the sequel of appomattox-第23章

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ishops；　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　masters　and　their　minions。〃　The　New　England　Freedmen's　Aid　Society　considered　it　necessary　to　educate　the　Negro　〃as　a　counteracting　influence　against　the　evil　councils　and　designs　of　the　white　freemen。〃

The　tasks　that　confronted　the　Southern　States　in　1865…67　were　two：　first；　to　restore　the　shattered　school　systems　of　the　whites；　and　second；　to　arrange　for　the　education　of　the　Negroes。　Education　of　the　Negro　slave　had　been　looked　upon　as　dangerous　and　had　been　generally　forbidden。　A　small　number　of　Negroes　could　read　and　write；　but　there　were　at　the　close　of　the　war　no　schools　for　the　children。　Before　1861；　each　state　had　developed　at　least　the　outlines　of　a　school　system。　Though　hindered　in　development　by　the　sparseness　of　the　population　and　by　the　prevalence　in　some　districts　of　the　Virginia　doctrine　that　free　schools　were　only　for　the　poor；　public　schools　were　nevertheless　in　existence　in　1861。　Academies　and　colleges；　however；　were　thronged　with　students。　When　the　war　ended；　the　public　schools　were　disorganized；　and　the　private　academies　and　the　colleges　were　closed。　Teachers　and　students　had　been　dispersed；　buildings　had　been　burned　or　used　for　hospitals　and　laboratories；　and　public　libraries　had　virtually　disappeared。

The　colleges　made　efforts　to　open　in　the　fall　of　1865。　Only　one　student　presented　himself　at　the　University　of　Alabama　for　matriculation；　but　before　June　1866；　the　stronger　colleges　were　again　in　operation。　The　public　or　semi…public　schools　for　the　whites　also　opened　in　the　fall。　In　the　cities　where　Federal　military　authorities　had　brought　about　the　employment　of　Northern　teachers；　there　was　some　friction。　In　New　Orleans；　for　example；　the　teachers　required　the　children　to　sing　Northern　songs　and　patriotic　airs。　When　the　Confederates　were　restored　to　power；　these　teachers　were　dismissed。

The　movement　toward　Negro　education　was　general　throughout　the　South。　Among　the　blacks　themselves　there　was　an　intense　desire　to　learn。　They　wished　to　read　the　Bible；　to　be　preachers；　to　be　as　the　old　master　and　not　have　to　work。　Day　and　night　and　Sunday　they　crowded　the　schools。　According　to　an　observer；*　〃not　only　are　individuals　seen　at　study；　and　under　the　most　untoward　circumstances；　but　in　very　many　places　I　have　found　what　I　will　call　'native　schools；'　often　rude　and　very　imperfect；　but　there　they　are；　a　group；　perhaps；　of　all　ages；　trying　to　learn。　Some　young　man；　some　woman；　or　old　preacher；　in　cellar；　or　shed；　or　corner　of　a　Negro　meeting…house；　with　the　alphabet　in　hand；　or　a　town　spelling…book；　is　their　teacher。　All　are　full　of　enthusiasm　with　the　new　knowledge　the　book　is　imparting　to　them。〃

*　J。　W。　Alvord；　Superintendent　of　Schools　for　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　1866。


Not　only　did　the　Negroes　want　schooling；　but　both　the　North　and　the　South　proposed　to　give　it　to　them。　Neither　side　was　actuated　entirely　by　altruistic　motives。　A　Hampton　Institute　teacher　in　later　days　remarked：　〃When　the　combat　was　over　and　the　Yankee　school…ma'am　followed　in　the　train　of　the　northern　armies；　the　business　of　educating　the　Negroes　was　a　continuation　of　hostilities　against　the　vanquished　and　was　so　regarded　to　a　considerable　extent　on　both　sides。〃

The　Southern　churches；　through　their　bishops　and　clergy；　the　newspapers；　and　prominent　individuals　such　as　J。　L。　M。　Curry；　John　B。　Gordon；　J。　L。　Orr；　Governors　Brown；　Moore；　and　Patton；　came　out　in　favor　of　Negro　education。　Of　this　movement　General　Swayne　said：　〃Quite　early　。　。　。　。　the　several　religious　denominations　took　strong　ground　in　favor　of　the　education　of　the　freedmen。　The　principal　argument　was　an　appeal　to　sectional　and　sectarian　prejudice；　lest；　the　work　being　inevitable；　the　influence　which　must　come　from　it　be　realized　by　others；　but　it　is　believed　that　this　was　but　the　shield　and　weapon　which　men　of　unselfish　principle　found　necessary　at　first。〃　The　newspapers　took　the　attitude　that　the　Southern　whites　should　teach　the　Negroes　because　it　was　their　duty；　because　it　was　good　policy；　and　because　if　they　did　not　do　so　some　one　else　would。　The　〃Advertiser〃　of　Montgomery　stated　that　education　was　a　danger　in　slavery　times　but　that　under　freedom　ignorance　became　a　danger。　For　a　time　there　were　numerous　schools　taught　by　crippled　Confederates　and　by　Southern　women。

But　the　education　of　the　Negro；　like　his　religious　training；　was　taken　from　the　control　of　the　Southern　white　and　was　placed　under　the　direction　of　the　Northern　teachers　and　missionaries　who　swarmed　into　the　country　under　the　fostering　care　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　the　Northern　churches；　and　the　various　Freedmen's　Aid　Societies。　In　three　years　the　Bureau　spent　six　million　dollars　on　Negro　schools　and　everywhere　it　exercised　supervision　over　them。　The　teachers　pursued　a　policy　akin　to　that　of　the　religious　leaders。　One　Southerner　likened　them　to　the　〃plagues　of　Egypt；〃　another　described　them　as　〃saints；　fools；　incendiaries；　fakirs；　and　plain　business　men　and　women。〃　A　Southern　woman　remarked　that　〃their　spirit　was　often　high　and　noble　so　far　as　the　black　man's　elevation　was　concerned；　but　toward　the　wh