July 4th, the birth date of this republic, is once again upon us. The drafting and eventual signing of the seminal Declaration of Independence is a truly American document, something which all Americans should treasure and be proud of. However, early July is not only a time to shoot off fireworks, get drunk, praise the armed forces, and give a silent thanks to the Founding Fathers (if thought crime for praising them isn’t established already at this point), there is something else to memorialize and remember as well. Two in fact.
These are the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the two major turning points of the Civil War. The first finally saw the Army of the Potomac defeat the Army of Northern Virginia, a stunning reversal that had been two years coming for President Lincoln. The second saw the final bisecting of the Confederacy, along with denying the mighty Mississippi from aiding the rebellion. These battles ended on July 3rd and July 4th, tragic but necessary continuations of the American Revolution. For without these victories, and the subsequent victories of 1864 and 1865, slavery and segregation would have likely remained for decades beyond their actual end dates, and most importantly of all? The Union would have been shattered, destroying the promise of the Declaration and the Constitution, a collection of states under one common banner.
As the nation comes upon the eve of Independence Day, the frivolities and classic remembrances are necessary, for they all remind us that we are Americans, an exceptional people, a good people, a decent people, who are trying to make a better world. With the unrest and uncertainty clouding the horizon all around, it is more important than ever to have acts and celebrations of national unity, all in the hopes of retaining this venerable but unsteady republic. But by remembering 1863, we all may realize that this nation has weathered tough times before, and that all it takes are a few moments to shift the tide, a few acts that can alter the trajectory of national direction.
Therefore, with glass in hand, raise a toast to ALL Americans that were in the bloody conflict on those hot July days of 1863. For without their trials and tribulations, without that awful conflict and its ramifications, who knows where we would be today? Let us be grateful they have allowed us to chart our destiny, as they allowed our own fathers to chart theirs. For there is nothing more American than that.
Sincerely, your humble servant,
Winston Publius
The Classical (Trumpian) Liberal 