Issues raised and presented in an “open letter to President McKinley” and what should, could, would have been done by the president.

Member of Colored National League (CNL) of Massachusetts, walked to Charles Street Church in Boston on October 3, 1899 to read an open letter to the president of the United States Mr. McKinley. They protested, “…notwithstanding your extraordinary, your incomprehensible silence on the subject of our wrongs in your annual and other messages to Congress, as in your public utterances to the country at large.”, and marched in a peacefully and demanded the president to use his authority and pass federal antilynching laws in order to resolve the atrocities and the brutal killing of blacks African Americans in Southern States, who were deprived their constitutional rights. A bright minded and articulated person by the name of Archibald H. Grimke’, a child of slaveholder in Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard University graduate read it out louder. As Robert Smalls, from South Carolina, born from slaveholder, bluntly showed in his deeds, all the atrocities done by white supremacists; he was brave enough to present facts and thoughts that the president would have known about the situation, however, ignorant off. The despised, segregated and hunted Southern black spoke out their voice by through their Northern brothers.  

Grimke exposed the real meaning of the constitution of the United States, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,…”.  He criticized what white’s (Anglo-Saxon) position of who could define and set standards for who is human and who is not, except the Creator. Inexplicably, rampant white supremacists were performing the unimaginable horror to black African Americans. For example, the two day bloody riot which has shaken the nation, taken place in Wilmington, N.C, in Phoenix, S.C, where blacks were hunted and killed like dogs; during his address to congress however, the president, “neither word not act of sympathy” came forth. But he was smart and intuitive enough to mention important local and global events and interventions by Americans. Enslaved blacks were subjected to torture, being weakened and murdered. The hard fought war and all the amendments put forth were forgotten and civil rights denied either by the people who claimed themselves, “Civilized” or a president who called himself a, “Christians”. They all found it irreconcilable that, “…a nation which prates loudly of democracy and humanity, boasts itself the champion of oppressed peoples abroad, while it looks on indifferent, apathetic at appalling enormities at home, where the victims are blacks and the criminal white.”  Neither their words nor their actions were of human towards African Americans. Besides these, Grimke’ showed the president's ignorance to the slaughter of African Americans while he made tour of the Southern States. He knowingly made himself blind to the mob killings of blacks who were in due process of the law, the unmatched crime by Georgians burning a prisoner as they were watching theater, as Romans did threw Christians out in to the lions and tigers for amusement and watched them suffer the horrific and agonizing death; mob (Ku Klux Klans) killing of black preachers, and the ignition of killing happened in Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas and the Carolinas.  Surprisingly, the writer found no president, or congress or white community willing to stand and fight for the rights of African Americans. However, the president and Americans were more than willing to reward and support the freedom of the Island Cuba, even used armed force to throw off the yoke.

On behalf of the Colored people of the Southern States, Colored Massachusetts demanded the president, called himself Christian, vowed to protect and defend the constitution, a leader of the free world, have the eye to look, humanity to be sensitive to all races, to confess and acknowledge his conscience about those atrocities and use his authority to fix the racial killings, segregation of black African Americans, whom Jesus has lived and died for so that congress and the people of the United States would hear and know what was really going on in these Southern States. After all, these people were humans, born from different mothers, were his brothers, and were citizens of the United States. The people of color wanted to be heard by the people of the United States, Congress and the world through the words of the president hoping change would come one day.

Sites Cited:

 Mecury Reader, "Open Letter to President McKinley" author- the Colored People of Massachusetts; Copyright 2012 by Pearson Learning Solutions, 501 Boylston Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02116.

America Past and present, Volume 2: since 1865 By Robert A. Divine, al (pp.209-210)

Civil War

It all started in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1860. The democratic party convention was held to elect the presidential nominee and Southern states delegates insisted the party endorse a federal code to ensure the rights of slave owners. The so concerned Southern delegated walked out when the rest of the convention reject to accept the demand. In that year election, Abraham Lincoln was elected president by 180 electoral college votes. Immediately after that, convinced, the republic administration would appoint antislavery judges, war officer, postmaster, and other officials; on December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede followed by six others.

