The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-26

federate cause except the leaders.
Then a committee was appointed to
whom all matters pertaining to re-
organizing were referred. Then the
Civil Rights Bill accorded all freedom
Of the South full citizenship. This
was good measure perhaps, but the
president veoted it, and it had to go
back and pass congress by a two
third majority, which caused an open
break between the two forces. john
son made atour of the states deciar-
ing publicly in each city against con-
gress, and in number of ways,
widening the breach and angering his
enemies until reconciliation was
hopeless.
Congress condemned the policies
of the president; the attitude of all
changed in many ways. johnson was
now openly accused Of espousing the
cause of the ConfederacJ, against
| which he was so bitter at first. Con
gress in it's present anger, forgot the
policy of Lincoln and took position
of relentless hostility towards the
South The committee of fifteen
brought in report, suggesting plans
/ for reorganization which was adopt
ed President johnson opposed ev-
erything singly and collectively, and
congress passed them over his veto.
Should military or civil plans be
adopted? The president said Civil"
BY this method the South could
send its same men back to the legis-
lative halls, and perhaps overthrow
to suit their will. Congress said this
should not be done, and it was not
Congress took in partnership the
black Republicans of the South.
which was grave error, and still
more anngered the president, who
knew the black race thoroughly WELL
and their unfitness at this time from
barbarians and years of slavery, to
have control of their own persons,
much less be placed in authority.
The attorney general then said that
nearly all the recent acts were null
and void and the president i'm
mediately issued an order to military
commanders multiplying the whole
proceeding. Then congress did some
thing that declared the meaning of
some other law that allowed the
work to proceed at the suggestions
of that body. But the work was re-
tarded, and the South was suffering.
You will here take into considera-
ton the fact the South had nothing
in it's favor but mild climate for
quick growth of vegetation. If a
crop could be gotten in the ground,
it would rapidly grow and ripen, but
with no stock, no implements, no
| laboring class, for the negro had con-
| ceived foolish notions of equality
and no money to employ, with gen
try whose accomplishments had ever
been those of intellectual culture,
and not manual labor, how was the
crop to get in the ground? Johnson
was impeached, at which the South
perhaps rejoiced.
Do not conditions spend them
selvese Wear out the force of their
own anger? And in a sense re-adjust
of their own accord? That seems to
have been the case in this instance.
Grant was made president, and mat
ters mended. 1t is generally taken
for granted that the work of recon-
struction ended in 1870, and so it
was in the legal and political sense,
for at this time Southern men were
re-admitted to their seats in con-
gress.
During the next thirty years a gen.
Grafton came up in the South, into
whose minds the bitterness of the
conflict had to a great extent been
transmitted, and on the part of the
black race, the wrongs and the fierce
desires, and the smothered con-
ciences resulting from the immoral
and inhuman practices on the part
of the worst element of the white
race, are now embodied In the dispo-
sitions of the present generation,
causing the ever-recurrinng crimes
that lynchings are intended to stamp
out, but which were planted in the
race, and the white race must stand
it's share of the consequences. So
much for the moral reconstruction of
the South.
The Spanish-Amerlcan War was
one of the greatest forces in uniting
the people of the North and the
South. 1t furnished the occasion for
the sons of Confederate soldiers to
put on the Blue and fight for the
flag of the union, which they gladly