davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1907-08-04

Tho story Of Recenstructiop.

The latest addition to- the History ~ the
American Nation. which IL edited by Prof.
Albert Bushnell Hart and is In course OF
publication by the Harpers, IL volume
entitled Recon nafruction, Political and Eco-
pomb., by Prof. W. A. DUNNING of Columbia
University The period covered by the
hook before us begins with the collapHe OF
the Confederacy in the spring OF 1885 and
ends with the outcome OF the Electoral
Commission of 1877. What il novel and
striking in the authors treatment OF the
subject IL the stress laid by him upon the
fact that although the South bulks largest
in the eventfIl history Of the period, the
North also had its reconstruction and in
the process suffered scarcely less severely
than the South from unfit officials, the
pllndering or public ttessuries and the
degradation Of civic standards. Prof. Dun-
ming does not fail, indeed, to elucidate by
thorough analysis and careful reflection the
struggle by means of which the Southern
whites. srbjugnted by adversaries or their
own race, ti,warted the scheme Of reorgan-
iaatinn which threatened permanent sub
jec; ion To another race. At the same time
the North claims large part Of his atten-
,i5n lie j., on the whole, disposed to think
that the social. economic and political ac-
iicit;es which wrought positively for prog
ress ara 70 he found in the record not Of
tho vanquished but of the victorious sec
tion. He comedies, Of course, that in this
record there is less that is spectacular, less
that is pathetic and more that seems mex
cusablv sordid than in the record Of the
South, but he submits that moral and dra-
matte values must not have greater weight
in the writing than they have had in the
making Of history. While therefore, his
narrative may seem to slight the picturesque
details of kuklux operations and carpet
bag legislation and fraud. il undertakes to
present in something like their true rela-
tions the facts and forces which, manifested
chiefly in the politics Of the North and West,
transformed the nation. considered as a
whole from what it was in 1895 To what il
was IT, 1877
The sun., 1907-08-04
war and Private Property.

Timely and useful just now. when the
subject is engaging the earnest attention
Of the peace conference at The Hague. Is
the publication Of an English treatise on
The LaU OF Prirdte Property in War. by
NORMAN BENTwIcH Boston Book Coz
This book presents a revision and an en-
largement OF an essay which won the Yorke
Prize at the University OF Cambridge
England. in 1905. The aim OF IL is to formu-
late from a study OF the chief authorities
and leading cases the general principles
which underiie modern usages. to indicate
where particular practices violate these
principles and to suggest the lines upon
which reform may proceed. or the ten
chapters comprised in the volume those
Of particular interest under the existing
circumstances are the eighth. which deals
with the property Of neutrals at sea, the
third, which is concerned with the private
property of belligerents on land, and the
seventh. which has to do with the private
property Of belligerents at sea
The sun., 1907-08-04
VI.

The aim OF the radical policy Of the
majority Of the Federal Senate and House
Of Representatives. the policy OF which
Thaddeus Stevens OF Pennsylvania was the
chief expounder and promoter. was not
only to enfranchise the colored freedmen
in the OK Confederate States but to make
them, con joined with anti-slavery white
emigrants from the Northern States
the so-called carpetbaggers political mas
ters OF the South. We need not dwell upon
the process. involving as 1t did a nearly
successful attempt to impeach President
johnson, by which the aim was carried out.
Neither need we recte in detail the shock
ing outcome Of the carpetbag regime
The author Of this book testifies in his thir-
teenth chapter that by 1872 the evils aris-
ing from the ineffciency. extravagance
and corruption Of the radical State Govern
ments in the Southern States had become
intolerable. That the practical working
Of those organizations was in all the States
bad, and In some Of them mere travesty
OF civilized government, was made clear
by the investigation OF joint committee
Of Congress-.
The most conspicuous and indisputable
proof Of maladministration was furnished
by the management Of the State finances.
For the ambitious Northern whites. the
inexperienced Southern whites and the
unintelligent blacks who were placed in
control OF the first State Governments re-
constructed under the radical regime the
principal end OF their induction into power
was to put their States promptly abreast
Of those which led in prosperity and progress
at the North. Things must be done. they
said. on a larger scale than under the de-
based system Of slavery. Accordingly
both by the new State Constitutions and by
legislation the expenses Of the State Govern
ments were largely increased; Offices were
multiplied In all departments; salaries
were made more worthy Of commonwcalths
assumed TO be regenerated and progressive;
costly enterprises were undertaken for the
promotion Of the general welfare. especially
whore that welfare seemed to bo connected
primarily with the uplifting Of the freedmen.
The result Of this programme was promptly
seen In an expansion Of State debts and an
increase OF taxation that to the property
owning class were appalling and rtIinous.
A fact, moreover, which was OF the ffyt
Importance In Tie s::s:.:sssc: -es thss H.
The sun., 1907-08-04
nj.

