They were all free, and had not come up by the rough side of the mountain like their oppressed parents. The glorious weather was immensely in our favor. We blessed G.o.d for that, and we blessed Him for all things. The sun was shining in all his beauty; the mocking-birds sang in the parks, and the light winds blew over the fair and garden-like city on the Ohio. Thousands upon thousands of people still continued to arrive upon boats that came up and down the river, by the ferry-boats, and on all the heavily-laden incoming trains that arrived thick and fast. Even the old inhabitant was astonished at the tremendous crowds that at last packed all the main streets along which the procession was to pa.s.s, because we were now getting well into line, just as is done at a Presidential inauguration at Washington. Uniformed riders and fast messengers, ex-soldiers dressed in Uncle Sam"s conventional blue, the fair s.e.x as thick as the leaves of the forest, boys in the trees, all the windows full of sight-seers, and men and boys on the roofs of the houses-well, indeed, might the oldest inhabitant ask where all the people came from! n.o.body could have given a complete answer to that question, for there were tens of thousands of people here this day who had never been to Louisville before. All had heard of Louisville, the beautiful metropolis of the State, but they were slaves then, and had no hope of ever beholding its beauties; but G.o.d is good-here came the war, here came victory and freedom, here came new laws and the Fifteenth Amendment, and here came they themselves at last to help on the good cause with loud shouts of joy.
Flags fluttered from thousands of windows, and the indications of joy were universal. And not only did the colored, but the white population packed the streets in thousands and tens of thousands; the crowds were good-humored to the last degree, and there was nothing but joy and rejoicing on every side all day long.
The outriders now began to move in advance of the procession; the first men in line followed next with a band of music, and these again were followed by a tasteful and beautiful float that promised mighty things in the rear! Bands of music at intervals, all the different societies, another wonderful and beautiful float came sailing on laden with rejoicing citizens, young and old, and a thousand other strange and wonderful features and devices of the triumphal march called forth loud shouts of joy, great outbursts of laughter and general applause. A beautiful colored maiden of sixteen or seventeen summers, named Miss Laura Claggett, stood up in a chariot during the entire procession, and she made a splendid living representation of the "G.o.ddess of Liberty."
It was said of her, as of the beauty of ancient Tyre, "Thou hast made thy beauty perfect." The interest that we all took in the long, splendid and varied procession was most intense. So much pains had been taken with all the necessary preparations that every part of it was complete, and the warmest approbation was bestowed upon all the preliminary arrangements, and the way in which they were carried out. Here was a true object lesson, indeed, that we were as fit for the highest civilization as the whites. This was freely admitted on all hands, with the exception, of course, of those blind persons who did not wish to see. We find them everywhere, and the best thing to do is simply to ignore them altogether. It was wonderful, thrice wonderful, to look around, and see the people who had come from the remotest parts of the State to see Louisville and the great celebration. It was most pathetic to look at some of them-bent down in some cases with hard work, labor and toil of half a century. There was a feeling of unutterable thankfulness that was apparent to all observers-thankfulness that they could yet enjoy a few years of freedom before they went home to be with the Lord, and thankfulness that their children should be free for all coming time. "No more auction blocks for me!" was the sentiment.
Thus the whole glorious procession marched and counter-marched over the princ.i.p.al streets of the beautiful garden-like city of Louisville, and at last broke up and scattered like all other famous processions of the kind, whether at Washington or anywhere else. The whole city press were loud in their praises of the universal good conduct and splendid management of the new citizens, and of course the Republican organ brought out the whole truth flat-footed, and cast all its glories to the breeze without stint. It was a downright triumph in the interest of law and order, for the police authorities had little or nothing to do. The pastors of all the churches, and other leaders, had impressed it upon the hearts and minds of all the people to be good, and to act as citizens, and give the enemy no just reason to throw stones. For my own part, though I had by this time seen a hundred processions, at least, in my time, I am bound to confess that the procession and day"s doings at Louisville were as good as the best in regard to law and order, and I understand that other cities behaved quite as well as they did in Kentucky, throughout the Union.
For a week or so the entire colored population at Louisville were en fete, and a high old time of it they did have, indeed. It was a perfect carnival-a general jollification along the whole line. Music and dancing, and grand tea parties, both in public and private, were all the go, and as our presence in town was soon well known, we were invited to lend a hand in the general festivities along with others. There was a good time all over the metropolis of Kentucky, and don"t you forget it.
There is a poem that says in one place, "Joy"s image may vanish, and griefs die away; but the scenes of our youth are recorded for aye,"-which leads me on to say that Tom, mother and myself had a great and yearning desire to revisit all those dear scenes and places round about the beautiful river that had been so deeply stamped into our hearts and memories in the glorious, youthful spring-time of life. Mr.
