The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-28
rNE s0Urn's BURDEN.
Mistakes OF Rec1nS 'ructioR tho Cause
Of the Negro Problem OF To-day,

To THE EDtTuE OF rae StS. Sir. Prcsi-
dent Roosevelt. speaking to the atudents OF
the University Of Pennsylvania on Washing
tons Birthday. among other thing said
Again Washington said. Give TO msukni the
example Of people Always guided by IN exalted
Justice and benevocnce." This feclinr can he shown
alike BY our dealings within and without our own
borders. TAFT and Wright In the Philippines nnd
Wood In Cuba have shown ia exactly how 10 prac
| tlsc this Justice and bcncVocnCc 10 dealing WIN
other peoples justice and brncvocnce which
can be shown, not by Shirking our duty and aban
donlng 10 self destruction those uuht ia govern
Themselves. but by doing our duty b. staying win
them and teaching them how to govern themselves
6y uplifting them spiritually ana materially
When the war between the States ended and
emancipation had come TO he negroes. II
was the serious desire and intent of all South
ern planters TO carry out in regard TO thelr
former slaves the very justice and beneVo-
lence" OF which the President speaks. There
was no disposition to shirk the duties OF the
new relations. and no thought of abandoning
70 self-destruotion those untitled for self
government but the honest purpose was TO
cultivate mutual good will and teaching the
negroes how to govern themselves by up
lifbng them in every way Schoolhouses
and churches were built at once for them and
the prospect for pleasant relations seemed
bright until the ballot was given to negroes
of age. and all negroes wero organized into
secret political Leagues under the Freedmen \
bureaus and the military administration.
The South was divided into Ave military
districts. aud Thaddeus Stevcns's recon-
struction" measures were put into operation.
tho plan embracing the organization of ne
groes into party unto themselves. operating
through the Loyal Leagues This done.
and the negroes removed thereby from the
influence of the whites. that staying" with the
negro and that justice and benevolence, ="
and that training" for new relations and that
lifting up" process. were estopped as II by
order of tho military ruler
The organization OF negroes into these se-
cret Loyal Leagues so fixed relations and
conditions that the white people were power
less for teaching or training or uplifting.
These leagues detached the negroes from the
whites. estranged them, destroyed all trust
and confidence In the native whites. and the
carpetbaggers and the bureaus controlled.
To render the negroes more leable and TO
build wall between negroes and whites.
there came to the lea cues mysterious "eNo-
dus order" to the effect that all negroes must
leave the old homes. tho old farms, tine old
associations and affiliations. and go elsewhere
among strangers.
This dispersion Of the negroes from the old
homes was an upheaval. hardly any two
families going 10 the same place. The ne
! groes were resolved into units. and the young
| negroes. growing up without the influences
/ OF the old farms aud the old negroes We're
trained to respect no one. They had no
| props TO sustain them. The old owners could
| not uplitt or do what they wished in the face
! Of these conditions Thus the white people
| found their hands tied.
| The organization OF the negroes into these
| leagues and the subsequent dispersion from
| the old homes for political purposes brought
| moro confusion and more loss than the war
| itself, We lost our grip on the negro foreve .
| and the old landowners for police protection
| abandoned the plantations and moved their
| families to the towns and villa ges-leaving
| the plantations to some manager
Under such difficulties has the South strug-
| gled. and the pro gress is wonderful under the
| adverse circumstances 4 study of what was
| done in the South the 1rst ten years after
| the war viii reveal to the North such facts.
such history. az will cause a profound SYM
patty for the South and a wonder that her
| conditions at present are as good as they are.
| Conditions wrought by the plan of recon-
structon prevented whites from teaching
and training. Negroes would not listen
| The leagues did not permit open ears to our
talk. Had we been allowed q hearing those
days. the result might have been different
to-day the most acute form OF which makes
prisoners OF our white women No white
woman in tho negro belt can travel on the
public highways in safety. The farmers
wife sits In her home amid fear and trem bling.
Suspense, fear dread arc hers She is en-
titled 70 freedom at home and on the high
ways. The negro, product of reconstruction
and its leagues, foTbids that ri ght
Our hope x that tns North viii study that
period Of reconstruction and learn what was
done and how powerless to avert It's conse-
quences the Southern people were.
JAMES CALLAwAY.