the sequel of appomattox-第29章

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Cheg。　V。

The　work　of　the　secret　orders　was　successful。　As　bodies　of　vigilantes；　the　Mans　and　the　Councils　regulated　the　conduct　of　bad　Negroes；　punished　criminals　who　were　not　punished　by　the　state；　looked　after　the　activities　and　teachings　of　Northern　preachers　and　teachers；　dispersed　hostile　gatherings　of　Negroes；　and　ran　out　of　the　community　the　worst　of　the　reconstructionist　officials。　They　kept　the　Negroes　quiet　and　freed　them　to　some　extent　from　the　influence　of　evil　leaders。　The　burning　of　houses；　gins；　mills；　and　stores　ceased；　property　became　more　secure；　people　slept　safely　at　night；　women　and　children　walked　abroad　in　security；　the　incendiary　agents　who　had　worked　among　the　Negroes　left　the　country；　agitators；　political；　educational；　and　religious；　became　more　moderate；　〃bad　niggers〃　ceased　to　be　bad；　labor　became　less　disorganized；　the　carpetbaggers　and　scalawags　ceased　to　batten　on　the　Southern　communities。　It　was　not　so　much　a　revolution　as　the　defeat　of　a　revolution。　Society　was　replaced　in　the　old　historic　grooves　from　which　war　and　reconstruction　had　jarred　it。

Successful　as　was　the　Ku　Klux　movement　in　these　respects；　it　had　at　the　same　time　many　harmful　results。　Too　often　local　orders　fell　under　the　control　of　reckless　or　lawless　men　and　the　Klan　was　then　used　as　a　cloak　to　cover　violence　and　thievery；　family　and　personal　feuds　were　carried　into　the　orders　and　fought　out；　and　anti…Negro　feeling　in　many　places　found　expression　in　activities　designed　to　drive　the　blacks　from　the　country。　It　was　easy　for　any　outlaw　to　hide　himself　behind　the　protection　of　a　secret　order。　So　numerous　did　these　men　become　that　after　1868　there　was　a　general　exodus　of　the　leading　reputable　members；　and　in　1869　the　formal　disbanding　of　the　Klan　was　proclaimed　by　General　Forrest；　the　Grand　Wizard。　The　White　Camelia　and　other　orders　also　gradually　went　out　of　existence。　Numerous　attempts　were　made　to　suppress　the　secret　movement　by　the　military　commanders；　the　state　governments；　and　finally　by　Congress；　but　none　of　these　was　entirely　successful；　for　in　each　community　the　secret　opposition　lasted　as　long　as　it　was　needed。　The　political　effects　of　the　orders；　however；　survived　their　organized　existence。　Some　of　the　Southern　States　began　to　go　Democratic　in　spite　of　the　Reconstruction　Acts　and　the　Amendments；　and　there　was　little　doubt　that　the　Ku　Klux　movement　had　aided　in　this　change。　In　order　to　preserve　the　achievements　of　radical　reconstruction　Congress　passed；　in　1870　and　1871；　the　enforcement　acts　which　had　been　under　debate　for　nearly　two　years。　The　first　act　（May　31；　1870）　was　designed　to　protect　the　Negro's　right　to　vote　and　was　directed　at　individuals　as　well　as　against　states。　Section　six；　indeed；　was　aimed　specifically　at　the　Ku　Klux　Klan。　This　act　was　a　long　step　in　the　direction　of　giving　the　Federal　Government　control　over　state　elections。　But　as　North　Carolina　went　wholly　and　Alabama　partially　Democratic　in　1870；　a　Supplementary　Act　（February　28；　1871）　went　further　and　placed　the　elections　for　members　of　Congress　completely　under　Federal　control；　and　also　authorized　the　use　of　thousands　of　deputy　marshals　at　elections。　As　the　campaign　of　1872　drew　near；　Grant　and　his　advisers　became　solicitous　to　hold　all　the　Southern　States　which　had　not　been　regained　by　the　Democrats。　Accordingly；　on　March　23；　1871；　the　President　sent　a　message　to　Congress　declaring　that　in　some　of　the　states　the　laws　could　not　be　enforced　and　asked　for　remedial　legislation。　Congress　responded　with　an　act　（April　20；　1871）；　commonly　called　the　〃Ku　Klux　Act；〃　which　gave　the　President　despotic　military　power　to　uphold　the　remaining　Negro　governments　and　authorized　him　to　declare　a　state　of　war　when　he　considered　it　necessary。　Of　this　power　Grant　made　use　in　only　one　instance。　In　October　1871；　he　declared　nine　counties　of　South　Carolina　in　rebellion　and　put　them　under　martial　law。

