I picked this book up with Christmas money and wow was it good.

Plot: Two PhD students in Southron History find that their respective disseration research has uncovered a rumor of lost gold from the Confederacy. In the meanwhile, their doctoral advisor, a History Prof and southron sympathizer, gets in trouble with the law for violating "the Patriot Act," falsely so-called.

It raises issues of the legality of secession, lawful resistance to tyranny, the dangers of the government playing god, etc. Masterfully written. Here is an excerpt.

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The Interposition of Lesser Magistrates

The Hunt for Confederate Gold is too good to be true, as an artistic work. Without wanting to give too much of the story away, the following will suffice as an intro setting the stage for the given dialogue. The Feds, in logical consistency with the so-called Patriot Act, have arrested a Southron history professor on charges of "racism" (a word defined by the elitist establishment. I am against unlawful discrimination when class and not competence/character is the defining aspect, but the word racist, thanks to mentally incompetent civil un-liberties groups, has no objective meaning anymore. Kind of like calling someone a "heretic" in reformed circles), "terrorist activities" (think League of the South meetings), and whatever else they might have concocted to get a case. But, things go ill. The following illustrates it:
----------------------------------------------------

"Twenty minutes later the two agents pulled into the parking lot outside the spacisous new County Governmnet Complex in Lexington. Bill Becker (Federal agent instigating the whole matter), pacing in front of the entrance, waved them forward.
'What's up, Boss?' they asked.
'I want you guys here with me for a little show of force. Seems like the local sheriff wants to play the local hero.'
'You mean Sherrif Cash?' said Lom.
'You know him?'
'Yeah, we met him last year. Before you arrived."
'Where was that?' Becker asked.
'At the annual State Law enforcement Association dinner. He was the keynote speaker. It was, well, different, I gotta say,' Studenko told him.
'Oh, in what way?'
'Not in a way you are going to like,' said Lom. 'He spoke on, well, on local law enforcement, uh, interventio--'
'Interposition,' said Studenko.
Lom nodded. 'That's it. 'Interposition of the Lesser Magistrate.' His speech started with the Fall of France to the Germans in World War II. He told how in the summer of 1942 the Gestapo decided to round up all the Jews in Paris and eport them to concentration camps. But the Nazis didn't have nearly enough manpower for the job. So they gave lists to the Paris gendarmes; and it was the French police, not the Nazies, who went around all on theri own arresting thousands of French citizens. The Jews were held for days in teh heat of an open sports arena withotu food and water and hundreds deid even before they were shipped to the death camps.'

'And what does this have to do with anything?' Becker's eyes narrowed.
'Well, I'm coming to that.' Lom continued. 'Sherriff Cash siad it was the duty of the French police not only to disobey such a wrongful order, but that they should actually have interposed themselves between teh Jews and the Nazis. They committed a terrible crime by complying with the Nazis.

Becker snorted, 'But that's crazy! The Germans would have killed them.'
'He went into that,' said Studenko. 'He said the Nazis couldn't have--and wouldn't have--done away with the police. They needed help too badly, and so if they'd refuse to cooperate, it would have collapsed the whole thing. He said it was the duty of law enforcement to protect the community, from local police and sheriffs, up to the governor, even if it meant resisting the unlawful acts of a higher power. Kind of shook people up, I have to tell you. Anyway, that's his theory. Interposition of the lesser magistrate, he called it.'

'So what else is he like?'
'Well, they call him Johnny Cash,' Studenko replied. 'He doesn't wear black, but he does have the same deep Southern drawl like the singer. Don't let that fool you, though. He's easy-going, but not somebody who can be pushed around.' Studenko hoped his boss was listening."