In his seventh chapter the author OF
this essay deals with the agitation for
giving immunity to the private property
Of bellgerents at sea. not being contraband
Of war. and he sets forth reasons for
thinking that the demand cannot be fairly
made on legal or moral grounds. or on
any arguments drawn from the condi-
tions Of Land war. He expresses also the
conviction that 80 long a. England keeps
her maritime preponderance. and experts
Ike Capt. Mshan are convinced that -the
blows STRUCK .sts en- snemys commsrcs
The sun., 1907-08-04
n

II h true that in those regions of the
South where any cotton had escaped the
-avagcs Of war the high price Of this COM
modify offered promise Of financial saliva
ion to the lucky owners. Marketing the
sotton. however, was difficult, and often
impossible. in the disorganized condition Of
he country: and moreover the title to
much Of Il wss. under the still vigorously
The sun., 1907-08-04
II.

The rule concerning private property OH
land which was adopted by the Hague
conference OF 1899 provided that an invader,
having driven out Professionally the national
Government OF an invaded country, shall
take all steps in his power to reestablish
and insure, as far as possible, public order
and safety, while respecting, unless abso-
lutely prevented, the laws Of the country.
This stipulation, which prohibits an
invader from interfering with private law
as to property or contracts, is supported
by another rule also adopted at The Hague
in 1859, which says that the private property
OF individuals must be respected and cannot
be confiscated." A third rule directs the
assessment and incidence of taxes and
customs to be carried on by the occupant
according to existing practice. The Hague
laws, however, having thus provided for
the general security Of the private property
on land Of beliRerents no less than OF
neutrals, 60 on to legitimatize the impo-
sition OF acquisitions and contributions
by the occupant without requiring inn
mediate payment for them. Supplies in
kind must, indeed, be paid for on the spot.
80 far as possible; II they are not paid for
the fact thPt they have been taken must be
established by receipts given TO the owner
OF the commodity requisitioned. In fine,
the laws Of war on land established at The
Hague in 1890 deny the right OF belligerents
TO seize private property as profit Of war.
and permit It only as part OF military opera
ton or military necessity. At the same
time their recognition OF reuuisitions
clearly modifies the invioIability Of property
which numerous foreign publicists assert
TO have been established on land, and which
they contrast with the survival of mari
time capture OF the private property Of bel
hRerents.
The sun., 1907-08-04

six States Of the Confederacy. The pro-
visional Governors. as soon a. they were
installed in power. proceeded Hrst TO revive
the local administrative authorities which
had been dormant since the suppression
OF the old State Governments. County
and municipal officials who had ceased
20 act when the United States troops took
possession of a State were ordered to
resume their functions. taking the amnesty
oath az a part Of their qualifications. NEXT
the provisional Governors took the neoes-
sary steps for the election and assembling
Of constitutional conventions, the hrst OF
which bodies to complete its work was
that Of Mississippi. which adjourned Au-
gust "a. 1885. whereas that Of Texas did
not finish its labors until April Q. 1883.
What was the function OF these conven-
tions7 Our author replies that In the first
place 1t was TO signify by formal public
acts the acceptance by their respective
States Of the results OF the war. Through
the provisional Governors the conventions
first ascertained what President johnson
would regard a. an adequate expression
Of such acceptance. Following the sug-
gestions thus procured. these bodies began
by declaring the invalidity Of the ordinances
Of secession South Carolina and Georgia by
repeating, Florida by anpulling, and the
rest by proclaiming null and void the OBJ
noxious acts. Next. slavery was declared
abolished forever. Finally, the State debts
contracted In aid OF the war against the
United States Government were repudiated.
except in South Carolina. These essential
duties having been performed. the con-
ventions made such notifications in the
old State constitutions as the new situa-
ton required. and then adjourned, leaving
to the Legislatures. for which provision
had been duly made. the task OF further
promoting social reorganization. During
October and November. 1895. elections
were held in most OF the former Confederate
States. and Governors and Legislatures
we're chosen under the new constitutions.
The Legislatures when they met were con-
fronted with the suggestion. scarcely less
imperative than a command, that they
rstify the Thirteenth Amendment OF the
Federal Constitution. This requirement also
was satisfied by all except Mississippi.
BY the end Of the year 1895 the provisional
Governors had been relieved Of their offices
in all the States but Texas, and the civil
governments that had been authorized
under their direction were in the full exer-
else Of their functions. When the process
Of reorganization had at last been COM
pleted in the State OF Texas also. President
Johnson on August 20. 1894. proclaimed
the complete restoration Of peace. order.
tranquility and civil authority throughout
the United States.
The sun., 1907-08-04

