Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-24
INCENTIVES TO WRONGS DONE THE
SOUTH

|
this unappeased malevolence. If the
South had achieved its object it would
have done no more than our fathers in
seeding from Great Britain, and if the
| Coufederacy had been established, they
who are imbued with sentiments en-
bodied n the Declaration Of Independ'
ence could have had no reason or right
to object. 1t is because the South is
wronged by its conquerors that the South
is hated and maligned Either this is
true or partizanship has so efectually
supplauted patriotism that the van
ouished must be made the slaves
of slaves that dominant party
may remain enthroned. In either
case there can be no justification for the
conduct of the North. If revolt were
anticipated; if laws Of the Union were
defed if Northern men were assassi-
mated if the people resisted the mighty
horde Of ax.gatherers who prey upon
the community, then there would be a
pretext for these subversions of systems
and deprivations of rights to which our
people are subjected. There never was
a country wholly devoted through four
years to belligerent purposes that so sud-
denly became the abode of order and
peace. The .wisest of our countrymen
deemed this change impossible. The
worst men of the North and South natu'
rally sought here inviting fields for the
practice of villsiny. Here they gath
cred, and yet here infractions Of law
and order are not more frequent than in
Northern communities. 1t is said of the
Southern people they are FESTIVE under
calamities If the North were con-
seious of the extent of wrongs
done, and of the deprivations of right of
which we complain, there would be little
of that real or feigned amazement which
marks the features of Northern literature
and craftsmanship. The sudden cessa-
ton of hostilities and the rapidity with
which soldiers of the South betook them
selves to avocatons of former years, was
caused by the assurance that nothing
would be required Of the vanquished be-
yond the concession of issuesinvolved in
the contest. The Union must needs be
restored and slavery abolished. To this
there was not word or thought of oppo-
sition. The President was perhaps in
fecled with partisan memories and antip-
athies, when he exceeded these demands
and required the exclusion of defined
class from local and Federal offices.
These, too, were men who had
been his partisan associates through
all his adventurous, ambitious life. His
assumption that States we're Invested of
all rights, and that new governments
must be framed and his exercise OF
powers nowhere recognized in funda-
mental Federal law, though sought to be
justified as war measures when there
was no war-these incidents opened
wide the doorway for wrong. The sell
fish, ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS were
not slow to enter. Soldiers who fought
the South stood aloof. When danger no
longer threatened, partisans hocked to
the rescue of the Union; when armies
were disbanded and muskeis rusted in
the cabins and in the abodes of the
wealthy, professional Office seekers en-
ployed exactions, imposed unjustly by
the President, in justification of the
countless infractions of law, in
violating treaty stipulations and
in demanding concessions never dreamed
of when the banner of the South was
lowered before that of the North. If we
had imagined, when Lee, Grant, Sherman
and Johnston made terms-liberal as we
could ssk-that the purpose of the North
was to exclude white men from privileges
of citizenship, transferred to blacks; If
we had deemed it possible that the ac-
acknowledgements of defeat would fail to
secure restitution of former civic rights,
or that the mastery of these States would
be exercised by half a million black
voters, armed legiens might still traverse
the South and peace be impossible. How
or why these evils have been brought
upon Us, is needless to inquire. Partisan
struggles have been mainly responsible
for multiplied calamities With these
the South had nothing TO do, yet
such is the determination Of those to re-
tain who WELD power, that they have
convinced themselves and their adher-
ents that the South deserves a despotism
only adapted to the. condition Of con-
quered barbarisns The greater the
wrongs inflicted upon US the greater be-
comes the simulated rage Of Northern
party leaders and there follows a genu-
inc rage Of the misled mob In truth
the injurer never forgives the
Wronged." The hate borne us by Radi-
ealism is constantly intensified aud can
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