|
Southern political news,
free-market commentary, history & heritage event links, An Official Statement From Michael Hill on the Abbeville Meeting & The Southern Party   Almost
exactly four years ago to the day, a group of League of the South members formed
the Southern Party Exploratory Committee (SPEC) to examine the prospects of
starting a political party as a vehicle for a Southern political movement. At
the end those four years, the Southern political movement has seen both success
and failure. In some cases, it has succeeded on the State level. Conversely, it
has failed miserably on the so-called "national" level.In my opinion, the time has come for a new beginning for the movement quite apart from the current Baxley-led Southern National Committee (or whatever name it now bears). We must build on the successes of some of the individual State parties, and it is my fervent hope that The League of the South (LOS) can be of assistance in this endeavor. From the start, I thought that the individual State parties ought to exercise sovereignty within their respective borders. But because of the direction taken by the SNC, that did not happen. Consequently, several State parties once affiliated with the SNC have now disaffiliated from the SNC and have done quite well for themselves. This seems to bode well for the future of the Southern political movement. Now that there are numerous independent, non-SNC affiliated State parties, it is time to bring about a reconciliation between both State parties and individuals who have shown a willingness to work diligently for the movement. Moreover, it is also time for the sovereign and independent State parties to decide whether they wish to form a loose alliance or confederation among themselves that will benefit each member party. To these ends, therefore, I propose a meeting be held in early 2003 in South Carolina. Attendance at the meeting will be by invitation only. It must be clearly understood by all that this is not an attempt to reform the SNC, to elect a new chairman of the SNC, or to make any changes or modifications to the SNC whatsoever. Rather, this meeting will have nothing to do with the SNC or with any officer thereof. Nor will anyone person or party still affiliated with the Baxley-led SNC be extended an invitation to the meeting. Disaffiliation from the SNC-led Southern Party is a prerequisite for invitation. Again, we are not concerned with the SNC, but with reconciliation among the disaffiliated parties and among individuals still dedicated to making the movement succeed. Too, the meeting ought to determine whether there is any serious interest in forming an alliance or confederation between the now-independent State parties for their mutual benefit. The purpose of the meeting is threefold: 1) to help heal some old wounds that have festered over the past four years; 2) to determine whether the various independent and sovereign State parties wish to form a very decentralized alliance or confederation and adopt some type of by-laws or constitution for that purpose at the meeting or some future date; and 3) to get the LOS involved again, if possible, as a partner in the Southern political movement, if the independent State parties, either separately or in confederation, should so desire. As President of the League, it is my desire to see the Southern political movement succeed. Neither I, nor any member(s) of the LOS Board of Directors, wish to have any official or policy-making role in whatever new organization might emerge from this meeting. But we do look forward to having in place a coordinated and effective movement that the LOS can fully and confidently support. I welcome all comments any of you may have regarding this proposal. Also, should there by widespread opposition to this proposal, I shall gladly withdraw it from consideration. Yours respectfully, Michael Hill, President The League of the South
|
