The Blue-Gray Principles
May 19th, 2009I am a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Both of my CW ancestors enlisted in their respective armies as privates. Neither was wealthy or owned slaves. Why did they fight?
My Union ancestor was from East Tennessee, a “pro-Union” area of the state. I believe that he fought to preserve the Union and its mission. Many Union soldiers not only fought to keep the Union together, they also fought to free the slaves.
My Southern ancestor was from Georgia. He died in 1863 at Ft. Sumter. He, along with a number of Confederates, is buried in a mass grave in Charleston. I believe he fought, not to keep slaves, but for his state’s rights. Many in the North and South believed in state sovereignty. Loyalty was first to the state and then to the US. The oath of allegiance changed after the firing on Ft. Sumter from allegiance to a state to allegiance to the United States.
Regardless of which side I might align with – and I vacillate, depending on the issue, the weather, and time of day – I believe that the real driver for both sides was the issue of Freedom. It is my humble opinion that the United States was established by Divine Providence for a Divine Mission. That Mission was Freedom. It was not just freedom from Great Britain and the tyrannical rule of a monarchy; it was the cause of freedom for mankind.
God is a God of freedom. He raised Moses up to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage to Freedom in the Promised Land (Exodus 3:7-10). He brought Jesus into the world to free us from the domination of sin (see John 8:32 and John 10:10).
The Mission of the US is one of Freedom and Equality, not only within our borders, but among other nations as well. Why did we go to Europe in WWI; and to Europe and the Pacific in WWII? Why did we go to Korea or Vietnam or Kuwait or Afghanistan or Iraq? People were oppressed and we responded to our Mission of Freedom.
National freedom can also pave the way for freedom in Christ. How blessed is a nation that has the privilege of worshiping God according to one’s conscience! How blessed is a nation who serves God on a daily basis without fear!
God honors people who honor him. I believe that is the reason for the former prosperity of America. When we seek the One who blesses, we also receive the blessings. When we seek the blessings, we lose both.
In 1831 when Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States, he was impressed with the goodness of the people. He stated:
“There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”
Is it any wonder that Thomas Jefferson and others attributed the nation to the hand of God? He called the basic beliefs the “principles in which God has united us all.”
Would you like for God to bless America again? Honor Him – educate yourself on the current issues – get involved in the politics (remember, our politicians work for us) – vote – pray – speak out against injustice and tyranny in our Congress as well as abroad. As Americans WE are responsible for our nation, not the greedy tyrants in Washington, DC. If WE don’t stand up to and speak out against our corrupt government, who will?
Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene
