Confederate Truths: Documents of the Confederate & Neo-Confederate Tradition from 1787 to the Present.

             United Daughters of the Confederacy magazine, "Federal Government and our Constitutional Rights," by Gen. Sumter L. Lowry, February 1959 page 32; March 1959, pages 15, 22, 23, 24, a speech at a UDC convention.
             What is interesting is that this speaker defines the purpose of honoring Confederate ancestors is to fear "mongrelization" and have courage and conviction to fight civil rights. Errors in the original were only corrected where it was felt necessary for clarity and it was fairly clear what the error was.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

By. GEN. SUMTER L. LOWRY

             (Talk To The United Daughters of the Confederacy October 15, 1958 Hillsboro Hotel, Tampa, Florida)

             It is a pleasure and a privilege for me to address this group of patriotic Southern women. My forebears on both sides were staunch supporters of the Southern Cause during the War Between the States. My father, Dr. Sumter L. Lowry, throughout his life, kept up his intense interest in all Confederate organizations. He was a National Commander of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and I believe the only honorary member of the UDC in Florida.
             This being a luncheon meeting it might be expected that I would speak on some light subject, but with the grave situation confronting our nation today, I feel that I must not let the opportunity go by to present to you my ideas on the greatest issue before the American people today—that is the effort being made by the Federal Government to destroy our Constitutional Rights.
             I want to spend what time I have outlining the fundamental fact involved in this struggle, what is behind it and where it will lead our nation.
             The driving force and the master plan in this crisis stems from the Communist International conspiracy to capture and destroy the United States of America—that organization well knows that if they can deprive the people of their constitutional rights by deceitful propaganda and divide them over internal issues, we will be an easy prey, and our country will fall.
             In May 1954 the Supreme Court, by arbitrary and unlawful decree ordered the integration of the white and colored races in the public schools and public institutions. By so doing they struck a body blow at our constitutional rights. The 10th Amendment to our Constitution clearly gives the local communities the right to control the operation of their school system—yet, the Supreme Court, through a distorted and illegal interpretation of the 14th Amendment, at one blow destroyed the freedom given to us under the 10th Amendment, and opened the door to Federal control of our local schools.

             The Federal Government And Our Constitutional Rights Controversy

             By GEN. SUMTER L. LOWRY

             (Talk To The United Daughters Of Confederacy October 15, 1958, Hillsboro Hotel, Tampa, Florida)

             [Continued March U.D.C. Magazine]

             The strategy behind this decree was to establish the precedent that the Federal Government can control the school system, forcing the people to accept this fact and then to move in on all other fields of local control reserved to the States and communities, thereby completely destroying the 10th Amendment. The issue of integration, with all of its emotional appeal, was selected as the hammer to crack open and destroy our constitutional rights. Keep always in mind that integration is only the first step in a master plan to take away all of our freedom and liberty.
             Now there immediately occurred a violent and bitter reaction against the idea of forcing white and colored children to associate together in public schools and institutions—there have been millions of words written and every conceivable reason given why the people of the South so violently oppose the integration of the races. But when you get right down to the underlying cause, it leads to just one place, that is the definite and certain knowledge that if you mix male and female together in intimate, social relationship from childhood to maturity, it will bring on intermarriage—it will do this regardless of race or color.
             Now the conspirators who wish to destroy our nation well know if you mix people of different color in marriage and if you infuse the blood of fourteen million negroes into the blood stream of the white American, you will breed a mongrel race, neither white nor black, and the history of the world shows that when a nation becomes mongrelized, it dies.
             There has been a great effort on the part of the integration people to soft-pedal the fact of intermarriage as a result of integration—to make you believe it is not a threat or anything to worry about—but if you throw little white and colored children of both sexes together in an intimate social relationship from the time they are five or six years of age, and have this relationship continue through grammar school and high school, it can end only at one place it can lead to only one door, and that is to the bedroom, with or without benefit of marriage. Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of biology, psychology, social relationship or history is aware that the absolute and certain end result of mixing the male and female together is sex relations. It has never stopped short of that and it never will—race or color is no barrier.
             Now many sincere but misguided people try to overlook this fact, they just won't face up to it. But the fear and the certain knowledge that this is what will happen is the one thing that has made the southern white people band together to fight the illegal decree of the Supreme Court of the United States forcing—the integration of the races. It is the rock around which the South must rally—it is the real heart of the issue!
             Let me say here that I have only the most friendly feeling for the colored people—I want to see them given the finest schools, churches and facilities of all kinds. I want them to have every opportunity to succeed in life like every other American. But I do not believe in the mixing of the races. I am proud that I am a white man—I believe the negro should also be proud of his race, and I am sure that God intended it that way. I am also sure the negro's future will be brighter and happier if he will repudiate those voices who tell him he must force himself on a hostile and unwilling white society.
             One of the most potent factors in influencing many people to meekly accept integration of the races, is the position taken by a great many preachers and churchmen in this country—there is no doubt, a large majority of the preachers believe in the integration of the races and are doing all in their power to get their congregation to accept integration—these men in high places in our churches do not understand or will not accept the realities and results of the continuous intermingling of the white and colored people of opposite sexes. They think somehow that little white and colored children can grow up together, go to public schools together, to Sunday School, to Church, engage in all the intimate social affairs put on by schools and churches, and then when they get to marriageable age, the white girl and colored boy will shake hands, say goodbye and that will be the end of their relationship—that theory simply is not true!
             Do you mean to tell me there is even any justice in leading the negro to believe that you are accepting him as your social equal, and then turn him away at the marriage altar? I ask those preachers who I believe in the theory of mixing of the races in their churches if they would be so cruel as to have a white girl and negro boy grow up together with binding social and religious ties, and then say to the colored boy, when he comes of marriageable age, "you can go so far, but no further, this is where the line is drawn." The truth is, that any white person who believes in integration, must in his heart, right now, accept the fact that some day he may be called on to take his daughter or granddaughter down a church aisle to join her in holy matrimony with a colored man.
             Now I realize that the left-wing press shave tried to put a stigma on any man who will openly discuss this phase of integration—they make the public feel it is rude and vulgar to mention, the possibility of intermarriage between the white and the black. But it must be done, because it is the heart of the matter, and the cornerstone around which Southern people rally to fight integration. Also, it is only fair to colored and white people that the facts be openly discussed and understood.
             There is no doubt that the goal of the NAACP is the complete integration of the races in every phase of life—schools, churches, housing, public places, society and finally intermarriage—here can be no complete integration without intermarriage the NAACP has tried to soft-pedal this fact, but it is true and nothing can change it.
             The Communist conspirators who are behind this integration movement are past masters in the use of propaganda to win their battles.
             For instance, after the Supreme Court's decision in 1954, which only said that there should be no discrimination between white and colored children in public schools, the communists immediately coined the propaganda phrase "the law of the land—" this phrase has been taken up on all sides, from our President on down—it is an effort designed to make law-abiding citizens believe that if they do not submit to integration they are not good Americans and that they are violating the law—this is not true! The Supreme Court cannot make any law, they only interpret the meaning of laws passed by Congress. The Congress of the United States is the only body that can make a Federal law. And they have never passed any law saying that white and colored children must go to school together-yet, those who wish to integrate the races have led our people to believe that the forced integration of white and colored school children is "the law of the land." This is a false and cruel propaganda hoax!
             Another propaganda phrase so effectively used by those preachers in our churches who favor integration, is the phrase, "the brotherhood of man"— pointing out that Christ taught, that love of your brother was the first duty of all men. Well no Christian or truly religious person will have any quarrel about "the brotherhood of man." However, the real test on the part of the white man in his practice of "the brotherhood of man" and his regard for the negro, is whether the white man will feed the negro when he is hungry, nurse him when he is sick, give him money when he is broke and risk his life to save him from mob violence—that is the real test of the love of the white man for the colored man. Yet, some ministers with their great prestige and influence are using "the brotherhood of man" as a lever to force integration in their own churches. This action will lead only to disunity in their congregation, to heartbreak and disappointment for the negro, to intermarriage, a mongrel race and to the destruction of the United States of America.
             The sad part about this whole situation is the almost total disregard for the rights and wishes that some bishops and clergy have for those people who believe in the separation of the races in the church—they run rough shod over these helpless men and women—giving them little opportunity to have their side of the issue heard in the high councils of the church or to have their views presented through church literature and publications—all this in the name of "the brotherhood of man" as preached by Jesus Christ. To continue this unfair treatment will destroy the church as surely as the sun rises tomorrow morning.
             Please do not think that because I make this statement I do not love a my church or respect its ordained leaders. It pains me greatly to openly differ with my church or criticize the fine men who are its leaders. I have been a life-long member of the Episcopal Church. I love it dearly and will continue to do so—but I must publicly say what I do because I know so well that the church is wrong in its doctrine that "integration is a Christian mandate." For me to remain silent would betray my children and my church.
             The leadership to preserve our Constitutional Rights and prevent forced integration on the people must come from the elected representatives of the people, in the United States Congress, and from our State officials. But above all, the leadership should come from the highest elected officer in each State— the Governor. It is his duty to give fighting leadership—I repeat the word "fighting" to the people in their effort to preserve their rights and freedom. Most of the Governors of our Southern States understand the issue and have the moral courage to lead the people in this conflict—they are doing their duty in a courageous manner.
             Unfortunately, in our own State of Florida, we have a Governor who has publicly surrendered to the forces of integration—he long ago quit the fight—this statement is not a matter of opinion, but a public record of his own voice. He has said over and over that he believes in gradual and moderate integration, which means gradual defeat, gradual, surrender, intermarriage, mongrelization and the end of our nation. He adopts this course even though he is sworn to uphold the Constitution of the State of Florida which specifically prohibits the mixing of the races in our public schools.
             The people of the South are in a great struggle, yet our leader, the Governor, says to his Florida people "now we will put up a token resistance, we will just fight for a limited time, we will sacrifice a given number of casualties, then we will surrender and the batt1e will be over."
             Now this is a struggle in which there can be no compromise. Integration is wrong and should be resisted to the end, or it is right, and should be accepted now. There is no middle ground! It is a matter of principle, will our nation be mongrelized and destroyed, or will it continue a strong nation with white and colored people living side by side in peace and unity?
             Yes, integration must be met head on—it is a cowardly thing to pass on to the next generation obligations which should be met now—never forget for one minute that total integration means intermarriage—also fully understand that the gradual integrationist is a man who flinches from the idea of his daughter marry a colored man, but is perfectly willing to have his granddaughter do so.
             The policy of gradual surrender as adopted by Governor Collins is a far cry from the "never surrender" spirit of the great Southern leaders during the War Between the States. Can you imagine General Stonewall Jackson calling in his officers before the battle, and saying: "We will fight for three hours this morning, then we will run?" Or, can you imagine General Lee telling the people of Virginia that: "we will defend the soil of this State for six months, then quit?"—NO—these men never knew the word "quit" or "surrender"—all never passed their lips.
             I want you fine ladies here this morning to always remember that the issue at stake right now is the same issue your southern forebears fought and died for.
             During the war our southern men gave their lives and our southern women made every sacrifice to fight for a cause in which they believed—their battle cry was "honor" and "courage"—not "compromise" and "surrender"—and now the torch held so high by these men and women is passed on to you to carry forward—must not fail them!
             The time is here for the people of this State to rise up and say to the nation—"we DO NOT believe in the integration of the races—" "we WILL NOT see our nation destroyed by mongrelization—" "we WILL resist the illegal edict of the Supreme Court with every means at hand," and "we WILL repudiate and disown any office holders, no matter who he is, who attempts to influence the people to "quit" and "surrender" in our struggle for survival."
             May the spirit of Lee and Jackson and the long line of departed southern heroes be with you, guide and strengthen you at this time so that this great organization of patriotic southern women can use its power to save our people and preserve our nation.