The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17

/ ed that we are so free of prejudices that
we are angelic, but our people are deep
| ly grounded in the doctrine of states
rights, and believe that in everything
not controlled by the general govern
ment we ought to let otner people man.
| age their domestic concerns, and they
should let us do the same. Apropos of
our prejudices, If you call them such,
when Smithson, who was doing thriv-
ing law practice In this city was prepar-
ing to remove to a northern city, he was
asked by a brother lawyer why he was
leaving. He answered in a tone almost
pathetic, Because a man mas got to be
democrat or a niger in Alabama"
So long as hatred, vindictiveness and
prejudices govern and bind together
one section, the other will instinctively
join hands in self-defense.
President Davis.
When surrender came President Davis
had lost much of his personaI popular
ity. His obstinacy in continuing General
Bragg in command of the western army
after so many reverses, in keeping Penn.
berton in favor, in holding Richmond
against the advice of General Lee until
1t was too late to effect a successful
retreat; his failure to nave provisions
forwarded by trains, otherwise filled with
! their useless government archives, COM
blned with other minor matters, has
caused him to be severely censured in
| the south. and the feeling properly left
alone or managed. would have resulted
| in the effacement of many passions
aroused by the war. Then when pow
/ erful government with a million armed
men, and not an armed foe put iron
manacles on a sick old man confined in
! the stone casemate of an fmpregnable
| fortress, every true son of the south
felt the cowardly insult to be directed at
himself, and felt as If he too was man
acled and degraded In the person of
his representative.
Then the victors demanded blood, and
hung Wirz because of alleged cruelty TO
Andersonville prisoners who received the
same ratlons as their captors and whose
want of medicines was the result of the
failure of their government to accept our
offer to allow medicines and surgeons to
be sent them. 1t was long afterwards
before 1t was shown by the records at
Washington in possession OF the victors.
that whilst but - per cent of northern
soldiers in our hands died in prison, 16
per cent of southern soldiers died in
northern prisons in land teeming with
abundance. There are many living Wit
nesses, my own brother among them. TO
the barbarties, starvation and cruelties
practiced on prisoners in the north. gen.
orally it is true by the home guards who
had never seen battle. but It was done
and the south had to submit quietly to
seeing an innocent man hanged on false
charge. If these things indicated a wish
for reconciliation. It was of the kind
practiced by Indians, VINO turned over
helpless captives to their women to be
tortured with fire.
Military Dictatorship.
When the thirst for blood could not
be assuaged by reason OF Supreme
court, more refined species of torture
was devised, and civil government in
the south was abolished and military
dictatorship substituted In its place.
Again 1t was found that not all the
generals would consent to be brutes, and
then came negro political equality which
was as degrading TO the oppressor as to
the oppressed. Then came so called cleo
lions in which almost all the Intelligence
of the south was studiously dsfranchised
and the days of reconstruction and the
CARPET baggers brought bankruptcy TO
| states municipalities and individuals.
| The robbers of the war time, got in their
work in those days by Issuing state and
| county bonds and 1t was seen that the
so-called philanthropy which gave the
negro race its vote, was rewarded in
| cash by the negro voting bond issues
| for his charitable friends whose char
F.! ity was directed to robbing a helpless
| people, always provided they and not the
negro got the proceeds OF the robbery.
These kindly attempts at reconciliation
were kept up for several years, and only
stopped because there was nothing more
| to steal from impoverished states.
| Then we have sustained numberless at