In the Civil War the nation divided geographically to the point that Lincoln, a moderate on slavery, was not even on the ballot for president in much of the South. For two years the Democrats have not supported anything initiated by President Donald Trump, the divide is so complete. Bipartisanship was difficult before he was elected, now it is virtually non-existent.
If no one listens to the other side, which is now where we are once again in the United States, one enters extremely dangerous territory. Each side can believe themselves right, even supported by God, and thus justified in killing those of the other side.
This happened in Kansas in 1854 which resulted in two state governments and two state constitutions each questioning the validity of the other. And each, opposing sheriffs hunting the illegitimate one. The Trump presidency began with Democrats staging demonstrations in cities throughout the land his first week in office questioning the validity of the election and still, two years later, believing with no evidence, that the election had been stollen in a “Russian Collusion.”
In Kansas John Brown hacked five proslaveryites to death in 1856. In our civil war James Hodgkinson opened fire on a congressional GOP baseball practice, injuring five, almost killing House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. In either case the political party and media outlets of the killers appeared not to care. In the first Civil War Senator Charles Summer was beat up by Congressman Preston Brooks on the Senate floor for a speech Brooks did not like,. This time conservative Senator Rand Paul was attacked by a neighbor fracturing five bones with seemingly no outrage from Democratic media outlets.
In the U.S. today we have no middle or neutral national medias, only Republican and Democrat Party news outlets each giving opposing news. The same happened in the first Civil War. Senator Crittenden, seeing an impending war between the North and South, and having two sons each a general on each side positioned to kill the other, may have been the last U.S. Senator that did not want the conflict settled in blood. His Crittenden Compromise went nowhere.
How will the present civil war differ from that between 1861-1865? There will be no geographic lines like the Mason-Dixon line separating combatants as before, nor will there be blue or gray uniformed armies colliding enabling one to always know his enemy and those innocent to flee both. In this war neighbor will be against neighbor, city against city, county against county, and state against state and against the federal government. Isn’t that happening now with sanctuary cities, counties and states. And, isn’t the state of California refusing to adhere to federal law?
In this civil war mobs will drive people from place to place, like out of restaurants which happened to Senators Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell, even White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. This war will be daughter against mother and son against father and vice versa. Chicago has experience this for some time. But why on a national scale? Because each has his separate source of information consulting non other, amplified by social media, which radicalizes him enabling this civil war to be in ones own home. Vengeance will beget vengeance amplified.
Without geographical lines or uniforms, and where “the enemy” is within, rather than without, as in the first Civil War, one may never know who has targeted him. Mobs like Antifa or MS13 will operate openly, with little or no fear of law enforcement. In such an environment, unlike the North vs South, farmers will abandon their fields for safety precipitating food shortages and horrible famines. This happened in the South but only when opposing enemy forces were near by. Outside General William Sherman’s famous march, that Civil War’s battles were largely limited to the middle states.
In such chaos factories will close and spare parts will be almost non-existent as likely also will be commerce, communication, and travel. Without uninhibited use of freeways fuel will be scarce or non-existent. Electricity and gas providers also may be targeted and homes left freezing in the winter. Today, few have wood burning facilities. Where “the enemy” is within, rather than without, everything and everybody can be targeted without warning. If people are afraid to go to work who provides and purifies our drinking water? Who picks up our garbage, operates the hospitals, drug and grocery stores? If the families of law enforcement are in peril they will not go to work. Society could come apart at the seams.
In the first Civil War the threat of another nation coming in to “mop up” from our devastated condition did not exist. In a new civil war the hungry, jealous, and offended nations of the earth would be anxious to devour the spoils. China would come in from the west, Russia from the north and east and Latin American nations from the south.
Have I said enough? Have I made my point? Civil wars involve and affect everyone, nobody wins. Have I frightened you politicians, political partisans, race baiters, and media outlets to harness your tongues and to quit accentuating our demise. In the first Civil War 620,000 died, in this one it could be millions. You can stop it.
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College. Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.