Sutherland had no such longing to satisfy, and the two girls were not then born. The latter three, indeed, were born at Buffalo, on the Niagara river, in the great Empire State of New York. So Tom, mother and myself made calls on all those dear, dear friends of our earliest days who still remained alive, or still dwelt in Louisville. But many changes had taken place. Some had grown old and almost past recognition; the children of others received us kindly, for their parents were gone to a better land, and there were other changes all around, too numerous to mention. With the exception of G.o.d Himself, and the course of nature, all things seemed to be altered, and it was a source of thankfulness to us all that something remained that could not be shaken.
When we had thus ransacked the whole city in search of old friends (Mr.
Sutherland and the girls coming bravely along with us), we crossed the river to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where we made two or three calls, and then went down to New Albany, on the Indiana side, where we had grand welcomes from all whom we knew there. It was really astonishing to behold our mutual joy, and to tell our true tales of joys and sorrows, and hear theirs in return. Praise ye the Lord!
We now hired a boat, and had a glorious sail up the Ohio, and showed Mr.
Sutherland and the children all the old familiar places up the stream where we had formerly been. Then we went down the river, pa.s.sed through the ca.n.a.l at Portland, below the city, and came out upon the Ohio once more. There were six of us in the boat besides the two rowers. We had taken the precaution to borrow a variety of loud-sounding musical instruments; we kept close to the Kentucky side of the Ohio, and when we drew near to the place of our birth, that is, Riverside Hall, we struck up "The Old Kentucky Sh.o.r.e," which we both played and sang with tremendous force, raising more excitement than the Salvation Army! This brought out Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, and all the old retainers who chose to remain after the fall of slavery. There were new faces there, also. My father recognized us at once, and invited us in to receive the hospitalities of the house. Here we remained all day, saw everything once more, and returned to Louisville at set of sun. But we afterwards returned to Riverside, and spent another whole day in perfect love and harmony. It was a sweet time.
We were now all far, far more than satisfied. All things had gone well with us, and we returned home to Buffalo more thankful and gladsome than ever. Oh, what shall we render unto the Lord for all his goodness!
Because His mercy endureth forever!
CHAPTER XV.
_The Great Commercial Panic of 1873-Collapse of the Republican Government of the South-The Rebel Shot-Gun-The Force Bill-Rebellion at New Orleans-Dangerous State of the Whole Country-Election of President Hayes-Presumption of the Late Secessionists-Speech of Congressman Foster, in Ohio-The Solid North Against the Solid South-The Election of James A. Garfield-For the Sake of Peace._
As I have indicated at the close of the last chapter, we all got home to Buffalo in perfect safety, and settled down once more to the duties of life. In the meantime we continued to watch the course of reconstruction in the South, which was run by the Republicans with but very few exceptions. We all seemed to think that things had settled down all right in those States. White and colored Republicans were mixed up pretty fairly in the Governments, and in all the different departments.
There were about a dozen colored Congressmen at Washington, and numbers were also employed abroad in the consular and diplomatic service of the United States. All things appeared to have settled down in quietness and peace, but it was only to lull that which comes before the tempest, for the elements in Secessia were only awaiting a favorable opportunity to strike their favorable blow.
Up to the year 1872 (as I still remember well) this entire nation seemed to be running a course of unprecedented and joyful prosperity. Everybody was working, there seemed to be plenty of money in the country, and glorious good times, and immediately prospective wealth were the order of the day everywhere. Alas, alas! It was nothing but the inflation of a big balloon. In 1873 came a universal crash, and the balloon collapsed entirely! There was nothing but consternation over the whole nation, and the Northern States ceased for a time to keep their watchful eyes upon the reconstruction of the South, in order to attend to the dreadful troubles at home, caused by the complete collapse in trade. This was the opportunity for which the late open rebels had been waiting. They determined at once to take advantage of the sudden panic. The Ku-Klux-Klan now came to the front (of whom I have made mention before).
They seized the shot-gun, and wrote on their banners, "We must carry these States peaceably if we can; forcibly, if we must." Their first efforts were directed against the white Republican leaders, who melted away like new fallen snow before a warm sun. Their next effort was directed against the most intelligent and influential colored leaders, to whom they denied employment in almost every possible case. In a short time there were not many Republican leaders left, either white or colored, and the rank and file of the party could not then do much.