Now there ID no doubt that the men whom
Presidsnt Johnson hsd spposHtsd p.cyts-
The sun., 1907-08-04

The present status Of the property Of
neutrals at sea is generally assumed TO
have been settled by the declaration signe1
at Paris by representatives Of the great
European Powers in 1853. because, although
the United States did not concur in the
declaration on the ground that il did not
go far enough, the Washington Govern
ment conformed TO its rules during the
Spanish American war Of 1898. One Of the
merits of the book before us is the clear
ness with which the author demonstrates
that even the three principal articles Of the
Paris Declaration need redehnition AZ the
hands Of the Hague conference. He shows
that even the first article Of the declara-
ton, the apparently absolute abolition Of
privateering. has been to some extent
nullified through the formation of so-called
volunteer nayies" by nations at war.
Prussia invented this device in 1870. and
it was followed and improved upon by
Russia in the recent war with Japan, when
the Smolensk and the st. Petersburg, hav-
ing sailed through the Dardanelles as
merchantmen, transformed themselves sud-
denly into cruisers and started to prey
upon neutral Shipping accused or suspected
Of conveying contraband commodities.
To-day almost all the chief maritime powers
have arranged to turn part OF their mer-
camille marine into commerce destroyers
at the outbreak Of war. The second article,
also, of the Paris declaration, that which
makes a neutral flag cover even enemy
goods when these are not contraband,
is partially defeated by the extension Of the
definition of contraband and tho enforce
ment against neutral vessels o the con-
tinuous voyage principle. Tho third ar
ticle, which exempts neutral goods from
capture on enemy vessels, is in turn threat
ened by the growing habit of sinking enemy
prizes. 1t was hoped that the present
Hague conference would examine carefully
the encroachments upon the principles
propounded in the three articles named
and would endeavor to stop them by the
formulation Of code which should be bind
ing upon civilized nations. Even were such
a code agreed upon, however, the position
Of neutrals would still be inadequately
secured, for in the stress Of war laws are
distorted and evaded. and indeed openly
violated. unless machinery for coercion is
provided.
The sun., 1907-08-04

