Apostles of Disunion

Southern States Secede

Southern states separated away from the Union to safeguard their states’ sovereignty, the system of slavery, and tariff disputes. Southern states feared that a Republican government would abolish slavery, disregard states’ rights, and push tariff legislation. The system of slavery was core to the economic output of the South; thus, most of the southerners perceived the Union’s intentions to end slavery as an “attack” on their livelihood and prosperity. The determination of the States in the South to retain the practice of slavery, according to many, was the underlying cause of the conflict. Others downplay slavery, citing other causes such as taxes or the idea of state sovereignty. To enhance the influence of the South and its domination of the Union’s policies, delegates and commissioners were appointed to champion South ideology.

The role of the commissioners and delegates

The commissioners and delegates who fanned out across the South in late 1860 and early 1861 had a singular goal of persuading the citizenry and the political leadership of the states, which were not committed to slave to join the South in the formation of a new state and end the Union. They aimed to undermine or counter the principles ad ideology of the Confederacy.

Principles Confederacy

The Confederacy was guided by the principle of the 1776 constitution, which was based on the notion that every man is born equal and free. Therefore, no person should be subject to discrimination, mistreatment or any form of biases. This principle was critical in gaining the service and allegiance of the enslaved people in the United States to fight under the Confederacy. However, such principles were countered with the advocacy programs initiated by the Southern state, such as the appointment of commissioners and delegates.

Role of the Delegates

The commissioners and the delegate played an important role in advocating for the succession and unification of the South as a separate state. The delegate role was critical in influencing the undecided population to consider the views and ideology of the South in regards to succeeding from the north. Nevertheless, much of their contribution was underappreciated and excluded from mainstream literature.

Underappreciated

Charles B. Dew cites that the delegates and commissioners were underappreciated in the literature surrounding the disunion. He state that most of the experts and historians fail to acknowledge the significance of the delegates as they are viewed as minor figures in the ramble between the Confederacy and the South. More so, there is no immense literature that supports or counter the arguments of Charles B. Dew regarding the underappreciation of the delegates during the North and South.

Fundamental cause

Part of the author’s work was to provide a detailed analysis of the results of the delegates and commissioners before the start of the civil war. The analysis played an essential role in providing sufficient literature that filled the gap in the histogrpahy of the activities that led to the war (prior months). Based on Dew’s analysis of what the delegate and commissioners focus on, it can be ascertained that racial equity and elimination of slavery as the main course of the war between the Confederacy and the South. Moreover, it is essential to understand the cause of civil war as it will be critical in explaining much of the social and racial issues facing America today.

Bibliography

Charles B. Dew. Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War. Charlottesville and London: University Press of Virginia, 2001. x + 124 pp. $22.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8139-2036-8.