For academics, there is no greater sin than the alteration of a historic document. That is precisely what amateur historian Thomas P. Lowry is accused of doing in writing a “5” over a date of a pardon by Abraham Lincoln – immediately gaining fame for finding the last official act before Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1865.
Lowry, 78, now insists that he was coerced into signing a confession — which he did without the aid of an attorney. For its part, the Archive says that he cannot be prosecuted because of the passage of the five-year statute of limitations.
The pardon was for Pvt. Patrick Murphy and records show that it was signed exactly one year before Lincoln’s assassination. Lowry confessed that he brought a fountain pen into the research room in 1998 and wrote a 5 over the 4 in 1864.
Trevor Plante, an Archives official, was always suspicious about the darker ink on the 5. The pardon became part of Lincoln lore but Plante could not get beyond the shade of ink. He then consulted a Lincoln collection of documents edited by Roy P. Basler in the 1950s and found the reprinted pardon with the date of April 14, 1864.
Ironically, the confession itself is now being challenged but the inspector general insists that “we have a written confession in his own hand.” Are you sure about that?
Source: Washington Post
Jonathan Turley
“I was much pleased the with President’s [Pierce] message. His views of the systematic and progressive efforts of certain people at the North to interfere with and change the domestic institutions of the South are truthfully and faithfully expressed. The consequences of their plans and purposes are also clearly set forth. These people must be aware that their object is both unlawful and foreign to them and to their duty, and that this institution, for which they are irresponsible and non-accountable, can only be changed by them through the agency of a civil and servile war. There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil. It is idle to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it is a greater evil to the white than to the colored race. While my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more deeply engaged for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, physically, and socially. The painful discipline they are undergoing is necessary for their further instruction as a race, and will prepare them, I hope, for better things. How long their servitude may be necessary is known and ordered by a merciful Providence. Their emancipation will sooner result from the mild and melting influences of Christianity than from the storm and tempest of fiery controversy. This influence, though slow, is sure. The doctrines and miracles of our Savior have required nearly two thousand years to convert but a small portion of the human race, and even among Christian nations what gross errors still exist! While we see the course of the final abolition of human slavery is still onward, and give it the aid of our prayers, let us leave the progress as well as the results in the hands of Him who, chooses to work by slow influences, and with whom a thousand years are but as a single day. Although the abolitionist must know this, must know that he has neither the right not the power of operating, except by moral means; that to benefit the slave he must not excite angry feelings in the master; that, although he may not approve the mode by which Providence accomplishes its purpose, the results will be the same; and that the reason he gives for interference in matters he has no concern with, holds good for every kind of interference with our neighbor, -still, I fear he will persevere in his evil course. . . . Is it not strange that the descendants of those Pilgrim Fathers who crossed the Atlantic to preserve their own freedom have always proved the most intolerant of the spiritual liberty of others?” [emphasis mine]
~R.E. Lee (Letter of 12/27/1856-Memoirs of Robert E. Lee (1886), pp. 83-84)
Here’s another fellow who knew a little about the Civil War, though possessed of knowledge greatly inferior to that of DiLorenzo and Tootie. Lee somehow managed to explain that those pesky Northerners were more concerned about slavery that they had right to be, a civil war was the only and inevitable solution, and, by the way, though slavery was evil, it was a necessary one. Thanks, Bob.
Other weak and foolish countries may have abolished slavery, but we swore to keep our slaves forever, because God made them inferior.
Cain;t you read what I said in 1861?
Our new government was the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical,and moral truth that the negro is not equal to the white man and that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.
Anyone who thinks we were not fighting for slavery is a delusional fool. We fought for our states’ rights to enslave the negroes. We fought for the right to take them to the territories, and to sojourn with them even in the northern states. We began the shooting at Fort Sumter, and we would have won but for the fact that the northerners armed nearly 200,000 slaves against us.
