart of hearts he loathed and hated slavery …" — Frederick Douglass ²

Republican President Abraham Lincoln considered the Emancipation Proclamation to be the heart and soul of his legacy: "I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper. If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it." ³ — Abraham Lincoln, Thursday, January 1st, 1863

Fearing the Emancipation Proclamation would be received as the desperate act of a Commander-In-Chief losing the war, Secretary of State William Seward asked the president to wait for a Union victory before issuing the order.⁴ Two (2) months later, when Union troops rejected Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland at Antietam Creek on September 17th, 1862, Lincoln saw his opportunity.⁵ On September 22nd, 1862, President Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,⁶ giving the South one hundred (100) days to reverse their rebellion or face losing their slaves. On both sides of the Missouri Compromise Line, Lincoln's order was condemned and cursed as a usurpation of property rights (i.e., the right to own and sell slaves) and a calculated effort to start a race war.⁷ Nevertheless, when the South refused to relent, President Lincoln, kept his word and issued the final Emancipation Proclamation on Thursday, January 1st, 1863.⁸ With this unnumbered Executive Order,⁹ President Lincoln took a definitive stand on the most contentious issue in American history and clearly redefined the Union's goals and strategy. By playing the "Race Card" President Lincoln sounded the death knell for both slavery and the confederate resistance. Still the President wasn't done. Please notice how skillfully Lincoln chose his words in the final version of the Emancipation Proclamation in an effort to affect only those states still in rebellion as of Thursday, January 1st, 1863 ¹⁰ and at the same time shape the framing of the Civil War's end game document (i.e., the 14th Amendment to United States Constitution).

Playing The Race Card In 1863

It Was Not About Racism. It Was About Winning!

"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pockets, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in the United States." ¹¹ — Frederick Douglass

In 1857, Hinton Rowan Helper (1829-1909), a rabid racist and the son of a western North Carolina farmer, published one of the most controversial books ever written about slavery. In his book entitled "The Impending Crisis of the South," Helper argued that slavery was incompatible with economic progress. Using statistics drawn from the 1850 census, Helper maintained that the North was growing far faster than the South and that slavery was the cause of the South's economic failure. Helper believed slavery doomed the South because it was inefficient, wasteful, degraded labor, inhibited urbanization, thwarted industrialization, and stifled progress.¹² Not only did slavery choke commerce and malign manufacturing, it also impacted the South's ability to fight the war. As the slave population increased, so did the demand for the human resources (i.e., fighting men), financial resources (i.e., gold) and natural resources (i.e., land) to manage the very real threat of an internal rebellion from a very hostile slave population. This is clearly seen in the decennial census tables below.¹³


As the slave population increased, so increased the inevitability of the North's victory and Lincoln knew it. President Lincoln had finally come around to understand what Frederick Douglass was advising and knew all along (i.e., that Black slaves had "a deeper interest in the defeat and humiliation of the rebels than all others.").¹⁴ So in an effort to win the war, seize the moral high ground and slow down the momentum the property rights advocates in the North were building up for the South, Lincoln played the Race Card, executively ordered the Emancipation Proclamation, enlisted, equipped, empowered and earnestly encouraged former slaves to fight for the North and in little more than two (2) years won the war.

Open Letter To The Republican Party

I'm Hearing The GOP Is Dead In Black America

"By abandoning their owners, coming uninvited into Union lines, and offering their assistance as laborers, pioneers, guides, and spies, slaves forced federal soldiers at the lowest level to recognize their importance to the Union's success. That understanding traveled quickly up the chain of command. In time, it became evident even to the most obtuse federal commanders that every slave who crossed into Union lines was a double gain: one subtracted from the Confederacy and one added to the Union. The slaves' resolute determination to secure their liberty converted many White Americans to the view that the security of the Union depended upon the destruction of slavery." ¹⁵ — Ira Berlin

It's The Fortieth (40) Year Since Roe And Doe

In The 150th Year Since The Emancipation Proclamation

"The Emancipation Proclamation, one of the most important documents in the nation's history, led to the greatest freeing of people in history until the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe in World War II." ¹⁶ — Rick Moriarty

