the sequel of appomattox- 第27部分

A　Negro　politician　has　left　this　account　of　a　radical　recitation　in　a　Florida　Negro　school：

After　finishing　the　arithmetic　lesson　they　must　next　go　through　the　catechism：

〃Who　is　the　'Publican　Government　of　the　State　of　Florida？〃　Answer：　〃Governor　Starns。〃

〃Who　made　him　Governor？〃　Answer：　〃The　colored　people。〃

〃Who　is　trying　to　get　him　out　of　his　seat？〃　Answer：　〃The　Democrats；　Conover；　and　some　white　and　black　Liberal　Republicans。〃

〃What　should　the　colored　people　do　with　the　men　who　is　trying　to　get　Governor　Starns　out　of　his　seat？〃　Answer：　〃They　should　kill　them。〃　。　。　。　。

This　was　done　that　the　patrons；　some　of　whom　could　not　read；　would　be　impressed　by　the　expressions　of　their　children；　and　would　be　ready　to　put　any　one　to　death　who　would　come　out　into　the　country　and　say　anything　against　Governor　Starns。

The　native　white　teachers　soon　dropped　out　of　Negro　schools；　and　those　from　the　North　met　with　the　same　social　persecution　as　the　white　church　workers。　The　White　League　and　Ku　Klux　Klan　drove　off　obnoxious　teachers；　whipped　some；　burned　Negro　schoolhouses；　and　in　various　other　ways　manifested　the　reaction　which　was　rousing　the　whites　against　Negro　schools。

The　several　agencies　working　for　Negro　education　gave　some　training　to　hundreds　of　thousands　of　blacks；　but　the　whites　asserted　that；　like　the　church　work；　it　was　based　on　a　wrong　spirit　and　resulted　in　evil　as　well　as　in　good。　Free　schools　failed　in　reconstruction　because　of　the　dishonesty　or　incompetence　of　the　authorities　and　because　of　the　unsettled　race　question。　It　was　not　until　the　turn　of　the　century　that　the　white　schools　were　again　as　good　as　they　had　been　before　1861。　After　the　reconstruction　native　whites　as　teachers　of　Negro　schools　were　impossible　in　most　places。　The　hostile　feelings　of　the　whites　resulted　and　still　result　in　a　limitation　of　Negro　schools。　The　best　thing　for　Negro　schools　that　came　out　of　reconstruction　was　Armstrong's　Hampton　Institute　program；　which；　however；　was　quite　opposed　to　the　spirit　of　reconstruction　education。



CHAPTER　X。　CARPETBAG　AND　NEGRO　RULE

The　Southern　States　reconstructed　by　Congress　were　subject　for　periods　of　varying　length　to　governments　designed　by　radical　Northerners　and　imposed　by　elements　thrown　to　the　surface　in　the　upheaval　of　Southern　society。　Georgia；　Virginia；　and　North　Carolina　each　had　a　brief　experience　with　these　governments；　other　States　escaped　after　four　or　five　years；　while　Louisiana；　South　Carolina；　and　Florida　were　not　delivered　from　this　domination　until　1876。　The　states　which　contained　large　numbers　of　Negroes　had；　on　the　whole；　the　worst　experience。　Here　the　officials　were　ignorant　or　corrupt；　frauds　upon　the　public　were　the　rule；　not　the　exception；　and　all　of　the　reconstruction　governments　were　so　conducted　that　they　could　secure　no　support　from　the　respectable　elements　of　the　electorate。

