The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-09-30
Is RecOnstructtOn q Failure:

We flnd lengthy communication,
in The Inter Ocean, of the 18th, from
Mississippi, written By clergyma N,
who has resided in the South for near
ly year. and has cleaned the facts he
speaks of from all classes among
which he has calculated, and he ex-
presses the opinion that reeonstruc-
ton is failure, meaning by this that
the local State Governments are
wholly incapable of administering
justice and maintaining order so as to
secure peace and prosperity to the
people. The writer says, in the out
set, that the failure can be written in
one sentence: The white people of
the South never intended it should
succeed" The writer says:
The serious mistake of the govern
ment in the matter of reconstruction
was in supposing the Southern mind
to be in a proper frame for the re-
storation of independent local govern
ment so soon after war; and that, too,
upon the basis of freedom and equal
rights to the slaves while they were
yet surrounded by the ruins of their
humiliation. Hardly any one can now
doubt for a moment the existence of
FIXED, INFLExIBLE PURPOSE
on the part of the former salavehold-
ers never to share with their former
slaves the honors and responsibilities
of civil government. Hence, instead
of increasing confidence and mutual
good feeling between the two people,
there is steady increase of mutual
distrust, and deep, bitter feeling of
hatred on the part of the white people
toward the blacks. which is beginning
to be freely reciprocated by the color
ed people. The temporary peace
which seems to prevail during the
crop seasons and in the interim of
elections is only hollow truce.
QUOTATIONS FROM SOUTHERN PAPERS
THE insult and outrage committed
by the North upon the free white
people of the South in the establish
ment of niger suffrage and niger
equality can scarcely be forgiven
In times past the pure, beautiful and
accomplished white ladies of the
South were accustomed to visit the
Legislature during sittings and listen
to the learned eloquence of their IA
theirs and husbands; but now a ma
jority of the seats in that body are fill
ed with dirty. vulgar, ignorant ne
groes and their earpet-bag allies OF
the North, so that no white lady can
bear the sight for moment without
disgust; and this, too, by the grace of
the radical North. How long, o
Lord' That the low, stupid, de
graded negroes, only little superior
in taste and intellect to the brutes,
should be officers in our courts and on
our juries, in our Legislatures, and |
aspiring to all the honorable profess
lawyers. ete.,-is an
insult to the manhood and illustri- |
Gus history of the white race and
shame to the civilization of our coun-
try" THE niggers and their allies
must be put down. peaceab bly, If We can,
|orcibly if we must. If We cantt |
vote them down. knock them down,
and then make them stay down"
Those are specimens of public senti- |
nept throughout the South, and the |
papers that can excel in such insult |
ng clap-trap are extremely popular /
among all classes Of the white people, |
rom the highest to the lowest But
or fear of the General Government I
hey would deprive the colored peo /!
DE of all the more precious rights
ind privileges of citizenship in less
han ninety days.
THE CoLoRED PEOPLE,
however, have far were courage, NOR
Il and physical, than they are usually
redited with possessing There are
many cowardly and utterly unreliable
mes among them; but [ speak the
ruth from knowledge when [ say
here are few men in our country
rho would endure the prescription
nd forego the dangers which thou
ands of these humble people do in
rider to maintain their POLITICAL prin-
iples. The privations and trials to
'hich they are subjected prior to and
elections on account of
oting against the will of the white
party could not be be-
evied by the Northern people,
nough it was related with faintful-
ess of holy writ. The great mistake.
hen was in restoring these States to
heir proper political relation" too
BON. They should hare been kept |
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