It's clear, the Emancipation Proclamation redefined the war, altered end-game goals, immediately freed thousands of slaves in Union held territories of the South and offered freedom to all slaves as the Union Army pushed deeper into the South towards the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia.¹⁷ It's clear the Emancipation Proclamation shrewdly stayed the hand of foreign powers such as Britain and France who were considering supporting the South, but reconsidered because of the North's victory at Antietam, as many in Europe were against slavery and many more were reluctant to intervene on the side of a lost cause.¹⁸ It's clear that the Emancipation Proclamation set the stage for improved race relations in the nation (i.e., the passage of the Thirteenth (13th) Amendment to the United States Constitution that formally abolished slavery),¹⁹ Reconstruction in the South ²⁰ and laid a sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16) for the Fourteenth (14th) Amendment to the United States Constitution that passionately, purposefully and resolutely established PERSONHOOD.²¹ It's clear that maintaining an increasing slave population, managing desertions, defeats and casualties, and mooring morale while fighting a foe whose numbers were increasing from the inrush of former Black slaves was more than an impending crisis for the South. It's clear that President Lincoln's cabinet of advisors did not initially support the Emancipation Proclamation.²² It's clear that emancipating the slaves was not unanimously supported in the North as the Honorable William Allen, the Democratic Representative from Ohio vehemently argued against a bill calling for the use of Negro soldiers in his speech to the House of Representatives on Monday, February 2nd, 1863.²³ Congressman Allen argued that such legislation would "destroy the relation of MASTER and SLAVE in the slaveholding States" ²⁴ and that Lincoln's Republican Party "has presented for the admiration of the American people the Negro in nearly every attitude which it was thought might win popular favor, and the last act in the great 'drama' is the Negro playing soldier." ²⁵ It's clear that even in the North, racism was alive and well. Yes, it's clear that the Emancipation Proclamation was the "signature moment" of President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party's legacy. However, it's also very clear that as of Sunday, January 1st, 2013, we've entered both the forieth (40) year of legalized abortion and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and thus far the Republican Party has done NOTHING to celebrate or draw attention to its illustrious history. I wonder why? With more than fifty-five (55) million lives lost to legalize abortion thus far.²⁶ With the ratio of United States abortions to battle deaths in all United States wars being eighty-four (84) to one (1) in favor of abortions.²⁷ With over fifty-six (56) trillion dollars of total United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP) lost to abortion since 1967.²⁸ With an estimated four hundred (400) trillion dollars of United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP) lost by the year 2040 if abortion continues.²⁹ With seventy-one percent (71%) of the Hispanic vote, seventy-three percent (73%) of the Asian vote and ninety-three percent (93%) of the Black vote going to Democratic President Barack Hussein Obama II.³⁰ With College Republicans abandoning their Party's platform planks on abortion,^31,32 contraception (i.e., abortifacients),³³ same-sex marriage³⁴ and on record applauding Planned Parenthood's rebranding and public relations offensive against life at conception as "especially effective with young people, leading many of those who self-identify as Pro-Life to support the abortion giant.³⁵ With a recent survey finding nearly half of those college-aged being completely unaware that Planned Parenthood (the largest abortion provider in the entire world) performs abortions.³⁶ I cannot help but wonder why the Republican Party has not learned from the 1st Republican President of the United States ³⁷ and realized that playing the Race Card by enlisting, equipping, empowering and earnestly encouraging Black Americans to fight for the eternal and transcendent values of Life and Liberty in its platform is the empirical road to victory. Hmmmmm … now that I think of it, there have been seventeen (17) Republican Presidents of the United States since Abraham Lincoln. Hmmmmm … perhaps, it's really just a small wonder why the The Republican Party hasn't celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation thus far after all. ^38,39 Hmmmmm … maybe, if I'm honest with myself, I really don't have to wonder why. Maybe I know why. Maybe we all do.

Brothers, we need to talk.

Reference(s):

