Rebecca Clayton and the civil war

 Ms Clayton poasses for a historian in Collinsville Alabama. She has no formal trining that I am aware of but is chrage of the Historiacl Association facebook page where she deletes discussion of the Civil War. She takes great pride in being the last descendant of the Brindleys. She is a good woman and there is considerable intelligence in the family but she is stubborn in the worst aspects of the  Daughters of the Confederacy mentality which for fifty years now have been discreditted.

     So here is a primer for her and the former Mayor Jimmy Carter on the matter

   Her Aunt was in a key scene a favorite of Brett Morgen who did a doc on Collinsville in 92. Three years ago Brett got a six minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival for his doc on david Bowie. See his impressing Wiki page

    One of his favorite scenes in the Collinsville Blessings of Liberty was of Ms Ollie Brindley in her living room with a Grandfather clock ticking loudly talking about here colored help who would practically bow to the ground in the presence of white people

The New Yorker has covered the "inevitability" of the Civil War through book reviews, like one for Jay Winik's "1861: The Lost Peace", suggesting the war wasn't inevitable but a result of missed compromises, with Lincoln initially seeking to preserve the Union through containment rather than immediate abolition, while also highlighting Lincoln's ultimate refusal to yield on the expansion of slavery, a stance that forced the nation's hand, leading to conflict over irreconcilable differences. The debate often centers on whether the war was an unavoidable clash of systems or a preventable tragedy due to political failures, with many historians arguing that the core issue of slavery's expansion made peaceful resolution impossible by 1861. 

Key Perspectives from The New Yorker & Related Discussions:

• Missed Opportunities: A review of Jay Winik's book argues that while many sought peace, the sides talked past each other, and no truly plausible compromise emerged to avert war, showing a failure to connect on core issues.
• Lincoln's Stance: Lincoln, initially a moderate focused on containing slavery, eventually found his position on its expansion irreconcilable with Southern demands, pushing the conflict toward war, as detailed in discussions around Lincoln's evolving views.
• Slavery as the Root: The election of Lincoln on an anti-slavery expansion platform was the final trigger for secession, making the conflict over slavery's future the central, unsolvable problem, notes a Facebook post linked to The New Yorker's discussions.
• Alternative Paths: Some suggest allowing secession might have led to a weaker Confederacy, but the prevailing view in these discussions is that the fundamental disagreement over slavery made a violent clash likely. 

The Consensus (Within These Sources):
By 1861, the conflict over slavery's expansion had become so entrenched that many historians, as reflected in these discussions, view the war as a tragic but logical outcome of deep-seated, irreconcilable differences, even if specific moments could have played out differently. The issue wasn't just slavery's existence but its future, which the political system couldn't resolve peacefully. 

Was the Civil War Inevitable? | The New Yorker

Apr 20, 2025 — In “1861: The Lost Peace” (Grand Central), Jay Winik—the author of several fine works about American history—takes up ...

The New Yorker

The Civil War was inevitable due to slavery. - Facebook

Nov 28, 2018 — By 1861 when the war started there were over 4 million enslaved black people in the South. The final blow which led to...

Facebook

Was the Civil War Inevitable? — Bunk History

Apr 20, 2025 — In *The New Yorker*, Adam Gopnik wrote about Lincoln's attempts to end slavery in America before he turned the idea of...

Bunk History

The Civil War Shouldn't Have Happened | Newswise

Oct 9, 2002 — The authors of *This Terrible War: the Civil War and its Aftermath* suggest that Lincoln may have been right that the w...

Newswise

What's striking about the new literature on Abraham Lincoln ...

Apr 24, 2025 — The Civil War as it was fought and when it was fought was not inevitable. An alternative would have been to allow the ...

Facebook

• Was the Civil War Inevitable? | The New Yorker

  Apr 20, 2025 — In “1861: The Lost Peace” (Grand Central), Jay Winik—the author of several fine works about American history—takes up ...

  

  The New Yorker

  
• The Civil War was inevitable due to slavery. - Facebook

  Nov 28, 2018 — By 1861 when the war started there were over 4 million enslaved black people in the South. The final blow which led to...

  

  Facebook
• Was the Civil War Inevitable? — Bunk History

  Apr 20, 2025 — In *The New Yorker*, Adam Gopnik wrote about Lincoln's attempts to end slavery in America before he turned the idea of...

  

  Bunk History

  
• The Civil War Shouldn't Have Happened | Newswise

  Oct 9, 2002 — The authors of *This Terrible War: the Civil War and its Aftermath* suggest that Lincoln may have been right that the w...

  

  Newswise

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Few thoughts on the year in Review

I  posted two earlier bl9gs today so be sure and go back and read them/  This year was disastrous in places starting of with a ban for criminal trespass at Furman University. Rididculous vendetta by a faculty member who has no business at Furman. Banned for a year without recourse, my 50th homecoming year to add insult to injury for aattending a faculty meeting about Alester G Furman real estate practices in th3 40s. He waa trustee when I was there with a bunch of Baptist preachrs and nobody said the firs word at the time

    After I made my comment and stated who I was, I approached the convener Dr. Kolb of the Sociology Dept and he said you were not supposed top be here. I said I kinda glad I was and HE Said: I'm kind of glad you were Too

     So something has to be done about this situation. I'm up for reconsideration mid January. The whole thing is a fiasco and unworthy of Furman.

    Clearly FURMAN must do better.

     My friend Tod Heifner lost his brother Brad in Little Rock and the pasotr of Collinsville Baptist John Morgan died. At the beginning of the year neither passings were expected. Both had memorial services on the same day and were live streamed. Morgan's four sons and Becky Kennedy addressed a packed house in Collinsille; and Maya Angelou's great friend Eric Motley and Mart Grady did the honors for Brad. Motley who now runs the national ART Museum after a stint in the Bush 343 White House said Brad was his John the Baptist and Mart was magnificent.

     I think the one night in Bama was the only night last year I didn't sleep in my own bed in the Upstate

     Can't remember much more other than a couple trips to Gaffney to see my classmates at two of the quarterly gatherings..  I got to Bridges in Shely last January and then agaain in Septmber. Plan to go mid January this year, in a few weeks; and down to commerce Georgia foa a sack of Krystal burgers and back to the Lavonia Cracker Barrel.

    May work the Bridges trip in withthe Testament opf  Ann Lee in Charliotte. If you takke the trip home in segmanets, no big deal

    Saw Train Dreams on Netflix with my nephen Andrew Nov 22 for a a Saturday moning viewing at my sisters on Netflix

     Went to see my great nehews at some games, one when Clemson was getting beat by Troy or SMU, but now trips to Gaffney this year.

   Talked to Eva on the phone but her favorites are Uncle Owen and her cousin Mac

    Had some good meals with Bill Whitfiels at years end and with Fox family few days ago where I presented an autographed baseball

    Had great lunch with Dwight and Charles Edwards at Moes early December, and with Clark Price and Truluck, a friend of All Newell, back in the spring

    And here wwe are on this last day of 25.. Hope your 25 is tolerable