The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-06-14

lswarms with agents who are bribing the
poor negroes away under promises o1
higher wages, and under the sanction OF
Bureau as rotten as the promises OF Pha-
roah.
Vg victis. But still we abide all these
sad results, and look upon it as part Of
the war, and in keeping with thescharac,
ter of those who have go long been ou1
enemies. They but exhibit the animus o1
people whose hate and avarice induced
the rebellion. Such oppression has turned
from them almost the last opponent OF Sc,
cession, and caused them to regret that
they did not throw their lives and for
tunes into the fight
Perhaps this is all for the best. We
cannot tell. We have almost ceased TO
philosophize upon it, for we have no time
to think. The work of actual reconstruc-
ton absorbs our time and energies: l
mean the reconstruction of our individual
fortunes, our houses, our fields ana 1arms'
our railroads, manufactures, grave-yards,
schools and churches. We have no time
to stop and mourn over the loss OF liberty
But can find time to ask, What has
the North gained by the war? What
:nrinciples have been established! What
great or vital questions have been settled!
Is the sovereignty Of State forever an
nulled2 Then let Illinois take down her
deceitful sign, obliterate her great seal OF
State and choose another, for the one she
now has is obsolete-an eagle proudly pos
tured under a scroll, Nth " State sovereign
tn" upon it. Is it the freedom OF. slaves
that has been accomplished Alas the
one and half millions who have perished
in the war, are certainly free; the remain
der are rapid realizing the same liberty,
or finding new bondagein other climates.
Like the poor Indian, the race isdoomed,
and the mighty North still triumphs in
the glory of its accomplishment. But l
will not speak more of this. TO the char
liable reader let me say, Forgive me if you
find something to condemn in the follow
ing pages 1t is not in my heart to offend
a good man, whether he live North or
South ;>and there be better judges than L
ofwhat should have, or have not, been
written. 1t may be said that the charac-
ter of these letters has no tendency to
soften the animosities engendered by the
late unhappy strife. can only answer,
that it is not in rebel nature to be humble
to those who would put the heel of tyran-
ny upon us. Our people are unit upon
the moral of the fight they made They
sincerely feel that the provocation of the
war was not of their begetting Many a
time and oft have men and nations been
conquered. but not convinced. The story
of Ireland, Poland, and the /" Hero of the
Lakes" has been often reproduced, to IL
lustrate that wrongs are not remedled,
nor rights secured, by wager of battle:
While mourning the loss of thousands OF
the noblest of our race, while suffering the
poverty and desolation with which our
conquerors have visited us, whilememory
stings with the rape and arson which bar
barianS under arms enforced and heartless
officers permitted, it is not in human ma
ture to smother resentment against those
who would still play the tyrant and grind
us into dust.
But to you, kind reader who can speak
gently to the erring (f we have erredD
who would pour oil upon the troubled
waters, and prefer the hand of kindred
love, let me say that, though proudly de-
fant OF our enemies, the noble manliness
of our people will meet you cordially at
the first sincere effort toward an honora-
bic reconciliation. Otherwise we will
close up the avenues of our hearts, and
like the red man of the forest, transmit
our bitterness and our wrongs a heritage
to our children.
Republicans, Puritans, Pharisees, Saints
you were sucked with songs of pity for
the charcoal race, whose hypocritieal
sympathies have been for years playing
leap-frog over the poverty and distress
around your own door, and alighting far
off in the sunny land ;-who have seen and
are seeing thousands of your dusky pets
persisted and passing away, from the lack
of food and the lust of freedom; you whose
morning hymn is, "I love my love with a
B, because he is black" and whose even
ing prayer, May the Lord send freedom,
without money and without price" you
who look upon our people as race OF
turbulent devils, and a foul blot upon the
good name of the land-to you / com
mend all the comfort that you can find
within these pages Small though this
volume be, it will nevertheless save you
the exclamation, cob, that mine adverse
ry had written book !"
CHARLES Fl. SMITH. !.
PRENTICE SAYINas.-The war of arms
is at an end, but the war ofideas still RACES.