The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-06

supposed to have had great amount of fairness and justice in his character. His vengeance was mainly directed against 1he rich class in the south. At his fnau- guration, March 4, 1865, he is said to have declared himself to be a plebian.
 President Johnson held that the seceed- ing of the southern states was treason and rebellion. There could be no such thing. By his proclamations and other wise he proposed to set up and reorgan- ize state governments in the south, ap- pointing provisional governors, through them state and county officers, making military in those states subordinate to the civil authorities. He made much headway in establishing law and order, even with his bitterness against the southerners.
 Congress at this time was dominated by friends and supporters of MT. Lincoln. Then President Johnson, with the politi- cal and personal friends of Lincoln, fought for the alleged purpose of restor- ing the union of the states, rose up and swore in their wrath that the seeded states should be reconstructed and brought back into the union by Congress and not by the President Congress be- gan to reorganize and reconstruct the southern states under what is known as the reconstruction act of Congress, passed over the veto of MT. Johnson In his veto message he pointed out much of the injury which the southern states would have to suffer.
 MILITARY GOVERNMENT
 The reconstruction acts speak for them selves. Modern civilization has nothing like it. Civil government set up by MT Johnson subordinate to the military and unprincipled military despots, was caused by these acts. The edict of the lowest ranking federal officer to the highest for the time was the law. These officers and "satraps" and tyrants who hated the south greates were the ones sought and put in authority.
 Thousands of the best, bravest and truest men were disfranchised and not allowed to vote, or in any way partici- pate in state governing, while the car petbagger, scalawag and male negro slaves fresh from the plantations, ig- norant and unqualified, were allowed to vote and hold office. Federal soldiers garrisoned southern towns. A southern white man was severely punished if even , charged with mistreating a carpetbagger, scallawag or negro. It was not case 1 of evidence to sustain charges, but inn mediate action on the part of the op- pressors.
 <, Along with the reconstruction acts came 1 the Friedmans bureau, an organization for the protection of slaves, who had
 
 able those connected with it to steal what what property was not already destroyed 1 by war or otherwise left in the south 1 It was to take from the producer and !; give to the non-producer or anybody to which the crops did not rightfully be- /, long.
 l Men of questionable character would frequently make known their real or i'm aginary grievances to this bureau and l detachment of federal soldiers would be sent to remedy the alleged wrongs, head ed almost always by bad and wicked men | with unlimited authority. The victim l was powerless. He could say nothing were crowded with men who had violated lCcnfederate soldiers, living to the letter | the spirit of their paroles and law-abidins l citizens. PASSED CIVIL RIGHTS BILL l This same Congress passed what wa: known as the civil rights bill, which to- l day is a blot on the statutes. The pur. 1 pose of that so-called enactment was ar l effort to put the southern people on the 1 same social equality with their freed | slaves. Severe punishment was dealt tt l those who refused to obey this unnatura act. Thousands of the souths best people were caught up under the provisions o l this act. Finally this act became obnox l iouS, even to those who had enacted it, and their own courts declared it ts be fn violation of the federal constitu tion.
 l Then came the Union league, a secre
 political organization formed throughou