Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-01-22

deputy. | never knew; but after
wards heard that Tom Shorts VA
seem in the, southern par, OF he s'at'
some hers and wears later | hears
that he had died there OF gsngrcn,
from an luaiensled bird hot woans
that he had received while stealing
| watermelS lis Fie tad escaped fvon
the patch without being caught, ans
| had heen afraid To see the doctar m
iii il was 100 late. for fear Of beinf
found uIt and prosecuted for theft
Jak Thompson is. believe. still liz
iig. aud was for some wears a pronii
nen; figure III political life ia Wash,
iaeton. | saw him there myself once
uaring my college DAYS and r~cos,
nized him ON the floor of the House
wher he VAS pointed cut TO me n
the HON iemnrr from the the dis
lrict OF The black belt 81 Alabasa,l
This MAS the one and only appear
ancd of tho Khan ill BelcoM. how
ever long The organization mat have
aOurished Ia other place and all ef,
forts TO tr%re il and bring 10 punish
lnent those engaged i'll the raia proved
utterly fnilc. though the authorities
Gid Their almost. urged on b. the
much injured lr S,nithess
whatever may be the vices u any
laWless ORGANIZATION, ;.nd however
vicious this same organization i-
came laiGi IN many nlaces where ii
often degenerated into mere eollee
tions OF ruffiians fer the wrcaking 81
private Vengeance liz this particular
ease its effect was distinctly and mar
yelously beneficial With he death 81
sam Small, the deportation 81 lake
Thompson and Tom Shorts. and the
fright given the lesser leaders OF th,
unrllly element OF the negroes. crime
and open theft ceased Is II by nagi,
And Mr. s.nithors Whe had himself
been baby scared and his associ
ates fell into disrepute, md lost iilelr
influence and prestiage With the ne
groes. in spite OF their official posi-
tions and the support ol the military.
It is true they continued with us until
after tue final rehabilitation OF the
State: but their glory was gone. as
were likewise their Offices and oecupa :
ton after the first election under thr
new Constitution. and after 20 they
faded from our horizon never 10 re
tlirn again
The events just related affected me
deeply, yol,ng as WAS. and gave a
set younger anti-union bias To my
awakening political faculties, bias
that was in no way weakened by tho
conversations listened 10 when
found myself iii the presence OF any
Of the older g..ae~a.ion To whom
looked with rcspee and confidence.
1t was not thai heard much bitter
ness from them from Gpenyal Camp
he'll arA tbs other old veterans Who
had fought nobls and gIoriously, aud
been nobly and gloriously defeated,
none whatever but in all their talk
there vas ettled distrnst Of ttir
@NgikgR, AIk0 q dCOItTlROhs-i LILY N tipl4
that the nafioilpl government Was act
ing IN 4 spirit OF personal enmity ind
revenge. with a fixed purpose Of for-
ever destroying tie white race Of The
South and giving ovci our fair laHfl
to the eternal rule Of ignorance cor
ruptlon and vice, from motives mixed
OF hatred az greed
Looking back on these events as 4
man who VIII WELD precedence 10
none from amy State whatever al Il
lover OF tho Union aud the old flag
] can re that politicians d the times
we're aeting only too CLOSELY On lilr
Lines cared by my old friends aud
that these latter had only 100 jusi
ground Ia t..gir fears and. however
great the wrong 0t secession. hc
wrong u Reconstruction as ilaukar
ated and attempted 10 be carried out
by the political leaders OF 1866 and
1866 Was greater sui. amt il worried
its owH defeat in the end just as the
c..siae mad done froa I'll 10 65 Fur
her /; can nov be safely said. that
10 grea.er politieai Dlunder eycn
Herc i viewed only from The point q
view Of practical politics was eyer
made thai the adoption Df The l4th
and 18TH amendments and the recon
struct.oa act at that time. and the civ
ing Of The franchise % 9he negro bc-
foro .4e was fitted ior II and il has
probably been sadly so recognized BY
many Of the leaders who we're re-
spoons bile for IT,
Whether these last reflections u
true or no1. it is an undoubted fact
tEaf the feeling OF the people OF the
South was much as described above
during the time OF my boynood, ant
the action Of the government ennis
saries and ,ther adventures wit
doGkeI to gather the spoils OF tho re-
conquered states, gave only too muel
cause for its birth; ard a boy coult
no more grow UP In the atmospher.
Of that time without absorbing polfti
cal convictions and opinions detri
mental TO the healing OF the enorm
Gus wound in the body OF the nation
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