What happened to
the “grand” in the Grand Old Party? Lincoln’s party was
indeed, but if Abraham Lincoln was a Republican candidate for office today, he
probably would not survive the primary election. Modern Republicans boast of Lincoln’s
tradition have moved from the political positions of Lincoln.
Today’s Republicans would probably oppose everything Lincoln’s party promoted. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his father
were Republicans. Neither of them would
probably support many of the things modern Republicans stand for today. The period of 1865 to 1928, most Negroes voted for Republicans.
What changed?
President
Lincoln’s Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, was a Democrat and became the 17th
United States President. This Democrat vetoed every congressional legislation that benefited ex-slaves. The congress led by “Radical Republicans”
overrode his vetoes and fought for full implementation of equal rights for
African-Americans. Under President
Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan, Southern states were allowed to quasi re-enslave citizens with “Black
Code” laws that over 600,000 people died in a war to set free and save the Union. During Reconstruction, Negroes experienced the
greatest participation as voters and office holders in Southern States.
What happened
to the “grand” in the Grand Old Party?
The Radical Republicans fought against those laws that promoted second class
citizenship or no citizenship to ex-slaves. Modern Republicans continue to
promote and support laws that deny full citizenship to some even after more
that 100 years following the Civil War. The
Radical Republicans were a
faction of American politicians within the Republican Party
from about 1854…before the American Civil War…until the end of Reconstruction in
1877. They called themselves "radicals" and were opposed during the
war by moderates and conservative factions led by Abraham Lincoln
and after the war by conservatives…in the South and liberals…in the North.
Radicals strongly opposed slavery during the war and after the war distrusted
ex-Confederates, demanding harsh policies for the former rebels, and
emphasizing civil rights and voting rights for freedmen
…recently-freed slaves.
That was the
“grand” part of the Republican Party then, but there is another entity to the
party today…that part also appears to be “radical.’ It is called “Tea
Party.” It appears that the Tea Party
has pushed this Grand Old Party further from center than many of them wish to
go. The demands of this group of citizens
appears to direct the actions of the party.
These are indeed American citizens but they claim to be moralist,
experts on the U. S. Constitution and Christian Religious Conservatism. So,
this faction of the party appears to have created a division among it’s
members. We do remember that a house
divided cannot stand.
I personally
believe the Republican Party will continue to lose respect and support from the
majority of Americans as long as there is a two party organization. It is no secret and published that
Republicans were so disappointed with President Obama’s first and second win
that some leaders met on the day of his inauguration discussing how they would
organize to make his tenure a failure. That’s what the deadlock on Capitol Hill
is about. That’s what the 42 attempts to defund the health legislation is
about. Leaders celebrated passing
legislation to defund health care announcing their action speaks for the
American people. They forget that only a couple hundred voted on that bill but
the real American People Vote was at the polls when millions voted to support
President Obama and his Health Plan.
When will the “grand” in the Grand Old Party reappear in American
politics?
Pastor
Jerry G. Jerkins
Clarksville, Tennessee
September
3, 2013
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