The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-05-24
RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SOUTH. !

Tered by margaret Gregg Gofuon Chaptei' - - VI
Perhaps one of the darkest periods
for our Southland, in the annals of
American History. was that period
known as reconstruction. After a
bitter struggle of four years between
the two sections of this grand old
Union, in which the South suffered
defeat, not for the lack of loyal pat
riotism on the part of the people Of
the Confederacy, nor for the lack OF
military genius on the part of our
leaders, but merely because Of the
overwhelming numbers Of the Fede-
raj forcesas against the ohtederates.
nothing was left the South but to Of
fer herself a sacrifice upon the altar
of patriotism; the Confederacy was
ended and its epitaph fully earned:
mo nation rose 80 white and fair,
none fell so pure of crime"
In this sad state of deprivation. the
South was confronting one of the
gravest problems that ever met hu-
man intelligence, the restoration to
its former place in the Union. This.
indeed, was the time in which it was
called upon to suffer the greatest
privations, and endure the most Sc
we're hardships.
To understand more fully what
this problem of reconstruction really
meant.;t is necessary to consider the
different views held by different in
dividuals and parties concerning it.
1t was an entirely new phase of poll
tical conditions with which Congress
was now dealing. 1t had already
been considered, to some extent, how.
ever, by President Lincoln. whose the.
ory was, that the act of rebellion on
the part of each State. was not the
act of the State, but of disloyal con-
splrators in the State. His theory
may, or may not, have been correct;
however, he considered the States
still members of the Union. and held
that they could be restored to normal
relations in it by the creation of loyal
State governments. The Southern
view was that the acts of secession
were invalid and that their repeal
was ali that was necessary for the
establishment of normal relations.
There was also the view Of Con-
gressional party to this effect: that,
by their rebellion, the States were de-
prived of all civil government;though
they continued to exist, they were dis
organized districts, subject tothe au-
thority of the United States govern
ment, to be expressed by Congress.
Still another view was brought for
ward by Charles Sumner, when he
expressed his theory as State sui
cide," that the attempt to secede
forfeited the right Of the State under
the Constitution and reduced it TO the
position of q territory. Others held
that rebellion put an end to the ex-
istence of the State and reduced it to
the status of a conquered province.
Under President Lincoln's plan
military governments were establish
ed in parts of the South;notwithstand-
ing this he offered reasonable condi-
tions upon which the States could be
reconstructed. After the assassination
of Lincoln, Congress passed recon-
struction acts dividing the South into
military districts. The result of these
measures placed all political power
into the hands of negroes and North
ern adventures who had come South
for the expressed purpose of pillaging
and plundering. About ten years
this condition of affairs continued;
the debts of the States were increas-
ed by millions of dollars. without the
slightestreturns, and the most corrupt
element of the nation was in control.
Half of the legislative body of our
States were composed of negroes and
Radicals. The leading white men of
the South were excluded from parti-
c;nation in the government. and were