Essay on "Reconstructed but Unregenerate"
by Robert W. Watson
(1 September 2001)

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, a professor at Vanderbilt and Kenyon College, a Rhodes Scholar, an officer during World War I, and a Fugitive poet, John Crowe Ransom was born in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1888. As a professor at Vanderbilt, Ransom exercised a direct influence on the lives of students like Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, and Donald Davidson. Because he was well read in the classics, Ransom writes to a modern world while standing comfortably (without embarrassment or apology) behind a tradition of antiquity. Author, poet, critic--Ransom promoted the agrarian cause by trying "to recover the excellences of the ancient faith." This faith was not only in orthodox Christianity, which was taking a beating during the 1920s and 30s, but also in the faith of the Southern culture.

In his contribution to I'll Take My Stand, "Reconstructed but Unregenerate," Ransom states unequivocally his thesis: "The South is unique on this continent for having founded and defended a culture which was according to the European principles of culture; and the European principles had better look to the South if they are to be perpetuated in this country." Of course, this thesis would be moot if the entire citizenry of the empire desires vagabondage instead of permanence, a love for money instead of a love for God, and progress instead of tradition. Vagabondage, greed, and progress will never develop a culture, and for this reason, the American empire must borrow its culture from other societies, like the Romans did. On the other hand, if anyone does want to develop a culture and a heritage that is rich enough to offer his children, then Ransom argues that he needs to consider the Southern tradition based on European principles, not American ones.

In a wistful way, Ransom laments that the Old South Confederate is not taken very seriously. In fact, the empire seems a little too accommodating towards the Confederate. Southerners are still permitted to observe Confederate holidays, to have graveside memorials, and to march down main street in parades dressed in period uniforms and clothing with battle flags unfurled. Yet all of this activity is not considered treasonous to the empire. The reason Southerners can get away with the speeches, the parades, and the re-inactments is because, according to Ransom, everyone knows that these displays of Southern pride are no threat at all to the imperial powers in Washington, D.C. The old unreconstructed Confederate who supports the "Lost Cause" is patronisingly smiled at with a wink of a mocking eye. The old fellow appears a little eccentric, but is considered completely impotent and harmless. Indeed, the Old South has some value, but only for attracting the dollars of Yankee tourists--and nothing more. In fact, Yankee boys and girls can come to Southern universities now without the least worry to anyone of their being tainted with a love for Dixie.

Why is the unreconstructed Southerner considered an oddity? Ransom points out that the problem with Americans is their being trapped in an abnormal life, a life of continuous exploration and pioneering. Perhaps the reason why Americans think that pioneering is normal is the American experience began with pioneers, expanded westward with pioneers, and is now conquering space with pioneers. Whether climbing the corporate ladder, applying the latest educational fad, or improving last week's computer processor, Americans are bent towards conquering new territory, both in the physical and metaphysical realms. But Ransom states, "The pioneering life is not the normal life, whatever some Americans may suppose." Yes, our early history was marked with making communities in the wilderness, but there comes a time when a people must grow up and begin to act with some maturity.

In the case of the American empire, the process of maturation is shorted and is fast-forwarding Americans towards the unknown without the ability to stop. Ransom compares the European experience with the American one. While the Europeans had made peace with nature long ago, developed stable communities, and established worthy institutions and traditions to give to the next generation, industrialised Americans are scurrying about like rats, killing themselves with their pollution, their senseless automobile accidents, and their self-inflected stress in order to go nowhere. This rat-race is the behaviour of adolescents who refuse to grow up. While little children may chase each other and run obliviously through the house, the mature folks should correct the callow behaviour of the youngsters, lest the immature seriously hurt themselves. Likewise, it is a mature culture and tradition that checks the foolish and the immature policies of a body politic.

