Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 23:37:28 +0000 From: Gerry Downing <gerry-AT-gerryd.demon.co.uk> Subject: M-G: New York anti-draft riots of 1862 Comrades, I would be pleased if anyone could supply me with details and political analysis of the above. The reason for asking is that Workers Action, by one of the new LTT sections in Britain, has an article by one Chris Ford defending George Julian Harney, the Chartist leader. In particular he argues that Harney's change in attitude to the Irish was defensible because he witnessed a meeting of 'Copperheads' which was overwhelmingly Irish suppporting the Southern cause and the Irish took part in 'the New York anti-riots in which nearly a thousand people were killed or injured by racist lynch mobs.' Is that how these riots are to be understood? Was not the opposition of the Irish to the Union army at least partly motivated by the extreme anti-Irish WASP character of that Army and society? The new film on the Mexican war and the San Patricios who were hanged for deserting to Mexico surely confirms that analysis. I would be greatful for some help on this and perhaps some reading material that could be reccommended -- Gerry Downing --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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