The SC Government in 1860 and 2020: The Disturbing Similarities

In December of 1860, South Carolina infamously became the first state to secede from the United States after the election of Abraham Lincoln. They did so because they were fearful of slavery being restricted as is mentioned in the secession documents. This fell under the larger banner of states’ rights.

This may seem like ancient history, but it is unfortunately not too far away what is occurring right now with our state government as the Attorney General, Alan Wilson, announced this week that he is joining together with other states to take the election to the Supreme Court. The goal is to overturn the election because they did not like the results.

On one level, the actions of 1860 and 2020 are the polar opposite. While the mantra before the Civil War was about states’ rights, this lawsuit is directly undermining the rights of states to conduct their own elections. South Carolina is seeking to overthrow the will of the voters in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The hypocrisy is so glaring that this is almost comical if it was not an attack on democracy.

While 2020 is the exact opposite of 1860 on the issue of states’ rights, on another level the two years are quite the same. In both situations, all Southern states in 1860 and primarily southern states in 2020 are willing to throw away the ideals of a democratic republic when they do not get their way. In both cases as well racism was at the heart of the rebellion. In 1860 it was done blatantly to defend slavery. In 2020 it is a little more subtle, but still reprehensible. It is basically declaring that black voices and votes in cities like Atlanta and Philadelphia should not count as much as white rural voters.

Both incidents also raise the stakes for violence to occur. We all know what happens after the session in 1860. If this attempted coup was actually successful, which fortunately it looks like it will not be, the republic might not stand and there could be violence and chaos in the streets that we cannot begin to comprehend. Though the coup might not actually work in 2020, it sets a very bad precedent for future elections, the stability of our republic, and most importantly-the peace of our nation.

You would hope states like South Carolina would have learned something from their horrific past, but it seems like they are intent on making the same mistakes over and over again. We talk about the New South, and in some ways these new realities and progress are on display, but the demons of the Old South are still with us and are once again creating havoc in 2020.