the sequel of appomattox-第14章

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he　unimportant。　But　in　spite　of　the　threatening　speeches　of　Johnson；　he　used　his　power　of　pardon　until　none　except　the　most　prominent　leaders　were　excluded。　The　personnel　of　the　Johnson　governments　was　fair。　The　officials　were；　in　the　main；　former　Douglas　Democrats　and　Whigs；　respectable　and　conservative；　but　not　admired　or　loved　by　the　people。　The　conventions　and　the　legislatures　were　orderly　and　dignified　and　manifested　a　desire　to　accept　the　situation。

There　were　no　political　parties　at　first；　but　material　for　several　existed。　If　things　had　been　allowed　to　take　their　course；　there　would　have　arisen　a　normal　cleavage　between　former　Whigs　and　Democrats；　between　the　upcountry　and　the　low　country；　between　the　slaveholders　and　the　nonslaveholders。　The　average　white　man　in　these　governments　was　willing　to　be　fair　to　the　Negro　but　was　not　greatly　concerned　about　his　future。　In　the　view　of　most　white　people；　it　was　the　white　man　who　was　emancipated。　The　white　districts　had　no　desire　to　let　the　power　return　to　the　Black　Belt　by　giving　the　Negro　the　ballot；　for　the　vote　of　the　Negroes；　they　believed；　would　be　controlled　by　their　former　masters。

Johnson's　adoption　of　Lincoln's　plan　gave　notice　to　all　that　the　radicals　had　failed　to　control　him。　He　and　they　had　little　in　common；　they　wished　to　uproot　a　civilization；　while　he　wished　to　punish　individuals；　they　were　not　troubled　by　constitutional　scruples；　while　he　was　the　strictest　of　State　Rights　Democrats；　they　thought　principally　of　the　Negro　and　his　potentialities；　while　Johnson　was　thinking　of　the　emancipated　white　man。　It　is　possible　that　Lincoln　might　have　succeeded；　but　for　Johnson　the　task　proved　too　great。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　WARDS　OF　THE　NATION

The　Negroes　at　the　close　of　the　war　were　not　slaves　or　serfs；　nor　were　they　citizens。　What　was　to　be　done　with　them　and　for　them？　The　Southern　answer　to　this　question　may　be　found　in　the　so…　called　〃Black　Laws；〃　which　were　enacted　by　the　state　governments　set　up　by　President　Johnson。　The　views　of　the　dominant　North　may　be　discerned　in　part　in　the　organization　and　administration　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau。　The　two　sections　saw　the　same　problem　from　different　angles；　and　their　proposed　solutions　were　of　necessity　opposed　in　principle　and　in　practice。

The　South　desired　to　fit　the　emancipated　Negro　race　into　the　new　social　order　by　frankly　recognizing　his　inferiority　to　the　whites。　In　some　things　racial　separation　was　unavoidable。　New　legislation　consequently　must　be　enacted；　because　the　slave　codes　were　obsolete；　because　the　old　laws　made　for　the　small　free　Negro　class　did　not　meet　present　conditions；　and　because　the　emancipated　blacks　could　not　be　brought　conveniently　and　at　once　under　laws　originally　devised　for　a　white　population。　The　new　laws　must　meet　many　needs；　family　life；　morals；　and　conduct　must　be　regulated；　the　former　slave　must　be　given　a　status　in　court　in　order　that　he　might　be　protected　in　person　and　property；　the　old；　the　infirm；　and　the　orphans　must　be　cared　for；　the　white　race　must　be　protected　from　lawless　blacks　and　the　blacks　from　unscrupulous　and　violent　whites；　the　Negro　must　have　an　opportunity　for　education；　and　the　roving　blacks　must　be　forced　to　get　homes；　settle　down；　and　go　to　work。

Pending　such　legislation　the　affairs　of　the　Negro　remained　in　control　of　the　unpopular　Freedmen's　Bureaua　〃system　of　espionage；〃　as　Judge　Clayton　of　Alabama　called　it；　and；　according　to　Governor　Humphreys　of　Mississippi；　〃a　hideous　curse〃　under　which　white　men　were　persecuted　and　pillaged。　Judge　Memminger　of　South　Carolina；　in　a　letter　to　President　Johnson；　emphasized　the　fact　that　the　whites　of　England　and　the　United　States　gained　civil　and　political　rights　through　centuries　of　slow　advancement　and　that　they　were　far　ahead　of　the　people　of　European　states。　Consequently；　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　give　the　freedmen　a　status　equal　to　that　of　the　most　advanced　whites。　Rather；　let　the　United　States　profit　by　the　experience　of　the　British　in　their　emancipation　policies　and　arrange　a　system　of　apprenticeship　for　a　period　of　transition。　When　the　Negro　should　be　fit；　let　him　be　advanced　to　citizenship。

