.THE NEW SECESSION -AND HOW TO SMASH IT Riding to Freedom Herbert Aptheker * James E. Jackson 10 cent.s ~ ( 6 5/o Is- ABOUT THE AUTHORS RIDING TO FREEDOM JAMES E. JACKSON has, since the early thirties, been a prominent figure in the democratic struggles of the workers and Negro people of the South. By Herbert Aptheker He was a militant student leader and organizer of the Southern youth movement, and later an organizer among the auto workers of Michigan. He is presently the Editor of The Worker. THE MONSTROUS ASSAULTS by COW­ the Ku Klux Klan, the White Citi­ ardly gangsters and racists upon un­ zens' Councils and the John Bi rch HERBERT APTHEKER is the Editor of the Marxist monthly, Political armed and non-resisting young men Society, are actual conspirators in ex­ A ffairs, and widely known as a scholar, historian, educator and lecturer. H e and women in Alabama late in May actly the same way as the Old Se­ is the author of several major works including American Negro Slave Re­ is the culminating act of a pre-con­ cessionists, with their Knights of the volts, History and Reality, The Truth About H ungary and Toward Negro certed insurrectionary movement. Golden Circle, and their White Ca­ Freedom. His latest books, The Colonial Era and The American Revolu­ Earlier scenes were played out in melia Societies, maliciously plotted Florida, in Virginia, in Arkansas, the destruction of the Republic and tion: 1763-1783, are the first in a multi-volumed history of the United States. in Mississippi, in Louisiana. Now, the expansion of human slavery. His essay in this pamphlet is an expansion and elaboration of his article with the Alabama atrocities, one has To com promise with these con­ appearing in the June, 19l}1 issue of Political Affairs. a massive effort at nullification, and spirators, to try to placate and appease as these lines are written the Gov­ them is wrong and fruitless. It was ernors of Arkansas and Mississippi tried with their ideological ancestors have expressed their support. a century ago and did nothing but This is a New Secession, but com­ make the final effort to thwart them ing a century after the Old Treason, that much more difficult and costly. its methods differ. This is secession Let them go in peace, it was urged; without l«aving the Union; it is an give them more land, for their hell­ effort to nullify the laws of the land, born "peculiar" institution; let us to continue the racist oppression guarantee forever their undisturbed against which those laws were di­ possession of human flesh. The ap­ rected, and yet to remain part of the peasement failed then because short Nation. This is not a "breakdown of abject surrender there was no ap­ of law and order"; this is a defiance peasing the monster, and because the of Federal law carried out by the health of the nation, the will of mil­ highest authorities of States, who lions of democratic-minded white openly connive at and justify massive people, the opinion of the world, and lynch law. All the evidence shows the determination of the Negro peo­ that the engineers of this counter­ ple to endure slavery no more, finally revolutionary movement-seeking to forced a stand, hurled back the treas­ Published by NEw CENTURY PuBLISHERS, 832 Broadway, New York 3, N.Y. undo our nation's Second Revolu­ onous attack, saved the nation and June, 19l}1 ~ 2 09 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. tion-as members and supporters of eliminated chattel slavery. 3 It is not compromise with evil that white soldiers, against white men? so that they could become compe­ officers and men were told-clearly, is needed, but positive action against Each, it was solemnly affirmed, was tent officers in infantry and field ar­ and without any room for doubt­ evil; it is not the appeasement of ra­ absolutely impossible; to attempt each tillery and engi neering outfits-and that if there were refusal to fight cism that is needed, but its extirpa­ was madness and could only result do you expect to do this in Okla­ with the reinforcements, those who tion. And this is not an "impractical" in disaster. But Haiti was recognized homa, in Virginia, in Georgia? "Im­ refused would be tried by general idea; appeasement and compromise and the capitol didn't fall down; the possible." It wasn't impossible; not court-martial for desertion, in the face are the impractical ideas, simply be­ slave-trader was hanged, publicly, when the Government saw that it of the enemy-carrying the death cause-if the object really is social in New York City, and the Republic needed this program, and said that it penalty. Well, the men and officers progress