You lilly-livered modern apologists for the south who say that the war was not about slavery may not like to hear this from me, but that was our position and we fought to the death for it.
That is the truth, and “Professor” Thomas DiLorenzo better get used to it.
R. W.Moore:
“THIS PROJECT IS NOT TO GAIN MONEY FOR ME, MY LABOR IS FREE.”
****************
Well, we got exactly the history we paid for.
The South will rise again — plant yeast!
“The cause of the great War of the Rebellion against the United States will have to be attributed to slavery. For some years before the war began it was a trite saying among some politicians that “A state half slave and half free cannot exist.” All must become slave or all free, or the state will go down. I took no part myself in any such view of the case at the time, but since the war is over, reviewing the whole question, I have come to the conclusion that the saying is quite true.”
~Ulysses S. Grant (Personal Memoirs)
While I ‘m sure DiLorenzo and Tootie know infinitely more that the historical figure quoted above, I thought his words worth some paltry consideration given his proximity to the times.
“THIS PROJECT IS NOT TO GAIN MONEY FOR ME, MY LABOR IS FREE.”
Get you some slaves to help you, boy, for their labor is surely free for you, if not for them.
A.S, V.P., C.S.A.
This Moore fellow says he wants to “establish the invasion of the south was not over slavery. That the true slavery flag is the stars and strips and not the stars and bars..”
That is a barefaced lie, sir!
If this whippersnapper had talked like that to me in 1861, when I was Vice President of the Confederacy, I would have had him horsewhipped and hanged for treason.
Brother Moore is a vile enemy of the Confederate States of America.
In my most famous speech, I said that slavery was the cornerstone of our government. Our government was founded on the principle that the Negro was inferior.
I told everyone that slavery was the “immediate cause” of our revolution.
This fool does not have to read my mind. I spelled everything out for imbeciles like him. The southern whites fought for slavery, to keep blacks under the whites, forever.
Jefferson was wrong. He thought that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically, and was an evil.
But his ideas rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error by Jefferson. They were “attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal.”
Our new government was founded upon exactly the opposite idea, the inequality of the negro.
Here is my speech.
The new institution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the “rock upon which the old Union would split.” He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old constitution, were that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was that, somehow or other in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the constitution, was the prevailing idea at that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged against the constitutional guarantees thus secured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the “storm came and the wind blew.”
Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North, who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics. Their conclusions are right if their premises were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails. I recollect once of having heard a gentleman from one of the northern States, of great power and ability, announce in the House of Representatives, with imposing effect, that we of the South would be compelled, ultimately, to yield upon this subject of slavery, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics, as it was in physics or mechanics. That the principle would ultimately prevail. That we, in maintaining slavery as it exists with us, were warring against a principle, a principle founded in nature, the principle of the equality of men. The reply I made to him was, that upon his own grounds, we should, ultimately, succeed, and that he and his associates, in this crusade against our institutions, would ultimately fail. The truth announced, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics as it was in physics and mechanics, I admitted; but told him that it was he, and those acting with him, who were warring against a principle. They were attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal.
Tootie:
The south has been attempting to rewrite the history of slavery and the Civil War since Reconstruction. And, as we see from the post of Mr. Moore, that effort continues unabated. But it is a useless exercise.
I don’t know what Civil War history you have read, but the records overwhelmingly support only one conlusion: the war was fought for the purpose of perpetuating slavery. That the vast majority of southern soldiers did not own slaves is true, but meaningless. There were legislative compromises made throughout the first half of the 19th century in a futile effort to avoid war. In the end, it could not be averted.
hole* not whole…
Herman:
I was born in the north but now live in the south. And I like the perspective and historical balance I’ve gained from this experience.
You wrote:
“The North tore you a new asshole over it, now there are no more slaves.”