Congress pa.s.sed next an act empowering President Grant to use the army to suppress their domestic violence, and prevent bloodshed; also to protect colored voters in the const.i.tutional exercise of the rights conferred upon them by the Fifteenth Amendment. But the South were up on their feet again, and offered the most determined opposition to the right and proper use of the national army. Like a high-strung, violent termagant, the lately-defeated rebels now clamored for the ruling of their own States in their own way, to the complete exclusion of the lawful rights of all others. In her anxiety and desperation to have her own way, "Miss Dixie" appealed to the sympathies of the Northern people, and, indeed, she was pretty successful in her unjust appeal, because she was aided by the "Copperheads" (Democrats) of the North, by many of the Northern papers, and even by the more luke-warm among the Republicans themselves. The ex-rebels clamored for what they called "a white man"s government," though the Union was no more a white man"s government than a black man"s. Indeed, if this country belongs to anybody, it belongs to the Indians, from whom the wicked Spaniards and other European robbers first stole the lands away, and murdered the people.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _JAMES A. GARFIELD._]
The bill that was introduced into Congress to enforce order in the South was nick-named the "Force Bill," and it was not such a bad name, after all, because nothing but force seemed of any service in making Southern States do right. Things came to their worst in 1874, when the city of New Orleans was in a state of siege, the streets blockaded with State troops and White Line leagues, and an open battle was fought between the two conflicting parties. The rebels overthrew the Republican State government, and a new government was set up by physical force in its stead. But President Grant sent troops to New Orleans, and the lawful government was restored. State elections followed in the North in the States of Indiana, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Ma.s.sachusetts, which resulted in the defeat of the Republican ticket and the triumph of the Democrats. In their short-sighted way, the Bourbon Democrats of the South gave way to great exultation and joy, and behaved in the most cruel and shameful way to the white and colored Republicans in Secessia.
Nor did the mischief end there, for in their mistaken sympathy, many of the Northern legislatures pa.s.sed resolutions condemning President Grant for sending troops into the South, although he only did so in the discharge of his most legitimate duty, and in accordance with the law.
These movements caused the next Congress, which was the Forty-fourth, to be organized by the Democrats, when the very cabinet ministers themselves were divided upon the policy to be pursued towards the South, one half pulling one way, and the other half pulling the other way. To help on the bad cause still further, although a majority of colored people exists in Mississippi, and that State ought to have gone Republican, still the shot-gun policy of the rebels carried that State before them, and the Republican Government ceased to exist.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _RUTHERFORD B. HAYES._]
The country was truly in a dangerous condition; a portion of the Northern population were in favor of General Grant and his policy, and the rest were in favor of a change in the South. A house divided against itself will not stand: at least, it will not stand long. Men even deserted the grand Republican party, not for any ill it had done, but simply because others deserted it. It was even charged against the Grant administration that it was responsible for the ruin of the Republican government in the Southern States, and even for the great business disasters that had overtaken the whole country, North and South. It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog. Such puerile charges remind me rather of the tricks of children than actions of men. All those charges were entirely false, and the Democrats, both North and South, must have known it themselves. We still remember well the mischief that President Andrew Johnson did in his great sympathy for the rebels after they had laid down their arms, and how the Southern States had been ruled by hands far too weak for the task; that is, by colored men, formerly unaccustomed to politics, by scalawags and carpet-baggers. The cleverest of the rebels refused to lend a hand in the work of Reconstruction, and sat sullenly at home nursing their wrath to keep it warm. They never moved a hand in the work of building up their own country, till they moved as the Ku-Klux-Klan, reached for the shot-gun, and murdered those who ruled the Southern States. The rebel legislatures were now made up of those very men whom the North had put down in the war. They thronged the State halls and corridors, dressed in the very same robes that they had worn on the battle-field when we were fighting for the Union and freedom: and they were as rebellious in heart as before!
There was one great man in the Republican party who might have done a great deal for the colored people of the South, if he had tried, but he did not try; nay, he himself wanted to be President, and did not wish to hurt himself when his own selfish interests were at stake. This man was the Hon. James G. Blaine, of Maine. He opposed the Force Bill, and lost no opportunity of opposing President Grant"s administration whenever the latter wished to do anything against the late rebels, and in favor of the people. But Mr. Blaine never became President, and it served him right, for he might have proved a bad one, as Andrew Johnson did.
General Rutherford B. Hayes was Governor of Ohio, and in 1876 the Republican party gave him the nomination for the Presidency. The convention met at Cincinnati. The Democrats ran Samuel Jones Tilden as their candidate. By the aid of the shot-gun the South had suppressed the Republican legislatures of the States lately in rebellion, and having gained an inch they went boldly on with the intention of taking a yard.
They certainly did expect to carry things their own way, especially if Mr. Tilden could be elected, which appeared very likely at the time.
Though really done by means of the shot-gun in several Southern States, it was still pretended that those States had been carried for Tilden and the Democrats, which was a most unblushing falsehood on the very face of it, for although returning officers came up as bold as rats from those very States that had gone Democratic by the aid of the shot-gun, and put in their claims, every child in the land, both North and South, knew where the truth lay. A long wrangle followed over the counting of the electoral votes, and as several Southern States had been carried unlawfully, they were flung out, and General Rutherford B. Hayes was declared duly elected President of the United States, and took his seat on the Fourth of March, 1877. Now arose a wild cry about injustice from all the Democrats of the land that what they called "a great steal" had been done. The rebel South (that cared for no rights but the right of their murderous shot-guns) was exasperated to the last degree. In fact they were ready to fight for what they considered their rights, that is the right to do as they pleased. They had hoped that with the restoration of the Democratic government at that time they would be able to collect their rebel war claims of the National Treasury at Washington, and even get the price of their lost slaves from the same source. They considered that they had a perfect right to all such claims, and that the very rebel soldiers wounded in the war ought to receive pensions the same as those who fought against them for the Union and for freedom. When colored girls called upon those old rebel ladies of Secessia at this time, asking for employment, those female rebels replied, "Oh, we will hire you from your masters or mistresses," thus clearly indicating that they fully expected the restoration of slavery itself!
So the Democrats of the North, and the Bourbon Democrats of the South settled down in a sullen mood to four years more of Republican rule. It was nothing but right and proper that they should be disappointed of their prey. Even St. Paul, in the New Testament, tells us that no man is ent.i.tled to the prize unless he contends lawfully. Of course, the South neither cared for the opinion of St. Paul, lawful contention, nor anything else of the same kind. So long as they could carry the elections by the shot-gun it was all right, and good enough for them.
The South was still discontented and sullen. They had, indeed, knocked down the Republican governments of her several States, but though allowed to govern was not allowed all war claims on the treasury at Washington, and there was not one single ray of hope for the restoration of slavery. None, none whatever! That was settled for all time. "Dixie"
sat down like a sulky, sullen woman by her own hearthstone, and refused to be comforted. While she was in sorrow, others were in joy. Uncle Sam, like a kind and tender husband, next tried the gentler arts of pacifying and pleasing his termagant wife-the wife who in former days, yea, even for fifty years, had always threatened to go out of the Union unless she could have her own way! So an ex-Major-General of the late Confederate army was called into the cabinet of President Hayes, and was given a portfolio for the purpose of trying what he could do to better the condition of the South. Then General Longstreet, also a leader in the army of the rebellion, was made postmaster at Gainesville, in Georgia, and was afterwards sent as minister to Turkey. Colonel Mosby, the famous Confederate guerilla, was sent to China, and Colonel Fitzsimmons was made marshal of Georgia. The South nevertheless did not show any signs of real improvement. They stuck together, however, in a certain fashion, like solid rocks of ice, all congealed and frozen tight and hard together into one lump, and became known as the "Solid South." They showed the greatest repugnance to the scalawags and carpet-baggers, and all white Republicans generally, who were intimidated, persecuted and driven out of all partic.i.p.ation in the reconstruction of the States.
Black Republicans were allowed to vote, but the Democrats of Secessia took the counting of the votes into their own hands, and secured the offices, all the same! At this time President Hayes was under the influence of Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, and Wade Hampton, of South Carolina. President Hayes expected much, but received nothing in return. The more kindness and consideration he showed them the more arrogant and ungrateful they became. The Southern leaders in Congress even tried to deprive the President of his Const.i.tutional veto-tried to starve the army, and even to protract the session of Congress. The North was indeed holding out the olive branch of peace to the late rebel States, and these States were trampling the kindness of the North beneath their feet. Southern insolence went on, grew and increased.
There were loyal Republican men at Washington, who could have a.s.sisted the President to steer the ship of state better than he did; but President Hayes did not seem to care for their advice; he preferred to shut himself up altogether in his own abilities, and left his real well-wishers and friends on the outside. There was evidently no such thing as satisfying the demands of the South. With unthankfulness she took all that was given and demanded more, and never as much as said "Thank you!" She considered that she had done right to secede, and was only sorry that she had not succeeded with her rebellion. President Hayes refused to surrender his veto power to those arrogant and secessionist Congressmen at Washington. At last he saw clearly that the South was not capable of appreciating his kindness as she ought, and that all his good intentions had been flung away. He now decided to change front, being worn out with so much arrogance and ingrat.i.tude.
