That plaque which makes the preposterous claims that the Civil War was 'not a rebellion' and the preservation of slavery was not the 'underlying cause' of Texas leaving the Union will be removed from the rotunda of the state capitol, where it has been on display for sixty years, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The so called Children of the Confederacy Creed was installed in 1959, at the height of the desegregation movement, when heritage groups were working to preserve the memory of what has been called the 'midnight and magnolias' or 'lost cause' version of the Confederacy, in the face of the end of the segregation which followed the end of the Civil War.
The plaque has become an embarrassment for the state over the past several years, as the value of Confederate memorials has been called into question at a time when the nation is trying to move toward a more egalitarian society.
The Document of Secession, approved by the Texas Legislature in February of 1861, and only passed after Gov. Sam Houston was forced out of office for opposing it, is replete with support for slavery and references to African Americans which make for very painful reading today.
Opponents of the plaque, led by State Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) referred to it as 'treasonous,' and berated the Republicans who dominate the preservation board for dragging their feet in removing it. An opinion by Attorney General Ken Paxton that the board, and not the whole Legislature, has the authority to remove the plaque led to today's decision.
It is unclear when the plaque will be removed or whether it will be taken someplace else and put on display, or simply destroyed.
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