The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-09-17
Retrospect Should the South BE
Treated!

In December, 1865, a report was read in Con-
gress on the condition of the Southern States,
the disposition evinced by the citizens recently
in rebellion and the most advisable manner of
treating them The document i'll question was
generous in spirit, conciliatory towards the
South and statesmanlike in its propositions.
Its author said "I am satisfied that the mass of
thinking men of the South accept the present
situation of affairs in good faith The ques-
tions that have hitherto divided the sentiments
of the people of the two sections-slavery and
State rights, or the right of State to secede
from the Union-they regard as having been
settled forever by the highest tribunal-arms-
that man can appeal to. was pleased to learn
from the leading men whom met that they
not only accept the decision arrived at as final
but now the smoke of battle has cleared away,
and time has been given for reflection, believe
that this decision has been fortunate one for
the whole country" The disorder resulting
from four years of war had rendered it desira-
BILE that the military forces of the United
States should not be wholly withdrawn from
the South at that time, notwithstanding the
loyal disposition manifested by the leading cit
liens but the author of the report was careful
to advise that as federal soldiers as few possible
should be stationed in the Southern States, and
that they should all be white troops. "The
presence of black troops, lately slaves he
said, "demoralizcs labor both by their advice
and by furnishing in their camps resort for
the freedmen for long distances around" His
sound common sense enabled him to see the
danger to the future peace Of the Southern
States lay in the ignorance Of the late slave
population and in the "belief widely spread
among the freedmen" by the agents of the
Freedmens Bureau chat the lands of their
former owners would, at least in part, be di-
vided among them" He therefore urged the
policy of leaving the negroes to the care of the
white fellow citizens who would give them
good counsel. "It cannot be expected" he
said, "that the opinions held by men at the
South for years can be changed in day )" but
his predictions for the future were nevertheless
thus hopefully expressed: "My observations
lead me to the conclusion that the citizens of
the Southern States are anxious to return to
self-government within the Union as soon as
possible; that while reconstructing they want
and require protection from the government !;
that they are ready to take any course required
by the government that is not humiliating to
them as citizens, and if such a course were
pointed out they would pursue it in good faith"
This report was received with appreciation
by the people. 1t struck a generous chord to
which the heart of the nation responded. 1t
held in check for a time the carpet-bag plum
derers whose fingers were already itching for
the rich spols of political reconstruction. Its
influence was great and deservedy so; for it
bore the signature ofGeneral Grant, the soldier
who had subdued the rebellion and saved the
Union. May not the lessons it taught and the
the spirit it breathed be advantageously studied
by President Grant in his treatment of the
Southern people at the present time ?-New
York Herald.