Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-25
THE REVIVED SOUTH.

Signal Proofs OF Capacity for Self Govern
ment.
History may be searched in vain for q
parallel to the energy and.political skill with
which the people Of the south re-established
their industries, reasserted their political
rights and resumed their place, after the
desolation of the war and the reconstruction
era. Other defeated people have fingered
long in sullen inaction, unable to resume the
strife and unwilling to accept the new con-
ditions; but the only charge the victors
brought against the Confederates was that
they were too eager to resume their old place
in the Union and too skillful in preserving
all that was best in their distinctive civiliza-
ton. Long years Of hatred have followed
civil war in other lands; the Scotch rose
again and again for sixty years after the
Stuarts were expelled, and the Irish are still
fighting, each recurring 18th of July, over
the events and the results of Boyne and
Limerick. But in oil the south, with rare
local exceptions, Confederate soon elapsed
hands with Federal; they sat in the same
pew ot church, met in the same lodge and
voted the same ticket and in every city OF
Dixie, nay in every street, one might
see firm names of which tho partners
had but little before looked ut each other
along cleaning rifle barrels. Political NAL
ice may distort these facts for while; but
the common sense Of mankind recognizes the
fact, and history will so record it, that this
Spontaneous popular amnesty shows the
possession of the very highest qualities
which ennoble humanity. ....
''They didn't give in till they had to-" was
the unanimous verdict of the Federal victors;
''the Confederacy was a mere she'll" It was
worse than that-it was a waste. From the
Potomac to the Sabine, every branch Of pro-
duction was paralyzed, the commerce of
every port was dead, all public improve.
nents were destroyed or badly crippled,
every family was in mourning, every fifth
house was in ashes, every third soldier had
sunk to his grave Society was plowed up
from the very bottom: the industrial system
was completely destroyed; "the bottom rail
was OIL top" the currency was worthless,
and no man knew whether there was any
local government. The people barely had
time to breathe and begin to rebuild their
waste places, when the reconstruction meas
ures of 1867 again overwhelmed society; the
negro, vaulted into the seat Of his former
master and commenced playing tho beggar
OH horseback. For seven years several OF
the states were subjected to tho most CALLING
humiliations that men Of the Aryan race Gun
suffer: nm imperial race was put under tue
control of lately serTile race; white men
were ruled by their former slaves. The
white people of six states and parts Of five
more were confronted with the most stu
pendous problems in government; but nat
ural superiority asserted itself, and out OF
chaos they organized victory.
While reconstruction was in progress, and
while the whites were prostrated there were
complaints of social disturbances, of riots here
and there; but now that we look back on
that period we are filled with amazement
that there was so little bloodshed, SO much
forbearance Suppose some philosophic
student ct human nature, unbiased by pre-
judice, had looked upon the eight states sub
jected to the rule Of the freedmen in 1867
and attempted to forecast the future; what
must he have prophesied2 Here, hc would
have said, are two races alien from the
dawn Of history. The one has behind it
5000 years of slavery and barbarism; it is
timid to painful degree, just out of servi-
tude, without education, unaccustomed to
the use of arms, without military experience
or organizing capacity-a servile race. The
other is an imperial race, with z, 600 years of
constant progress behind it; people accus-
toned to rule, Injured to war, good riders,
crack shots, with sentimental ideas of honor
and personal dignity, feeling an insult more
than a wound, and with as little dread Of
death as any people in the world. And it is
proposed by wise statesmen to put this race
under the control of that race. Reasoning
priori what would this student philosopher
have saids That there would be an upheaval
without precedent, riot and bloodshed in
every precinct. That hundreds Of thousands
would be slaughtered. That the streams
would run red with blood. And so thought
the few who could reason in that exciting
era.
Nothing of the sort occurred. True, there
was trouble here and there, for the bonds of
society were completely relaxed, and local
government had no force except to tax AMI
plunder. Yet, considering the temptations,
the aggregate was surprisingly small. The
average forbearance was wonderful. Ths
ratio of crime among the ID, ,OO0, 600 or more
in communities where peace has prevailed
for generations. In no long time there came
to the front class Of young men not broken
in the spirit by the war, and with the coun-
sci of the elders they soon redeemed the
south. Then was seen restoration of peace
and order as sudden as it was surprising.
The state governments became thoroughly
efficient; no municipalities were more order
ly than those Of the south; life and property
were as secure as in any country in the
world, and the rapid progress in temperance
and religion astonished mankind. For seven
weeks of 1877 riots ragged from the Hudson
to the Missouri; but not shot was fired in
the south. Frauds and embezzlement multi
piled, but southern business was conducted
on the old and honorable plan. Banke IS and
cashiers, trustees and aldermen fed to Can
ada with the funds intrusted to them; but
the south sent no such emigrants. Credit
mobiliers and star route frauds Indian rings
and whisky rings were exposed till decent
Americans held their noses and blushed; but
no southern statesman was involved. For
the past ten years there have been fewer
frauds and thefts and less intemperance in
the south than in any equal period before in
any section of the country.
In the meantime the southern people have
established comprehensive school system,
taxing themselves generously to educate the
youth Of both races; have carried out vast
public improvements and built up a score of
great manufacturing cities The politicians
Of distant states have sneered and criticised,
but their capitalists have come and invested,
and that shows where confidence is due.
money talks" No other state has been
more abused by men Of the Wind-galls tribe
than Georgia; no southern state has received
more northern capital. No state is more i'm
bued with what they call the southern
spirit" than Texas; none has received more
immigrants from the north.
Do men voluntarily locate where life and
property are insecure, or wherc they arc not
free to express opinions! Or do capitalists
act as if they expected to gather grapes of
thorns or figs of thistles! No; these facts
are unanswerable proof that peace, order and
liberty rule in the south; and in evolving
such system out Of chaos the southern peo-
ple have shown political skill and capacity
for craftsmanship unequaled in the world
beside.
Our colored citizens must have their share
of praise. Since the evil days ended they
have worked willingly with US for better
things. When impartial history comes to be
written, these plain truths will be recorded
That no conquered country ever settled down
to peace and order so soon; that no defeated
people ever accepted the situation so man.
fully; that no suddenly freed people ever
used their freedom with more moderation,
IL. .,R tho Initial Stntoc iS