the sequel of appomattox-第5章

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en　felt　the　ostracism　more　keenly　than　did　the　men。　Benjamin　C。　Truman；　an　agent　of　President　Johnson；　thus　summed　up　the　situation：　〃There　is　a　prevalent　disposition　not　to　associate　too　freely　with　Northern　men　or　to　receive　them　into　the　circles　of　society；　but　it　is　far　from　unsurmountable。　Over　Southern　society；　as　over　every　other；　woman　reigns　supreme；　and　they　are　more　embittered　against　those　whom　they　deem　the　authors　of　all　their　calamities　than　are　their　brothers；　sons；　and　husbands。〃　But；　of　the　thousands　of　Northern　men　who　overcame　the　reluctance　of　the　Southerners　to　social　intercourse；　little　was　heard。　Many　a　Southern　planter　secured　a　Northern　partner　or　sold　him　half　his　plantation　to　get　money　to　run　the　other　half。　For　the　irritations　of　1865；　each　party　must　take　its　share　of　responsibility。

Had　the　South　assisted　in　a　skillful　and　adequate　publicity；　much　disastrous　misunderstanding　might　have　been　avoided。　The　North　knew　as　little　of　the　South　as　the　South　did　of　the　North；　but　the　North　was　eager　for　news。　Able　newspaper　correspondents　like　Sidney　Andrews　of　the　Boston　Advertiser　and　the　Chicago　Tribune；　who　opposed　President　Johnson's　policies；　Thomas　W。　Knox　of　the　New　York　Herald；　who　had　given　General　Sherman　so　much　trouble　in　Tennessee；　Whitelaw　Reid；　who　wrote　for　several　papers　and　tried　cotton　planting　in　Louisiana；　and　John　T。　Trowbridge；　New　England　author　and　journalist；　were　dispatched　southwards。　Chief　of　the　President's　investigators　was　General　Carl　Schurz；　German　revolutionist；　Federal　soldier；　and　soon　to　be　radical　Republican；　who　held　harsh　views　of　the　Southern　people；　and　there　were　besides　Harvey　M。　Watterson；　Kentucky　Democrat　and　Unionist；　the　father　of　〃Marse〃　Henry；　Benjamin　C。　Truman；　New　England　journalist　and　soldier；　whose　long　report　was　perhaps　the　best　of　all；　Chief　Justice　Chase；　who　was　thinking　mainly　of　〃How　soon　can　the　Negro　vote？〃；　and　General　Grant；　who　made　a　report　so　brief　that；　notwithstanding　its　value；　it　attracted　little　attention。　In　addition　a　constant　stream　of　information　and　misinformation　was　going　northward　from　treasury　agents；　officers　of　the　army；　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　teachers；　and　missionaries。　Among　foreigners　who　described　the　conquered　land　were　Robert　Somers；　Henry　Latham；　and　William　Hepworth　Dixon。　But　few　in　the　South　realized　the　importance　of　supplying　the　North　with　correct　information　about　actual　conditions。　The　letters　and　reports；　they　thought；　humiliated　them；　inquiry　was　felt　to　be　prying　and　gloating。　〃Correspondents　have　added　a　new　pang　to　surrender；〃　it　was　said。　The　South　was　proud　and　refused　to　be　catechized。　From　the　Northern　point　of　view；　the　South；　a　new　and　strange　region　with　strange　customs　and　principles；　was　of　course；　not　to　be　considered　as　quite　normal　and　American；　but　there　was　on　the　part　of　many　correspondents　a　determined　attempt　to　describe　things　as　they　were。　And　yet　the　North　persisted　in　its　unsympathetic　queries　when　it　seemed　to　have　a　sufficient　answer　in　the　reports　of　Grant；　Schurz；　and　Truman。

Grant's　opinion　was　short　and　direct：　〃I　am　satisfied　that　the　mass　of　thinking　men　of　the　South　accept　the　present　situation　of　affairs　in　good　faith　。　。　。　。　The　citizens　of　the　Southern　States　are　anxious　to　return　to　self…government　within　the　Union　as　soon　as　possible。〃　Truman　came　to　the　conclusion　that　〃the　rank　and　file　of　the　disbanded　Southern　army　。　。　。　are　the　backbone　and　sinew　of　the　South　。　。　。　。　To　the　disbanded　regiments　of　the　rebel　army；　both　officers　and　men；　I　look　with　great　confidence　as　the　best　and　altogether　the　most　hopeful　element　of　the　South；　the　real　basis　of　reconstruction　and　the　material　of　worthy　citizenship。〃　General　John　Tarbell；　before　the　Joint　Committee　on　Reconstruction；　testified　that　〃there　are；　no　doubt；　disloyal　and　disorderly　persons　in　the　South；　but　it　is　an　entire　mistake　to　apply　these　terms　to　a　whole　people。　I　would　as　soon　travel　alone；　unarmed；　through　the　South　as　through　the　North。　The　South　I　left　is　not　at　all　the　South　I　hear　and　read　about　in　the　North。　From　the　sentiment　I　hear　in　the　North；　I　would　scarcely　recognize　the　people　I　saw；　and；　except　their　politics；　I　liked　so　well。　I　have　entire　faith　that　the　better　classes　are　friendly　to　the　Negroes。〃