Most　Southern　leaders　agreed　that　the　removal　of　the　master's　protection　was　a　real　loss　to　the　Negro　which　must　be　made　good　to　some　extent　by　giving　the　Negro　a　status　in　court　and　by　accepting　Negro　testimony　in　all　cases　in　which　blacks　were　concerned。　The　North　Carolina　committee　on　laws　for　freedmen　agreed　with　objectors　that　〃there　are　comparatively　few　of　the　slaves　lately　freed　who　are　honest〃　and　truthful；　but　maintained　that　the　Negroes　were　capable　of　improvement。　The　chief　executives　of　Mississippi　and　Florida　declared　that　there　was　no　danger　to　the　whites　in　admitting　the　more　or　less　unreliable　Negro　testimony；　for　the　courts　and　juries　would　in　every　case　arrive　at　a　proper　valuation　of　it。　Governors　Marvin　of　Florida　and　Humphreys　of　Mississippi　advocated　practical　civil　equality；　while　in　North　Carolina　and　several　other　States　there　was　a　disposition　to　admit　Negro　testimony　only　in　cases　in　which　Negroes　were　concerned。　The　North　Carolina　committee　recommended　the　abolition　of　whipping　as　a　punishment　unfit　for　free　people；　and　most　States　accepted　this　principle。　Even　in　1865；　the　general　disposition　was　to　make　uniform　laws　for　both　races；　except　in　regard　to　violation　of　contracts；　immoral　conduct；　vagrancy；　marriage；　schools；　and　forms　of　punishment。　In　some　of　these　matters　the　whites　were　to　be　more　strictly　regulated；　in　others；　the　Negroes。

There　was　further　general　agreement　that　in　economic　relations　both　races　must　be　protected；　each　from　the　other；　but　it　is　plain　that　the　leaders　believed　that　the　Negro　had　less　at　stake　than　the　white。　The　Negro　was　disposed　to　be　indolent；　he　knew　little　of　the　obligations　of　contracts；　he　was　not　honest；　and　he　would　leave　his　job　at　will。　Consequently　Memminger　recommended　apprenticeship　for　all　Negroes；　Governor　Marvin　suggested　it　for　children　alone；　and　others　wished　it　provided　for　orphans　only。　Further；　the　laws　enacted　must　force　the　Negroes　to　settle　down；　to　work；　and　to　hold　to　contracts。　Memminger　showed　that；　without　legislation　to　enforce　contracts　and　to　secure　eviction　of　those　who　refused　to　work；　the　white　planter　in　the　South　was　wholly　at　the　mercy　of　the　Negro。　The　plantations　were　scattered；　the　laborers'　houses　were　already　occupied；　and　there　was　no　labor　market　to　which　a　planter　could　go　if　the　laborers　deserted　his　fields。

What　would　the　Negro　become　if　these　leaders　of　reconstruction　were　to　have　their　way？　Something　better　than　a　serf；　something　less　than　a　citizena　second　degree　citizen；　perhaps；　with　legal　rights　about　equal　to　those　of　white　women　and　children。　Governor　Marvin　hoped　to　make　of　the　race　a　good　agricultural　peasantry；　his　successor　was　anxious　that　the　blacks　should　be　preferred　to　European　immigrants；　others　agreed　with　Memminger　that　after　training　and　education　he　might　be　advanced　to　full　citizenship。

These　opinions　are　representative　of　those　held　by　the　men　who；　Memminger　excepted；　were　placed　in　charge　of　affairs　by　President　Johnson　and　who　were　not　especially　in　sympathy　with　the　Negroes　or　with　the　planters　but　rather　with　the　average　white。　All　believed　that　emancipation　was　a　mistake；　but　all　agreed　that　〃it　is　not　the　Negro's　fault〃　and　gave　no　evidence　of　a　disposition　to　perpetuate　slavery　under　another　name。

The　legislation　finally　framed　showed　in　its　discriminatory　features　the　combined　influence　of　the　old　laws　for　free　Negroes；　the　vagrancy　laws　of　North　and　South　for　whites；　the　customs　of　slavery　times；　the　British　West　Indies　legislation　for　ex…slaves；　and　the　regulations　of　the　United　States　War　and　Treasury　Departments　and　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureauall　modified　and　elaborated　by　the　Southern　whites。　In　only　two　states；　Mississippi　and　South　Carolina；　did　the　legislation　bulk　large　in　quantity；　in　other　states　discriminating　laws　were　few；　in　still　other　states　none　were　passed　except　those　defining　race　and　prohibiting　intermarriage。

In　all　of　the　state　laws　there　were　certain　common　characteristics；　among　which　were　the　following：　the　descendant　of　a　Negro　was　to　be　classed　as