Recently Lakergirl sent me an email of a letter written by a soldier to his wife just prior to the battle of Bull Run (Civil War)

“July 14th, 1861Washington D.C.My dear Sarah.The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days — perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more. Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure — and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter.

I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing — perfectly willing — to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows — when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children — is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death — and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of the principles have often advocated before the people and “the name of honor that I love more than I fear death” have called upon me, and I have obeyed.Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us.

I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me — perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar — that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night — amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours — always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again. As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father’s love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God’s blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children”

The point of discussion is as to the level of patriotism that is show in this letter; there are few signs of this kind of patriotism in the present or that it is hard to find people who are so willing to die for their country because they believe in the ideals, the purpose and the course of their country. (Lakergirl, correct me if I’m wrong about the direction of the question)

I believe it is difficult to really relate his experiences then to any notion of patriotism today. It is interesting to see his perspective and the overall admiration for his country. However  I believe the period represents an overall dark period in this country’s history. Slavery is, of course, dangerous and an inhumane practice. However from my personal knowledge of history - which may be admittedly wrong - the larger aspects of the war itself was not directly about slavery in entirety. The Southern viewpoint comes across as one where slavery is a key component of a larger fight between State rights and Federalism. While the balance between state and Federal power had always been contentious, it was driven toward the boiling point with Lincoln’s election.

If you ever have the chance, Jefferson Davis’ post-war book highlighted some of the more contentious issues in the South’s fight for independence. One often overlooked fact of slavery in the United States was that it was in decline and several southern governments were, or had, already banned the importation of new slaves. Note, this did not stop a healthy black market from arising and out of the importation ban. Slavery itself was on a general decline. With a long and often unguarded coast line, smuggling was big business but the numbers appeared to be negligible in scope of the pre-ban numbers. With laws preventing the growth of slave states in the West, the best southern slavery could do was spread itself more thin and trap itself between Union states.

What is not often recognized is Lincoln’s abuse of the Executive powers. He willfully and intentionally usurped Constitutional powers in order to preserve the Union. This is a bit of a paradox in that the Federal government was a collaboration of States with no provisions against secession.   What could be considered a legal withdraw from the government by Southern states was breached by a President and Congress who had no authority to do so.

It is odd to see those who are so disgusted with our current president and who look highly on Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. Lincoln’s abuses equal, if not transcend, the actions of our sitting president.  Yet the popular opinion of the masses today would say that the abuse of power was worth the result of ending slavery. Yet it proved that a government that was to be restrained from encroaching on individual liberties could not be held in check by its own devices.

But we’re not here to talk about the Civil War. We’re here to talk about patriotism. It is fantastic to see such dedication to an idea of God and Country. However patriotism in this sense is blindly dangerous. It lacks the sense of being composed of a larger view. While I can relate to the sense of love of country, I could never be driven to such devotion without question or concern for the larger rammifications of such a decision. The irony is that the letter is still largely relevant today, just as it was then. I tend to believe Americans (or any country for that matter) have a fundamental understanding of the nature of their government, but a willful ignorance of the fundamental aspects of government and power.

Much of patriotism in the quoted letter and in today’s America is superficial in nature. The nature of politics in America is driven towards promoting this superficial sense of patriotism rather than acknowledging the reality of government. Politics is power; government is the mechanism to exerting that power. Where the country was largely founded on a healthy distrust of government and the power it has over the constituency, it has transformed into a quite an opposite beast where the career politician is often the norm rather than, as Jessie “The Body” Ventura calls it, a position for a statesmen who serves his government and goes back to the private sector.

There is no healthy fear of government in modern America. There is no recognition of the larger dangers of a powerful government. There are few voices of dissent in the larger laviathan of modern American government. Where the government was formed to protect individualism, it now forms around unchecked populism.

Around the Internet you will find a common misattribution to Thomas Jefferson when it was actually used to describe an Thomas Jefferson’s political ideals and it is this: “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism”. I think there are few words that capture my own sentiments such as these.