Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/496

 490 Southern Historical Society Fapers.

being inflicted. To prevent any embarrassing review of their meas- ures, they further resolved that all questions arising under recon- struction were political and not judicial, and that therefore the courts could not, and should not, pass upon their constitutionality. Thus fortified in their usurpations, and goaded by rancorous, blind, long- nurtured hate, they commenced the work of dissolving governments, destroying States, robbing, insulting and oppressing already im- poverished and helpless people, and humiliating the white race! They entered each Southern State, and declared all existing govern- ments to be illegal. They outlawed and set aside all existing con- stituencies, the constituencies which originated State governments, and participated in forming the Federal government. They created new constituencies, composed chiefly of ignorant negroes. They offered to include in these nevv constituencies such of the resident whites as would consent that the usurpations were legal, and these punishments were just; and it must ever be a sad recital for all time, that some of our people were willing to barter their section, State, race and blood, for the privilege of aiding in this work of. destruction, degradation, and infamy. The future historian will weep bitter tears when he finds himself compelled to record this darkest exhibition of human treachery and depravity, and he will close up the chapter as, ■with nervous energy, he shall write the withering judgment of all decent humanity for all future ages. Cursed thrice, cursed forever, be the memories of such unnatural monsters among men !

These motley constituencies of ignorance and vice, having no con- ception but in hate, no birth but in strife, no nursing but in usurpa- tion, and no strength but in crime and treachery, were placed in each State under the appropriate lead of adventurous vagabonds — bank- rupt in fortunes, and hungry for the spoil of their victims -paupers from birth in every sentiment of honor, and enjoying with keen relish the humiliation of their superiors ! And these formed the govern- ment under which we have been dying. Ignorant negroes have been made masters — proud, educated masters made slaves — robbers have been made rulers — thieves have been made detectives, all protected by Federal power, while humble submission to the remorseless de- mands of this insatiate wickedness has been made the only tes' of loyally and devotion to that Union which our fathers helped to form in order to secure the blessings of liberty to them and their posterity !

Many of the effects of this policy of reconstruction the future his- torian will have no difificulty in discovering.