Re: Critical support to King George?

["dms" <dmschanoes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Now Lou, while I work on a reply to your position vis-a-vis Brenner and
Post, (and as a preview, it will come as no surprise that I think your post
is a classic case of not being able to see the forest for the trees), let me
just roil the waters a little by pointing out that the US War for
Independence hardly qualifies as a bourgeois democratic revolution.

And even so, political tactics of the parties of revolution and
counterrevolution create some remarkable maneuvers, this one by the Governor
of Virginia being rather mundane, pedestrian, and well-worn, "Fight for us,
and we'll set you, as an individual free."  Which means fight for us, and if
you're not killed, you might be free while we have preserved the overall
most important thing, the ORGANIZATION, the INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY.

Besides talk is cheap.  Real cheap, when you're trying to recruit
individuals.  Remember "Fun Travel Adventure"?  Remember "Be All That You
Can Be"?

Of more interest might be the fact that, after Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation, thus immobilizing the British and French forces
that wanted to intervene on behalf of the South, the confederacy of
slaveholders through the consuls of Jefferson Davis sent messages to the
European powers offering to introduce emancipation of slaves if only the
Europeans would recognize the South as a sovereign nation.

The Europeans must have thought such talk, Southern drawl and all, must have
been cheap because they dismissed the appeal.

dms


.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Proyect" <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <jjmarlin@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 1:59 PM
Subject: Critical support to King George?


> (In John Oakes's highly informative "The Ruling Race: a history of
American
> Slaveholders",  I just discovered that the Crown Governor General of
> Virginia offered freedom to any slave or indentured servant willing to
> fight for the counter-revolution. But wait, isn't emancipation supposed to
> be a goal of a bourgeois democratic revolution? Hard to keep track of
these
> things.)
>
> By His Excellency the Right Honorable JOHN Earl of DUNMORE, His Majesty's
> Lieutenant and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA,
and
> Vice Admiral of the same.
>
> A PROCLAMATION
>
> As I have ever entertained Hopes, that an Accommodation might have taken
> Place between GREAT-BRITAIN and this Colony, without being compelled by my
> Duty to this most disagreeable but now absolutely necessary Step, rendered
> so by a Body of armed Men unlawfully assembled, firing on His MAJESTY'S
> Tenders, and the formation of an Army, and that Army now on their March to
> attack his MAJESTY'S Troops and destroy the well disposed subjects of the
> Colony. To defeat such treasonable Purposes, and that all such Traitors,
> and their Abettors, may be brought to Justice, and that the Peace, and
good
> Order of this Colony may be again restored, which the ordinary Course of
> the Civil Law is unable to effect; I have thought fit to issue this my
> Proclamation, hereby declaring, that until the aforesaid good Purpose can
> be obtained, I do in Virtue of the Power and Authority to ME given, by His
> MAJESTY, determine to execute Martial Law, and cause the same to be
> executed throughout this Colony: and to ****** the Peace and good Order
may
> the sooner be restored, I do require every Person capable of bearing Arms,
> to resort to His MAJESTY'S STANDARD, or be looked upon as Traitors to His
> MAJESTY'S Crown and Government, and thereby become liable to the Penalty
> the Law inflicts upon such Offenses; such as forfeiture of Life,
> confiscation of Lands, &. &. And I do hereby further declare all indented
> Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able
> and willing to bear Arms, they joining His MAJESTY'S Troops as soon as may
> be, foe the more speedily reducing this Colony to a proper Sense of their
> Duty, to His MAJESTY'S Crown and Dignity. I do further order, and require,
> all His MAJESTY'S Liege Subjects, to retain their Quitrents, or any other
> Taxes due or that may become due, in their own Custody, till such a Time
as
> Peace may be again restored to this at present most unhappy Country, or
> demanded of them for their former salutary Purposes, by Officers properly
> ***** to receive the same.
>
> GIVEN under my Hand on board the Ship WILLIAM by Norfolk, the 7th Day of
> November in the SIXTEENTH Year of His MAJESTY'S Reign.
>
> http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/documents/official/dunmore.htm
>
>
> Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org
>
>