In February 1861, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana with South Carolina then form a new Confederate government and drafted a new constitution in Montgomery Alabama. In contrast to the secessionists, the upper south states were opposing the secession. As Jefferson and his friends did while crafting the declaration of independence; they tried to define and give reasoning for their own declaration by C. Calhoun and said, "The states were sovereign entities that could leave the union freely as they joined." 1 Jefferson Davis, Surprisingly, who used to be the secretary of war and senator became the president of the confederate. He was called the man of the match. William L. Yancey introduced him as, "The man and the hour met. Prosperity, honor and victory await his administration." In the declaration of the confederates, they mentioned and focused on slavery, sovereignty, and God.

Besides the new President of the confederates, Jefferson looked pretty capable, smarter and more experienced than the Northern president Abraham Lincoln amounting to the boost and confidence of the southern. Nonetheless, It didn't take so much time for southern critics know who Jefferson really was. One of the critics said Jefferson was, "False and Hypocritical,…Miserable, Stupid, One-eyed, dyspeptic, arrogant,…cold, haughty, peevish, narrow-minded, pig-headed, [and] malignant." 2 There were such secede threats in the past and many felt there would be similar compromises done before war broke out. And indeed there were two trials done. The statehood of California, the Missouri problem, moreover some of these confederate states threaten to leave the Union during a congressional debate over slavery. But both times, the compromises were against the beliefs of the Republican party core principles and almost all Republicans were against it. And the president-elect during his address to Congress made plainly and bluntly clear that "Entertain no proposition for a compromise in regard to the extension of slavery. The instant you do, they have us under again; all our labor is gone, lost, and sooner or later must be done over…The tug has to come and better now than later." 3 The next move by the confederates was to seize all the properties of the federal government within their boundaries. These include Arsenals, forts and custom houses. President Lincoln decided to retry the supply with an unarmed ship and made it clear for the southern confederates president that only if South Carolina used force then warships positioned outside of the harbor come in action of defending and delivering supplies through Charleston harbor. This premeditated test put the Confederates in a difficult situation to chose and it became a stage where the war will start or not. Before the supply arrived, Jefferson Davis ordered his general to force the surrender of Fort Sumter and after 32 hours of firing and with no fatality; Fort Sumter surrendered and became part of Confederates. And this became a clear message for Lincoln that the Confederates seceded for the sole purpose of slavery.

The president strongly believed and considered Daniel Webster's sentiments of the union to be permanent and Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable. This became the beginning of the war between the Unions and Confederates. Another four slave states seceded and joined the confederates after Lincoln raised so much army to fight back and restore the seceded states back to the union. The three months planned war didn't end up like that, however, it took more than everybody's expectation. It happened to be the worst wars Americans fought in history; 600,000 people died and took six years. Both sides fought for their own reasons but it didn't go away without huge consequences. sites Cited: www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=90

Radical Rupblicans

Radical republicans were members of the Republican Party who had much more aggressive in their approach to the policies they came up with. They fought tirelessly for an ideal society in which everyone could live exercising his, "…life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" without any restrictions. Especially the suppressed enslaved black African Americans were center of amendments to the constitution of the United States in abolishing Slavery; that was how the civil war erupted. During and after the civil war, Radicals pressed the legislative branch in favor of African Americas; that a few actually had a chance to exercise power radically while living in oppressing Southern Confederate states; which would take another century to have such a glimpse of a light to shine again. When the war began, they had already set up visions that would last long; a country with no more injustice based on race and ethnicity. After passing the 13^th amendment, African Americans got the freedom to establish their own family, community and churches; Radicals were able to see the harvest of their hard work, though it didn’t last long.

Besides, these radicals passed another critical amendment which granted African Americans another entitlement that was Citizenship. This was the road that would eventually lead all people to be considered equal, at least on Policy. Had they not been Radicals, there would be no such huge accomplishments while serving in public office. Moreover, these radicals favored strong protection for the black civil rights and the continual support and funding of the Freedman’s bureau that supported the freed slaves and also voting rights. These all efforts were meant to enforce and sustain the civil rights act. Furthermore, even when they were at odds with the president and the rest of the legislative body, they opened up ways for blacks to start working on their own farm. They have accomplished the establishment and further funding of the freedmen' bureau, where newly freed black slaves could get assistance to disfranchisement, education and broadly radical reconstruction, forming new governments allowing more room for African Americans and poor white farmers to participate; in order to revive the already crumbled economy, they built railroads.  When the ultimate power house in America seen reluctant to do what they sought was right, they ignored Abraham Lincoln’s, the president’s 10% plan and came up with their own plan that went by, "Wade Davis Bill". This was a stricter and punishing bill against confederates, where 50% of the population take oath and also demanded emancipation. The bill was voted by the President, however. Radical Republicans have tried to reestablish the new south with brighter and peaceful future.

