the sequel of appomattox-第31章

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　religious；　or　military　agency　in　the　South　worked　for　separation；　and　Negro　preachers　were　not　long　in　seeing　the　greater　advantages　which　they　would　have　in　independent　churches。

Much　of　the　separate　organization　was　accomplished　in　mutual　good　will；　particularly　in　the　Baptist　ranks。　The　Reverend　I。　T。　Tichenor；　a　prominent　Baptist　minister；　has　described　the　process　as　it　took　place　in　the　First　Baptist　Church　in　Montgomery。　The　church　had　nine　hundred　members；　of　whom　six　hundred　were　black。　The　Negroes　received　a　regular　organization　of　their　own　under　the　supervision　of　the　white　pastors。　When　a　separation　of　the　two　bodies　was　later　deemed　desirable；　it　was　inaugurated　by　a　conference　of　the　Negroes　which　passed　a　resolution　couched　in　the　kindliest　terms；　suggesting　the　wisdom　of　the　division；　and　asking　the　concurrence　of　the　white　church　in　such　action。　The　white　church　cordially　approved　the　movement；　and　the　two　bodies　united　in　erecting　a　suitable　house　of　worship　for　the　Negroes。　Until　the　new　church　was　completed；　both　congregations　continued　to　occupy　jointly　the　old　house　of　worship。　The　new　house　was　paid　for　in　large　measure　by　the　white　members　of　the　church　and　by　individuals　in　the　community。　As　soon　as　it　was　completed；　the　colored　church　moved　into　it　with　its　pastor；　board　of　deacons；　committees　of　all　sorts；　and　the　whole　machinery　of　church　life　went　into　action　without　a　jar。　Similar　accommodations　occurred　in　all　the　states　of　the　South。

The　Methodists　lost　the　greater　part　of　their　Negro　membership　to　two　organizations　which　came　down　from　the　North　in　1865the　African　Methodist　Episcopal　Church　and　the　African　Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　Zion。　Large　numbers　also　went　over　to　the　Northern　Methodist　Church。　After　losing　nearly　three　hundred　thousand　members；　the　Southern　Methodists　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　remaining　seventy…eight　thousand　Negroes　would　be　more　comfortable　in　a　separate　organization　and　therefore　began　in　1866　the　Colored　Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　with　bishops；　conferences；　and　all　the　accompaniments　of　the　parent　Methodist　Church；　which　continued　to　give　friendly　aid　but　exercised　no　control。　For　many　years　the　Colored　Methodist　Church　was　under　fire　from　the　other　Negro　denominations；　who　called　it　the　〃rebel；〃　the　〃Democratic；〃　the　〃old　slavery〃　church。

The　Negro　members　of　the　Cumberland　Presbyterians　were　similarly　set　off　into　a　small　African　organization。　The　Southern　Presbyterians　and　the　Episcopalians　established　separate　congregations　and　missions　under　white　supervision　but　sanctioned　no　independent　Negro　organization。　Consequently　the　Negroes　soon　deserted　these　churches　and　went　with　their　own　kind。

Resentment　at　the　methods　employed　by　the　Northern　religious　carpetbaggers　was　strong　among　the　Southern　whites。　〃Emissaries　of　Christ　and　the　radical　party〃　they　were　called　by　one　Alabama　leader。　Governor　Lindsay　of　the　same　state　asserted　that　the　Northern　missionaries　caused　race　hatred　by　teaching　the　Negroes　to　regard　the　whites　as　their　natural　enemies；　who；　if　possible；　would　put　them　back　in　slavery。　Others　were　charged　with　teaching　that　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　the　blacks　should　get　into　a　Northern　church；　and　that　〃Christ　died　for　Negroes　and　Yankees；　not　for　rebels。〃

The　scalawags；　also；　developed　a　dislike　of　the　Northern　church　work　among　the　Negroes；　and　it　was　impossible　to　organize　mixed　congregations。　Of　the　Reverend　A。　S。　Lakin；　a　well…known　agent　of　the　Northern　Methodist　Church　in　Alabama；　Nicholas　Davis；　a　North　Alabama　Unionist　and　scalawag；　said　to　the　Ku　Klux　Committee：　〃The　character　of　his　＇Lakin's＇　speech　was　this：　to　teach　the　Negroes　that　every　man　that　was　born　and　raised　in　the　Southern　country　was　their　enemy；　that　there　was　no　use　trusting　them；　no　matter　what　they　saidif　they　said　they　were　for　the　Union　or　anything　else。　'No　use　talking；　they　are　your　enemies。'　And　he　made　a　pretty　good　speech；　too；　awful；　a　hell　of　a　one；　。　。　。　inflammatory　and　game；　too　。　。　。　。　It　was　enough　to　provoke　the　devil。　Did　all　the　mischief　he　could　。　。　。　I　tell　you；　that　old　fellow　is　a　hell　of　an　old　rascal。〃

