Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-10-09

rules. Armies would have been main.
tanned among them to preserve order
and repress sedidion, but while they
would have been governed sternly, il
would have been an honest govern
ment. Avarice would not have been
its one inspiring passion, and its vic
TINS would have had to endure tyran-
ny, but not robbery OR fraud. They
would have been subjected to the
operation OF a regular system regular
ly administered. They would have
had no political existence, but there
would have been no plundering a3di-
ton to their public debt, and the tax, S
they would have been compelled to
pay would not have gone into private
pockets of Governors, legislators and
Judges, holding Office through cheat
ing elections and exercising power for
the one sole purpose of robbery.
Instead of keeping up the war, they
submitted patiently and sincerely to
the government against which they
had revolted. They had been beaten
in the prolonged struggle; and now
they honestly desired to live as citi-
liens, and not as enemies, in the land
where they were born. During the
war their efforts had been so tremend-
GUS, and so unanimous, that it is not
too much to say that they remain
without precedent in history. Their
paclficatlon was equally as astonishing
and unparalleled. The war disap-
peared as if by magic. Its spirit, as
we'll as It's manifestation. utterly ceas-
ed; so that we who were conQuerers,
were enabled to disband our armies.
and OF the one million men that we
l.
hardly corporals guard was retained
under the standard to defend our con-
quest through the whole enormous
area Of the Confederacy.
With the submission of the South
began AeW drama as inhuman and
revolving as slavery, and more subtly
terrible than the worst evils of war.
Peace was asked and promised, and
the form of civil government; but
while this promise was kept to the ear,
1t was broken to the sense. We did
not call them conquered provinces,
but States; and proceeded to let loose
upon them all insatiahle swarm of
plnnderefa whose like was never
seen. the carnival of specnla-
tion,, fraud ard public plumber
which has prevailed III North
Carolina. South Carolina, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and
Louisiana for these eight years sur
passes belief, and cannot be Justly
appreciated at the present day. Geor-
gia and Texas have been saved by the
early overthrow of the Republican
party within their limits and the
transfer Of their Governments into
honest hands; bat in the other States
vlllainy has run an incredible riot, and
Legis ators, Governors and Judges have
outdone ali previous conceptions re-
specting the potentiality of theft. The
people arc stripped; their property is
SO worthless that it VIII not sell for the
taxes; and Jet the rapaci;y of these
Official brlgands is 1nsated. A crushing
load of public debt is heaped upon
each of these States. but the proceeds
have been stolen, and there is nothing
to show for what the citizens are called
upon to pay. And to crown and
perpetuate these wrongs the most
ingenious devices are put in force to
keep the robbers in authority and to
deprive the people OF even the possi-
blllty of turning them out by means of
the ballot.
Such is, in brief, tie history of
reconstruction; such is the present
condition of the Southern people; and
such are the reasons why, in 1874,
when portion Of them are driven to
utter desperation by eight years OF.
boundless extortian aud hopeless fraud,
it is necessary to stretch out the
military arm and send .bayonets among
them once more. Thr facts are patent
and unquestionable; and the Northern
people cannot ponder them too wisely
or too we'll