the sequel of appomattox-第27章

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The　Union　League　of　America　had　its　origin　in　Ohio　in　the　fall　of　1862；　when　the　outlook　for　the　Union　cause　was　gloomy。　The　moderate　policies　of　the　Lincoln　Administration　had　alienated　those　in　favor　of　extreme　measures；　the　Confederates　had　won　military　successes　in　the　field；　the　Democrats　had　made　some　gains　in　the　elections；　the　Copperheads*　were　actively　opposed　to　the　Washington　Government；　the　Knights　of　the　Golden　Circle　were　organizing　to　resist　the　continuance　of　the　war；　and　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　had　chilled　the　loyalty　of　many　Union　men；　which　was　everywhere　at　a　low　ebb；　especially　in　the　Northern　cities。　It　was　to　counteract　these　depressing　influences　that　the　Union　League　movement　was　begun　among　those　who　were　associated　in　the　work　of　the　United　States　Sanitary　Commission。　Observing　the　threatening　state　of　public　opinion；　members　of　this　organization　proposed　that　〃loyalty　be　organized；　consolidated　and　made　effective。〃

*　See　〃Abraham　Lincoln　and　the　Union〃；　by　Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）；　pp。　156…7；　234…5。


The　first　organization　was　made　by　eleven　men　in　Cleveland；　Ohio；　in　November　1862。　The　Philadelphia　Union　League　was　organized　a　month　later；　and　in　January　1863；　the　New　York　Union　League　followed。　The　members　were　pledged　to　uncompromising　and　unconditional　loyalty　to　the　Union；　to　complete　subordination　of　political　views　to　this　loyalty；　and　to　the　repudiation　of　any　belief　in　state　rights。　The　other　large　cities　followed　the　example　of　Philadelphia　and　New　York；　and　soon　Leagues；　connected　in　a　loose　federation；　were　formed　all　through　the　North。　They　were　social　as　well　as　political　in　their　character　and　assumed　as　their　task　the　stimulation　and　direction　of　loyal　Union　opinion。

As　the　Union　armies　proceeded　to　occupy　the　South；　the　Union　League　sent　its　agents　among　the　disaffected　Southern　people。　Its　agents　cared　for　Negro　refugees　in　the　contraband　camps　and　in　the　North。　In　such　work　the　League　cooperated　with　the　various　Freedmen's　Aid　Societies；　the　Department　of　Negro　Affairs；　and　later　with　the　Freedmen's　Bureau。　Part　of　the　work　of　the　League　was　to　distribute　campaign　literature；　and　many　of　the　radical　pamphlets　on　reconstruction　and　the　Negro　problem　bore　the　Union　League　imprint。　The　New　York　League　sent　out　about　seventy　thousand　copies　of　various　publications；　while　the　Philadelphia　League　far　surpassed　this　record；　circulating　within　eight　years　four　million　five　hundred　thousand　copies　of　144　different　pamphlets。　The　literature　consisted　largely　of　accounts　of　〃Southern　outrages〃　taken　from　the　reports　of　Bureau　agents　and　similar　sources。

With　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　the　League　did　not　cease　its　active　interest　in　things　political。　It　was　one　of　the　first　organizations　to　declare　for　Negro　suffrage　and　the　disfranchisement　of　Confederates；　it　held　steadily　to　this　declaration　during　the　four　years　following　the　war；　and　it　continued　as　a　sort　of　bureau　in　the　radical　Republican　party　for　the　purpose　of　controlling　the　Negro　vote　in　the　South。　Its　representatives　were　found　in　the　lobbies　of　Congress　demanding　extreme　measures；　endorsing　the　reconstruction　policies　of　Congress；　and　condemning　the　course　of　the　President。　After　the　first　year　or　two　of　reconstruction；　the　Leagues　in　the　larger　Northern　cities　began　to　grow　away　from　the　strictly　political　Union　League　of　America　and　tended　to　become　mere　social　clubs　for　members　of　the　same　political　belief。　The　eminently　respectable　Philadelphia　and　New　York　clubs　had　little　in　common　with　the　leagues　of　the　Southern　and　Border　States　except　a　general　adherence　to　the　radical　program。

