Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-17

physicsl slavery, he was left bound in the
more terrible chains of universal Ignorance;
and that while the nation invested MIN
with the glorious rights and privileges OF
American citizenship, it not only failed 10
make any provision for investing him with
a knowledge of the high duties and respon-
abilities which that citizenship imposes,
but left him in the depths Of poverty and
ignorance, to be EDUCATED, If educated at all,
by the white people Of those States whom
the war had SO utterly Impoverished tnat
they were unable even TO educate them
selves. That this was unjust, unWlse and
impolitic, needs no words from lle 10 de-
mopstrate, In my opinion the Govern
nept should not only have provided the
means for the education OF these new SUI.
frages, but it should have gone further, and
aided the people of the Sou b TO fulfill this
high and holy duty TO themselves"
These are the views OF gentleman VINO
was in the Federal army curing our late
civil war. The Baltimore Gazette pithily
expresses the situation when 1t says: "Fhe
North was willing enough to emancipate
other peoples property; with the moral re-
sponsibiIity of educating the emancipated
she will have nothing to do. 1t is both
troublesome and expensive" The preJu-
dices of the Northern people are beginning
to wear of, though slowly, and once In
while we fiud q man from that SECTION who
tells his neighbors honestly what lie the
situation and what is needed. Thus
a Massachusetts, man, Republican in poll
tics, who spent three months in the South
during the past winter and spring, tells
some truths in very plain way in COM
n.unication to the Boston AdoerttSeT. He
thus introduc s himself to the readers OF
that steadfast Republican journal:
"Three months passed in the South dur
ing this winter and spring entitle me to
sneak with some confidence Of the situation
there: and may add that my own obser-
yations and opinions have been shared and
confirmed By hundreds of thoughtful! peo-
pie from the North, out OF the twenty-five
thousand who have visited Florida and the
South this last winter. These persons, in
teIlieent men and women from all parts OF
our country, have been largely Republicans
in politics. anxious for the education and
elevation of the eolored people, and the
most tenacious of what are called the re-
suits of the late war. do not care to offer
your readers sny South-side views or
"Copperhead" comments, nor even the
political fault-fndings of the Democracy.
would have this question Understood at the
North as it has been seen by Republicans
and Republicans only" '
He appears at loss who to blame for the
measures adopted for the reconstruction OF
the South, cor the failure to adopt the wise
recommendations OF Gov. Andrews fare
well address," but he is very clear as to the
result. He says:
"Whatsoever the cause of the middle
which now exists, the result Is horrible. IN
our desire to protect The colored people from
q real or supposed hostility OF TIER former
masters, we have given the suffrage to them
all-most of them hOpelessly ignorant; we
have organized them into political leagues;
elevated them into positions OF high Trust,
for which they are deplorably unsuited; ana
then handed them over in their help!essness
TO the most corrupt and incompetent set OF
shysters, called carpet-baggers from the
North, of which it is possible TO conceive
have yet to learn of q single man who has
gone from the North to better his political
| fortunes (who is ION the make as th;y
themselves tell YOU'D who has any real earn
est desire to help the coored people or The
community in which he lives One OF
these caipet-bag politicians IN reply TO
| question of mine upon investments, re-
marked that be wasn't fool enough to in
vest in the South; when he had made his
| pile he should leave the id concern"
aIt is impossible for Northern people TO
understand the terrible corruption at the
South, which is still kept alive by careless
or designed use of the patronage aud poll
teal influence at Washington. We have
| organized society a. the South upside down.
Ignorance and crime override intelligence
| and decency. The great educational, imam
cial, commercial, charitable, and political
| Interests OF the States are in.rusted to COM
mon field hands Of the South, and uDprln-
cipled sdventurers from the North! Can
| YOU wonder that these people desire TO
| free themselves of this tyranny and CORFU
| ton? Such a state of things is contrary 10
nature, Gods laws, and all the teachings
and the wisdom of mankind.
"a distinguished Northern Republican
| told me that ne could not possibly reconcile
the Conversation of public morals aud
the welfare with this deluge Of IS
norance and corruption let loose
upon US by the measures of recon-
struction. He thought every step in the
process since 1866 had been q terrible
blunder, from which there seems no escape.
It would be easy to quote high political aud
military authority in support of these state
ments; and many influential business men
and capitalists, and persons interested in
philanthrOpic movements, and students of
social problems, have returned 10 their
homes from their Southern visit, deter
mined to do something TO enlighten the
public as to the outrageous state of things
| 10 the South. And what shall be the rem
edy? 1t is difficult to say; but one thing
| can be done, and that is, create public
sentiment which shall enable the Southern
States to rid themselves of their present pO-
litical rulers, white and black; and, second
", withhold all government and political
patronage from men known to be connected
with the rings in the South, and We can
aafely leave the rest to time"
1t is refreshing to find a Northern Re-
publican honest aud bold enough to tell the
people of his section such homely truths as
these. If few such men would come
down South and give their impression of
our situation and wants, and the grieVous
wrong inflicted upon this section by max
ing million of ignorant negroes voters and
ofice-holders without the slightest prePara-
! ton whatever, and then sending down lot
of carpet-baggers to prey upon us by means
of this mass of ignorance, perhaps ga re-
turning sense of justice" might be awaken
ed among the Northern ople.
WE cannot help being struck even by in
cidental manifestations Of the power of the
law as administered 10 Great Britain. OBJ
serve, in the following occurrence in the
Tichbo-ne trial, how quietly great princi-
| ME il enunciafed and acouinscad in On