The Interposition of Lesser Magistrates

The Hunt for Confederate Gold is too good to be true, as an artistic work. Without wanting to give too much of the story away, the following will suffice as an intro setting the stage for the given dialogue. The Feds, in logical consistency with the so-called Patriot Act, have arrested a Southron history professor on charges of "racism" (a word defined by the elitist establishment. I am against unlawful discrimination when class and not competence/character is the defining aspect, but the word racist, thanks to mentally incompetent civil un-liberties groups, the word has no objective meaning. Kind of like calling someone a "heretic" in reformed circles), "terrorist activities" (think League of the South meetings), and whatever else they might have concocted to get a case. But, things go ill. Remember what I have written on earlier last week on the resistance to tyranny (taking the form, in this case, of noncompliance) led by lesser civil magistrates? The following illustrates it:

"Twenty minutes later the two agents pulled into the parking lot outside the spacisous new County Governmnet Complex in Lexington. Bill Becker (Federal agent instigating the whole matter), pacing in front of the entrance, waved them forward.
'What's up, Boss?' they asked.
'I want you guys here with me for a little show of force. Seems like the local sheriff wants to play the local hero.'
'You mean Sherrif Cash?' said Lom.
'You know him?'
'Yeah, we met him last year. Before you arrived."
'Where was that?' Becker asked.
'At the annual State Law enforcement Association dinner. He was the keynote speaker. It was, well, different, I gotta say,' Studenko told him.
'Oh, in what way?'
'Not in a way you are going to like,' said Lom. 'He spoke on, well, on local law enforcement, uh, interventio--'
'Interposition,' said Studenko.
Lom nodded. 'That's it. 'Interposition of the Lesser Magistrate.' His speech started with the Fall of France to the Germans in World War II. He told how in the summer of 1942 the Gestapo decided to round up all the Jews in Paris and eport them to concentration camps. But the Nazis didn't have nearly enough manpower for the job. So they gave lists to the Paris gendarmes; and it was the French police, not the Nazies, who went around all on theri own arresting thousands of French citizens. The Jews were held for days in teh heat of an open sports arena withotu food and water and hundreds deid even before they were shipped to the death camps.'

'And what does this have to do with anything?' Becker's eyes narrowed.
'Well, I'm coming to that.' Lom continued. 'Sherriff Cash siad it was the duty of the French police not only to disobey such a wrongful order, but that they should actually have interposed themselves between teh Jews and the Nazis. They committed a terrible crime by complying with the Nazis.

Becker snorted, 'But that's crazy! The Germans would have killed them.'
'He went into that,' said Studenko. 'He said the Nazis couldn't have--and wouldn't have--done away with the police. They needed help too badly, and so if they'd refuse to cooperate, it would have collapsed the whole thing. He said it was the duty of law enforcement to protect the community, from local police and sheriffs, up to the governor, even if it meant resisting the unlawful acts of a higher power. Kind of shook people up, I have to tell you. Anyway, that's his theory. Interposition of the lesser magistrate, he called it.'

'So what else is he like?'
'Well, they call him Johnny Cash,' Studenko replied. 'He doesn't wear black, but he does have the same deep Southern drawl like the singer. Don't let that fool you, though. He's easy-going, but not somebody who can be pushed around.' Studenko hoped his boss was listening."

[Edited on 1--16-06 by Draught Horse]

__________________
J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

It is a great book... even had some Scripture. I reviewed it on my blogspot on Christmas Eve!



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[Edited on 1-16-2006 by Puritanhead]

__________________
Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession

do you know if he will write more on this line of thinking?

__________________
J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

Someone needs to make this into a movie...

__________________
Chris Rhoades -33
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA) Nashville, TN-Under Care

Vera theologia non theoretica, sed practica est; Finis siquidem eius agere est hoc est vitam vivere deiformem. - Martin Bucer
""True theology is not theoretical, but practical. The end of it is living, that is to live a godly life."

{insert Val Kilmer accent} "I'm your Huckleberry."

Have you read the book? It is so much better than Heiland.

__________________
J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

It is nothing short of awesome... like National Treasure without the masonic non-sense, but rather a Confederate twist. It is amazing how he weaves the tales together from past to present, and they intersect.

__________________
Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession

Sounds seditious...

__________________
Rev. R. Kevin Carroll
Macon Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Macon, MS

I wonder what will come of the WIN THE GOLD contest that the author is utilizing for publicity? It seems like it is delayed, as far as giving clues go. You feel like solving puzzles Jacob? One could use $5,000 worth of gold when the next Great Depression comes!

__________________
Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession