Part 7 of 7 END OF A DREAM
When Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia the dream of the Confederate States of America died along with the KGC dream of a prosperous Southern Empire into in the geographical area of the Golden Circle. Also gone was the progressive economic idea of a diversified agriculture economy that would have mandatory crop allotments as a means of controlling production and therefore, influence world market prices. The planned control was designed to increase prices and stabilize the boom-and-bust economic cycles. These cycles perpetuated instability in the supply production sectors of the economy that kept planters indebted to Northern and European bankers. Not until the Great Depression of the 1930’s would any capitalist nation adopt a planned agriculture economy. Perhaps the most progressive dreams of the KGC was to end slavery through gradual emancipation. Texas Knights were educated, and they recognized that change was inevitable. The federal constitution of the Knights stated that slavery was not to end until the laborers were educated to accept the responsibilities of democracy. Their constitution also stated that it was designed for a mixed population that would be educated, and that merit would be the basis for achievement and advancement. They wanted no repeat of the past slave rebellions in Haiti or Santo Domingo.
Revolutions do not just happen; they develop over a period of years as various segments of society fail at attempts to reform. Accordingly, rebels are not born, but are made when their wants are not met. The long-range plan of Knights was to develop an integrated horizontal and vertical cooperative based on Southern agricultural products. Their political leaders (3rd degree) saw far beyond the short-term territorial acquisitions and crop planting allotments to longrange investment in shipping and transportation, food and fiber processing, lumber and paper production, livestock and feedstuff production, mining and minerals, manufacturing and industrial plants, construction, finance, banking and insurance, news networks, education, art, and culture. They foresaw a complete society, to include women, operating in balance and harmony based on a managed agricultural economy.
In time, many of the Knights ideals and plans for their new society were accepted by the dominant political parties. Out of the Grange movement, farm’s co-ops, and a US States Department of Agriculture, have come crop allotments, price subsidies, and federal soil programs. These are now commonplace, worldwide measures considered necessary to stabilize modern industrial economies. The Knights of the Golden Circle - American Legion: there never were such men before.
References and endnotes available upon request.
To be continued.
This series is taken from a research paper submitted by Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 2353 of Lampasas and Heartsill Camp No. 314 of Marshall to obtain an official Texas Historical Marker. The marker, once approved and cast, will be placed in Marshall, which was basically the nerve center of the KGC in Texas and was the location and headquarters of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi.