LEAGUE OF THE SOUTH GROUP MEETS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

History tells us that the Civil War was fought over slavery.

W. Donald Kennedy disputes that view.

"The Civil War was in reality the War for Southern Independence," said Kennedy, who has spent more than two decades studying the "Southern Views" of the war between the states.

"The 1860-64 war was not an issue of slavery," said Kennedy. "It was a battle for freedom from rigid economic controls by northern industrialists who inernarvention, held at the Holiday Inn, were Dr. Michael Hill, president of the National League of the South group, and Franklin Sanders, publisher of "The Money Changers."

The Southern national group, founded more than a half-decade ago, is casting wary eyes on what it sees as "an increasingly aggressive federal government."

With more than 9,000 members spread across 47 states, The League of the South seeks to advance the cultural, social, economic and political well-being and independence of the Southern people by all honorable means.

And the League is willing to push for secession from the Union if it can't get what it wants.

Dr. Michael Hill resigned as a history professor to become president of the League of the South.

"We're in essence a Southern independence, or nationalist movement," said Hill. "The Constitution guarantees states a republican form of government, but the federal government, has put its nose in every conceivable facet of people's lives today."

Hill, a white professor at predominantly black Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., helped found the group in 1994.

"Much of the Civil War history was untrue, or biased," said Kennedy. "It was written by the victor."

"What we've done in the book, The South Was Right,' is present a southern view of the war," said Kennedy, who teamed up with his twin brother to author the book.

"There was no shining Northern force fighting a moral battle to end slavery," said Kennedy. "And there was no oppressive Southern force fighting to preserve it, either."

One Cape Girardean liked what he read in "The South Was Right." Joseph Merkler, a sales person from Cape Girardeau, was attracted to Saturday's meeting after reading the book.

"I heard about the League of the South, and decided to read the book," said Merkler. I decided I wanted to know more about the organization."

Merkler didn't say whether or not he planned to join the group.

But the Missouri Chapter of the organization, headquartered in Columbia, is hopeful of attracting some new members.

"We have a few members from Southeast Missouri, some in Southwest Missouri and a few from the St. Louis area," said Mark C. Atkins, who was chairman of he state organization until last weekend, when Lewis Goldberg, a Columbia, Mo., freelance writer, was installed as the new chairman.

The Cape Girardeau meeting was the third annual convention for the group, which met at Jefferson City last year.

Keith O'Connell has been a member three years.

"My interest in the group was its interest in supporting local government," "I'm very conservative, and the government is taking away from the local scene."

And talking about secession is not as radical as it may seem, said O'Connell. "We talked about it Friday evening. You won't see it tomorrow, but it could come to that eventually," he said.

And the group is not trying to bring back slavery, points out the new Missouri director. "Slavery is a moot point," Goldberg said. "I don't think anybody wants to see it come back. The group has black members."

Goldberg estimates that the Missouri League of the South has between 150 and 200 members. Most of the league's chapters include more than one state. The Missouri League of the South has members from Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma, he said.