Extemporaneous musings, occasionally poetic, about life in its richly varied dimensions, especially as relates to history, theology, law, literature, science, by one who is an attorney, ordained minister, historian, writer, and African American.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
UNITED STATES OF ENMITY
UNITED STATES OF ENMITY
African American heroism requires that one have consciousness of a nature and stature as that named.
Otherwise heroic is other than this.
In 1789, the nation United States of America came into being from the interregnum of post-colonial state.
Therefore, before 1789, there were no Americans, but British colonials.
Africans, except to those who were earlier freed, were enslaved British colonials by stature and by nature.
But clearly Africans knew that they were Africans, who were subject to British colonial laws, values and authorities, even if they were not "white"; a new term of political art that was then emerging, in use for distinguishing Africans from the non-African, non-Indian, others--British colonial servants of Western European descent in the Americas.
Upon the United States of America coming into being, we, the African Americans, also came into being. We assumed the nature and stature of African Americans in the United States and were Americans abroad.
Earlier Africans were simply that, Africans. Thus, some early names used relative to them (and us) were these: the African Baptist Church, African Lodge, African Methodist Episcopal [Zion] Church, African Colonization Society, African Free School, emphasizing the African.
But in being non-"white," African Americans still did not become truly recognized as citizens of the United States of America politically, until after the "Freedom War" to us, and Civil War to others, culminated in the ratification of the 13, 14, 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America in 1866, 1868, 1870, respectively. But even those doctrinal amendments meant nothing; made little actual difference to the "white" scofflaws who zealously ruled the country, politically, culturally, economically.
American scofflaws have been at times. Democrats, Republicans, both and neither; as have we throughout American history. We are "united" in enmity for the law; doctrinal law versus applied laws, we covet doctrine; they applied.
The United States of Legal Enmity!
This fact can be proven in history:
"The Maryland senator William Pinkney, who fought so hard for Missouri to become a slave state, dismissed the revolutionary ideals of his forefathers. He scoffed, 'the self-evident truths announced in the Declaration of Independence are not truths at all, if taken literally .'...
"By 1826, he [John Randolph from Virginia] was publicly voicing his opinion that the Declaration of Independence was a risky document , for it clearly asserted that 'all men are born free and equal,' an idea he rejected 'for the best of all reasons, because it is not true.' ...
"Slavery's advocates would go to amazing lengths. They seemed willing to ignore the obvious and even the law...
"[T]erritorial governor, William Henry Harrison ... made one attempt after another to grow slavery in the Indiana Territory....
"Vincennes, the town where Harrison was already forcing enslaved people to build his huge brick mansion in the wilderness--trying to replicate the plantation homes of his birthplace just as he tried to replicate a culture of slavery, inequality and privilege...
"[W]hen Harrison's petition to extend slavery into Indiana was denied , he was furious. So he decided to turn his back on the federal government and create a slave state, passing a law with the help of local judges that stated that while enslaved people could not be brought into the territory to live and work there , they could be brought in as indentured servants, and their enslavers could pick the length of their indenture bond without their agreement."
P. 48-49, THE BONE AND SINEW OF THE LAND by Anna-Lisa Cox (2018)