Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-08-12
4 RETROSPECT.

masnanimity which would soften
, down and render more than tolera-
HE II new existence as Il nation.
The government at the North after
the closing scene at Appomattox,
had it in their power to allay the
bitterness cngcnderSd by the tebei'.
lion, The South ready in good
faith 80 accept the reasonable con
| sequences of unsuccessful war, anx-
ious for peace, resigned its predi-
lcctioNs for an institution which had
cngra0ed itself into its very exist
ence, and laid aside a cherished
principle of government, which
ovOry man of the statesmen Of tho
| North shared alike. ItA people &C.
| ceptcd these results without reserve.
The reaction from the war in the
| South was all the victors could
desive, and had not tho latter re-
sorted to the crushing process hy
\ series ofmensures calculated to NJ
open the antsgonisms between the
sections, today we would have
stood An undivided people and
ready to make q history together.
A long list of grievances, however,
has aggravated u disease which
with tolerant treatment might have
hecn cured. First a general pro-
scrip:ion shut out u truest and
hest citizens from yielding a sup
port TO the government, a support
they had already pledged, If not
given, at the loss of honor. When
this right was partially and rclnC-
family yielded, the clAmororS for
power, anxious for its retention,
~neutralizcd this feeling by giving
higher privileges to an ignorant
race Just emerged from slavery, and
arrAying them against those Who
were really their truest friends.
Through emmissaries sent out 10
organize them into Loyal Leagues,
they were taught to look upon their
former masters "A their debtors, on
account ofslsvery, and they thought
il only just retribution to steal and
plumber from those who had reared
them. In many localities where
law was smockery, = summary ven
Ceance was taken on these marard-
era and the hideous cry Of ku-Klux
rcsonndod all over the North, and
finally eliminated in an enactment.
which renewed the rule Of the
hayonet and placed our best men
at the mercy of pcrjurcrS and scoun-
drcls. Under. this domination We
are now awaiting a reaction among
the Northern masses.
We are almost %powerleaE to assis;
thom but if theirs il the victory we
can share that at least 20 some ex
tent, and thcn our real situation
will be recognized and not distorted
by adventurous and calumniators
prowling among us, and feed fat
the grudge thcy feel for those who
despise them. We regret to SAY
that in the hour Of our d~isenthrall.
ment our people will have much to
regret. There has been too much
temporizing, too much time.sGrying
and Bringing at tho foOtStOOl q
power, that "thrift may follow
fSwning," among US. We have MOI
altogether met the issWes Of th'
honr squarcly. We hAvo dalliet
a little here and n little there with
an unsteadiness Of principle whiel
has no excuse but policy how fal
we are compromised romans to b
seen. What we yielded at first wa
; II full and complete surrender. i
; WAS honorable and not u weakness
Since, n concessions have beef
more questionable, and it will no
: increase the respect our Northern
friends have for us as a people.
~ II the hour and the man shall
come, that is TO give our politics
future any Significance, the bannO
Of the Republic may yet brighten
its dimmcd stars resume their lustel
and a now peace, far more gloriou
than any ever signed on the hclt
!, be proclaimed from ocean to oceaI
founded on good viii and universe
Mcbride, the friend Of EiSNer, Tai
III - ~liaferrO, Reed ct al. e5u
z We copy to-day from the WASH
ington Chronicle, (Rad.) a STATE
meht Of one Cornelius Mcbride i
i rolstion to Ku-Kluxing and othe
.#.f. --|N.N -iNNN S.LHL |.N"H