Even　before　the　end　of　the　war　the　League　was　extending　its　organization　into　the　parts　of　the　Confederacy　held　by　the　Federal　forces；　admitting　to　membership　the　army　officers　and　the　leading　Unionists；　though　maintaining　for　the　sake　of　the　latter　〃a　discreet　secrecy。〃　With　the　close　of　the　war　and　the　establishment　of　army　posts　over　the　South；　the　League　grew　rapidly。　The　civilians　who　followed　the　army；　the　Bureau　agents；　the　missionaries；　and　the　Northern　teachers　formed　one　class　of　membership；　and　the　loyalists　of　the　hill　and　mountain　country；　who　had　become　disaffected　toward　the　Confederate　administration　and　had　formed　such　orders　as　the　Heroes　of　America；　the　Red　String　Band；　and　the　Peace　Society；　formed　another　class。　Soon　there　were　added　to　these　the　deserters；　a　few　old　line　Whigs　who　intensely　disliked　the　Democrats；　and　others　who　decided　to　cast　their　lot　with　the　victors。　The　disaffected　politicians　of　the　up…country；　who　wanted　to　be　cared　for　in　the　reconstruction；　saw　in　the　organization　a　means　of　dislodging　from　power　the　political　leaders　of　the　low　country。　It　has　been　estimated　that　thirty　percent　of　the　white　men　of　the　hill　and　mountain　counties　of　the　South　joined　the　Union　League　in　1865…66。　They　cared　little　about　the　original　objects　of　the　order　but　hoped　to　make　it　the　nucleus　of　an　anti…Democratic　political　organization。

But　on　the　admission　of　Negroes　into　the　lodges　or　councils　controlled　by　Northern　men　the　native　white　members　began　to　withdraw。　From　the　beginning　the　Bureau　agents；　the　teachers；　and　the　preachers　had　been　holding　meetings　of　Negroes；　to　whom　they　gave　advice　about　the　problems　of　freedom。　Very　early　these　advisers　of　the　blacks　grasped　the　possibilities　inherent　in　their　control　of　the　schools；　the　rationing　system；　and　the　churches。　By　the　spring　of　1866；　the　Negroes　were　widely　organized　under　this　leadership；　and　it　needed　but　slight　change　to　convert　the　Negro　meetings　into　local　councils　of　the　Union　League。*　As　soon　as　it　seemed　likely　that　Congress　would　win　in　its　struggle　with　the　President　the　guardians　of　the　Negro　planned　their　campaign　for　the　control　of　the　race。　Negro　leaders　were　organized　into　councils　of　the　League　or　into　Union　Republican　Clubs。　Over　the　South　went　the　organizers；　until　by　1868　the　last　Negroes　were　gathered　into　the　fold。

*　Of　these　teachers　of　the　local　blacks；　E。　L。　Godkin；　editor　of　the　New　York　Nation；　who　had　supported　the　reconstruction　acts；　said：　〃Worse　instructors　for　men　emerging　from　slavery　and　coming　for　the　first　time　face　to　face　with　the　problems　of　free　life　than　the　radical　agitators　who　have　undertaken　the　political　guidance　of　the　blacks　it　would　be　hard　to　meet　with。〃


The　native　whites　did　not　all　desert　the　Union　League　when　the　Negroes　were　brought　in。　Where　the　blacks　were　most　numerous　the　desertion　of　whites　was　general；　but　in　the　regions　where　they　were　few　some　of　the　whites　remained　for　several　years。　The　elections　of　1868　showed　a　falling　off　of　the　white　radical　vote　from　that　of　1867；　one　measure　of　the　extent　of　loss　of　whites。　From　this　time　forward　the　order　consisted　mainly　of　blacks　with　enough　whites　for　leaders。　In　the　Black　Belt　the　membership　of　native　whites　was　discouraged　by　requiring　an　oath　to　the　effect　that　secession　was　treason。　The　carpetbagger　had　found　that　he　could　control　the　Negro　without　the　help　of　the　scalawag。　The　League　organization　was　soon　extended　and　centralized；　in　every　black　district　there　was　a　Council；　for　the　state　there　was　a　Grand　Council；　and　for　the　United　States　there　was　a　National　Grand　Council　with　headquarters　in　New　York　City。

The　influence　of　the　League　over　the　Negro　was　due　in　large　degree　to　the　mysterious　secrecy　of　the　meetings；　the　weird　initiation　ceremony　that　made　him　feel　fearfully　good　from　his　head　to　his　heels；　the　imposing　ritual；　and　the　songs。　The　ritual；　it　is　said；　was　not　used　in　the　North；　it　was　probably　adopted　for　the　particular　benefit　of　the　African。　The　would…be　Leaguer　was　informed　that　the　emblems　of　the　order　were　the　altar；　the　Bible；　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　the　flag　of　the　Union；　censer；　sword；　gavel；　ballot　box；　sickle；　shuttle；　anvil；　and　other　emblems　of　industry。　He　was　told　to　the　accompaniment　of　clanking　chains　and　groans　that　the　objects　of　the　order　were　to　preserve　liberty；　to　perpetuate　the　Union；　to　maintain　the　laws　and　the　Constitution；　to　secure　the　ascendancy　of　American　institutions；　to　protect；　defend；　and　stren