the sequel of appomattox-第42章

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　the　Negro　race　naturally　ran　into　excesses　of　petty　criminality。　Even　under　the　reconstruction　governments　the　proportion　of　Negro　to　white　criminals　was　about　ten　to　one。　Theft　was　frequent；　arson　was　the　accepted　means　of　revenge　on　white　people；　and　murder　became　common　in　the　brawls　of　the　city　Negro　quarters。　The　laxness　of　the　marriage　relation　worked　special　hardship　on　the　women　and　children　in　so　many　cases　deserted　by　the　head　of　the　family。

Out　of　the　social　anarchy　of　reconstruction　the　Negroes　emerged　with　numerous　organizations　of　their　own　which　may　have　been　imitations　of　the　Union　League；　the　Lincoln　Brotherhood；　and　the　various　church　organizations。　These　societies　were　composed　entirely　of　blacks　and　have　continued　with　prolific　reproduction　to　the　present　day。　They　were　characterized　by　high　names；　gorgeous　regalia；　and　frequent　parades。　〃The　Brothers　and　Sisters　of　Pleasure　and　Prosperity〃　and　the　〃United　Order　of　African　Ladies　and　Gentlemen〃　played　a　large；　and　on　the　whole　useful；　part　in　Negro　social　life；　teaching　lessons　of　thrift；　insurance；　cooperation；　and　mutual　aid。

The　reconstructionists　were　not　able　in　1867…68　to　carry　through　Congress　any　provision　for　the　social　equality　of　the　races；　but　in　the　reconstructed　states；　the　equal　rights　issue　was　alive　throughout　the　period。　Legislation　giving　to　the　Negro　equal　rights　in　hotels；　places　of　amusements；　and　common　carriers；　was　first　enacted　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina。　Frequently　the　carpetbaggers　brought　up　the　issue　in　order　to　rid　the　radical　ranks　of　the　scalawags　who　were　opposed　to　equal　rights。　In　Florida；　for　example；　the　carpetbaggers　framed　a　comprehensive　Equal　Rights　Law；　passed　it；　and　presented　it　to　Governor　Reed；　who　was　known　to　be　opposed　to　such　legislation。　He　vetoed　the　measure　and　thus　lost　the　Negro　support。　Intermarriage　with　whites　was　made　legal　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina　and　by　court　decision　was　permitted　in　Alabama　and　Mississippi；　but　the　Georgia　Supreme　Court　held　it　to　be　illegal。　Mixed　marriages　were　few；　but　these　were　made　occasions　of　exultation　over　the　whites　and　of　consequent　ill　feeling。

Charles　Sumner　was　a　persistent　agitator　for　equal　rights。　In　1871　he　declared　in　a　letter　to　a　South　Carolina　Negro　convention　that　the　race　must　insist　not　only　upon　equality　in　hotels　and　on　public　carriers　but　also　in　the　schools。　〃It　is　not　enough；　〃　he　said；　〃to　provide　separate　accommodations　for　colored　citizens　even　if　in　all　respects　as　good　as　those　of　other　persons　。　。　。　。　The　discrimination　is　an　insult　and　a　hindrance；　and　a　bar；　which　not　only　destroys　comfort　and　prevents　equality；　but　weakens　all　other　rights。　The　right　to　vote　will　have　new　security　when　your　equal　right　in　public　conveyances；　hotels；　and　common　schools；　is　at　last　established；　but　here　you　must　insist　for　yourselves　by　speech；　petition；　and　by　vote。〃　The　Southern　whites　began　to　develop　the　〃Jim　Crow〃　theory　of　〃separate　but　equal〃　accommodations。　Senator　Hill　of　Georgia；　for　example；　thought　that　hotels　might　have　separate　divisions　for　the　two　races；　and　he　cited　the　division　in　the　churches　as　proof　that　the　Negro　wanted　separation。

About　1874；　it　was　plain　that　the　last　radical　Congress　was　nearly　ready　to　enact　social　equality　legislation。　This　fact　turned　many　of　the　Southern　Unionist　class　back　to　the　Democratic　party；　there　to　remain　for　a　long　time。　In　1875；　as　a　sort　of　memorial　to　Sumner；　Congress　passed　the　Civil　Rights　Act；　which　gave　to　Negroes　equal　rights　in　hotels；　places　of　amusement；　on　public　carriers；　and　on　juries。　Some　Democratic　leaders　were　willing　to　see　such　legislation　enacted；　because　in　the　first　place；　it　would　have　little　effect　except　in　the　Border　and　Northern　States；　where　it　would　turn　thousands　into　the　Democratic　fold；　and　in　the　second　place；　because　they　were　sure　that　in　time　the　Supreme　Court　would　declare　the　law　unconstitutional。　And　so　it　happened。

