Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-03

| We copy this morning another article
from the pen of Erastus Brooks of the New
York Empress, who has just reached his
home from trip in this direction
THE SOUTH.
The South accept the situation, not from
| choice, but from necessity-not because
they like it, or think it wise Or just, but
| because they cannot help it. We think we
speak advisedly upon this point, and GER
| tainly after personal communication with
large number Of Southern gentlemen, in
Guiding the editors of journals recently in
session in Georgia, with whom we EN- oyed
long, frank, and free communication
The acquiescence we speak Of is, no donbt,
most sincere, and the motive to it is the
hope of seeing the country settled, bust
ness made stable. property made secure,
and the general interests of the Southern
people subserved. This is certainly true
Of Georgia. South Carolina, Virginia, Ala
bama, North Carolina, and, as we believe,
If the whole South. The people of Geor-
gia, for example, may theorize with
Governor jenkins, who has placed his State
before the Supreme Court in antagonlsm
with the acts of Congress-but they will
rather act in registration, in calling Con
yention. in acquiescing with the results Of
the Convention, with Ex-Governor Brown
than whom perhaps, no man at the South
did more to fire the Southern heart !"
against the North, and to place the people
in open rebellion against the General Gov
eminent. Indeed, for this matter, the
boldest of the secession leaders In 1860 are
very often the foremost submisslOnlsts IN
1867. Some of them are honest enough to
avow their former acts and their present
repentance, but many, we are sorry to say,
try to disguise what they did in, and before
the rebellion, in order to place themselves
in greater favor with the government. This
class of people are not much honored with
the honest men and women Of the South.
The most respected are those who avow
their past mistakes and accept the inevita-
BILE consequences.
The people of the North, therefore, may
look to very full and geneal registration
of white and black voters between this
time and September. The negro vote will
be divided, and of the 5000 negro votes
in Georgia, the conservatives will probably
get one half. IF the negroes were left to
themselves, without interference from
Washington, or from the East and West,
they would get three-fourths of it. AS the
cases were exceptional where the masters
were cruel to their slaves, SO the cases
will be exceptional where the freedmen
Will vote against unenl. 4neIe are, Ho"
ever, secret Union leagues springing up
all over the South, whose objects are to
separate the negroes from their former as
sociations. As a whole, the negroes, as
they become intelligent, will regard these
organizations with distrust, if not with de-
testation. It is the Negroes vote they seek,
and not the negro's happiness, or social
and educational improvement. In time,
all this will appear.
In the large towns and cities the infiu-
ence of these Leagues will be marked. In
Atlanta probably one thousand of the Rad
ical votes will be given, but in the rural
districts the number will be small. On
both sides, no doubt, there will be prose-
lytizing, and unfortunately, with most lg-
| norant and degraded portion OF Amer1-
can population. 1t is monstrous, in their
| present condition, that the ballot should
| be put in their hands; but, as Congress has
so ordered, each side will take steps to Sc