the sequel of appomattox-第23章

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tion。　In　this　connection　the　New　York　〃Herald〃　remarked：

〃We　may　regard　the　entire　ten　unreconstructed　Southern　States；　with　possibly　one　or　two　exceptions；　as　forced　by　a　secret　and　overwhelming　revolutionary　influence　to　a　common　and　inevitable　fate。　They　are　all　bound　to　be　governed　by　blacks　spurred　on　by　worse　than　blacks　…　white　wretches　who　dare　not　show　their　faces　in　respectable　society　anywhere。　This　is　the　most　abominable　phase　barbarism　has　assumed　since　the　dawn　of　civilization。　It　was　all　right　and　proper　to　put　down　the　rebellion。　It　was　all　right　perhaps　to　emancipate　the　slaves　。　。　。　。　But　it　is　not　right　to　make　slaves　of　white　men　even　though　they　may　have　been　former　masters　of　blacks。　This　is　but　a　change　in　a　system　of　bondage　that　is　rendered　the　more　odious　and　intolerable　because　it　has　been　inaugurated　in　an　enlightened　instead　of　a　dark　and　uncivilized　age。〃

The　political　parties　rapidly　grouped　themselves　for　the　coming　struggle。　The　radical　Republican　party　indeed　was　in　process　of　organization　in　the　South　even　before　the　passage　of　the　reconstruction　acts。　Its　membership　was　made　up　of　Negroes；　carpetbaggers；　or　Northern　men　who　had　come　in　as　speculators；　officers　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　and　of　the　army；　scalawags　or　Confederate　renegades；　〃Peace　Society〃　men；*　and　Unionists　of　Civil　War　times；　with　a　few　old　Whigs　who　could　not　yet　bring　themselves　to　affiliate　with　the　Democrats。　At　first　it　seemed　that　a　respectable　number　of　whites　might　be　secured　for　the　radical　party；　but　the　rapid　organization　of　the　Negroes　checked　the　accession　of　whites。　In　the　winter　and　spring　of　1866…67；　the　Negroes　near　the　towns　were　well　organized　by　the　Union　League　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　and　then；　after　the　passage　of　the　reconstruction　acts；　the　organizing　activities　of　the　radical　chieftains　shifted　to　the　rural　districts。　The　Union　League　was　greatly　extended；　Union　League　conventions　were　held　to　which　local　whites　were　not　admitted；　and　the　formation　of　a　black　man's　party　was　well　on　the　way　before　the　registration　of　the　voters　was　completed。　Visiting　statesmen　from　the　North；　among　them　Henry　Wilson　of　Massachusetts　and　〃Pig　Iron〃　Kelley　of　Pennsylvania；　toured　the　South　in　support　of　the　radical　program；　and　the　registrars　and　all　Federal　officials　aided　in　the　work。

*　See　〃The　Day　of　the　Confederacy〃；　by　Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）；　p。　121；　footnote。


The　whites；　slow　to　comprehend　the　real　extent　of　radicalism；　were　finally　aroused　to　the　necessity　of　organizing；　if　they　were　to　influence　the　Negro　and　have　a　voice　in　the　conventions。　The　old　party　divisions　were　still　evident。　With　difficulty　a　portion　of　the　Whigs　was　brought　with　the　Democrats　into　one　conservative　party　during　the　summer　and　fall　of　1867；　though　many　still　held　aloof。　The　lack　of　the　old　skilled　leadership　was　severely　felt。　In　places　where　the　white　man's　party　was　given　a　name；　it　was　called　〃Democratic　and　Conservative；〃　to　spare　the　feelings　of　former　Whigs　who　were　loath　to　bear　the　party　name　of　their　quondam　opponents。

The　first　step　in　the　military　reconstruction　was　the　registration　of　voters。　In　each　State　a　central　board　of　registrars　was　appointed　by　the　district　commander　and　a　local　board　for　every　county　and　large　town。　Each　board　consisted　of　three　membersall　radicalswho　were　required　to　subscribe　to　the　〃ironclad〃　oath。　In　several　states　one　Negro　was　appointed　to　each　local　board。　The　registrars　listed　Negro　voters　during　the　day；　and　at　night　worked　at　the　organization　of　a　radical　Republican　party。　The　prospective　voters　were　required　to　take　the　oath　prescribed　in　the　Reconstruction　Act；　but　the　registrars　were　empowered　to　go　behind　the　oath　and　investigate　the　Confederate　record　of　each　applicant。　This　authority　was　invoked　to　carry　the　disfranchisement　of　the　whites　far　beyond　the　intention　of　the　law　in　an　attempt　to　destroy　the　leadership　of　the　whites　and　to　register　enough　Negroes　to　outvote　them　at　the　polls。　For　this　purpose　the　registration　was　continued　until　October　1；　1867；　and　an　active　campaign　of　education　and　organization　carried　on。