During　the　ten　years　following　1870；　several　thousand　arrests　were　made　under　the　enforcement　acts　and　about　1；250　convictions　were　secured；　principally　in　Mississippi；　North　Carolina；　South　Carolina；　and　Tennessee。　Most　of　these　violations　of　election　laws；　however；　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　Ku　Klux　movement；　for　by　1870　the　better　class　of　members　had　withdrawn　from　the　secret　orders。　But　though　the　enforcement　acts　checked　these　irregularities　to　a　considerable　extent；　they　nevertheless　failed　to　hold　the　South　for　the　radicals　and　essential　parts　of　them　were　declared　unconstitutional　a　few　years　later。

In　order　to　justify　the　passage　of　the　enforcement　acts　and　to　obtain　campaign　material　for　use　in　1872；　Congress　appointed　a　committee；　organized　on　the　very　day　when　the　Ku　Klux　Act　was　approved；　to　investigate　conditions　in　the　Southern　States。　From　June　to　August　1871；　the　committee　took　testimony　in　Washington；　and　in　the　fall　subcommittees　visited　several　Southern　States。　Tennessee；　Virginia；　Arkansas；　Louisiana；　and　Texas　were；　however；　omitted　from　the　investigation。　Notwithstanding　the　partisan　purpose　and　methods　of　the　investigation；　the　report　of　the　committee　and　the　accompanying　testimony　constituted　a　Democratic　rather　than　a　Republican　document。　It　is　a　veritable　mine　of　information　about　the　South　between　1865　and　1871。　The　Democratic　minority　members　made　skillful　use　of　their　opportunity　to　expose　conditions　in　the　South。　They　were　less　concerned　to　meet　the　charges　made　against　the　Ku　Klux　Klan　than　to　show　why　such　movements　came　about。　The　Republicans；　concerned　mainly　about　material　for　the　presidential　campaign；　neglected　the　broader　phases　of　the　situation。

Opposition　to　the　effects　of　reconstruction　did　not　come　to　an　end　with　the　dissolution　of　the　more　famous　orders。　On　the　contrary；　it　now　became　public　and　open　and　resulted　in　the　organization；　after　1872；　of　the　White　League；　the　Mississippi　Shot　Gun　Plan；　the　White　Man's　Party　in　Alabama；　and　the　Rifle　Clubs　in　South　Carolina。　The　later　movements　were　distinctly　but　cautiously　anti…Negro。　There　was　most　irritation　in　the　white　counties　where　there　were　large　numbers　of　Negroes。　Negro　schools　and　churches　were　burned　because　they　served　as　meeting　places　for　Negro　political　organizations。　The　color　line　began　to　be　more　and　more　sharply　drawn。　Social　and　business　ostracism　continued　to　be　employed　against　white　radicals；　while　the　Negroes　were　discharged　from　employment　or　were　driven　from　their　rented　farms。

The　Ku　Klux　movement；　it　is　to　be　noted　in　retrospect；　originated　as　an　effort　to　restore　order　in　the　war…stricken　Southern　States。　The　secrecy　of　its　methods　appealed　to　the　imagination　and　caused　its　rapid　expansion；　and　this　secrecy　was　inevitable　because　opposition　to　reconstruction　was　not　lawful。　As　the　reconstruction　policies　were　put　into　operation；　the　movement　became　political　and　used　violence　when　appeals　to　superstitious　fears　ceased　to　be　effective。　The　Ku　Klux　Klan　centered；　directed；　and　crystallized　public　opinion；　and　united　the　whites　upon　a　platform　of　white　supremacy。　The　Southern　politicians　stood　aloof　from　the　movement　but　accepted　the　results　of　its　work。　It　frightened　the　Negroes　and　bad　whites　into　better　conduct；　and　it　encouraged　the　conservatives　and　aided　them　to　regain　control　of　society；　for　without　the　operations　of　the　Klan　the　black　districts　would　never　have　come　again　under　white　control。　Towards　the　end；　however；　its　methods　frequently　became　unnecessarily　violent　and　did　great　harm　to　Southern　society。　The　Ku　Klux　system　of　regulating　society　is　as　old　as　history；　it　had　often　been　used　before；　it　may　even　be　used　again。　When　a　people　find　themselves　persecuted　by　aliens　under　legal　forms；　they　will　invent　some　means　outside　the　law　for　protecting　themselves；　and　such　experiences　will　inevitably　result　in　a　weakening　of　respect　for　law　and　in　a　return　to　more　primitive　methods　of　justice。



