Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-11-09
THE SOUTHERN SITUATION.

wen, tne DOutH sa'o ini' "O""'oN
assurance that it sympathized with his
efforts to restore the Union. More it
could not do. Having no vote in Con-
gress, the Freedmen's Bureau bill aud
the Civil Rights measure, became laws
of the land. 1t may have been impolltic
for the South to speak at all. 1t may
have been better to stand before the vic
torious North in the dumb attitude of
one conscious of no fault, but resigned
to the worst that passion could suggest
or malice invent. When the North laid
down its arms, the act was performed in
the belief that adversely had not only
ruined the material power, but had crushed
the spirit of the Southern people. The
troops of SHERMAN left the South a
smouldering mass of ruin. Ii never oc-
Cured to them that the people so terri
bly, dealt with, retained any claim to
citizenship, or would dare TO protest
against whatever might be imposed upon
them in the future. Carolina and Geor-
gia we're waste places, and the people |
outcasts Their private property be-
CAME the spoil of men who, if they had
ever been accustomed to entertain senti-
ments of humanity, left them around the
fresides of the great Northwest The
vaunted restoration of the Union was
fact only in sound The reality did not
exist. The soul was flown, while the
body only remained, and at best, shape
less mass. The constitution of the human
mind is curious enough when viewed
abstractly. But the mind developed in
that army, was, and is, study for the
student Of human nature If the popu-
Iation of the South had been wild beasts
instead of civilized men, less concern
could scarcely have been entertained for
them.
The surrender of LEE precipitated an
awful crisis upon the South. 1t was i'm
perative, no doubt; but still it was one
whose consequences will probably not
stand forth in full development for half a
century to come. That surrender was
made TO the Union, for the Union, and
into the Union. There were no condi-
tons imposed and no sacrifices de-
manded. Congress was solemnly COM
mitted to nothing but the restoration of
the States as they we're before secession.
GRANT knew it, and LEE knew it The
war was "waged for no purpose of sub
jugation." The great, triumphant
Radical party to-day know they
pledged that, and that they pledged
falsely. They never intended to restore
the Government They had for years
threatened its integrity. They had de-
nounced the Constitution as " league
with death and covenant with hell,
They had passed personal liberty bills to |
protect themselves from its operations. [
They had raised mobs to resist its {
authority. They hated it because it was
Just, and violated it because it was pure.
They had always been disunionists.
They are true still to their ancient faith. ,
They now sit at the banquet for which {
their appetites had long longed.
Ten States are, by the result of the /
recent elections, held as provinces. The
people, born to the benefits of free gov
eminent, the ballot and the fruits of
genius and intellectual culture, NOPE in
uncertainty and rest from enterprise.
The Congress is absolute, and hates the
eight millions who inhabit the South.
1t is clear now that we can WELD no in {
Auence upon the policy Of the Govern
ment. 1t is probable that sustaining
JOHNSON assisted to defeat his friends
and ruin his policy. Congress would
have hated us less if we had not dared to
publish our opinions. AS there cannot
be a State out of the Union, au invita-
ton to ratify the Constitutional Amend
ment will hardly be extended to the
South. Provinces cannot ratify. They
can ignore. Politically, we can do moth
ing. We can only await the determine
ton Of our masters. twill be announced
speedily.