The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-06-24

quietly acquiesce in having their recent slaves
placed over them as lawmakers.
It was then clear to my mind that the men
who owned all the property, and possessed the
largest intelligence, would never quietly sub
NIT to this mode of establishing governments
nor could conceive of any intelligent class OF
men who would not have given to such mooe
of establishing governments amongst 1nem
perhaps as violent opposition as dld tne "nlce
men of the reconstructed States: An aool-
tional wrong was perpetrated by this act.upon
the few native Union white men and the few
Northern white men who were left. by the
result of the war, as the responsibility OF organ
ling these governments was forced IN q great
measure upon them. The whole scheme ofrecon-
struction would have been a failure without
their aid. Indeed, an election could not have
been held had it not been for their aid and the
aid of the officers of the army; for the white
men refused to take part in the organization OF
these Governments, or to accept Office or per-
form any other duty which would tend to make
reconstruction success, believing that it was
all stupendous farce, and that sooner or Ia
ter these governments would fail tor the want
of intelligence and the means OF maintaining
themselves. But Congress did not stop TO con-
slider that fact Nor did Congress seem to care
whether these governments were successful or
not. It seemed to me, indeed, that congress
resarded It as problem so difficult dissolution,
thst IL mattered little to them whether the in
diyiduals entrusted with the duties of recon-
struction were sustained or sacrificed. They
recalled the troops from this State when they
knew that the people scarcely considered the
war ended for, from 1865 up to that time, the
lives of citizens were safe in scarcely any por,
ton of the State They had been compelled
to keep troops to arrest violators OF the law,
and the country was over-run with bushwhack-
ers. Gov. Orr during his administration from
the close of the war up to 1868, found the aid
of the military absolutely essential in enforc-
ing the law and maintaining order, and even
the troops themselves were threatened and the
Government property taken from their very
camps. And yet Congress seemed to expect
that I, with the simple machinery of civil
government and with no class OF sufficient ex-
perience to maintain and enforce its authority,
would be able to execute the law and protect
the rights of the people. The result was what
intelligent men might have expected, and
what I knew must come. The entire white
people of the State, with the power of the
press at their back, kept up their opposition to
the government, made every species of charge
against its officers, magnifed every mistake in-
to crime and eventually united with them
the very men who had been instrumental IN
the passage of the Reconstruction Acts against
the creatures of their own creation.
Ambitious men of the North, who were glad
to make fair weather with the politicians Of the
South, and old abolitionists of the North who
had been for quarter of q century urging the
Government to some revolutionary measure by
which slavery should be Immediately extin-
guished, turned their sympathy from your race
to the white people, and, when their newspaper
correspondents were sent South to investigate
the state of affairs here they Immediately
sought information of that class OF men who
had been opposed to the whole policy of recon-
struction, and would do everything IN their
power IN prevent its success. These parties IN
the North turned upon the men they had en-
couraged and urged into accepting positions
here, and united their denunciations with those
of the Southern press The result has been,
that, instead of the Republican party being
success in the South, it has been failure here,
and has made the Republican party failure
all over the country. For Congress, after be-
ing urged on by the Northern press to adopt
an uniustifable and unwise policy, would not
sustain its own work. 1t would not even look
to the appointment of proper Federal officials.
Nine out of ten of those who were appointed
were opposed to the State governments that
had been organized. In the Custom House
and in all other places under the control OF the
National Government, class OF men were ap-
pointed who Immediately made war upon the
State governments. So the National Govern
ment had two elements who were fighting the
State governments, and whose complaints 1t was
compelled to listen to. One was the entire
native white population of the South, aud the
other was the Federal ofice-holders, who were
anxious to get control, and who were simply
petty politicians, willing to sacrifice everything
for their own success.
In addition to the foregoing, sir, let me call
your attention to the fact that there is very
large class of politicians who have claimed to
be Republicans, and yet who have never failed,
when an official position gave weight to their
opinions. to use their influence against your
people. Indeed, their opposition arises from
deep-seated prejudice against your race enjoy
ing the rights of citizenship in this county
In other words, they believe that this is "a
white mans Government" If these elements
of opposition can be organized, and sink their
petty differences of opinion in other respects,
YOU will find party in the United States suffi-
ciently strong to eliminate the colored man en-
tirely from any part or influence in politics.
Another evidence of the prejudice that exists
against your race may be cited in the tardiness
with which Congress passed the bill giving to
your people any share of civil rights. Al
though you had furnished soldiers to the Ma
tional Government, although you had members
sitting in Congress, although you had controll-
ed State Governments and some of your people
were clothed in the judicial robes of the State,
yet Republican Congress, with nearly two
thirds majority, took six years to determine
what measure of civil rights your people should
have. And even then, the Act was passed only
when the country had overwhelmingly defeat.
ed the Republican party at the ballot-box, and
sent class of men to the next Congress who,
although they are not your declared friends,
will, perhaps, do no more harm to your pi people
we're ready to do. Had railroad company
been asking for a subsidy of millions of acres
of land it would have been granted in single
session of Congress.