The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-03-02

nished the great bulk of labor, being lib |
Grated in their poverty, ignorace and inca
pacity to appreciate the effect of their |
altered condition, were slow to real ize the |
necessity for constant and continued labor |
on their part, so that the Confederate sol. |
diers, and all others who had, during the |
years Of var, Devoted themselves TO that |
cause, found on the retarn Of peace nothing |
but poverty and rain Ia all their land, nd |
themselves absolutely beggsrs among peo |
pie who had nothing to give.
BAD FAITH OF THE GovsnNnESr
Under such circumstances il was. as be
fore stated, impossible 10 restore HARMONY
| in government without some confnsion;
yet so earnest did that people struggle to
return to their allegiance. aud thus entitle
| themselves to protection which had been
promised to them, that from the day Of the
surrender of their armies no hostile arm
has ever been raised against the authority
OF the United States. Before even breathing
| time was allowed them, set Of harpes,
most Of whom had shirked the dangers of
the battle field, camp.followers, horse hol
ders, Cowboys plunderers from both
sides during all the years of strife, rushed
down singy, and in squads, on the people.
thus PROSTATE and defenceless and for their
own private gain seized aud carried off
whatever could be found worth seizing in
that country. All remonstrance or resis.
lance was stined and crushed out by the
| cry Of disloyalty and treason they raised
against the southern people, and by the
pretence that the pllnderers were perse.
cuted because Of their loyalty and devotion
to the Union, especially to the Republican
party, and its continued supremacy. An
investigation was instituted and among
Others, the present President. then General
ci the army, went to portions of the south
to examine for himself General Grant
reported to President johnson, on Decem.
ber Is, 1865, in the following words:
g am satisfied that the mass Of the
thinking men of the south accept the pre-.
sent situation of affairs in good filth. The
| questions which have heretofore divided
the sentiment Of the people of the two sec
tOns--slavery and State rights, or the
right Of State TO secede from the Union
they regard as having been settled for,
ever by the highest tribunal-arms-th
man can resort to. was pleased to learn
from the leading men whom | met that
not only accepted the decision arrived
at as final, but, now the smoke Of battle
has cleared away, aud time has been given
for reflection, thar this decision has been a
1 .
like benefits from it with those who oppos.
ed them in the field and in council The
presence of black troops, lately slaves, de
moraIzes labor, both by their ad ice and
by furnishing in their camps resort for
the freedmen for long distances around
white troops generally excite no opposition,
and, therefore a small number Of them can
MAINTAIN order in given district. Colored
troops must be kept in bodies sufficient to
defend themselves. 1t is not the thinking
| man who would use violence towards any
class OF troops sent among them by the
! general government, but the ignorant in
some places might; and the late slave
seems to be imbued with the idea that the
| property OF his late master should by right
| belong to him, or, at least. should have no
protection from the colorcd soldier. There
is danger Of collisions being brought ON by
such causes Ny observations lead me to
the conclusion that the citizens Ofthe south.
ern States are anxious to ret rn to self
| government within the Union as soon AS
| possible; that while recon ,tructing they
want and require protection fro n the gov.
ernment; that they are in earnest in wishing
to do what they think is required by the
government not humilitating to them as
citizens; and that if such a course were
| pointed out they would pursue il in good
faith. 1t is to be regretted that there can
not be greater commingling at this time
between the citizens of the two sections, and
particularly Of those entrusted with the law
making power.
now CONGRESS RELIED ITS PROFESSIONS.
Evidently the people of the south thought
the war was ended. Congress so declared;
the President so proclaimed. The people
OF the North a. well as the South so under.
stood. All believed that the war, profess
edly waged to maintain and preserve the
Constitution and the Union of coequa
States, had proved a success, and that the
old representative form of government--a
government, as Mr.. Lincoln said, ''of the
people, for the people. by the people'-
would go on as ofold. But they were mis-
taken. They had failed to elect men to
Congress who would bhndly obey the orders
OF the leaders who then dictated, and we're
determined TO dictate, the legislation OF the
country. A system had grown up whereby
great, protected and moneyod monopolies
were fosterel aud enriched at the expense of
labor, which it was not believed the repre-
sentatives Of southern constituencies would
Sustain. The doors of Congress were clos d
upon them, of course not ayowedly for the
true reason,l and so far as they were con
cerned taxation without representation was
their late from that time forward. aud has so
continued, with some exceptions, substan-
tally until now. When they had not a
Representative in Congress a tax of three
cents pound was levied npon all cotton ex
ported that being their great staple pro
duct, while every other portion Of the cOun
try could export its products duty free
| RECONSTRUCTION COMMENCED.
| The Freedmen's Bureau bill aud the
ciVii rights bill were next imposed upon
them by other States. I've, perhaps, ought
to say that Tennessee had, in the mean time
sent men to Congress willing to obey all
orders of their party leaders, and they had
beeu admitted, of course.) Then followed
the series of reconstruction measures, with
the fourteenth and fifteenth amer dments,
which they were required to accept, and
| approve as condition precedent to being
allowed to have any civil government at
all because until hat was done, the liberty
and properly of every man, woman and
child, loyal and disloyal, white and black,
where held at the mercy of any soldier who
might be placed over them. Men in the
| northern and western States have but a
iant idea OF the expressions wantonly
! heaped upon the people of the south OF
the insolence of the adventures who we're
made their masters ofthe strife they stirred
| upb by their appeals to the worst pas ons of
the, ignorant negroes. melting themto crimes,
and deceiying them by false promises OF con
ferring upon them the property oftheir form
er masters, in order that they by the votes of
the negroes, might ride Into power and
place, which they never would have thought
OF at home, and thus enabled to rob and
plumber people whose intelligent men aud
largest property holders were DISTINGUISHED
by Congress, the more surely to enable the
treedmen's Bureau agents and other adyen.
tnrers to obtain and hold undisputed posses.
sion OF all the functions ofgovernment. State