The　fundamental　cause　of　the　failure　of　these　governments　was　the　character　of　the　new　ruling　class。　Every　state；　except　perhaps　Virginia；　was　under　the　control　of　a　few　able　leaders　from　the　North　generally　called　carpetbaggers　and　of　a　few　native　white　radicals　contemptuously　designated　scalawags。　These　were　kept　in　power　by　Negro　voters；　to　some　seven　hundred　thousand　of　whom　the　ballot　had　been　given　by　the　reconstruction　acts。　The　adoption　of　the　Fifteenth　Amendment　in　March　1870；　brought　the　total　in　the　former　slave　states　to　931；000；　with　about　seventy…five　thousand　more　Negroes　in　the　North。　The　Negro　voters　were　most　numerous；　comparatively；　in　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　South　Carolina；　Alabama；　and　Georgia。　There　were　a　few　thousand　carpetbaggers　in　each　State；　with；　at　first；　a　much　larger　number　of　scalawags。　The　latter；　who　were　former　Unionists；　former　Whigs；　Confederate　deserters；　and　a　few　unscrupulous　politicians；　were　most　numerous　in　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　Texas；　Arkansas；　and　Tennessee。　The　better　class；　however；　rapidly　left　the　radical　party　as　the　character　of　the　new　regime　became　evident；　taking　with　them　whatever　claims　the　party　had　to　respectability；　education；　political　experience；　and　property。

The　conservatives；　hopelessly　reduced　by　the　operation　of　disfranchising　laws；　were　at　first　not　well　organized；　nor　were　they　at　any　time　as　well　led　as　in　antebellum　days。　In　1868；　about　one　hundred　thousand　of　them　were　forbidden　to　vote　and　about　two　hundred　thousand　were　disqualified　from　holding　office。　The　abstention　policy　of　1867…68　resulted　in　an　almost　complete　withdrawal　of　the　influence　of　the　conservatives　for　the　two　years；　1868…70。　As　a　class　they　were　regarded　by　the　dominant　party　in　state　and　nation　as　dangerous　and　untrustworthy　and　were　persecuted　in　such　irritating　ways　that　many　became　indifferent　to　the　appeals　of　civil　duty。　They　formed　a　solid　but　almost　despairing　opposition　in　the　black　districts　of　Mississippi；　Louisiana；　Alabama；　and　South　Carolina。　For　the　leaders　the　price　of　amnesty　was　conversion　to　radicalism；　but　this　price　few　would　pay。

The　new　state　governments　possessed　certain　characteristics　in　common。　Since　only　a　small　number　of　able　men　were　available　for　office；　full　powers　of　administration；　including　appointment　and　removal；　were　concentrated　in　the　hands　of　the　governor。　He　exercised　a　wide　control　over　public　funds　and　had　authority　to　organize　and　command　militia　and　constabulary　and　to　call　for　Federal　troops。　The　numerous　administrative　boards　worked　with　the　sole　object　of　keeping　their　party　in　power。　Officers　were　several　times　as　numerous　as　under　the　old　regime；　and　all　of　them　received　higher　salaries　and　larger　contingent　fees。　The　moral　support　behind　the　government　was　that　of　President　Grant　and　the　United　States　army；　not　that　of　a　free　and　devoted　people。

Of　the　twenty　men　who　served　as　governors；　eight　were　scalawags　and　twelve　were　carpetbaggers；　men　who　were　abler　than　the　scalawags　and　who　had　much　more　than　an　equal　share　of　the　spoils。　The　scalawags；　such　as　Brownlow　of　Tennessee；　Smith　of　Alabama；　and　Holden　of　North　Carolina；　were　usually　honest　but　narrow；　vindictive　men；　filled　with　fear　and　hate　of　the　conservative　whites。

Of　the　carpetbaggers　half　were　personally　honest；　but　all　were　unscrupulous　in　politics。'　Some　were　flagrantly　dishonest。*　Governor　Moses　of　South　Carolina　was　several　times　bribed　and　at　one　time；　according　to　his　own　statement；　received　15；000　for　his　vote　as　speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives。　Governor　Stearns　of　Florida　was　charged　with　stealing　government　supplies　from　the　Negroes；　and　it　was　notorious　that　Warmoth　and　Kellogg　of　Louisiana；　each　of　whom　served　only　one　term；　retired　with　large　fortunes。　Warmoth；　indeed；　went　so　far　as　to　declare：　〃Corruption　is　the　fashion。　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　honest；　but　only　as　honest　as　anybody　in　politics。〃