Because of her agrarian society with her small towns, the South entered into a compact with nature, used the land thoughtfully, and enjoyed the bounty from it. The result of this peace with nature was a people who began to mature, a people who adopted the European principle of putting down roots deep into their communities and land. Ransom uses the metaphor of a plant that, once being accustomed to its surroundings, suffers shock whenever it is uprooted to be transplanted to another location. The transplanting may be successful, but only if the plant is cared for with extraordinary attention. Ransom states that for many Americans, they are not even transplanted after they are uprooted, but are "left dangling in the air."

In corporate America, fathers and mothers show little concern about the stability of their children as millions of youngsters are uprooted and transplanted in a strange environment just so the parents can make a little more money. In addition to this, millions of children are forced to leave their comfortable homes, are transported to indoctrination centres, and are held prisoner several hours a day, taught alien ideas, values, and beliefs. In such a mobile society, intimate friendships are seldom made, community involvement is meaningless, and neighbourliness is non-existent. While all of this is bad, Ransom argues that the upward-driven American suffers from a peculiar pain that is unique in the American experience: the pain of nostalgia.

Nostalgia is more than just a longing for the "good old days." According to Ransom, nostalgia occurs every time when we uproot ourselves from our comfortable surroundings. Like any pain, nostalgia issues a warning that we have exceeded our tolerance; in short, this pain of nostalgia is "the instinctive objection to being transplanted." Many of us call this pain, "homesickness." Within every human being there is an instinct of wanting permanence, of wanting stability, and of wanting to belong. But none of this can be achieved if man will not declare a truce with nature. The pioneering spirit is marked by conquering nature and subduing the land. But as soon as man has provided for his shelter, his food, his fuel, and his clothing, he should live peacefully with nature in order to turn his attention to art, literature, and music. The peaceful man can devote himself to philosophy and religion, because he does not need to expend more energy against nature. Thus, the European tradition was to take from the land just enough to meet one's needs and then to exercise the mind with leisure.

But this is not the American way. The American must always be moving around on highways and in shopping malls. Progress demands it, and progress produces belligerent men who refuse to be at peace with nature and with their neighbours, who cease to be human beings, but are deemed competitors, whether in war or peace. Ransom offers the following example: "Our vast industrial machine, with its laboratory centers of experimentation, and its far-flung organs of mass production, is like a Prussianized state which is organized strictly for war and can never consent to peace." The chief export of Prussia was her mass-produced soldiers. Peace was bad for Prussia, because she needed wars in order to have a viable economy. Not surprising, the New England transcendentalists were impressed with the behaviour of the students in the Prussian classroom. The American educators observed the children sitting straight with their feet in front and their hands folded on the desk as they recited their rote in unison. The transcendentalists were so impressed in fact that the American educators adopted the Prussian model for the New England common schools. Such schools are fine if you are training soldiers who must obey their superiors, but not if you are educating citizens to think for themselves and to enjoy freedom. But of course, American governmental "education" was never meant to educate anyone.

Thus, American progress is a declaration of a perpetual state of war, not only against nature, but against free men as well. Quiet communities are not allowed to remain quiet and peaceful as chambers of commerce entice alien businesses and industries to disrupt the traditions and permanence of the local citizens. There is almost a missionary-like zeal to destroy as many fields as possible to make room for more blue-jeans shops. But this wanton destruction did not used to be the way of the South. Before the War for Southern Independence, the South had become comfortable with her way of life that was marked with a truce with the soil and neighbours. Industry was abundant in the South, but it centred on agriculture. Railroads were built to carry farm products to ports and not so much for mass transportation like in the Northern cities. Southern life was not idyllic in all regards, but the Southerner was no longer a pioneer. Even the yeoman farmer found some time for intellectual leisure. The gentry sent their sons to the best schools and colleges, and there were more Southerners in college than New Englanders. The arts and literature were beginning to flourish in the South, and her citizens excelled in statesmanship as great political ideas were debated and tested. It was the Southern conservatism with her maturing culture and agrarian tradition that checked the excesses of Northern industrialism and radicalism. The Southern people were satisfied to be no longer conquerors and were contented to develop a mature civilisation with a stable economy and legacy.

