There is a book I’ve been reading… I’ve mentioned it before.
Yes I am still reading it. For me this is not a book to gloss over. I read some and contemplate what Dr. Pace writes and how it relates to what we face to day in our nation. Do not let the title “Dr.” fool you.
While Dr. Pace is an excellent historian in my view, he is only an amateur historian. His training is as a medical doctor, an ophthalmologist to be exact. I bring this up not to disparage him but to point out his work is not one of professional necessity but of passion. He sought out the truth and now reveals it via his books. History is a fickle mistress. While I find his work to be excellent, I am sure there are hoards of “professional” historians aching to bring his perspective down.
I’ve already pointed out at least one lesson I learned from this book. While slavery was an issue – it was an issue trotted out by the Whig turned Republican Abraham Lincoln to win a presidential nomination and then the presidency itself. One of today’s parallels is gun control.
Dr. Pace points out most of the North didn’t much care about slavery. As most owned no slaves they did not really understand that world. Today, most of our nation do not understand firearms. As they do not own them, they do not understand our world. This became clear to me early on in this book, but there is another, more insidious lesson learned just last night.
This lesson has bee brewing for a bit but it all became clear as Dr. Pace describes the events leading to and just after the incident at Fort Sumter. Not only does Pace detail how Lincoln manipulated events leading up this but also his reaction when he first heard the news. Lincoln was exuberant. This was where all his plans came together.
With this and other evidence Dr. Pace makes a startling conclusion: Abraham Lincoln not only manipulated events to start the war he was indifferent to the bloodletting that followed. Think about that.
Now consider what is going on today. What I find it difficult to face is there are people in this world who actually want to kill and destroy their fellow countrymen. I understand there are those who point this out on a regular basis but I’ve had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. That said, I am convinced time will prove this out. This time is more near than any of us think. It could be years. It could be months. Or it could be days. I do not know but the danger seems imminent.
On April 4, 1861, history declares the first Civil War began. There were signs leading up to this event. Some even predicted what would happen should South Carolina defend themselves against Lincoln’s warships. Nobody saw the ugly,bloody war to follow. Are we at a similar juncture in history today? I cannot say for sure. I can only pray for another way.
Meanwhile Lincoln, a man who is today honored and revered, is put forth by Dr. Pace as a man who cared for nothing but power. When he got it, he abused it and our citizens in a way no one has seen before or since. The memorial to the man can be viewed as a King sitting upon his throne. How fitting.
He stripped the states of their sovereignty by denying secession. He destroyed the South in every way possible. He ushered in today’s era of a rogue unlimited government that refuses to answer to the citizens it is supposed to serve.
God help us.
Andy
Note: The link above is a NOW an affiliate link. It is still an excellent read. With so many books out there, I cannot imagine why anyone would recommend a crappy one.