[Marxism] Shattering a 'national mythology'

[S. Artesian]

But was it the abolition, or the South's determination, to which the 
Republicans capitulatedl, to restore indentured labor as the fundamental 
element of its society, that prevented  "progress"?

Just finished rereading Willima Gillette's Retreat from Reconstruction 
1869-1879, and from that book it seems to clear that the equivocations by 
Grant, by the Republicans in Congress, and in the Reconstruction 
administrations of the South led to a general capitulation in front of the 
onslaught of the resurgent white South-- with the necessary co-incident 
tethering of the economy, to all of Southern society to the poverty, 
ignorance, and stagnation  semi-feudal relations of land tenure, and 
indentured labor.

The book is really great on how the fear of the Constitution, of appearing 
"unconstitutional" paralyzed the Republicans.   Shows you how far away from 
a revolution the Civil War was; how far away from a revolutionary "vanguard" 
the Republicans were.   I don't think abolition was the economic disaster 
for the South; the defeat of Reconstruction certainly was.

As for the rest of the country-- manufacturing output, farm production, 
railroad car loadings increased throughout and after the Civil War in the 
"free soil"  "free labor" territories.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Lause" <markalause at gmail.com>
To: <sartesian at earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Shattering a 'national mythology'