A New Southern Symbol?

“Down with the eagle, up with the cross!” is a common saying amongst Southerners who don’t identify with the Empire based out of the northeast. In truth, this is not a new sentiment but one held by several key figures in American history; though in the defense of the Yankee Empire, a bald eagle is a perfect heraldic animal for what they are. To quote one Benjamen Franklin:

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this injustice, he is never in good case but like those among men who live by sharping & robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district.”

A scavenging bully of a bird that fools onlookers into believing it of a nobler character. How fitting.

While the Cross as a symbol, particularly St. Andrew’s cross, is a resonating symbol for Southerners, there are other options for a symbol, a heraldic animal, to correspond with Dixie’s identity and heritage. The two most befitting would be very near and dear to Southern hearts, that of the noble stallion or the faithful hound.

To begin the case for the horse is arguably the father of our country, Thomas Jefferson. In 1776 when the committee formed to decide the great seal of the United States, Jefferson argued that the seal feature Hengist and Horsa, “the Saxon chiefs from whom we claim the honor of being descended, and whose political principles and form of government we assumed.”

Jefferson was the father of what can be called an esoteric Anglo-Saxon Republic; given that, his appeal to old Saxon symbolism was both appropriate and aesthetic. Alternatively, the symbol taken would be the white horse associated with both brothers, not only as a symbol of the ancestral Saxons, but also as a symbol of what the South is characterized by: hard working, enduring, whimsical and proud, but also stubborn and occassionally defiant as horses tend to be. Furthermore, the horse has always been a prominant feature in Southern living compared to the urban North. Be it transport, labor, or the spiritual successors to the destriers ridden by the cavaliers, the horse as both an animal and a symbol is nearer and dearer to the heart of the South than a scavenging chickenhawk.

The other animal that would be a suitable symbol for Dixie would be our beloved dogs. Much as the urban vs rural character of North vs South plays a role in the horse symbolism, the differences in accommodations gave Southerners a greater appreciation and love for their dogs as well. Many dog breeds can trace their origins in the South, from the retrievers of the Cheasepeake, to the gun hounds of the Deep South, to the feral Carolina dogs that forage the Southeast. Of all these numerous variations of Dixie dogs, there are several that stand out as symbols that would be appropriate for the whole of the South, however, the argument put forth here, while likely controversial, is sound. That argument is that the “Pit Bull”, or rather, two varieties of this vague desigation, the American Bulldog or American Pit Bull Terrier, would be perfect symbols for Dixie.

The Old English Bulldog was a guard and baiting dog beloved by working class Englishmen who brought the dogs with them when they migrated to and colonized the American South. Farmers, ranchers, townsfolk and people of all stripes used this all-around adept dog for a variety of tasks from guarding homes and livestock to stock and catch dogs. These dogs thrived in the South due to the abudnance of feral pigs, who had no natural predetors due to the destruction of wolf populations. They were the primary response of the Southern man against the pest that is feral swine. They were later bred with Old English terriers to create a dog that combined the qualities of the terrier with the strength and heartiness of the bulldog, culminating in the “Bull and Terrier.” They were used in blood sports such as bull baiting and dog fighting, leading to their savage reputation very familar to a modern audience. However, their primary use in North America was as catch dogs for cattle, hogs, and other livestock, to drive livestock, and as familial protectors and companions. They are still used in police and military work. During WWI and WWII, Pit Bulls were used in advertising as a national mascot. These dogs were so loved that America made them their sign of fearlessness and protection. As most familiar with US military history can attest, however, this largely correlates to the dogs being a sign of the Southern Man’s fearlessness and protection, as they are the main composition of Caesar’s legions.

All in all, it is undeniable that the Dixian has a temperament and repuation akin to these dogs. Loyal and friendly to the very last among their family and friends, but wary and hostile to outsiders or enemies (as it should be). As such, it would behoove the people of Dixie to cast down the squawking near-vulture that is the Bald Eagle, and to hoist in its place one of our oldest and most beloved companions and protectors. To the detractors and critics of this idea in the face of the modern reputation of the dogs, the question would be one of allowing the worst elements of society to appropriate your symbols, your heritage, and your very pets. So down with the eagle…and up with DixiePit.

-By Jack