In　regions　where　the　more　unprincipled　radical　leaders　were　in　control；　the　whites　lived　at　times　in　fear　of　Negro　uprisings。　The　Negroes　were　armed　and　insolent；　and　the　whites　were　few　and　widely　scattered。　Here　and　there　outbreaks　occurred　and　individual　whites　and　isolated　families　suffered；　but　as　a　rule　all　such　movements　were　crushed　with　much　heavier　loss　to　the　Negroes　than　to　the　better　organized　whites。　Nevertheless　everlasting　apprehension　for　the　safety　of　women　and　children　kept　the　white　men　nervous。　General　Garnett　Andrews　remarked　about　the　situation　in　Mississippi：

〃I　have　never　suffered　such　an　amount　of　anguish　and　alarm　in　all　my　life。　I　have　served　through　the　whole　war　as　a　soldier　in　the　army　of　Northern　Virginia；　and　saw　all　of　it；　but　I　never　did　experience　。　。　。　the　fear　and　alarm　and　sense　of　danger　which　I　felt　that　time。　And　this　was　the　universal　feeling　among　the　population；　among　the　white　people。　I　think　that　both　sides　were　alarmed　and　felt　uneasy。　It　showed　itself　upon　the　countenance　of　the　people；　it　made　many　of　them　sick。　Men　looked　haggard　and　pale；　after　undergoing　this　sort　of　thing　for　six　weeks　or　a　month；　and　I　have　felt　when　I　laid　＇sic＇　down　that　neither　myself；　nor　my　wife　and　children　were　in　safety。　I　expected；　and　honestly　anticipated；　and　thought　it　highly　probable；　that　I　might　be　assassinated　and　my　house　set　on　fire　at　any　time。〃

By　the　fires　of　reconstruction　the　whites　were　fused　into　a　more　homogeneous　society；　social　as　well　as　political。　The　former　slaveholding　class　continued　to　be　more　considerate　of　the　Negro　than　were　the　poor　whites；　but；　as　misrule　went　on；　all　classes　tended　to　unite　against　the　Negro　in　politics。　They　were　tired　of　reconstruction；　new　amendments；　force　bills；　Federal　troops　tired　of　being　ruled　as　conquered　provinces　by　the　incompetent　and　the　dishonest。　Every　measure　aimed　at　the　South　seemed　to　them　to　mean　that　they　were　considered　incorrigible　and　unworthy　of　trust；　and　that　they　were　being　made　to　suffer　for　the　deeds　of　irresponsible　whites。　And；　to　make　matters　worse；　strong　opposition　to　proscriptive　measures　was　called　fresh　rebellion。　〃When　the　Jacobins　say　and　do　low　and　bitter　things；　their　charge　of　want　of　loyalty　in　the　South　because　our　people　grumble　back　a　little　seems　to　me　as　unreasonable　as　the　complaint　of　the　little　boy：　'Mamma；　make　Bob　'have　hisself。　He　makes　mouths　at　me　every　time　I　hit　him　with　my　stick。'〃*

*　Usually　ascribed　to　General　D。　H。　Hill　of　North　Carolina；　and　quoted　in　〃The　Land　We　Love〃；　vol。　1；　p。　146。


Probably　this　burden　fell　heavier　on　the　young　men；　who　had　life　before　them　and　who　were　growing　up　with　diminished　opportunities。　Sidney　Lanier；　then　an　Alabama　school　teacher；　wrote　to　Bayard　Taylor：　〃Perhaps　you　know　that　with　us　of　the　young　generation　in　the　South；　since　the　war；　pretty　much　the　whole　of　life　has　been　merely　not　dying。〃　Negro　and　alien　rule　was　a　constant　insult　to　the　intelligence　of　the　country。　The　taxpayers　were　nonparticipants　in　the　affairs　of　government。　Some　people　withdrew　entirely　from　public　life；　went　to　their　farms　or　plantations；　kept　away　from　towns　and　from　speechmaking；　waiting　for　the　end　to　come。　There　were　some　who　refused　for　several　years　to　read　the　newspapers；　so　unpleasant　was　the　news。　The　good　feeling　produced　by　the　magnanimity　of　Grant　at　Appomattox　was　destroyed　by　the　severity　of　his　Southern　policy　when　he　became　President。　There　was　no　gratitude　for　any　so…called　leniency　of　the　North；　no　repentance　for　the　war；　no　desire　for　humiliation；　for　sackcloth　and　ashes；　and　no　confession　of　wrong。　The　insistence　of　the　radicals　upon　obtaining　a　confession　of　depravity　only　made　things　much　worse。　Scarcely　a　measure　of　Congress　during　reconstruction　was　designed　or　received　in　a　conciliatory　spirit。

The　new　generation　of　whites　was　poor；　bitter　because　of　persecution；　ill…educated；　overworked；　without　a　bright　future；　and　shadowed　by　the　race　problem。　Though　their　new　political　leaders　were　shrewd；　narrow；　conservative；　honest；　and　parsimonious；　the　constant　fighting　of　fire　with　fire　scorched　all。　In　the　bitter　discipline　of　reconstruction；　the　pleasantest　side　of　Southern　life　came　to　an　end。　During　the　war　and　the　consequent　reconstruction　th