and democratic advance­ didn't collapse; Negroes were en­ wanted it, and seriously undertook to who had said, almost unanimously, they do not work. Appeasing and listed in the Army, and the only carry it out. There was some fric­ that the program was impossible compromising result in strengthen­ complaint that persisted was that tion; there were some incidents; and they themselves would not fight, ing the evil and disheartening and there were not enough of them; Ne­ there was some difficulty. But it did fight and the program was so far weakening its foes. Early in the gro soldiers did fight with white sol­ was far from "impossible"; it was from impossible that it saved the day Civil War, the policy of "modera­ diers against Confederate troops and done and done quickly-not "moder­ in Belgium, and a very cold series of tion" and compromise, carried over they fought very well and without ately"- and done completely. It days it was too. Then after the fight­ from the preceding years, was tried; them, said Abraham Lincoln and worked with tens of thousands of ing and when it came time to go conduct the war so as not to "offend" Ulysses S. Grant, it was difficult to men, of all colors and from every home, the white men were asked the traitors, was the idea. But with­ see how the Civil War would have region of the country. whether they wanted to return as out destroying the traitors there could ended with Union victory. The "prac­ In the winter of 1944-45, the Ger- . they had come (i.e., as lily-white out­ be no peace and no country; to de­ tical" conservatives were, in fact, mans broke through in Belgium and fits) or did they want to go home stroy them it was necessary to wage abettors of traitors; the "impractical" were advancing towards Antwerp. the way they had fought (i.e., as a principled contest and that meant radicals were, in fact, decisive con­ Reinforcements were desperately "mixed" outfits). The same men who a contest in which the deepest Ne­ tributors to victory. needed; a likely source, at hand, were had voted almost 100% against hav­ gro-white alliance was forged and in All experience not only shows that Negro service troops. Would those ing Negro soldiers fight with them, which the stated and promised goal policies of "moderation" and "gradu­ men undergo intensive combat train­ now voted almost 100% that they was Negro liberation. alism" and "patience" and appease­ ing and then be willing to go into wanted to remain "mixed" and You "could not do it"; it was "un­ ment do not work; all experience the front-lines? They were asked and wanted to go home the way they thinkable"; the white people would shows that when such policies were tens of thousands of them said "yes"; !1ad fought. never "stand for it"- these were the decisively rejected, and clear, vigor­ then, the question arose: would the The idea of "impracticality" is es­ alarms raised by the "practical" ones ous policies were adopted without white men fight alongside the Ne­ pecially ridiculous in the present era who-somehow-always manage to equivocation against racist practices, gro soldiers? They were asked and when the people of Nigeria have ally themselves with reaction, albeit those practices were overcome. There almost unanimously they said, "no, :chieved independence and those cf they often say, with a heavy heart. is not only the whole experience of never." But the reinforcements were Kenya are on the verge of victory. What, it was asked: Recognize Haiti the Civil War period to attest to needed; and the United States gov­ One wonders whether U.S. ruling­ and have Negro Ministers in Wash­ this; there is also the recent experi­ ernment directed that the N egro men :lass "patience" (for the other fellow) ington? H ang a captured slave-trad­ ences of World War II. What, it be trained for combat and that after is to hold good until all Africa is free. er? Make soldiers of Negroes ? Give was asked, incredulously, do you ex­ such training they be sent in as rein­ [s the Negro citizen of the United Negro soldiers equal pay ~ith pect to train Negro ancl white men forcements. T his was done, and be­ States to get a democratic cup of whites? H ave Negro soldters, together, in the sa me camps, in the fore the Negro men were assigned coffee or a dignified ride on a bus armed, and fighting side by side with same tents, in the same class-rooms, to their front-l ine outfits, the white )nly after every other human being 4 5 elsewhere in the world has achieved to law in our international relations the 14th Amendment was passed in the spec1fic case of the Freedom such elementary "rights"? Is this the in this century" (N.