The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-26
THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD
written by Mrs. Byrd Trego, May
1909, for Current Event Club

War, sums it all up as follows: The
work was done After four dreadful
wears of bloodshed, devastation, and
sorrow, the Civil War in the United
States had ended with the complete
triumph of the Union cause. 1t only
remained to extend the federal auth
GRITTY over the Southern States, and
to revive the functions of the Ma
tional government throughout the
union"
cit only remained" seems an easy
way for the historian to dispose of
the question of reconstruction, and
indeed the matter may have seemed
simple enough to those who had par
ticipated in the terrible struggle of
American against brother American,
of sons whose sires had fought side
by side in other wars in the interest
in our common fatherland
But they reckoned not with what
forces they had to deal. If such
thoughts had taken possession of
their minds The work of fulfilling
the "only remained is still unfin-
ished after the work of forty-four
years of reconstruction. What would
have been the result had the match
less Lincoln, whose reelection &C.
Cured the fall previous, been per-
mitted to live to extend the olive
branch, and healed the broken forces,
is not known.
1t seems most disastrous to the
cause, that the man on whom the
shattered fragments of a nation rest
ed for reconstruction, who in his
second inaugural address, gave one
of the most brief, patriotic and able
addresses on record, in any trying
ordeal, seeking in almost endearing
utterances, to calm the troubled ma
ton, and call back to the union the
sick and torn Southland Exhorting
OWh SouAII iASh, VIII IldAiSC
toward none, and with charity for
ALL to strive for the healing of the
nations wounds, and restore fellow
ship throughout the union. AS the
war at this time was not ended, his
words caused considerable marvel
ing. A few weeks later, however,
when his life was SO cowardly and
ruthlessly destroyed, the conster
nation of the people, on recalling his
words, was still greater; some declar-
ing he had been inspired bp God, to
leave this plea of suffrage for the
South, as a last farewell, and in a
sense softening the hour that took
from them the one who seemingly
could least be spared.
True, the great rebellion was shat
tered hopelessly, and both North and
South realized the end was very near.
but the restoration to peaceful and
law-abiding conclusions had never
been valued, or even weighed in the
balance. If a choice as to who should
gather up the reigns of control, had
been given at this time, no one would
have considered worthy perhaps.
A few weeks later when Lee had
surrendered to Grant, thus bringing
the already prominent leader general
more conspicuously before the people,
for he was the hero of the hour, the
choice would probably have fallen on
him for leadership. But vice presi-
dent was at hand And the conclu-
sion may be safely drawn, that the
possibility of ever being called upon
to fill the presidential chair had
scarcely been considered How many
of us really stopped to weigh the
matter of Sherman or Kearns occu-
plying the position for which Taft
and Bryan were contestants during
the cambaign last fall
Lincoln the people wanted,-a
NACC PISoiuSHI tHty muSJ HdV6-dUQ
Johnson was incidentally placed on
the ticket Now he was called upon
to preside over tired and shattered
nation, warning at heart with itself
A test was about to be given-two
men born and reared in poverty and
obscurity, neither having had educa-
tional advantages, both southerners
by birth, one from the woods of Ken
lucky, and the other town lad of
Raleigh, North Carolina. One a rail
splitter by early training, the other
apprenticed to tailor before he had
entered his teens. At the age OF
eighteen he removed with his mother
to Greenville, small but at that
time aristocratic town in East Ten
nessee.
I will mention here that his tailor
shop was still standing eight years
ago. little cabin that memory re-
calls to be perhaps fourteen by six
teen feet in size, and not over eight