Carl　Schurz　on　the　other　hand　was　not　so　favorably　impressed。　〃The　loyalty　of　the　masses　and　most　of　the　leaders　of　the　southern　people；〃　he　said；　〃consists　in　submission　to　necessity。　There　is；　except　in　individual　instances；　an　entire　absence　of　that　national　spirit　which　forms　the　basis　of　true　loyalty　and　patriotism。〃　Another　government　official　in　Florida　was　quite　doubtful　of　the　Southern　whites。　〃I　would　pin　them　down　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet；〃　he　declared；　〃so　close　that　they　would　not　have　room　to　wiggle；　and　allow　intelligent　colored　people　to　go　up　and　vote　in　preference　to　them。　The　only　Union　element　in　the　South　proper　。　。　。　is　among　the　colored　people。　The　whites　will　treat　you　very　kindly　to　your　face；　but　they　are　deceitful。　I　have　often　thought；　and　so　expressed　myself；　that　there　is　so　much　deception　among　the　people　of　the　South　since　the　rebellion；　that　if　an　earthquake　should　open　and　swallow　them　up；　I　was　fearful　that　the　devil　would　be　dethroned　and　some　of　them　take　his　place。〃

The　point　of　view　of　the　Confederate　military　leaders　was　exhibited　by　General　Wade　Hampton　in　a　letter　to　President　Johnson　and　by　General　Lee　in　his　advice　to　Governor　Letcher　of　Virginia。　General　Hampton　wrote：　〃The　South　unequivocally　'accepts　the　situation'　in　which　she　is　placed。　Everything　that　she　has　done　has　been　done　in　perfect　faith；　and　in　the　true　and　highest　sense　of　the　word；　she　is　loyal。　By　this　I　mean　that　she　intends　to　abide　by　the　laws　of　the　land　honestly；　to　fulfill　all　her　obligations　faithfully　and　to　keep　her　word　sacredly；　and　I　assert　that　the　North　has　no　right　to　demand　more　of　her。　You　have　no　right　to　ask；　or　expect　that　she　will　at　once　profess　unbounded　love　to　that　Union　from　which　for　four　years　she　tried　to　escape　at　the　cost　of　her　best　blood　and　all　her　treasures。〃　General　Lee　in　order　to　set　an　example　applied　through　General　Grant　for　a　pardon　under　the　amnesty　proclamation　and　soon　afterwards　he　wrote　to　Governor　Letcher：　〃All　should　unite　in　honest　efforts　to　obliterate　the　effects　of　war；　and　to　restore　the　blessings　of　peace。　They　should　remain；　if　possible；　in　the　country；　promote　harmony　and　good…feeling；　qualify　themselves　to　vote；　and　elect　to　the　State　and　general　legislatures　wise　and　patriotic　men；　who　will　devote　their　abilities　to　the　interests　of　the　country　and　the　healing　of　all　dissensions；　I　have　invariably　recommended　this　course　since　the　cessation　of　hostilities；　and　have　endeavored　to　practice　it　myself。〃

Southerners　of　the　Confederacy　everywhere；　then；　accepted　the　destruction　of　slavery　and　the　renunciation　of　state　sovereignty；　they　welcomed　an　early　restoration　of　the　Union；　without　any　punishment　of　leaders　of　the　defeated　cause。　But　they　were　proud　of　their　Confederate　records　though　now　legally　〃loyal〃　to　the　United　States；　they　considered　the　Negro　as　free　but　inferior；　and　expected　to　be　permitted　to　fix　his　status　in　the　social　organization　and　to　solve　the　problem　of　free　labor　in　their　own　way。　To　*embarrass　the　easy　and　permanent　realization　of　these　views　there　was　a　society　disrupted；　economically　prostrate；　deprived　of　its　natural　leaders；　subjected　to　a　control　not　always　wisely　conceived　nor　effectively　exercised；　and；　finally；　containing　within　its　own　population　unassimilated　elements　which　presented　problems　fraught　with　difficulty　and　danger。



CHAPTER　II。　WHEN　FREEDOM　CRIED　OUT

The　Negro　is　the　central　figure　in　the　reconstruction　of　the　South。　Without　the　Negro　there　would　have　been　no　Civil　War。　Granting　a　war　fought　for　any　other　cause；　the　task　of　reconstruction　would；　without　him；　have　been　comparatively　simple。　With　him；　however；　reconstruction　meant　more　than　the　restoring　of　shattered　resources；　it　meant　the　more　or　less　successful　attempt　to　obtain　and　secure　for　the　freedman　civil　and　political　rights；　and　to　improve　his　economic　and　social　status。　In　1861；　the　American　Negro　was　ev