The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-09
WASHINGTON A SOUTHERN VILLAGE.
Political and Social Conditions During the
War.

Political and Social Conditions During the
War.
BY BRAINARD H. WARNER,
Chairman of the Citizens Committee of the Thirty
sirth National Encdmpment.
Before the civil war Washington was in
many respects but little more than a
country village. Yet for more than half
q century it had been the chief center %
political excitement in the United States.
The question of slavery had long been the
principal cause of contention between diff
ferent sections of the Union. The increas-
ing power of the North and West was re-
garded with apprehension by the Sonth,
largely in consequence of the constant and
continued agitation of extremists, who de-
nounced human bondage of every kind.
INDUCEMENTS FOR TRAVEL
were not so great as now. Tourists from
the Northern States felt they would not
be welcome in the South and would be
viewed with suspicion. They preferred
to avoid the slave section, where every
property-Owner felt it his bounden duty
to prevent the circulation of the pro-
nounced anti-slavery journals.
Southern people looked upon Northern
men as unfair and extreme and as having
designs upon the fortunes and prosperity
of their political antagonists. In their
eyes John Brown was only representa-
tive of a large class, who would hesitate
at nothing to gain fixed purpose. More
over, the people of the South who had time
and means for travel We're glad to spend
their leisure among their own feliOw-citi-
gems at the various resorts where they
could find pastimes suited to their tastes,
where mint juleps and tOddies were popu-
lar and the race-course and tournament
were favorite sources Of pleasure.
MISTAKEN IDEAS.
A large proportion of those who lived
IN the Southern States were both religious
and refined. although a belief prevailed in
the North that the South was generally a
place of case and profigacy and that its
inhabitants were largely given over to
card-playing and drinking. Duels were of
frequent occurrence. 1t WIS ar open and
constant boast that one Southern man
accustomed to hunting and shooting was
more than a match for four Yankees; and
the latter were said to be cowardly and
unwilling TO fight for their rights This
was currently believed in the South.
Thus it will be seen readily that each
section of the Union persistently mis-
understood the other. The attitude of the
South, however, proved to be the more
significant. The balance of influence in
COURTpSS uIu Deeu ueiu HUH lut louhod
ton of the Union by representatives from
Southern States; it was only natural. then,
that the growth of other sections inimical
to their institutions should provoke their
leaders to prepare for a conflict of in
terests.
To this end the people of the South had
been gathering resources for defense for
some time prior to 1861. OF these re-
sources, of the war assets of the South, of
s<, nit fo ,alf Eco rrif,a fhn
had no adequate conception. Northerners
little understood the character which the
strain of subsequent events was to make
manifest.
SOUTHERN FEELING DOMINANT.
In Washington this position of the
South found abundant support. Public
patronage for years before the war had
been given largely to representatives from
the Southern States, who naturally sympa-
thized with slavery and its institutions.
The. chiefs of many important bureaus
freely expressed their hope for the success
OF q secession movement, should one be
undertaken. When Sumter was fred on,
therefore, and steps taken to establish a
separate government, many residents of
the National Capital left the city hurriedly
and openly cast their fortunes with the
South. Friendships of a lifetime were
disrupted. Brothers, sisters, parents and
children, swee.hearts and lovers, and even
man and wife. were frequently divided in
their allegiance to the cause of the Union.
MAJORITY FOR THE UNION.
Although many of the prominent leaders
were hostile to the National Government,
the great majority of the people in the
District of Columbia were opposed to
secession. The loyal militia organized
quietly, and with the coming Of the new
Administration and the Inauguration of
Mr.. Lincoln it was ready to protect the
fend the Capital until such time as overt
acts OF hostility should make it necessary
for volunteers from t..s North to assist in
the National defense.
Meanwhile great excitement prevailed.
Union sentiment in the District was strong
enough to obtain a vote for appropriations
to pay bounties to volunteers and the hire
Of drafted men. A peace convention was
held and attended by men Of prominence.
A fast day was observed on Sept rs, 1861.
There were still large number opposed
to the loyalists, men who remained away
from the peace convention, who held
numerous meetings and sent messages
calculated to weaken the Federal influence
by arousing suspicion among the loyal de-
tenders of the Capital. Communications
Of valuable secret information were con-
quent arrests were made and occasionally
an offender was imprisoned.
With local conditions such as have been
Indicated. the Administration Of Mr..
Lincoln began. Washington had been an
orderly and easy-going city. The fact that
in 1851 the expenses of the Police Depart
ment were only about S32. 4S0 is proof that
order was preserved with comparative
ease; in 1901 the corresponding expendi-
ture was S743, 56j.
But as the Republican Administration
advanced the situation changed. The
usually quiet capital swarmed with newly
enlisted men who were frequently sent on
without regard to equipment or discipline.
Many of them were unarmed and had no
adequate conception of the struggle in
which they were to be important factors.
1t often required the assistance of the
District Militia, aided by the full-armed,
equipped and disciplined militia of the
North, and the small number Of soldiers
of the Regular Army then here. to pre-
serve order and discipline. Even the
newly-appointed officers were often with
out military experience or ideas. Army
wagons and artillery tore up the streets
and roads. Thousands of mules, driven
by profane drivers. added to the excite
ment.
BRENTWOOD OF THE ARMY.
In addition to this army came another