class which had 10 pay the taxes was sharply
divided politically from that which levied
them, and was by the whole radical theory
Of reconstruction TO be excluded indefinitely
from Q determining voice in State govern
ment.
The author comedies that the responsible
higher State officials were in many cases en-
tirely honest. though pathetically stupid. in
their schemes TO promote the interests OF
their respective Commonwealths. He recog
nises at the same time that the State Gov
ernments numbered in their personnel a
host Of officials TO whom place meant merely
an opportunity for plunder. He does not
lose sight Of the fact that the progressive
depletion OF the State treasures was so-
compsnied by great private prosperity
among Radical politicians Of high and low
degree. He recalls that the first to profit
by their opportunities werc generally
Northerners conspicu0us in Radical politics.
but he adds that -scalawaR" Southerners
and the negroes in general were quick TO
follow their example. Bribery. indeed.
became the indispensable adjunct Of legis-
lation. and fraud q common feature in the
execution of the law. Nevertheless, the
form and manner of the corruption which
has given 30 unsavory a oonnotation to the
name 1reoonstruction' were not essentially
different from those which have appeared
in many another period and place. At the
time when the administration Of Scott in
South Carolina and OF Yarmouth in Louis
lana were establishing the Southern high
water mark Of rascality in public finance
the Tweed ring In New York oty was also
at the elimination OF its closely parallel
career.
Prof. Dunning distinguishes the really
new and peculiar element in the malad-
ministration OF the Southern States in
the social and race issue which underlay il.
and which instantly came to the surface
when any attempt at reform was made.
With the dwindling. indeed. Of the white
element In the radical party at the South
1t became increasingly apparent to re-
fecting men at the North that the demor-
alization in the Confederate States
was less political than social in it's essence;
that the sntithesis and antipathy Of race
and color were crucial and ineradicable
Intelligence and political capacity were.
indeed confined almost exclusively to
the one race; but this fact was not the key
to the situation. for the relations Of the
higher class Of whites with the blacks
were notoriOusly far more cordial than
we're those Of the lower class. Prof.
Dunning notes that map of the Kuklux
operations. which gave occasion for the
enforcement acts, did not. as a matter Of
fact. touch the region Of the great plan
tations and the black belt. where the
Southern sristocracy had their homes.
but included only the Piedmont territory.
where the poor whites lived. The negroes
were disliked and feared almost in exact
proportion to their manifestation Of rel
stive intelligence and relative capacity.
What animated the poor whites was pride
in their race as such. and a dread. partly
instructive. partly rational. lest their in
stitutions traditions and ideals were to be
appropriated or submerged.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
kitChin anil the MafI Subsidy

Hon. w. w. Kitchin stated 10 The
Observer yesterday that he had voted
against the fast mail appropriation
whenever it had been before the House
xGepting on one occasion when it pass
ed while he was in the state on account
of q. family affiiction; and that Repre-
senta tive Page as well as he spoke
against it in April, 1906 The inquiry
in yesterday mornings paper as to Mr.
Kitehn's attitude toward the appropri-
alton anterior to the last session Of
COngMss, implied a doubt, which ac-
tually existed. The statement that
while representative Page and Webb
voted against it neither spoke agaisnt
it, was 2oue to lapse Of memory, tho
we published the fact at that time
Charlotte observer
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
TURNED INTO a|OT R|0T|NG PREVAILS
British Steamer Boarded and DAM
aged and Engineer Seriously In
ed-Severai Fights Occur Between
Workmen and Strikers i'm Which
Pistols Were Used.

Antwerp, Sept 2--The lock out or
the dock lahorers today caused the por-
rers and others TO strike in sympathy
and resort TO violence. The rioters
broke into the grain store houses,
broke Rp the tools carried OF the
wagons and showered stones on the
English strike breakers on the steamers
threw a steam crane overheard and
wrecked a lot OF machinery. The
rioters boarded an English steamer
AgeEoria, destroyed her freighting i'm
plements and seriously injuring one
of her engineers.
Dhey also took possession of the Brit
ish steamer Sydney.
The violence OF the dock laborers
and their sympathizers so terrified the
men at work on a number of vessels
that they fed to the Shore
The distur bance continued through
out the evening. There were several
sharp tusseles between strikers and
workmen who We're returning to then
lodgings under police escort in which
revolvers were used freely. No one was
hit
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
Fine Crons in the Comfy

The crops in the county are fine,'
declared Mr.. Z. H. Robinson yesterday
morning shortly after he sold his first
bale Of cotton to Mr. W. A. Watson.
Il have seldom seen a finer corn crop
than the one this year. The yield
4 promises 10 be one of the largest in
years. The crop of pea vines is good,
L fact far better than the average. Cot
ton, while little late, is in good con-
dffson and with fair September weather
VIII pan out splendidly. l am looking
for good crops OF all kinds in the coun-
" this year.'-Charlstte Observer.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
CHOIRS NEED PRAYING FOR
Sensible PRAYER of an Old Fashioned
Methodist Bishop