For　a　time　the　white　churches　were　annoyed　by　intrusions　of　strange　blacks　set　on　by　those　who　were　bent　on　separating　the　races。　Frequently　there　were　feuds　in　white　or　black　congregations　over　the　question　of　joining　some　Northern　body。　Disputes　over　church　property　also　arose　and　continued　for　years。　Lakin；　referred　to　above；　was　charged　with　〃stealing〃　Negro　congregations　and　uniting　them　with　the　Cincinnati　Conference　without　their　knowledge。　The　Negroes　were　urged　to　demand　title　to　all　buildings　formerly　used　for　Negro　worship；　and　the　Constitutional　Convention　of　Alabama　in　1867　directed　that　such　property　must　be　turned　over　to　them　when　claimed。

The　agents　of　the　Northern　churches　were　not　greatly　different　from　other　carpetbaggers　and　adventurers　taking　advantage　of　the　general　confusion　to　seize　a　little　power。　Many　were　unscrupulous；　others；　sincere　and　honest　but　narrow；　bigoted；　and　intolerant；　filled　with　distrust　of　the　Southern　whites　and　with　corresponding　confidence　in　the　blacks　and　in　themselves。　The　missionary　and　church　publications　were　quite　as　severe　on　the　Southern　people　as　any　radical　Congressman。　The　publications　of　the　Freedmen's　Aid　Society　furnish　illustrations　of　the　feelings　and　views　of　those　engaged　in　the　Southern　work。　They　in　turn　were　made　to　feel　the　effects　of　a　merciless　social　proscription。　For　this　some　of　them　cared　not　at　all；　while　others　or　their　families　felt　it　keenly。　One　woman　missionary　wrote　that　she　was　delighted　when　a　Southern　white　would　speak　to　her。　A　preacher　in　Virginia　declared　that　〃the　females；　those　especially　whose　pride　has　been　humbled；　are　more　intense　in　their　bitterness　and　endeavor　to　keep　up　a　social　ostracism　against　Union　and　Northern　people。〃　The　Ku　Klux　raids　were　directed　against　preachers　and　congregations　whose　conduct　was　disagreeable　to　the　whites。　Lakin　asserted　that　while　he　was　conducting　a　great　revival　meeting　among　the　hills　of　northern　Alabama；　Governor　Smith　and　other　prominent　and　sinful　scalawag　politicians　were　there　〃under　conviction〃　and　about　to　become　converted。　But　in　came　the　Klan　and　the　congregation　scattered。

Smith　and　the　others　were　so　angry　and　frightened　that　their　good　feelings　were　dissipated；　and　the　devil　reentered　them；　so　that　Lakin　said　he　was　never　able　to　〃get　a　hold　on　them〃　again。　For　the　souls　lost　that　night　he　held　the　Klan　responsible。　Lakin　told　several　marvelous　stories　of　his　hairbreadth　escapes　from　death　by　assassination　which；　if　true；　would　be　enough　to　ruin　the　reputation　of　northern　Alabama　men　for　marksmanship。

The　reconstruction　ended　with　conditions　in　the　churches　similar　to　those　in　politics：　the　races　were　separated　and　unfriendly；　Northern　and　Southern　church　organizations　were　divided；　and　between　them；　especially　in　the　border　and　mountain　districts；　there　existed　factional　quarrels　of　a　political　origin；　for　every　Northern　Methodist　was　a　Republican　and　every　Southern　Methodist　was　a　Democrat。

The　schools　of　the　South；　like　the　churches　and　political　institutions；　were　thrown　into　the　melting　pot　of　reconstruction。　The　spirit　in　which　the　work　was　begun　may　be　judged　from　the　tone　of　the　addresses　made　at　a　meeting　of　the　National　Teachers　Association　in　1865。　The　president；　S。　S。　Greene；　declared　that　〃the　old　slave　States　are　to　be　the　new　missionary　ground　for　the　national　school　teacher。〃　Francis　Wayland；　the　former　president　of　Brown　University；　remarked　that　〃it　has　been　a　war　of　education　and　patriotism　against　ignorance　and　barbarism。〃　President　Hill　of　Harvard　spoke　of　the　〃new　work　of　spreading　knowledge　and　intellectual　culture　over　the　regions　that　sat　in　darkness。〃　Other　speakers　asserted　that　the　leading　Southern　whites　were　as　much　opposed　to　free　schools　as　to　free　governments　and　〃we　must　treat　them　as　western　farmers　do　the　stumps　in　their　clearings；　work　around　them　and　let　them　rot　out〃；　that　the　majority　of　the　whites　were　more　ignorant　than　the　slaves；　and　that　the　Negro　must　be　educated　and　strengthened　against　〃the　wiles；　the　guile；　and　hate　of　his　baffled　ma