The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-08-31

part in the government OF thclr neigh
bors or any participation in the federal
government of this country and to keep
it from them you must fix upon them II
system Of probation which will hold
them down and keep them out of your
political system until they are in a per-
mancnt minority"
That being his advice, it is strange,
repeat, that the people of the south Just
returned from the war, all their society
in ruins, full of wrctchcdncss and disap-
polntment, this race cmanci pated lying
upon their plantations, neither slave nor
citizen and without any indication of
the national sentiment that they were to
become citizens; in disorder, without
law-ior the slave laws were abolished
and they were at that time not within
the provisions of the civil code which
applied to the white racc--it is strange,
sir that in improyising legislation which
under this terrible pressure, this appall-
ing calamity, these bcwilderng changes,
which have followed one upon the other
with such rapidity-is it strange that
that system should have some of the in
cidcntS of the old system?
Nir, IL Is TO DE arrilycd against them
until the end of time Us an evidence ON
their part Of purpose to remand that
people to the scryltude OF slavery?
Measure tllcSc pePoIc by What lhc Scntl-
mcht was at that time, ana not by stand
ard you have erected at this time. 1t
was not a system which was well advised
or wen executed, ior SIR, II was repealed
by the legislature Whlch passed II the
very moment the publlc sentiment OF
lhe Soulh could reach lhoSe VINO ana
pass H.
1t Is worthy OF special attention that
governor Morton predicts the results OF
this policy which have actually foIlowc
It's adoption. IT, SIR, That policy iurn-
iShes an adequate and inevitable cause
OF these disorders which he beforehand
said it would do, why now seek to attri- |
butte them, when they come, to a diff
Ierent cause? why send investigating |
committees to the south to charge them
upon the murderous and rcheIlious pur-
poses OF the whites?
ms pOIlCy, so rcpugnant TO Mr. Nor |
tons sentiment and view OF public in
tcrcst, 50 suggestive of the alarming re-
suits which have actually cnsucd, could
not possibly have been less acceptable to
the southern people. with no preln-
dice against the negro, they regarded
this clothing OF him with the awful
powers of government as exposing their
society to the widest disorder. But
when the policy was fastened upon them
they knew that they had more trc'
mendous stake in its well-working than
any other people; they knew that the
attempt to reverse or obstruct it would
be ruinous; and they set to work
with an earncstncss for which know
they do not get credit TO adjust their
natural relations to the new ord er of
things, and give it a free, fair, and sue
ccssiuI development. il might have had
such development. There were agcn-
cics at the south of which Mr.. Morton
took no note, and which it is difficult
from his standpoint to appreciate, Tn
dcrncath the
RUINS OF OrR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL
ORDER
we had uninjured the old institutions OF
Anglican and American liberty, the
principles OF the old common law, the
mother OF freedom and popular govern
mcnt and that Anglo-SaXon race of
which we hear so much, so indestruc:i-
bic and inynciblc, accustomed to the
handling of these institutions and trained
in the discharge Of the high duties of
representative government
True, we had those four million bIacks
just emerged as Mr. Morton would say,
from the barbarism of 'lavcry, now free
and invested with citizenship, suffrage,
and eligibility to political power But
though a distinct it was not an
antagonistic element. Harmony cX-
listed between these two races. In
describable sympathles, Old memories,
kindly services mutually rendered, ties
OF childhood, OF youth, OF manhood,
days of labor, days OF battle, nights OF
watching, nights OF anguish, had so IN
tcrtwincd the lives Of that generation OF
southern men and women, white and
black, that at the close OF the war there
was scarce Il black man, woman or child
who did not have some endearlng rela-
tion with white man, woman or enid,
and was not also the object OF reclpro-
cal attachment.
Under the, operation OF those benign
influences, these friendly relations, ana
the workings OF local seii,government,
there was a well-iounded nope that SO
Ciety at the south might bc reconstruct
ed, even though it would have to be
done with the diyecta mem'dro OF the oId
brOken-up system. There was one dill
Guilty in the way The conflict between
the republican party and Mr.. johnson
began. | do not wish to say anything
against his memory but his Champion
ship, or seeming championship, OF the
south seemed to be more damaging than