ChOirs need praying for sometimes.
More than once a church has been set
by the ears because of quarrel In
the choir. Last month in a North
Carolina church Of prominence dlt-
ferences growing out Of choir contro-
versies caused a serious split. AS a
rule, members Of our church choirs
who are not paid, render loving and
faithful service and the whole congre-
cation owes them 3 debt of gratitude
But if the demon Of envy and jealousy
gets in the choir, may the Lord nave
mercy on that church. The Cleveland
Star tells of an old-fashiOned Metro
dist bishop in ST Louis who recently
made this prayer
"And Lord, bless the choir, bless
every member, and bless what they
sung today Bless the words OF the
song, for thou Lord, knowest what
they sung, though We did not under
stand a single word
If we just could understand the
words of the songs they render, all
the rest would be forgiven to the choir.
News and Observer.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
Trouble Caused by S.rsst Car Break
ing Through Line OF Paraders-Men
Who Did Shooting Arested-Took
Twenty Officers 70 Make Single Ar
rest, SAYS Policeman.

San Francisco. Sept 2-The labor
union parade today resulted in the
shooting of two men by employees of
the United railroads.
The car men were attacked by the
paraders and in self defense opened
fire. The trouble started at Ferry,
where ii Is stated that Shutter sLreet
car broke through the line OF parade
"A mob ef labor union men followed
the car and at the junction OF Shutter
street the members there attacked the
car.
The <notorman seeing that his lie
was In danger opened fire and pOunded
one Of his assailants in the leg. A
block further up an inspector was at
tackled by the mob. He drew a pistol
and wounded labor union man. The
labor union men who were in parade
evidently thought that they had the
right of way over the streets of San
Francisco, for when the car of the
United railroads attempted the break
through the procession there was trou-
BILE
What had been an orderly parade,
turned into riot. When The police
iumbed in to guell the riot, a num-
Der of them as soon as they made az
1e sts were set upon by the labor unic i
pfraders and mobbed- One policeman
S; aid after ward:
1T took twenty officers to make a
ingle arrest
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
LEGISLATURE Limits Governors in Max
ing Stan appointments.

Georgia Colonels will be as scarce
as hen teeth after the military bill re-
Gently passed by the legislature goes
into effect on October /. Under its
provisions the present and future gov
ernors of the state will find it impos-
sible to crafty the ambitions Of many
would-be ColoneA.
The abuse in the past of this ap-
pointive power in respect to Colonels
is believed to accoun, for the rigid
requirement fixed by the legislature.
Where former governors had innumer-
able Colonels on their military staffs
future COMMUNICATIVE chief of the
state militia will be limited to thirty,
and the presequities to appointment
are such that few Will fill the full
quota if they cOnfne their appointment
10 friends.-Atlanta Journal
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
Woman as a Harvest Hand

For the first time in the history of
a labor bureau in St Joseph, Mo-, a
woman. Mrs Bradley Floyd, of High
land, Kan, applied for labor as a
harvest hand. She contracted for a
job at shocking wheat at $3.50 a day,
and, accompanied by her husband and
others, started for the harvest fields
of western Kansas
I'VE are paying for a little farm, -
she said, "and by both Of US earning
good wages and getting our board free
this summer, we can save quite little
of the mortgage on the place Kan
sas City Journal.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
Knocked Outan 32nds Round

San Francisco, Sept. 2.-Labor day
gave TO the wOrld a new welter weight
champion. In the thirty-second round
of a scheduled IS round contest at
COffroth's arena at sColma this after
noon young KetcheH of Butte Mont
knocked out Champion Joe Thomas,
of San Francisco in presence of s.
1000 persons
Not until the champion had gone to
lehe floor four times In quick success
49,, Ils seconds throw up the
sponge.
Thomas had to be carried to his cor
ner and it was several minutes before
he recovered.
The best man won" was Thomas
direct frank acknowledgement when
the breath that had been pounded out
of him come back.
The suddenness which the end came
in the fhirty-second round took many
by surprise. They clinched and broke
away, and ketchell drove Thomas to
the floor with a left in the stomach,
fol jwed by terrific right cross the
jaw.
Thomas took all the count the rules
allow and when he got up it was plain
the end was at hand. Theree times he
went down under a rain OF right and
left swings, the force of which put him
out so effectively that his seconds mer-
cifulIy tossed up the sponge. Both
men were severely punished.