Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-23

and one flag. and deep down in their souls
they were content with IL.
The spectacle of this terrible army OF
the Confederacy the memory OF whose
battle cry vet thrills the world, trans
formed in a month into patient and hope
full workmen, has never been paralleled
In history.
who destroyed this scene of peaceful
rehabilitation? Hell has no pit dark
enough, and no damnation deep enough
for those conspirators when once history
has fixed their quit.
The task before the people of the south
was one to tax the genius of the Anglo
Saxon race as never in its history. even
had every friendly aid possible been ex-
! tended by the victorious north. -Four mil
lion negroes had suddenly been freed. and
the foundations of economic order destroy
ed Five billions of dollars worth OF prop
erty were wiped out of existence, banks
closed, every dollar of money worthless
paper, the country plundered Dy victorious
armies, its cities. mills and homes burn
ed and the flower of it's manhood buried
in nameless trenches. or, worse still, hung
upon the charity Of poverty. manned
wrecks The task of organizing this
wrecked society and marshalling into efi-
Gent citizenship this host Of ignorant ne
groes, and yet to preserve the civilization
of the Anglo-Saxon race. the priceless
heritage of two thousand years OF strug-
gle, was one to appal the wisdom OF ages.
Honestly and earnestly the white people
of the south set about this work and ac-
cepted the thirteenth amendment to the
constitution abolishing slavery without a
protesting vote.
The president issued his proclamation,
announcing the method Of restoring the
Union as it had been handed to him from
the martyred Lincoln, and endorsed unan-
-l..f~ 1af 1fc MA
was simple, broad and statesmanlike, and
It's spirit breathed fraternity and union
with malice toward none and charity to-
ward ALL 1t declared what Lincoln had
always taught that the union was indie
structible, that the rebellious states had
now only to repudiate secession, abolish
slavery and resume their positions in the
union. to preserve which so many hVes
had been sacrificed.
The people of North Carolina accepted
this plan in good faith. They elected
legislature composed Of the noblest men
of the state, and chose an old Union man,
Andrew Macon, governor. Against Macon
was pitted the man who was now the
president and organizer of federation OF
secret oath-bound societies, of which the
Union League, destined to play so tragic
part in the drama about to follow was
the type This man, Amos Hogg, was
writer of brilliant and forceful style. Be
fore the war, virulent secessionist lead
err he had Justified and upheld slavery,
and had written volume of poems dedi-
Gated to John c. Calhoun. He had led
the movement for secession in the con-
vention which passed the ordinance. But
when he saw his ship was sinking he turn
ed back upon the errors" of the past,
protested the loyal Union sentiments,
wormed himself into the confidence Of the
Federal government and actually succeed
"a In, ba r,OafffOn NJ f1rOUiCfOnal
governor of the stated He loudly profess
ed his loyalty, and with fury and malice
demanded that Vance, the great war gov
ernor, his predecessor. who, as Union
man had opposed secession, should now
be hanged, and with him his former asso-
ciates in the secession convention, whool
he had misled with his brilliant pen.
But the people had long memory. They
saw through this hollow pretense, griev-
ed for their great leader, who was now
locked,in prison cell In Washington and
voted for Andrew Macon.
In the bitterness of defeat, Amos Hogg
sharpened his wits and his pen and began
his schemes of revengeful ambition.
The fires of passion burned now in the
hearts of hosts of towards. north and
south, who had not met their foe in bat
tle Their day had come. The times were
ripe for the apostles of revenge and their
breed of statesmen.
The preacher threw the IuIl weight OF
his character and influence to defeat Hogg
and he succeeded in carrying the county
for Macon by an overwhelming majority
At the election only the men who had
voted under the old regime were allowed
to vote. The preacher had not appeared
on the hustings as speaker. but as an
organizer and leader of opinion he was
easily the most powerful man in the
county. and one of the most powerful in
the state.
CHAPTER v.
THE OLD AND THE NEW CHURCH.
In the village Of Hambright the church
was the center Of gravity of the life of
the people There were but two churches,
the Baptist and the Methodist. The Epis-
copalians had a building, but it was built
by the generosity of one of their dead
members. There were four Presbyterian