The　judiciary　was　no　better　than　the　executive。　The　chief　justice　of　Louisiana　was　convicted　of　fraud。　A　supreme　court　judge　of　South　Carolina　offered　his　decisions　for　sale；　and　Whipper　and　Moses；　both　notorious　thieves；　were　elected　judges　by　the　South　Carolina　Legislature。　In　Alabama　there　were　many　illiterate　magistrates；　among　them　the　city　judge　of　Selma；　who　in　April　1865；　was　still　living　as　a　slave。　Governor　Chamberlain；　a　radical；　asserted　that　there　were　two　hundred　trial　judges　in　South　Carolina　who　could　not　read。

Other　officers　were　of　the　same　stripe。　Leslie；　a　South　Carolina　carpetbagger；　declared　that　〃South　Carolina　has　no　right　to　be　a　state　unless　she　can　support　her　statesmen；〃　and　he　proceeded　to　live　up　to　this　principle。　The　manager　of　the　state　railroad　of　Georgia；　when　asked　how　he　had　been　able　to　accumulate　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　dollars　on　a　two　or　three　thousand　dollar　salary；　replied；　〃By　the　exercise　of　the　most　rigid　economy。〃　A　North　Carolina　Negro　legislator　was　found　on　one　occasion　chuckling　as　he　counted　some　money。　〃What　are　you　laughing　at；　Uncle？〃　he　was　asked。　〃Well；　boss；　I'se　been　sold　'leben　times　in　my　life　and　dis　is　de　fust　time　I　eber　got　de　money。〃　Godkin；　in　the　〃Nation〃；　said　that　the　Georgia　officials　were　〃probably　as　bad　a　lot　of　political　tricksters　and　adventurers　as　ever　got　together　in　one　place。〃　This　description　will　fit　equally　well　the　white　officials　of　all　the　reconstructed　states。　Many　of　the　Negroes　who　attained　public　office　showed　themselves　apt　pupils　of　their　carpetbag　masters　but　were　seldom　permitted　to　appropriate　a　large　share　of　the　plunder。　In　Florida　the　Negro　members　of　the　legislature；　thinking　that　they　should　have　a　part　of　the　bribe　and　loot　money　which　their　carpetbag　masters　were　said　to　be　receiving；　went　so　far　as　to　appoint　what　was　known　as　a　〃smelling　committee〃　to　locate　the　good　things　and　secure　a　share。

From　1868　to　1870；　the　legislatures　of　seven　states　were　overwhelmingly　radical　and　in　several　the　radical　majority　held　control　for　four；　six；　or　eight　years。　Negroes　were　most　numerous　in　the　legislatures　of　Louisiana；　South　Carolina；　and　Mississippi；　and　everywhere　the　votes　of　these　men　were　for　sale。　In　Alabama　and　Louisiana；　Negro　legislators　had　a　fixed　price　for　their　votes：　for　example；　six　hundred　dollars　would　buy　a　senator　in　Louisiana。　In　South　Carolina；　Negro　government　appeared　at　its　worst。　A　vivid　description　of　the　Legislature　of　this　State　in　which　the　Negroes　largely　outnumbered　the　whites　is　given　by　James　S。　Pike；　a　Republican　journalist*：

*Pike；　〃The　Prostrate　State〃；　pp。　12　ff。


〃In　the　place　of　this　old　aristocratic　society　stands　the　rude　form　of　the　most　ignorant　democracy　that　mankind　ever　saw；　invested　with　the　functions　of　government。　It　is　the　dregs　of　the　population　habilitated　in　the　robes　of　their　intelligent　predecessors；　and　asserting　over　them　the　rule　of　ignorance　and　corruption　。　。　。　。　It　is　barbarism　overwhelming　civilization　by　physical　force。　It　is　the　slave　rioting　in　the　halls　of　his　master；　and　putting　that　master　under　his　feet。　And；　though　it　is　done　without　malice　and　without　vengeance；　it　is　nevertheless　none　the　less　completely　and　absolutely　done。　。　。　。　We　will　enter　the　House　of　Representatives。　Here　sit　one　hundred　and　twenty…four　members。　Of　these；　twenty…three　are　white　men；　representing　the　remains　of　the　old　civilization。　These　are　good…looking；