It was not meant to be. Ransom correctly observes that the defeat of the South was disastrous to the North as well as the South. The national imperialists are now unchecked by any Southern political pressure, because the South has been incapable of formulating a viable philosophy of action. Most Southern politicians are examples of pitiful cowards of the baser sort. For the industrialised American who is hooked on money and entertainment, an appeal to return to God and the land is thought incredulous. The unregenerate soul seeks neither God nor peace, because he is a slave to his unbridled lusts. As the Southerner abandons his faith in his God and the ways of the South, he betrays his neighbours, his land, and himself.

I agree with Ransom's analysis that Confederates are not taken very seriously by the establishment. In the whole scheme of things we are but a handful of folks who oftentimes cannot even convince our family members of the justness of our cause. Nevertheless, we must first declare our own individual independence from the materialism and foolishness of the American empire. Independence is an attitude of the heart. On the other hand, how can we best demonstrate our heart in order to get folks to begin taking us at our word and that we are not playing make believe?

First, we must stop being "dollar-chasers" ourselves. Be contented with what you have. If a company offers you a promotion, but you have to move to Los Angeles or Detroit in order to make more money, refuse the offer. Not only should you have contempt for your chasing the dollar, you should scorn those who do. Included in this contempt should be the absolute necessity of having your children understand that education is not for getting a "good job," but for learning about the consequences of ideas. This instruction will be difficult so long as your children are in the governmental indoctrination centres. Get them out of the public schools now, and home educate them. You will not regret it. However, I admit that I cringe whenever I hear someone talk about folks like Cathy Duffee as "a pioneer of home education," as if the concept is a new thing. The early leaders in home education are not "discoverers," but rather are "restorers," helping to re-establish the prominence of pure education. Primarily, home education helps to build a permanent tradition to be passed onto the next generation.

Next, we must renew and cultivate the Southern lady and gentleman. This may take some doing, because American technocracy presupposes that everyone is equal in every respect. Therefore, as an industrialised slave with equal rights, no one can find anything to respect in himself, much less in someone else. The Southern gentry is marked by respect for others, a good behaviour, and a high sense of honour. This is not to say that we do not like a good fight. While we try to avoid fighting, when we do take our gloves off, our opponents must not see us sweat. At the heart of being a lady or a gentleman is the cultivation of tastes, which are refined by Christianity and Southern history and literature. In short, the Southern gentry is the guardians of the fine art of living. People will start taking us seriously when they see our sincerity.

Finally, we must participate in our local community by joining as many organisations and clubs as possible. If you want to be taken serious about your beliefs, then get involved in your community. If you own a small business, join the local chamber of commerce in order to fight the "mob-spell" of industrialism, while you preach the gospel of culture. In these organisations, you and others of like minds can exercise enormous influence in the policies and direction of the group particularly if yours is a small community. While you should avoid the secret orders, you should consider civil and religious organisations, business associations, and historical societies where you can work in your community. Raise Cain in the meetings if anyone starts talking like a Yankee.

Gaining our independence from the leviathan in Washington, D.C. is like eating the proverbial elephant: one bite at a time. The most important political and social relationships that we can develop are with our family and neighbours. But these relationships suffer badly whenever we believe that progress is an end in its self. Oh, progress has an end, but it drops off into a deep abyss of misery. John Crowe Ransom was right when he points out that industrialism was a great experiment that failed, and Americans must discard the theory and reapply the European principles of tradition, culture, and community.

Ransom seems to think that the best that the South can hope for with the American empire is the same relationship that Scotland has with England, one of a nation within a nation. However, this kind of union in the American empire is impossible so long as the Southern borders, schools, and churches are overrun with industrialised zealots who love the destruction of their own souls more than the cultivation of them. Separation from evil has always been the right way to avoid being reconstructed into the image of that evil. It is better to be unreconstructed and regenerate, rather than to enjoy the fruits of wickedness through reconstruction, while becoming woefully unregenerate in the process.