On Sunday, as Texans prepare to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for racial justice, our state government will recognize the opposite cause: slavery. Although many are unaware, Texas officially recognizes Confederate Heroes Day at this time of year, creating a glaring contradiction on the state calendar.
To denote someone a “hero” implies that individual acted in a heroic fashion on principles that future Texans should seek to emulate. Leading the most substantial threat our republic has ever faced for the purpose of perpetuating our nation’s greatest sin is far from heroic.
The Confederate cause is the antithesis of the American experiment. The United States was founded on the equality of all; the Confederacy fought for the exact opposite. Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens laid out the Rebels’ mission in his infamous Cornerstone Speech:
“Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.”
Similarly, the Texas Ordinance of Secession states as an “undeniable truth” that those of African descent are “an inferior and dependent race.” Consequently, the Confederate government would recognize slavery as “abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator.” Why is it heroic to fight for the enslavement of an entire race? Surely heroism involves more than simply fighting on any side of any conflict, so heroism requires the individual to fight for liberty and justice.
Texas does not have any other holidays dedicated to war-specific groups of veterans. There is no “World War II Heroes Day” or “War on Terror Heroes Day.” Our calendar indicates that the defense of slavery is more heroic than opposition to fascism and terrorism. Why should we elevate the Confederates above Texans who fought for the United States, not against it?
Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee (natives of Mississippi and Virginia, respectively) are the only two men listed in the Texas statute. Both fit the Constitution’s definition of treason, which is to provide “aid and comfort” to the enemy. While we can debate the extent to which being a Southerner in 1861 is a mitigating factor in assessing their morality, a hero is someone who takes a stand for what is right, especially in the face of an unjust public majority. Gov. Sam Houston, who was forced out of office for his refusal to join the Confederate cause, is a hero. The Texans who served in the U.S. Army are heroes.
Historical truth is not up for debate. However, the people and causes we choose to celebrate are a direct reflection of our values. We revere the Fourth of July because we believe to this day that we are all created equal, that individuals have inalienable rights, and that government is illegitimate without the consent of the governed. Because we acknowledge Confederate Heroes Day, what does that say about our values? Notably, those who see the holiday as a recognition of “states’ rights” likely do not celebrate New York Gov. William H. Seward’s actions protecting a fugitive slave from Virginia.
We bear a responsibility to remember our past in an honest way, which in no way requires us to annually celebrate the mistakes of those who came before us. It’s time for the Texas Legislature to do the right thing and end Confederate Heroes Day.
Jacob Hale is a freshman at Vanderbilt University who has been working for five years with several legislators to remove Confederate Heroes Day from Texas’ state calendar. He wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News.