The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-04-03
Reconstruction in South Car
olina.'

printing series of papers written BY
prominent men in both Of the old
sections of our country on she subject
of the Reconstruction of the South
The April number of the Atlantic con-
tsios 3 most interesting and valuable
contribution to the history of that
period by ex Gov Cbamberlain oo
.Recous.ructiou 10 South Carolioa !"
The story is we'll told-is could not
have been told SO we'll by auy other
survivor of Reconstruction. It is par
,icularly valuable because Gov Cham
berlain vas 60 active factor 10 the
attempt to carry out the Recoostructio o
measures Of congress, which be DOW
atserly condemns as policy dictated
BY hate. revenge. greed, last Of pow
er"
The men vho we're mainly respoDsi
bic for ali the outrage, pluuder and
criue OF tbe Reconstruction period
we're Oliver P. Mortoo and Thaddeus
Stevens, agsiust whom 90 other policy
than thas upoo which they had deter
mined could prevail. "'he one dessrips
i've feasure, the one eversbadoVing
item" Of which "wsa negro suffrage" !"
s.Ths personal koowiedge Of the writer
warrants him 10 sss:iug that eyes we're
| never blinded TO facts. minds never
more rushlessly set ueou policy, than
we're Stevens end Morton on putting
tbe white south uDder the heel of the
black south % Underneath ell the
avowed motives sod all she opeo asgu
neots lay deeper cause shsn all
oshers-the will and deterc3icssiop to
secure party aecandeucy sud coutro! at
the south anG 10 the nation tbrough the
negro vote %
And knowing such 20 awe been the
deliberate purpose of the national gov
e,umeDt, because Of "uumberless 10
terviews on Recopssrucsioo,' be had
with Republicaa leaders at Washing
ton, especially 10 the winter of 1865
81, snd the summer ard fell of the
latter year, and particularly With the
late Oliver P Mor,oo ;" knowing that
'eshe property, the educatioo aud intel
ligeuce the experience in self govern
neDt and public affairs. 10 this State
were of course wholly With its white
nonrIation'-Ve have never been able
to account for Gov Chsmberlain's par
sioipa,ioo 10 the Reconstruction Of this
State. His answer to this very natural
suggestion is that the Republican
reformers" s'vere, most OF them,
trained in another school than South
Ca,olips,' - aod ia view of the exposure
which he makes OF the bottom purposes
of the Republican party. the uortherD
school of thought aud sentiment. We
are sure no one will begrude the little
comfort which he may be able TO extract
from this view of the case
Gov Cbauberlaio reviews the course
of Reconstruction government 80 South
Carolina, of which its pecuniary results
"were only one salient effect CT phase OF
a vide reign of corruption and general
misrule Public Offices we're objec;e of
vulgar, commonplace bargain and sale
Justice 10 the lower and higher courts
was bought and sold or, rather, those
wbo sat in the seats nominally of justice
made traffic of their judicial powers
No brsoch of the public
service escaped the pollution y
Before the war, the average expense
OF the auoual session of the Legislature
10 South Carolina did Dot exceed
$4,000. For the six years following
Recoossruc,ioe the average annual
expense was over s320,0O0. the
expense of the session of 1871 alooe
being S6l7 900. 'sThe so,el public
debt of South Carolina at the beeiuuioe
of Reconstruction was less thso
81 100000 At sthe eOd Of She yaar
1872 fse wears later, the direct public
debt amounted TO over $l7, 500 600
For ell this Increase the State had Dot
single public Improvement Of say sort
10 show -
10 1876 the test of strength between
:be Intelligence of the Stase and the
ignorant aud corrupt crew 10 control Of
the State cane, aud the fabric erected
uoder the Reconstruction Acts Of Con-
geess aod sustained By all the power Of
the ADMINISTRATION st Washington. fel
TO the ground The overtbrov OF
Republicap or negso rule 10 South
Csrolios in 1876 was root aod brsucb
work All Of the methods by which
its destruction was secured eaDnot be
defepded, aud We are oow suffering the
consequences from the horrible oigbs of
Reconstruction 10 South Csroliaa. and
the 'srenous" policy resorted to by the
white people to obtain the mastery !;
but. bad as they are. the eoodl,ions
ow are heaven. compared with the
crine and deheuoharv of kne Raoon.