Year: 1871

H.


Major Martin r. Dclahy has
written a lengthy letter to Frederick
Douglass, reviewing the political
condition of South Carolina, which
he thinks will apply Justly to near
" if not the whole Of the recon-
States. This letter has
been published in the Charleston
Republican and The Ne,c National
Era, and Mr.. Douglass has replied
to the Major. The Era Of Sept. Z
now comes to us with another able
refutation of some. of the most
serious charges made by Mr.. Della
ny against the Federal Admins
tration of caste discrimination in
certain appointments. We propose
as briefly as is consistent with per-
spicuity to lay before the readers OF
THE LoU1sIANIAN q resume OF the
Majors review, and of the replies to
him, and interperse the whole with
q few remarks of our own.


The review starts out with:


When the war ended the colored people
of the South had little knowledge of
social and political affairs, and had of
necessity to accept such leaders as pre-
sented themselves.


Going a step fnrther it says


When reconstruction commenced,
political leaders were greatly required,
but few to be had. Southerners (the old
masters) studiously opposed and refused
to countenance reconstruction, and the
freedmen We're fearful and would not have
trusted them if they could have obtained
their aid.


Those who came with or followed the
army, with very few native whites, were
the only ouailable political element to be had
TO carry out the measures Of reconstruction:


n
of the lowest grade of Northern society,
negro-haters at home, who could not have
been elected to any position of honor or
trust. Just such men rs burnt down ne
gro orphan asylums, aud hung negro men
to lamp-posts IN the New York riot of
1863. ....


The best and most competent men loere
chosen TO fill The most important positions in
State an local governments, while the
otlers readily obtained such places as re-
quired incumbents. Indeed, there Were
scarcely one so incompetent as not to
have been assigned some position OF
trust.


The review complains that as soon as
they were sin they sought to iltrude
themselves into the confidence of the blacks
and place themselves at their head as
leaders. So insidiously did they do this
that it was not discovered by the few
colored men OF intelligence who held
places among them till too late to remedy
the fatal evil.


That these ''demagogues laid the
foundation of their career upon the
basis of deception, lying, cheating,
stealing, whatever can be done is
fair" That jealous of the few in
telligent colored men among them
they studiously sought to divide
the blacks by sowing the seed Of
discord among them.


Trained in the leagues as serfs to their
masters, it became dangerous to oppose
these men of mischief. Because, having
been recommended to their confidence at
the commencement of reconstruction,
their experience and knowledge in public
men and matters were too limited to be-
ieve anything against them.


And so on he laments the con-
dition and denounces the "Carpet-
baggers." Is the Major prepared to
extent this to admit then that negro
suffrage is a failure? Does he not
believe in organization =? He is
driven, however, to admit that,


One most fruitful cause of mischief in
the party arose from the age and want of
experience in the party of the good
white men who assumed to lead in poll
tics-as well as ignorance in the most of
them-and the same may be said of their
colored colleagues. For the most part
young men, where they possessed the
cultivated qualification, they were def
cient in experience and knowledge IN
politics.


Passing from this to the effect
upon the formerly Simple mind
ed people Of his race the review
says $3.50.


The effect upon the people is wonder
full. From polite, pleasant, agreeable.
kindly common people, ever ready and
obliging, there is now to be met with an
ill mannerly, sullen, disagreable, unkind,
disobliging populace, seemingly filled
with hatred and ready for resentment.
These changes In the character of the
people must have been noticed by every
intelligent observer, in contradistinction
TO their former excellent reputation.
Formely they were proverbial for their
politeness, latterly they are NOTICED for
their absence of it. These people are
despoiled of their natural characteristics,
and shamefully demoralized by renegade
intruders.


Increasing in exacerbation he
rushes on what he calls the social
relations of the colored people and
strange this is not attributed to
the "carpet-bagger." He says of the
colored people of South Carolina


Still adhering to an absurdity, relic of
tla daorrad dod t,acf fhax olincr 70 tho ~