Are cons aware that Lincoln had correspondence with Karl Marx?

Question

That blows the Lincoln was a conservative (just because he was a Republican) theory out of the water don't it? Neo-confederate conservatives today call him the "American Lenin." According to them, Lincoln's party was infested with socialists and outright communists.

http://www.confederateamericanpride.com/LincolnPutsch.html
http://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/documents/1864/lincoln-letter.htm

Michael,

Atleast you know what's going on. There is still plenty of clueless conservatives who sincerely believe the Republican Party was always southern and conservative.

KARL MARX TO LINCOLN

"We congratulate the American people upon your re-election by a large majority. If resistance to the Slave Power was the reserved watchword of your first election, the triumphant war cry of your re-election is Death to Slavery.

From the commencement of the titanic American strife the workingmen of Europe felt instinctively that the star-spangled banner carried the destiny of their class. The contest for the territories which opened the dire epopee, was it not to decide whether the virgin soil of immense tracts should be wedded to the labor of the emigrant or prostituted by the tramp of the slave driver? "

http://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/documents/1864/lincoln-letter.htm

They don't sound like enemies to me.

MORE KARL ON LINCOLN

"The workingmen of Europe feel sure that, as the American War of Independence initiated a new era of ascendancy for the middle class, so the American Antislavery War will do for the working classes. They consider it an earnest of the epoch to come that it fell to the lot of Abraham Lincoln, the single-minded son of the working class, to lead his country through the matchless struggle for the rescue of an enchained race and the reconstruction of a social world. "

neb,

No. Not everybody knows that back then republicans were the libs and democrats the conservatives.

Believe it or not, they are still some people so clueless as to believe the Republican Party was always a southern conservative party.

I'm here to correct them.

Answer 1

1stly, I would have corresponded with Karl Marx if I knew that he was to be thought of as the father of Socialism, not because I am a socialist, but to probe his thoughts...Marx was an intelligent man and leaders tend to copy them and use their original thoughts as tools for their own use to selfish ends. There are things i like about Lincoln, but to go to war over an ideal of Federalism over state's rights has always bothered me. I'm a northerner and a Liberal and I believe the nation is too large to impose it's will over everyone and keep the products of democracy intact. This was all before Communism of course and was all part of the "great experiment" of ideas. I think there are more and more people wanting the federal government out of their lives and to live under a state and regional governmental system more loosely held under one nation. Lincoln wasn't a Leninist, he was Lincoln. I also don't think it is correct to compare today's parties with those 150 years ago, the content and substance of the parties has migrated around quuite a bit/

Answer 2

Was that a one-way correspondence, or did Lincoln write back?

Not sure what you're point is. I've never heard any reason to believe Lincoln was a communist, socialist, or Marxist -- rather doubt he was.

So, Marx, who would hate slavery, sent Lincoln a congratulatory note on his re-election. And therefore ...?

Yes, at the time, the Republicans were the more liberal party, and after the war the white south went Democrat.

When I was a child, this was the source of a big split in the Democratic party -- with the Dixie-crats, as they were called, opposing racial equality. Back then, in reaction, most southern blacks were Republican, as their oppressors were Democrats.

I believe it was Kennedy that inspired blacks to join the Democratic party.

These days, as I understand it, the political divide ("red" and "blue") is best explained as a rural/urban split.

The maps I looked at after the 04 election showed a lot of blue spots in mostly red (and red/purpley) states -- the cities, that is, were blue.

Back when a lot more Americans were unionized, union members were pretty over-whelming Democrat.

As in, blue-collar, working class poor: predominately Democrat.

Answer 3

Besides being an anti-slavery party one of the reasons the Republican party came into being is that in the 1850's people were sick and tired of the uber conservative Whig Party and their policies.

Answer 4

neocons love to advance the idea that lincoln was a conservative and try to link lincoln with the current insane southern (lack of) values.

every time i ask for the location of all of the statues commemorating lincoln in the south, no one can give me any locations.

southerners HATED lincoln and still do.

he was the most liberal politician in any party in america, of his time.

Answer 5

In the days before communism became a reality (i.e. prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917), communism seemed to be a fantastic idea (for most), a goal toward which all free societies should strive. At that time, no one knew how horribly it would work in actual practice...

Answer 6

dude, WTF are you talking about? Everyone knows conservative and liberal labels then and now don't even compare to each other, and everyone knows that the demos used to be the cons, and repubs the libs. Seems like it is beginning to switch back to that soon though

EDIT: No your not. Your here to try and make conservatives look like beaten dogs. I have read your other posts. There is no "correcting" being done, but rather, down-grading of conservatives

Answer 7

I agree with everything you said but the "neo-confederate" title. We've ALWAYS been confederates at heart, nothing new there. Just because people are starting to listen doesn't change a thing.

Answer 8

Are libs aware that Lincoln was unpopluar president and refer to as a monkey.

Answer 9

Yes and you will not find any streets named after him in states that were the confederacy. Still not a popular man in the south.

Answer 10

So what.Clinton had an ongoing correspondence with Yasser Arafat.