Site Cited: 

America Past and present, Volume 2: since 1865 By Robert A Divine, al

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

A wealthy planter from seceded Southern confederates in Alabama was hanged by the Northern Union soldiers for the ignorance and willingly helping the Confederate army to fight the Northern army and civilians to disrupting the construction, as per Ambrose Bierce. “Any civilian caught interfering with the railroads bridges, trains or tunnels will be summarily hanged.” The 4th of April 1862, during the war these words were posted vividly to punish anyone who acts against it.

A solider of the Northern Unions dressed up like a confederate happens to pass by Mr. Farquhar’s neighborhood thirsty; exposed Mr. Farquhar’s involvement and bad dream. During the process of Mrs. Farquhar getting him water the solider engaged in a hot conversation that made Mr. Farquhar interested. They went on talking about the fight and how the advancement of the Northern Unions in to the Confederates territory could be stopped. The solider heard how much this southern rich planter and the confederates would use strategies that would help them slow down the advance made by the Northern soldiers. To do this Mr. Farquhar was more than willing to go farther helping out Southern soldiers in burning down the railroad, bridges and tunnels that connects these areas; one was the Owl Creek Bridge. “I observed that the flood of last winter had lodged a great quantity of driftwood against the wooden pier at this end of the bridge. It is now dry and would burn like tow.” Bierce, the Occurrence at the Owl Creek Bridge. And Mr. Farquhar was thinking of burning down the railroad which passes over the owl creek bridge using such dried up woods located underneath.

After all, this warm dialogue, the solider left Mr. Farquhar’s house and went on his way. But after an hour he was seen heading in the opposite direction. This scene shocked Mr. Farquhar and realized that he was not one of them felt like a giant animal trapped in a cage. Imagining instead of thinking what was going on in the real world occupied Mr. Farquhar’s mind and established his way out to his home. Sunk by the thought of the splashing, noose loose and drawing in the waters, freed himself and escaped from all the gun and canon fires and finally running all the way to his home through a forest. Mr. Farquhar planned well how all these would work and be able to see his wife and children again.

According to Bierce, "His neck was in pain and lifting his hand to it he found it horribly swollen. His eyes felt congested; he could no longer close them. His tongue was swollen with thirst; he reliever its fever by thrusting it forward from between his teeth in to the cold air. How softly the turf had carpeted the untraveled avenue---he could no longer feel the roadway beneath his feet!” Mr. Farquhar suffered immensely in his imagination till he reached his home and sees his wife. The agony was too much but all was a lie and vanished when he heard a stunning blow at the back of this neck and he was gone. The writer took so much time in holding every one’s breath for such short period of hanging Mr. Farquhar in relative to which I call “Suspense” of his imagination. I wish Mr. Farquhar said goodbye to his wife and children before he heard that stunning blow.

I am....

I'm Tsegaye Gebremedhin, born and raised in Ethiopia, East Africa. I have five brothers and a mom. My dad passed away two years ago. I moved in to California late 2010. I finished high school and have some college education. Since 1998 through 2010 I was involved in water supply projects that help so many rural communities of Ethiopian. I'm married, has a three month old Daugther by the name Siryet. She so adorable and my wife and I are enjoying her so much. In life faith is some thing I hold very dear and most of my values and cultures are derived from that. I am an evangelical Christian, love the lord Jesus Christ and really want to make a difference in every thing I do in this world. By saying this, I am not denying that I love this world. In the sports world I love soccer, a club called Barcelona specially talent by the name Messi. I love swimming too and my favorite swimmer is the 8 gold medalist in Beijing, Michael Phelps. Besides, I also love playing table tennis. Right now I am passionate about continuing my education and get my first degree in Microbiology or Biochemistry. My ultimate goal is to be in medical field and practice medicine and do more of mission works in helping people back home. I'm very sociable person. At the moment I do a full time job and help my family sustain in this difficult time.