The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-12
Senator Bayard,s Vindication Of the 2. S
trate State.

Senator Bayard,s Vindication Of the p S.
trate State. .,...r,.
The recent speech of Senator Bayard, of
Delaware, in the United States Senate on the
resolution to investigate the conduct of Maj.
Merrill, of the regular army, in receiving
large sum of money appropriated by the plum
dering Legislature to reward his zeal as 8 Ku
Klux hunter, was one in all respects worthy
the better days of the Republic. In the course
of his remarks the Senator said: ass"
It struck me as very illogical proposition
stated by the honorable Senator from Pennsyl-
vania, that because this individual had been
sent to South Carolina to perform very un-
pleasant military duty, one that required him
in point of fact to supersede the civil govern.
ment of that State, and take under his control
the security of person and property within its
limits, be should have met with social ostra-
cism BY certain families in that State, and that,
as sequitur, he should, therefore, be properly
paid some twenty-odd thousand dollars out of
the treasury of that State as solatium for the
alleged wounds to his feelings and those of his
family; so that
1t is an odd proposition to be gravely ad-
vanced by the Senator. ia
But one thing let me say in regard to what L
have several times heard complained OF on this
floor. The questions Of social intercourse and
social relations are not governed and never Will
be governed by statute law. They are not gov
erned, and never were or will be governed, by
coercion in any shape. Social intercourse is
controlled by human sympathies; sympathies
of taste, condolences of education and of cul-
ture sympathies of feeling, sympathies of oc.
cupation, sympathies in joy, and, deepest of
ali svmpat6ies in sorrow. All these things in
their way control the social intercourse Of men,
and no law of Congress, no fat of any auto
crat civil or military, can ever change this
truth It seems strange to me to hear these
complaints in the Senate of the social ostracism
of officers of the army of the United States,
and of citizens from the Northern States going
to the South, when even the dull intellect of
that inimitable idiot, Dundreary, found out the
great rule that "birds of a feather flock to-
gether." Even he discovered that; and yet it
seems that Senators have not yet discovered
it. -.a
Now, Mr. President, there are many reasons,
if Senators will but reflect upon them, why the
hospitality of the South is not what it was.
There are many sad reasons for it. The hos
pitality of that region of our country was one
of its glories. 1t was one of its chief and most
delightful virtues. No man ever tasted of it
but would wish again to renew it. But many
things are needed to make it possible In the
first place, there must be the question OF sym
pathy between the host and his guest; mutual
good will is prime necessity; then there IS
required some degree Of pecunlary means where
with to exercise it. The hearts of the South
ern people are as generous and as warm as ever,
but their means and opportunities tor hospital,
ity and generosity have been sadly curtalled
and DESTROYED by the war that has wasted the
region where their homes are, and uprooted
their system of domestic service and menial
labor. Many, many are the proud, generous
and sensitive men and women of that coun-
try whose doors are closed simply from sheer
want, barred by poverty, and they are too
proud to have that poverty inspected by
cold and unfriendly eyes. Let those who
would criticise the absence of that free and
bountiful hospitality for which in other and
happier days they were renowned remember
what has caused it in so many cases to dlsap-
pear.
Why, sir, the other day gentleman from
New England, whose home is now in Carolina,
and who feels deep interest in the people of
that State, desired to have convention of the
property holders, or holders of the remnant of
the property that is left after taxation and war
in that State, that they might consider how
they should relieve themselves from the contis-
cation that their estates were being subjected
to at the hands of their rulers. He sent letters
to the various taxpayers in the State, and
among others to a gentleman who had been
the governor of the, State, whose name for
obvious reasons do not mention in public
but who had been man Of great wealth prior
to the war, of high character, we'll known and
esteemed everywhere, When that gentleman
replied to the invitation to join in this con-
yention he was compelled to reply that, despite
the need of his presence, despite his desire to
attend, he was absolutely unable to raise ten
dollars wherewith to pay the railway fare from
his home to the City of Charleston. And this
is but one case of long and distressing cata
logue. =.
Mr.. President it is not simply the question
of pecuniary ability it is the question of sym
pathy, it is the question of feeling, that will
always control the intimacies of men. IL is
the peculiar genius of our government that
men are left free to form their associations,
religious, political and social, and such vii!
ever be the case, and all attempts by force OF
law to change it will prove fruitless and una
vailing 49,,
a Word more, SIT, III IeSaio w oui 'niiA'atJ
number msn Il amone my py friends and personal
ouaintances many gentlemen of the United
States army. 1 have frequently heard from
them expressions in regard to the unpleasant
nature of the duties they have been called
upon to perform since the end of the war in
the Southern States. They have been placed
in an attitude of coercion and of apparent un-
friendliness to the people in order to execute
congressional legislation. They have not been
allowed to execute those laws according to
their own theory of wisdom and propriety, or
in accordance with their own sympathy but
they have been placed there as kind of po-
lice. at the beck and call of partisan appointees.
They have not been allowed to treat the people
of the South as they desired to do, but they
have been compelled to perform vast amount
of most Objectionable work at the call of a
low, base set of wrctshes, thrown to the sur,
~F It1k.< Il