Civil rights are Citizen's rights such as the right to vote, serve in public office, move freely about the country, have a passport etc. (Civil is derived from the Latin meaning Citizen). There are also Civil responsibilities that are not talked about as much such as obeying the law, keeping clean, and not interfering with other's rights.
Natural or Endowed rights (and their responsibilities) – life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, ownership and stewardship of property, free will etc. are inherent in all Human Beings.
All Civil rights are derived from the Natural Rights of the Human Beings that came together to constitute that society. For instance the right to vote is derived from the Natural right to liberty and free choice. However, a right does not mean entitlement. You have the right to property but first you must earn it so that the right is actualized. You have the right to vote but first you must be a citizen to activate that right. Charity is a favor. You may have a right to life but you are not entitled to keep it unless you take care of your health and don't murder.
Since a Natural right does not confer entitlement, you can't just take someone else's property. Nor can you have a civil right to take someone else's property. If you, who has the Natural right to property can not take, then certainly government which has no natural rights, can not take anyone's property or claim to be entitled. Government is supported solely by Citizen's responsibility to pay for services not by government's right to get paid. Government has no rights, only duties.
The government does not grant any rights. If they did, they could also take them away.
Individual have rights. Groups do not. Groups are classifications only. There is no such thing as a civil right for blacks or women, as a category, to vote. All citizens regardless of group classification have the right to vote. It is a civil protection against interference with the right to vote that was instituted.
If something is granted to a particular group it is a privilege not a right. Privileges grant an advantage that is not earned. Government enforced privileges such as Racial Quotas, affirmative action and the like, violate Natural rights.
We have confused privilege of a certain group or class with individual rights.
When two individuals conflict we do Justice by finding balance between their individual rights (and responsibilities). Only individual rights and responsibilities are valid for judgment. Allowing redress of group poverty or slavery or any other issue to influence judgments is not justice but granting privilege.
Poor and rich have equal rights. A poor person's rights do not supersede a rich person's. Taking wealth from the rich to give to the poor violates equal rights. It is theft! However the rich's individual responsibility to uphold other's rights is higher towards the poorer person.
Individual Charity that voluntarily transfers property from the richer to the poorer is Justice. It does not violate individual rights and allows the individual to exercise their individual responsibility to help those in need. A Government tax on income, property or any wealth is not Justice, it is theft. We are responsible to pay for necessary services for the General Welfare such as the US Military, FBI, Courts etc. We are responsible to apportion costs based on amount of benefit received.
If individual rights (ex. persons of color) are being abused the remedy is to do Justice for each individual or constrain government from infringing on a right but not to grant privilege to the group. When the privilege of victim status is granted to blacks as a group then Racism is promoted solely as white against black because only blacks have the privilege to be considered victims.
There is no natural right to be employed. Employment Discrimination based on race, creed, color or ethnicity is a matter of values not force of government. Forced Quotas, reparations and other schemes are a grant of privilege that infringes on the endowed right of Liberty and property of the business owners. They enrich lawyers at the expense of all (legal fees and payouts are passed on in retail prices).
Civil war
The Civil War was not primarily about slavery. Slaves were considered to be property. The war was about overreaching Federal Government power and Federal Regulations unfair to the South. For example regulations making Southern ports more expensive thus limiting Southern commerce and that slaves passing through any Northern States should be set free.
Slavery was an issue used later to sell war bonds, recruit soldiers and eventually to justify the millions of deaths and financial ruin brought on by the Civil War. The Union that was "preserved" was one of diminished States and an empowered Central government.
The Civil War almost cost us our country. Both France and England were poised at our borders to divide the spoils after our internal fighting.
The Confederate Constitution sought to limit Congressional pork and correct further abuses by the Federal Government. Could the issues have been resolved without war?
President Andrew Jackson also faced the threat of Secession over tariffs levied on the South. Jackson was a feared military General. He used the threat of military action publicly while in private negotiated to lower the tariffs.
Why was Lincoln called a tyrant by John Wilkes Booth? Lincoln ignored the Constitution in arrests, issuing paper money not backed by silver and gold (greenbacks), collected income tax, and locked the country into debt to banks from which we have never emerged.
Black Slavery is important as a historical and moral lesson. Slavery to Government is a current issue and must be taught and discussed if we wish to recapture and retain our freedom.
Check out this painting called The Forgotten Man.
http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/page/view_search/379
Enlarge the painting and mouse over it to for a short history of all our presidents.
