The farmers' vindicator., 1876-05-05
For the Vindicator and News.]
Reconstruction.

At the termination of the war, the
dominant party in America enforced
on the Southern States policy of ere
construction. Not content with the
emancipating of the slaves, without
compensation to their owners, as was
Justly due TO them, and as had been
done by England on the emancipating
of the slaves in the West Indies, Con-
gress declared them citizens of the
United States, with all the rights and
privileges thereof There was thus
added to the number CT voters an
enormous mass Of men totally untitled
to exercise the suffrage with justice to
the country or to themselves. The
pretence was magnanimity and liber.
ality to the colored people. The fact
was that unprincipled adventures thus
secured possession of the legislative
and administrative offices of the South.
These they have continued to hold till
they have been obliged TO relinquish
them from their own inherent rotten
ness and depravity. Frauds of enor-
nous magnitude have been perpetrated
on the Southern people, unequalled in
history and excelled only by those of
the thieves at Washington, by whom
the highest offices of the nation have
been held. Not only have the ignorant
colored people been thus made base
tools to further the ends of scoundrels,
but their very hard.earned savings,
deposited in the Freedmen's Bank,
have been stolen from them by their
pretended friends. This has been the
chief means Of opening the eyes of the
colored people, SO that they are now
learning that their true interest re-
quires them TO join their employers
and others, true people Of the South,
for the restoration and the right gov
ernment of the country. Still farther,
this infamous party disfranchised large
numbers of the leading men of the
South, who, by their education, integ.
rity and social elevation, were emf
nently fitted to be and had been the
staunchest citizens Of their several
States. Even now some of these men
have not been restored to their rights
of citizenship. What a scandal that
such man as Beauregard, of whom, as
a soldier and a civilian, the record is
pure, and who would be joyfully hailed
into the ranks of citizenship of England,
France and other countries of Europe,
is an alien at home, while the most
important Offices of the nation have
been entrusted to Belknap, Babcock,
Robson, Ingalls, and others, whose
very names it is degradation to pro-
nounceI We are certainly, in this, not
writing politics. It's only history, and
only as such we write of and refer to
the administrative and legislative policy
Of the South for the few years past.
II the language is strong, or seems
strong now, it will be mild compared
to the record to be made by the hsto-
,orian some years hence. The rule,
rs set forth above, was called recon
,tructiOnj HedNch saw tHO COuuIIy |
should it have much more Of such re-
The real ere construction" of the
South must be the work of the South
,rn people themselves. When we
consider the vast resources of the /
.ountry-its genial climate, its rich ,
md fertile soil. its enormous stores +
# coal and iron, its great available 1
vater power for mills and factories, q
Is unrivalled extent of river navi. /
.ation, and its many outlets to the a
ca for foreign traffic-we cannot but :
etm the prospects of success most /
ncouraging to these engaged in the t
arious industries of the land. We {
re happy TO observe that the attention "