The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-04
CHAPTER III.
EELSE SPEAKS HIS MIND.

CHAPTER III.
NELSE SPEAKS HIS MIND.
Every morning before the preacher
could finish his breakfast. callers were
knocking at the door-the negro, the poor
white, the widow. the orphan, the wound
ed, the hungry, an endless procession.
all that he could ask. There was no
where I slumbering spark Of war. There
was not the slightest effort to continue
the lawless habits of four years of strife.
Everywhere the spirit Of patience, self
restraint and hope marked the life of the
men who had made the most terrible SOL
diery. They were glad to be done with
war, and have the opportunity to re-
build their broken fortunes. They were
glad, too, that the everlasting question
Of q divided Union was settled and set
tied forever. There was now to be one
country and one flag, and deep down in
their souls they We're content with ii.
The spectacle of this terrible army of
the COnfederacy, the memory of whose
battle cry yet thrills the world. trans
formed in a month into patient and hope
fulfill Workmen, has never been PARALLEL
in history.
Who destroyed this scene Of peace
full rehabilitation? He'll has no pit dark
enough, and no damnation deep enough
for these conSpiratOrS when once history
has fixed their guilt.
The task before the people Of the
| South was one to tax the genius of the
Anglo-SaXon race as never in its his
tory, even had every friendly aid possible
been extended by the victorious North.
Four million negroes had suddenly been
freed, and the foundations of economic
i z-| - u -~. M - L act
worth of property were wiped out of ex-
istence, banks closed, every dollar OF
money worthless paper, The country
~plundered by victorious armies, its cities,
mills and homes burned, and the flower
of its manhood buried in naneless
trenches. or worse still, flung upon the
charity Of pOverty-maimei wrecks. The
task of organising this wrecked society
and marshalIing into efficient citizenship
this host Of ignorant negroes, AND yet 10
preserve the civilization OF the Anglo
Saxon race. the priceless heritage OF two
thousand years OF struggle, was one to
arpal the wisdom Of ages. Honestly and
earnestly the white people of the South
set about this work. and accepted the
Thirteenth amendment to the Constitu-
ton abolishing slavery without a pro-
testing vote.
The President issued his proclamation
announcing the method Of restoring the
Union as it had been handed 10 him from
the martyred Lincoln, and endorsed
unanimously by LincOln's abine This
plan was simple, broad and statesman
like, and its spirit breathed. Fraternity
and Union with malice toward none and
charity toward all. 1t declared what Lin
coin had always taught, that the Union
was ind.structible, that the rebelliOus
States had now only TO repudiate seces-
sion, abolish slavery, and resume theil
positions in the Union, to preserve which
so many lives had been sacrificed.
The people of North Carolina accepted
this plan in good faith. They elected q
Legislature composed Of the noblest men
OF tbs State, and chose an old Unior
man. Andrew Macon, Governor. Agains1
Macon was pitted the man who was now
the president and organizer of a fedora
ton of secret oath-bound societies.. OF
which the Union League, destined tC
play SO tragic a part in the drama about
to follow was the type. This man, Amos
Hcgg. was a writer of brilliant and force
full style. Before the war, a virulen1
secessionist leader, he had justified anC
upheld slavery, and had written {
volume of poems dedicated to John c
Calhoun. He had led the movement fol
secession in the convention which passed
the ordinance. But when he saw his ShiI
was sinking, he turned his back upon the
errors Of the past, professed the mos
loyal Union sentiments, Worlned hlmSel
into the confidence of the Federal Gov
, eminent, and actually succeeded in Sc
curing the position of Provisional Gov
, ernor of the State, He loudly professe(
his loyalty, and with fury and malice de
I manded that Vance, the great war Gov
ernor. his predecessor. who, as a CnloI
man had opposed secession, should nov
) be hanged, and with him his own formel
associates in the secession convention
whom he had 1nisled with his brilliant
: pen.
But the people had a long memory
They saw through this hollow pretense
f grieved for their great leader, who was
now locked in a prison cell in Wash,
: ington, and voted for Andrew Macon.
In the bitterness of defeat, Amos Hogs
sharpened his wits and his pen, and be,
gan his schemes of reyengeful ambition
) The fires of passion burned now in the
hearts of hosts of towards, North ant
: South. who had not met their foe in hat
/, tie. Their day had come. The times We're
ripe for the Apostles OF Revenge anC
their breed of statesmen.
The Preacher threw the full weight o
his character and influence 10 defea
Hogg and he succeeded in carrying the
, county for Macon by an overwhelmint
majority. At the election only the mel
who had voted under the old regime wer,
allowed to vote. The Preacher had no
I appeared on the hastings as q speaker
, but as an organizer and leader of opin-
e ion he was easily the most powerful ma