Let me rephrase that:
The American “asshole” in the north who tore a whole through the heart of a nation did so because he was too stupid to solve the slavery problem without the mass murder, plunder, rape, and rampage of his fellow citizen who, for the vast majority of the people of the south, never owned a slave but found himself having to defend his family and loved ones from murdering Union marauders.
Whereas, the civilized and decent folks belonging to numerous countries around the world at that same time abolished slavery in their own countries without murdering their fellow countrymen or waging total war on women, innocent children, and the elderly.
These Union barbarians from the north were, clearly, too stupid to figure out how to stop slavery without murdering the innocent and were actually murdering people over venal economic policy.
And though the northerners didn’t have another hole ripped in their posteriors, at least southerners’ posteriors are located in the correct place on the body instead of where it is located on the northerners: their shoulders.
R. W.Moore:
needs more cowbell
Herman,
Follow this link. Watch. Learn. Share.
The brilliant scholar (Thomas DiLorenzo, economist Loyola COLLEGE–PhD Virginia Tech,) is all over the story already.
This fraud (if true) would be the LEAST of it.
The “court historians” , DiLorenzo’s term for many Ivy league and mainstream American historians and scholars who favorably skew the reputations of certain presidents beyond what it true, have and continue to perpetuate one gigantic LIE after another about Abraham Lincoln (truly a monster and despot if ever there was one.)
RW:
the war was over slavery, give it up. You made people work against their will. The North tore you a new asshole over it, now there are no more slaves.
Time to be set free by the truth, slavery was/is an abominable evil. It should have ended with the ratification of our Constitution. But you southern fellows thought it was OK to have men work for free. Kinda makes me wonder why you even signed on.
Dear Sir/Madam
Today (1-19-11) we ( Dough Willis and myself) under the Georgia Open Records Act (response copy attached)
finished researching and videoing the Stephen’s County Georgia School books. Stephens County Georgia is named after Alexander Stephens the Vice President of the CSA.
I think we can establish the invasion of the south was not over slavery. That the true slavery flag is the stars and strips and not the stars and bars.. We have added other research,
after ending the school books research. We have positive comments by several black southerners.
We have about 1.5 hours of raw film at this point we will add more to what we already have.. I expect to have about 1 hour and 45 minutes after is is edited. For the background music I will use Dixie. I am open for other suggestions.
We hope, that other concerned southerners will join our effort and force other school systems to reveal what the states and, counties are teaching our children.
This can be done by using your state open records laws. (in your state it may be called by another name)
It is already too late, lets force them to teach the truth!! The longest journey starts with the first step. They have had 150 years of lying. The south never had a “civil war.” A civil war is between two groups in the same country. The CSA never fough each other.
This video will be available (as soon as it is edited) at no fixed charge but donations are helpful, and appreciated.
I am 80 years old and on a very limited fixed income
I would like to see a state and national chairman and at least one person in all counties of the south and the north. After 150 years it is time the school systems teaches the truth. The war was not over slavery!
We the southern people can do this. Far too long we have not been unified. By the end of this year (2011) I hope we can have representatives in place, will you helpI ?
This research started at 1:30 to 5:00 PM on 1-18-11 and 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM 1-19-11.
We found more lies that we could use in the time alloted.
Orders (check or M.O.) can be made to.
The Truth Newspaper, Inc.
POB 385
Eastanollee, GA 30538
Or online
http://www.paypal.net
rwmoore@windstream.net
My phone number is
706-773446
P.S.
THIS PROJECT IS NOT TO GAIN MONEY FOR ME, MY LABOR IS FREE.
rafflaw,
I am not much of a revisionist historian….but then again…some history rewrites itself…..
Anyone who thinks that historians can be fully trusted is naive.
AY,
I wouldn’t be surprised if you are ritht about Dick Cheney!
I wonder if Cheney got Scooters Pardon signed yet….if not available for public viewing…..I am sure he has it somewhere….
Mister
LOL
I have in my hands a pardon for Lowry signed by President Bristol Palin, dated December 19, 2037.