The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-01-08
General Grant the Father Of the
Reconstruction Scheme.

mas JuSC Deen lurJliSHeu ny OcHci1i Ni' 'ho
himself
Among the papers which General Grant
sent to the House of Representatives OIL
Tuesday, accor ling to the telegraph, was
the following recommendation, bcing All
endorsement on u letter of General Sheri
dams:
Respectfully forwarded to the Secretary
War.
Attention is invited to that portion of
the within communication which refers to
the condition of the Union men and freed
men in Texas, and to the poweFlessncss OF
the military in the present state of affairs
to afford them protection. Even the Of
feet of the presence of the troops is pass
ING away. A few days ago squad of
soldiers on duty was fired ON by citizens
in Brownsville In my opinion, the great
number of murders of Union and freed
men in Texas (Which are not only unprn-
ished but uninvestigated) constitutes prac-
tcally state of insurrection: and, be-
lieving it to be the province and duty of
every good government to afford protec-
tion to the lives, liberty, and property OF
her citizens, | would recommend the de-
claraton of martial law i'll Texas.
TO secure these the necessity for govern
ing any portion of our territory by mar
tial law is to be deplored. If resorted to,
it should be limited in its authority, and
should leave all local authorities and civil
tribunals free and unobstructcd until they
prove rccreant to their duties. Martial
law would give security, or comparatively
so. to all classes of citizens, without re-
gard to race, color, or political opinions,
and should be continued until society is
capable of protecting itself, or until the
State is restored to its full relation to the
Union The application of martial law in
one of these States would be warning to
all, and, it necessary, can be extended to
others.
Signed, q. S. GRANT.
January 20, 1867.
This Recommendation, be it observed,
was made on the 29th of January III the
current year. 1t embraces five leading
points. i. The assumption that no ade-
uuate protection for life or property exis
ted in Texas. .. The averment that it
was necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in Texas until loyal
and republican state government could be
legally established ,. The advice that
until then Texas should be made subject
to the military authority of the United
States. +. The suggestion that it might
become proper likewise to subject all the
rest of the so-called rebel States to the
same authority. 5. The necessary impli-
cation that no legal State government en-
;sted in any of those States Such are the
views which General Giant officially COM
municatcd to the Secretary OF War on the
2oth day of January in this year. Mark
the sequel.
On the 9th of February, only week
afterwards, Mr.. Thaddcus Stevens, from
the Joint Committee on Reconstruction,
reportcd reconstruction bill, which, after
some modification, was passed on the 2d
of March over the Presidents veto. This
is the fundamental act of the rcconstruc-
ton scheme; and, for the purpose OF ena
bling our readers to compare the scheme
with what General Grant had recommen
dcd month before the act was adopted
we here give the preamble and the first
section of the act:
WHEREAS, No legal State governments
or adequate protection for life or property
now exist in the rebel States OF Virginia
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida
Texas and Arkansas; and whereas, it j,
necessary that peace and good order should
be enforced in said States until loyal and
republican State governments can be lc
eally established: Therefore,
BE it enacted By the Senate and House Of
REPRESENTATIVES of the United States Of
America in Congress assembled, That said
rebel States shall be divided into military
districts and made subject to military
authority of the United States as herein
after prescribed, and for that purpose Fir
pinia shall constitute the first district
North Carolina and South Carolina the
second district Georgia, Alabama and
Florida the third district; Mississippi and
Arkansas the fourth district; and Louisl.
ana and Texas tho fifth district.
Herein is embodied every one of the
points embraced in General Grants re-
commcndation; and no other point. The
act is - mere embodiment of the views
which General Grant q month before had
communicated to the Secretary Of War
If any reader doubts this, let him careful
ly compare the two. It's case of simple
inspection. And there never was plain
er one! The identity is manifest. 1t is
complete. No discerning man can com
pare the reconstruction act with General
Grants previous recommendation to Sec
rotary Stanton, and honestly deny that
the act is mcrcl . legislative elaboration
of the recommendation. General GrahI
undeniablv stands confessed as the father
of the reconstruction scheme.
On this development comment IS nnne'