01. Rufus Rockwell Wilson, Lincoln in Caricature, "ABE LINCOLN'S LAST CARD; OR, ROUGE-ET-NOIR" October 18, 186, History Gallery (http://bit.ly/11xQ4ff).
02. Frederick Douglass, "Frederick Douglass: Selected Speeches and Writings", Philip S. Foner, Yuval Taylor, Chicago Review Press, April 1st, 2000, p. 621 (http://bit.ly/12EBKIw).
03. Abraham Lincoln, "The Emancipation Proclamation", by Daniel J. Vermilya, Antietam National Battlefield (http://1.usa.gov/S3TKnv).
04. Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, "Emancipation Proclamation Draft" (http://bit.ly/11V0d4C).
05. Antietam Creek, Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/11unE59).
06. American Originals, "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, 1862" (http://1.usa.gov/b8BmkI).
07. Seth Kaller, "An Evolving Stance on Emancipation" (http://bit.ly/118zt5v).
08. Emancipation Proclamation, Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/QO4AJg).
09. List Of United States Federal Executive Orders, Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/Sb70Yi).
10. American History, "Abraham Lincoln: The Emancipation Proclamation 1863", University of Groningen - Humanities Computing (http://bit.ly/12kIkCw).
11. Civil War Defenses of Washing | District of Columbia, "The United States Colored Troops and the Defenses of Washington", National Park Service (http://1.usa.gov/sGN3X9).
12. Hinton Rowan Helper, "The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It", Electronic Edition, 1829-1909, Documenting the American South, Copyright 2004 by the University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, all rights reserved. (http://bit.ly/zPI6Vi).
13. John Joseph Lalor, SLAVERY, Cyclopaedia of Political Science, Political Economy, and of the Political History of the United States, vol. 3 Oath - Zollverein [1881], Online Library of Liberty, A project of Liberty Fund, Inc. (http://bit.ly/xCDm31).
14. Frederick Douglass, "Selected Addresses of Frederick Douglass: An African American Heritage Book", p. 55. (http://bit.ly/14V3TFT).
15. Seth Kaller, "The Myth of Non-Emancipation" (http://bit.ly/12kKMc8) via Ira Berlin, American historian, a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland (http://bit.ly/12EFGJ9).
16. Rick Moriarty, "Historic Lincoln document that changed America coming to Syracuse" (http://bit.ly/PFjRPx).
17. Ibid., Seth Kaller, "The Myth of Non-Emancipation"
18. Civil War Trust, "10 Facts About The Emancipation Proclamation" (http://bit.ly/15idIAQ).
19. Mark Whittington, "The Emancipation Proclamation Turns 150 Years Old" (http://yhoo.it/14V75Bo).
20. Reconstruction Era, Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/13tTzEi).
21. The Human Life Review, "Human at Conception: The 14th Amendment & the Acquisition of Personhood" 2007 Summer (http://bit.ly/14V7i7m).
22. Ibid., Civil War Trust
23. Library of Congress, "Historical Analysis and Interpretation: William Allen's Speech" (http://1.usa.gov/11utIKI).
24. Ibid., Library of Congress
25. Ibid., Library of Congress
26. Dennis M. Howard, "The Abortion Index", The Movement for a Better America, Inc. (http://bit.ly/9FPAN1).
27. Ibid., Dennis M. Howard
28. Ibid., Dennis M. Howard
29. Ibid., Dennis M. Howard
30. Daniel Greenfield, "One Graph That Shows Which Party Really Looks Like America", November 13th, 2012 (http://bit.ly/12j154o).
31. Kirsten Andersen, "College Republicans to GOP: Back off Planned Parenthood, Contraception, Same-Sex 'Marriage'", LifeSiteNews.Com (http://bit.ly/12Gb22f).
32. 2012 Republican Party Platform, "The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life", Republican National Committee (http://bit.ly/QPSjnO).
33. 2012 Republican Party Platform, "Supporting Federal Healthcare Research and Development", Republican National Committee (http://bit.ly/PZPrZ2).
34. 2012 Republican Party Platform, "Preserving and Protecting Traditional Marriage", Republican National Committee (http://bit.ly/RWa4c5).
35. Kirsten Andersen, "College Republicans to GOP: Back off Planned Parenthood, Contraception, Same-Sex 'Marriage'", LifeSiteNews.Com (http://bit.ly/12Gb22f).
36. Kristan Hawkins, "SFLA Releases Poll Results on Young People, Abortion, and the 2012 Election", Students for Life of America (SFLA), June 22nd, 2012 (http://bit.ly/KZHYVQ).
37. Who's Who Republican Presidents, "Republican Presidents of the United States" (http://bit.ly/MWS8pf).
38. Associated Press (AP), "Bible Backed Slavery, Says A Lawmaker", The New York Times, May 10th, 1996 (http://bit.ly/10cgc4g)
39. Associated Press (AP), "Slavery Slip Costs State Senator" The Victoria Advocate, May 13th, 1996 (http://bit.ly/11zrgDD).