New-York tribune., 1877-05-04
Social OS1RACISN.

Complaints have frequently been made dur
ing the past seven or eight years by patriotic
persons returning North from temporary So
iourn in the Southern States that Northern
men engaging III business at the South are de-
barred from social recognition. refused sdmit-
tance to the best society, actually ostracscd
socially. This social intolerance and exclusive
ness. we have been told, is universal through
the South. 1t has been taken as an indication
of deep-seated and undylng hostility to the
North and the Federal Government. 1t has
been urged as one of the reasons for main
tainng gaITisOns at the principal points and
uphOldng the State Governments by the mill
tary arm. So long az this feeling existed, 1t
was argued, there could be no real loyalty to
the Union. no peaceful or harmonious rela-
| tions, no trust or confidence, and no safety
for free institutions except as obedience
was enforced and the spirit of rebellion
kent down by the bayOnet. The persons
returning North with these gloomy reports and
discOuraging experiences were mostly Of the
/ sclf-sacriliciAg class who went South mmedi-
/ ately after tho war to engage in the business
of politics. The political condition of that
! section had excited their sympathy and COM
I lniScldliDU, duu JHtg udu SOHt dONh tIitlt w
| shower upon those beniehtcd communities the
! blessings of good government. Bartenders
| and peanut vendeTs, bOOkagents and gTOcCrs,
| saloon keepers and hOrse-car conductors ilOcked
! southwark with single purpose to develop
! the resources, establish the finances, and adj
minister the government of those neglected
| States. They organized the negroes into secret
societies, led them up to the polls and in
! structed them in politics, took possession f
| the State Governments, laid taxes, issued
| bonds, and in every way made things lively.
And yet they were Ostraciscd They were
not invited into the best society. The old
! aTistocracy did not recognize them. The first
! families, instead of exhibiting a becoming
! sense Of gratitude TO them for bringing
| them good government and promoting busi-
ness activity, spoke disparagngly of them,
objected to their style of living, their
| grand establishments and fine equipages,
/ and sometimes in private conversation
/ called them thieves. The use of such an
| epithct indicated lack of appreciation of the
! blessings of good government, unreening
=. hatred for the Union, and implacablc hostility
| TO the rights of man. And what was more,
! they did not introduce them 20 their families
nor invite them to dinner There was but one
! explanation, Of course, for such behavior. 1t
was idle TO say that they were Ostracised because
| they were ill-brcd low, and vicious, or be-
| cause they associated with the negroes only to
nislead and make use of them for the pur-
noses Of corruption and robbery, or because
/ they lacked scf-reSpect and personal honor,
or because in short, they were such fellows
as never had been in the society of
gentlemen anywhere That would not
| do. For these returning patriots said they
were not any such persons, but good citizens,
whose only motive was to instruct the negroes
in politics, and develop the resources OF the
/ South, aud "a it were cement the Union. No,
/ it was quite clear from the reports they
| brought back that they had been ostracised on
account of their political views.
There has been some question and perhaps a
difference of opinion about this. An inyestiga-