The daily gazette., 1874-09-26
Ninc YEARS ef HisforU,

From, the Ner Y5ck .iua.
le instead of ending the war in 1865,
when their s 'eat armies surrendered, the
Southern people had continued to strug-
"lc with desperation, obstinacy, and
fcrocity-if they had shown a spirit of
uncomprom sing hostility, in guerrilla
wal .arc. i'll local outbreak, and other
demonstrations of animosity, individuals
among them would have been put to
death for treason, and others would have
suffered in proportions; but as a body
they would have been, and weuld be- to-
day infinitely better off than they are
Had they continued in arms and in
hostility, their conquest by military
force would undoubtedly have been sig
nal and severe; but after it was accom-
plished, they could not have been in any
worse condition than that of subjugated
provinces held under military govern
ment, administered by military men az
cordlng to military rules. Armies would
have been maintained among them to
pfeSel vc order and repress sedition; but
while they would have been governed
stcrnly, it would have been an honest
government. Avarice would not have
oecn it one inspiring passion, and lbs
victims would have had to endure tyran-
ny, but not robbery or fraud. They
would have been subjected to the opera
tion OF regular system reqrr' 'rly ad-
ministerial. They would have had no
| rolitical existence, but there would have
| ieen no plundcring addition to their
public de.t. and the taxes they would
| nave been compelled to pay would not
have gone into private pockets of COVER
nors, legislator, and judges holding
| Ollie" through cheating elections aud cx.
erciSing power for tue one sole purpose
of robbery.
| tcad of keeping up the war, they
5nh tilted patiently and sincerely to the
| Government against which they had re-
volted. They had been beaten in the
prolonged Struggle; and now they honest
| iy desired to live as citizens, and not as
enemies in the Land where they wer,
born. during the war their efforts had
been SO tremendous and SO unanimou.
that 1t l. not too much to say that they
remain without precedent in history
| Their paciiicltioE WAS equally astonish
ing and unparalleled. The war disappear
ed a. if by magic. Its spirit as well a.
its manifestation utterly ceased; SO tha
We who Were conquerors We're enabled a
once to disband our own armies, and O
the million men that We had enrolled
for their subiugation, hardly u corporal
guard was retained under the standard
to defend our conquest through the en-
tir" enormous area Of the Confoderacy
With the submission of the South be
gan II new drama as inhuman and revolt
ing a5 slavery, and more subtly terribl,
than the worst evils of war. Peace VIZ
asked and promised, and tho forms o
civil government; but while this promis,
was kept to the ear it was broken to tn,
sense. We did not call them conquered
provinces, but States; and we proccedc,
to let loose upon them an Unsuitable
1 -
never seen. The carnival of pcculation
fraud. and public plunder which ha
prevailed in North Carolina, South Car
olina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Az
, kansas and Louisiana for these clgh
years surpasScs belief, and cannot b
Justly appreciated at the present day
Georgia and Texas have been saved h.
the early overthrow of the Republican
party within their limits and the trans
Ter Of their governments INTO homes
hands, but IN the ouler States william.
has run an incredible riot, and leglsla
tors, Governors, Judges, have outdon
all previous conceptions rs to the poten
tiality OF theft. The people are strip
ped; their property is SO worthless tha
1t viii not sell for the taxes; and yet tn
rapacity of these official brigandS is un
satiated. \ crushing load Of debt
, hclped upon each of these States; bu
the proceeds have been stolen, and ther
IS nothing to show for what the citizen
have been called upon to pay. And T.
crown and pernetuate these wrong tn
most ingenus devices are put i'll force t
keep the robbers in authority and to de
prive the people of even the possihilit,
Of turnins Them out by means OF tn
ballot.
Such i IN brief the history Of recon
struction such is the present conditio
the reasons why in 1874, whom portio
of them are driven to desperation b
boundlrss extort'on and toPe ess fraud
it Is Necessary to stretch out the mill
tary alm and send bayonets among thel
once more. The facts are patent and ul
questionable and the northern peopl
cannot ponder them either too wisely 4
too we'll