The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-10-22

lion Of Tsxas >bscanse thsir location
threatened tho possibility 1t its ulti-
mate ascsrdency. e was tosthsm =
violation Of the terms Of the coustitu-
tional compact; but whsn California
came without N enabling oct, but
Nth = free consultation, the insuper-
Die difficulties OF the compact were
lost to view. The author shows that
while the North was parading it, virtue
and ssnctity IN the interest Of human
ity that Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut.
Oregon. and other States had stringent
statutory and constitutional discrimi-
nations against the negro both politi-
cally and socially. He also sets ont
the facts that the terminology used in
political uttterances Of the North, even
down to the election Of Mr.. Lincoln,
maintain the Southern doctrine ne to
the nature Of the Union, while the
Hartford Convention explicitly as
serted it.
Now we come to Part u-Legislative
History of Reconstruction. Here we
have the bald and unbridled assertion
Of that which had been cropping out
with increasing frequency for fifty
years. A congress representing Z
medley of power-worshiping humanity
and b~enevolence sought to perform the
miracle of excepting their Goshen
from the plaques they would inf1ict
upon the South. First, there was denial
of the fact that the Confederate States
had ever been out of the Union, but
this offered little opportunity for the
hate, vengeance, jealousy and ambi-
ton which were to be gratified by q
program of humiliation and ultimate
ruin. So the States were out; and to
make sure Of an undisturbed and unin-
terrupted course the President was
ignored, the Attorney General was
squelched, and the Supreme Court was
abolished so far a reconstruction was
concerned. The disclosures of this
study Of reconstruction are that neither
wholesome public policy nor principle
constituted any part Of the basis of
readjustment-not even q sense of
justice and equity, to say nothing of
magnanimity. to q people who had
shown themselves as great in the field
as they had been in the forum. "Ruin
to the South" was the word of Gar
field, and he was undoubtedly as good
as Thad Stevens, Sumner, Sherman,
Conkling and Blaine.
As we come to the end Of the book
we can but wish that q good Provi-
dence had spared the author to accom-
plish his larger purpose. And, yet, it
is accomplished in q Measure through
the very discussion of the chaos Of ac-
ton that resulted from the effort to
avoid the political doctrines Of Jeffer-
son, Calhoun and others Of the South.
And through the Minority Report on
the Bill holding for National Inquests.
--s4a~A Au-SenaNnr Gaorre
himself and is appended, there 10 a
citation Of cases decided by the SUI
Preme Court Of the United States
which shows eonclusively that force
suppressed for . time, but has not BET
tied adversely to Southern contention
the question of State sovereignty; and
even though the fourteenth and IF
teenth amendments have been inserted
in the Constitution. the Interpretation
of that instrument by the highest tribu-
nal is not materially changed.
a4
Copies of this work are already in
the Millsaps and A. & NJ. libraries of
the State. I wish that the book might
be included in every college course in
the South, and that it might have
place in the working libraries of our
public schools. 1t is worth something
for our children to know that their
fathers violated no compromise, held
but one side Of . great governmental
doctrine, came through the vicissitudes
of war and the infamies Of reconstruc-
ton with untarnished honor, have
lived to disprove the most sangdine
prophecies Of Edmunds and others as
to the permanence Of the injuries which
they inflicted upon the South, and to
defeat the undisguised purposes Of
Stevens, Sumner, Garfield, Conkling,
Blaine, Sherman and the rest Of the
sponsors Of the reconstruction legisla-
ton. l commend it to the parent who
would have his child fortified as to the
honor and integrity Of the South. I
commend it to any one who would have
an answer for every impeachment ut
tered against the South touching
slavery and the war. I commend it to
those who would measpre the virtue Of
those criticisms Of the South coming
from New England, where the Hart
ford Convention was held during the
War Of 1917, and through whose banks
the army Of the enemy wa being paid.
] wish for the book = phenomenal sale.
VIM. L. DUREN.
Columbus, Miss.