The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-25
The Reign Of Confusion in tho South.

The whole South is in state Of confusion,
excitement and alarm. There is distrust,
doubt and uncertainty everywhere One State
cannot trust another. and the feeling of dis
quietude has spread to local communities and
even to domestic neighborhoods. The alarm
ing frequency of unspeakable crimes, the lax
administration, or rather the non administra-
ton, of any law except that Of Judge Lynch,
the unprotected condition of remote districts,
the savage nature and open threats of the race
just liberated from bondage, alright the timid
and abash the courageous. But above and
beyond the black clouds that now enshroud the
South there is bow of promise which be-
tokens bright and happy future.
The truth is, the reconstruction policy of
Congress in the South, under which all these
evils have arisen, has failed. The recon-
structon laws are fast becoming, If they are
not almost already, things of the past-null,
void and inopcrative-dead letters, politically
and morally. The radicals relied upon the
negro vote to carry out their policy, and now
they feel that they are fast losing their grip
upon Sambo. The ambitious colored Demos
theneses are disappointed. They boil with in
dignation when they reflect upon the treatment
Of their fellows by the radicals in the Georgia
Legislature-their ignominious expulsion
observation-disclosures not single Northern
adventurer would have found seat there
in had il not been for the black vote.
They have been promised houses and plan
xot;o MI
have been deceived and befooled. They
have been formed Into secret leagues
and armed bands under the delusion
that such organizations were necessary
to enable them to preserve their freedom
against the injustice and encroachw.ents Of
their former masters. But they are becoming
awakened TO the motives Of their white radical
leaders in forming them into THESE bodies
These white radicals, as an INTEL ig ent South
ern contemporary observes, war.teti ''means
of binding the negroes together, of giving the
political league power for attack and agrees
sion and of protecting themselves, if neces-
sary, against the people whom they had out
ragged and wronged." But, ad d. the same au-
thorty, cit remains to be seen whether thew
will be able to so direct the buye machine that
II will always move or be still at their bidding.
There is danger that the white radicals may he
hoisted with their own pc tard. Their tools
will sooner or later learn that the Justice OF
the Southerner is safer than the partially of
the needy adventurer. They already know
that they have neither land nor money nor
Office to expect from their white leaders They
are aware that their armed organizations are
in appearance a gigantic power. And they
may ere long be tempted to take up arms to
secure their share Of the spoils Of war, their
share Of pomp and state, their share of profit
able plumber. Every day lessons the danger OK
a serious collision between the negro and the
Southern whites, each day increases the
hazard that tho poor negro worm may turn
upon and wound the miserable knaves who
now tread him in the dust"
Here then, we see the bow OF promise OF
which we have spoken. The reconstruction
lavs of Congress having failed to prescrvs
order aud protect persons and property in ths