At　the　close　of　the　registration；　703；000　black　voters　were　on　the　rolls　and　627；000　whites。　In　Alabama；　Louisiana；　South　Carolina；　Florida；　and　Mississippi　there　were　black　majorities；　and　in　the　other　States　the　blacks　and　the　radical　whites　together　formed　majorities。　The　white　minorities　included　several　thousand　who　had　been　rejected　by　the　registrars　but　restored　by　the　military　commanders。　Though　large　numbers　of　blacks　were　dropped　from　the　revised　rolls　as　fraudulently　registered；　the　registration　statistics；　nevertheless；　bore　clear　witness　to　the　political　purpose　of　those　who　compiled　them。

Next　followed　a　vote　on　the　question　of　holding　a　state　convention　and　the　election　of　delegates　to　such　a　convention　if　helda　double　election。　The　whites；　who　had　been　harassed　in　the　registration　and　who　feared　race　conflicts　at　the　elections；　considered　whether　they　ought　not　to　abstain　from　voting。　By　staying　away　from　the　polls；　they　might　bring　the　vote　cast　in　each　State　below　a　majority　and　thus　defeat　the　proposed　conventions　for；　unless　a　majority　of　the　registered　voters　actually　cast　ballots　either　for　or　against　a　convention；　no　convention　could　be　held。　Nowhere；　however；　was　this　plan　of　not　voting　fully　carried　out；　for；　though　most　whites　abstained；　enough　of　them　voted　（against　the　conventions；　of　course）　to　make　the　necessary　majority　in　each　State。　The　effect　of　the　abstention　policy　upon　the　personnel　of　the　conventions　was　unfortunate。　In　every　convention　there　was　a　radical　majority　with　a　conservative　and　all　but　negligible　minority。　In　South　Carolina　and　Louisiana；　there　were　Negro　majorities。　In　every　State　except　North　Carolina；　Texas；　and　Virginia；　the　Negroes　and　the　carpetbaggers　together　were　in　the　majority　over　native　whites。

The　conservative　whites　were　of　fair　ability；　the　carpetbaggers　and　scalawags　produced　in　each　convention　a　few　able　leaders；　but　most　of　them　were　conscienceless　political　soldiers　of　fortune；　the　Negro　members　were　inexperienced；　and　most　of　them　were　quite　ignorant；　though　a　few　leaders　of　ability　did　appear　among　them。　In　Alabama；　for　example；　only　two　Negro　members　could　write；　though　half　had　been　taught　to　sign　their　names。　They　were　barbers；　field　hands；　hack　drivers；　and　servants。　A　Negro　chaplain　was　elected　who　invoked　divine　blessings　on　〃unioners　and　cusses　on　rebels。〃　It　was　a　sign　of　the　new　era　when　the　convention　specially　invited　the　〃ladies　of　colored　members〃　to　seats　in　the　gallery。

The　work　of　the　conventions　was　for　the　most　part　cut　and　dried；　the　abler　members　having　reached　a　general　agreement　before　they　met。　The　constitutions；　mosaics　of　those　of　other　states；　were　noteworthy　only　for　the　provisions　made　to　keep　the　whites　out　of　power　and　to　regulate　the　relations　of　the　races　in　social　matters。　The　Texas　constitution　alone　contained　no　proscriptive　clauses　beyond　those　required　by　the　Fourteenth　Amendment。　The　most　thoroughgoing　proscription　of　Confederates　was　found　in　the　constitutions　of　Mississippi；　Alabama；　and　Virginia；　and　in　these　states　the　voter　must　also　purge　himself　of　guilt　by　agreeing　to　accept　the　〃civil　and　political　equality　of　all　men〃　or　by　supporting　reconstruction。　Only　in　South　Carolina　and　Louisiana　were　race　lines　abolished　by　law。

The　legislative　work　of　the　conventions　was　more　interesting　than　the　constitution　making。　By　ordinance　the　legality　of　Negro　marriages　was　dated　from　November　1867；　or　some　date　later　than　had　been　fixed　by　the　white　conventions　of　1865。　Mixed　schools　were　provided　in　some　States；　militia　for　the　black　districts　but　not　for　the　white　was　to　be　raised；　while　in　South　Carolina　it　was　made　a　penal　offense　to　call　a　person　a　〃Yankee〃　or　a　〃nigger。〃　Few　of　the　Negro　delegates　demanded　proscription　of　whites　or　social　equality；　they　wanted　schools　and　the　vote。　The　white　radicals　were　more　anxious　to　keep　the　former　Confederates　from　holding　office　than　from　voting。　The　generals　in　command　everywhere　used　their　influence　to　secure　moderate　action　by　the　conventions；　and　for　this