CHAPTER　XII。　THE　CHANGING　SOUTH

〃The　bottom　rail　is　on　top〃　was　a　phrase　which　had　flashed　throughout　the　late　Confederate　States。　It　had　been　coined　by　the　Negroes　in　1867　to　express　their　view　of　the　situation；　but　its　aptness　had　been　recognized　by　all。　After　ten　years　of　social　and　economic　revolution；　however；　it　was　not　so　clear　that　the　phrase　of　1867　correctly　described　the　new　situation。　〃The　white　man　made　free〃　would　have　been　a　more　accurate　epitome；　for　the　white　man　had　been　able；　in　spite　of　his　temporary　disabilities；　to　compete　with　the　Negro　in　all　industries。

It　will　be　remembered　that　the　Negro　districts　were　least　exposed　to　the　destruction　of　war。　The　well…managed　plantation；　lying　near　the　highways　of　commerce；　with　its　division　of　labor；　nearly　or　quite　self…sufficing；　was　the　bulwark　of　the　Confederacy。　When　the　fighting　ended；　an　industrial　revolution　began　in　these　untouched　parts　of　the　Black　Belt。　The　problem　of　free　Negro　labor　now　appeared。　During　the　year　1865；　no　general　plan　for　a　labor　system　was　formulated　except　by　the　Freedmen's　Bureau。　That；　however；　was　not　a　success。　There　were　all　sorts　of　makeshifts；　such　as　cash　wages；　deferred　wages；　cooperation；　even　sharing　of　expense　and　product；　and　contracts；　either　oral　or　written。

The　employers　showed　a　disposition　to　treat　the　Negro　family　as　a　unit　in　making　contracts　for　labor；　wages；　food；　clothes；　and　care。*　In　general　these　early　arrangements　were　made　to　transform　slavery　with　its　mutual　duties　and　obligations　into　a　free　labor　system　with　wages　and　〃privileges。〃　The　〃privileges〃　of　slavery　could　not　be　destroyed；　in　fact；　they　have　never　yet　been　destroyed　in　numerous　places。　Curious　demands　were　made　by　the　Negroes：　here；　farm　bells　must　not　ring；　there；　overseers　or　managers　must　be　done　away　with；　in　some　places　plantation　courts　were　to　settle　matters　of　work；　rent；　and　conduct；　elsewhere；　agreements　were　made　that　on　Saturday　the　laborer　should　be　permitted　to　go　to　town　and；　perhaps；　ride　a　mule　or　horse。　In　South　Carolina　the　Sea　Island　Negroes　demanded　that　in　laying　out　work　the　old　〃tasks〃　or　〃stints〃　of　slavery　days　be　retained　as　the　standard。　The　farming　districts　at　the　edge　of　the　Black　Belt；　where　the　races　were　about　equal　in　numbers；　already　had　a　kind　of　〃share　system；〃　and　in　these　sections　the　economic　chaos　after　the　war　was　not　so　complete。　The　former　owners　worked　in　the　field　with　their　ex…slaves　and　thus　provided　steady　employment　for　many。　Farms　were　rented　for　a　fixed　sum　of　money；　or　for　a　part　of　the　crop；　or　on　〃shares。〃

*　J。　D。　B。　De　Bow；　the　economist；　testified　before　the　Joint　Committee　on　Reconstruction　that；　if　the　Negro　would　work；　free　labor　would　be　better　for　the　planters　than　slave　labor。　He　called　attention　to　the　fact；　however；　that　Negro　women　showed　a　desire　to　avoid　field　labor；　and　there　is　also　evidence　to　show　that　they　objected　to　domestic　service　and　other　menial　work。


The　white　districts；　which　had　previously　fought　a　losing　competition　with　the　efficiently　managed　and　inexpensive　slave　labor　of　the　Black　Belt；　were　affected　most　disastrously　by　war　and　its　aftermath。　They　were　distant　from　transportation　lines　and　markets；　they　employed　poor　farming　methods；　they　had　no　fertilizers；　they　raised　no　staple　crops　on　their　infertile　land；　and　in　addition　they　now　had　to　face　the　destitution　that　follo