Southern National Congress Issues Remonstrances and Petitions for Redress of Grievances

Rome, GA; January 14, 20098 – Today the Southern National Congress (SNC) released seven resolutions called Remonstrances and Petitions for a Redress of Grievances, passed by the historic First Congress which convened December 5-7, 2008 in Hendersonville, NC. 100 Delegates from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia met to take up matters of greatest concern to the Southern People. After a spirited and well-informed debate, the SNC passed the remonstrances dealing with these vital issues:

1) Failure to secure the borders and the mass immigration that threatens to overwhelm our communities and economy;

2) Just war and lawful defense, including the sovereign right of the People to decide on war through a proper (Constitutional) declaration;

3) Just law, protection of liberty, and the threat of rogue government;

4) Preservation of Southern agriculture and the rights of smallholders vs. the abuses of corporate agribusiness;

5) Sound money, just economic policy, and Government expropriation and crimes against our livelihoods;

6) The sovereign right of Southerners to their own natural resources, especially oil and gas in the Gulf Coast;

7) The individual citizen’s unalienable right of armed self-defense.

Thomas Moore of Virginia, elected Chairman of the SNC at the First Congress, explained, “The term ‘remonstrance’ means to protest, but in a constructive manner. This form of dissent has a long tradition in the historic struggle for political liberty in the English-speaking world, going all the way back to Magna Carta in 1215. It was a key element in the founding of the United States and the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the citizen the right of ‘petition for a redress of grievances.’ A remonstrance reminds the authorities of their duties and their failures. The petition for redress appeals to them to return to the governing principles of law and justice they have violated.”

The SNC is a representative assembly of citizens of the Southern States, providing an alternative, legitimate forum to express Southern grievances and advance Southern interests in a way that is no longer possible through today’s political process or the major political parties. It convened in the spirit of great Southerners like Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and John C. Calhoun to preserve the Southern legacy of individual liberty and a small central government limited to its enumerated powers; and which is the creation, the servant, and the agent of the sovereign people acting through their respective States.

Chairman Thomas Moore observed, “It has become clear to most Americans that the U.S. Government no longer represents the people’s interests; it represents the interests of the highest bidder -- the big corporations and the money power. We Southerners have been among the most loyal and patriotic Americans, but in sadness we now have to acknowledge that Washington, DC has forfeited its moral authority by its folly and its unlawful acts. If our Remonstrances and Petitions for a Redress of Grievances are ignored, then the people of the South who still love liberty and justice will have no choice but to withdraw their consent from this corrupt Regime.”

Debates on the seven resolutions demonstrated a high level of knowledge, insight, dignity, public-spiritedness, and respect for the views of others. And there were dissenting views.

Mark Thomey of Louisiana, elected Vice Chairman, said, “America’s ruling elites believe the American people, and especially us Southerners, lack the knowledge, discernment, and ability to govern ourselves, and so we must put our fate (and our wealth) in their hands, no matter how corrupt they have become. But the SNC Remonstrances and Petitions have thoroughly exploded that worn-out mythology. These seven resolutions could stand proudly alongside the historic documents produced by America’s Founders. In fact, if the Founders could return from the past, they would recognize immediately that the SNC follows directly in the tradition of political liberty they bequeathed to us.”

The seven Remonstrances and Petitions for a Redress of Grievances may be found on the SNC website at www.southernnationalcongress.org. An illustrative sample is attached to this message.

The SNC will soon launch a “Virtual Congress,” a secure Internet forum on which Delegates can conduct business between annual plenary sessions. Southerners wishing to become Delegates to the Virtual Congress or to future plenary sessions should apply via the SNC website, www.southernnationalcongress.org.

News media representatives or Southern citizens seeking information about the SNC should direct their queries to Mr. Jonathan Ingram, Chairman of the SNC Media and Public Information Committee, at jonathaningram@juno.com. SNC Chairman Thomas Moore is available for scheduling radio appearances or other interviews at chairman@southernnationalcongress.org.