Dealing out kindness to a gang of ex-rebel officers, who had once owned and whipped their slaves, was found to be very irksome work. The entire Republican party were now firmly and solidly united against the South.
The Cabinet, which was a splendid one, became more and more unanimous than before; the administration was without fault, and other good things that followed in their train did wonders for the Republican party all over the land. Among these was the resumption of specie payment-a source of delight to the nation. Thus, at last we see the Republican ranks of the North were firmly united. They saw clearly that the arrogance of the South was simply unlimited, and that nothing short of the state of things before the war would satisfy her, unless, indeed, it was the complete extension of her darling slavery from the Gulf of Mexico to all the Northern States of the Union along the Canadian border.
There was one man in this country at the time who clearly saw what the country needed next to tide her over the present state of things. This clear-sighted man was the Hon. Charles Foster, Congressman from Ohio.
Mr. Foster returned home to Ohio from Washington in the summer of 1878.
He had been watching with eagle eyes the follies of President Hayes in the vain attempt he made to pacify the South by love and kindness. He had watched the governments of the Northern States slipping away from their allegiance to the Republican party one after another, and, indeed, he took in the whole situation, and saw what was needed to steer the ship of state through the right channel in safety. Mr. Foster saw that the South had been thoroughly disloyal in every respect; they had acted with treason to the Union; they had not shown the least desire to protect the new citizens, the colored voters at the polls, but in fact had purposely murdered them with the shot-gun; they had shown the whole nation that they were bent on rebellion, and nothing else.
On the first of August, 1878, Mr. Foster made a great and famous speech at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, when he raised a battle-cry that thrilled the entire North, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, "A Solid North Against a Solid South!" This speech was published in all the papers of the land, and was kept up till it elected Garfield, in 1880. On account of its immense influence during these two years, I will here reproduce it. Such a battle-cry as this should be committed to memory.
Mr. Foster proceeded to say:
"I happened to be one who thought and believed that the President"s southern policy, as far as it related to the use of the troops for the support of State Governments, was right. I sustained it upon the ground of high principle,-nevertheless it could have been sustained on the ground of necessity. The President has extended to the people of the south the hand of conciliation and friendship. He has shown a desire, probably contrary to the wishes of the great ma.s.s of his party, to bring about by the means of conciliation, better relations between the north and the south. In doing this he has alienated from him the great ma.s.s of the leading and influential republicans of the country. He has lost their sympathy, and to a great degree their support. What has he received in return for the measure of conciliation and kindness? How have these measures been received by the south? What advance can we discover in them of the recognition of the guarantees of the rights of the colored men under the Const.i.tutional Amendments? We see Jeff. Davis making speeches as treasonable as those of 1861, and these speeches endorsed and applauded by a great portion of their press and people! We see also the declaration of Mr. Singleton, of Mississippi, in answer to a question of mine on the floor of the house, declaring that this paramount allegiance in peace and war was due to his State! No gentlemen from the south, or even of the democratic party has taken issue with him.
"We see also, all over the south, a disposition to resist the execution of the United States laws, especially in the matter of collection of internal revenue. To-day there are four United States officers under arrest by the authorities of the State of South Carolina, in jail and bail refused, for an alleged crime in their State, while in fact these officers were discharging their duty in executing the laws of the United States, in that State. Their State courts and their officers refused to obey the writs of the United States courts in the surrender of these United States authorities. No former act of this treasonable state shows a more defiant att.i.tude towards the United States Government, or a greater disposition to trample on its authority. I trust the administration will in this case, a.s.sert, in the most vigorous manner possible, the authority of the United States Government for the rescue and protection of these officers. I have no b.l.o.o.d.y shirt to wave. If there is one man in this country more than another, who desires peace and quiet between the sections, I believe I am that man. Gentlemen may philosophize over this question until they are gray, but you cannot escape the discussion of this question so long as the Solid South menaces the peace of the country. A solid democratic south means the control of the country by the spirit and the men who sought its destruction.
"My own opinion is that there can be no peace. This question will not down until the menace of the Solid South is withdrawn. I had hoped that the policy of President Hayes would lead to the a.s.sertion, by a very considerable portion of the South, of their antagonism to Bourbon Democracy. I confess to a degree of disappointment in this, though I think I see signs of a breaking up of the Solid South in the independent movements that seem to be gaining a foothold in all sections of that country. But the effective way to aid these independent movements; this breaking up of all the Solid South, is for the North to present itself united against the Solid South. A Solid South under the control of the Democratic party means the control of the party by this element. It means the repeal of the Const.i.tutional Amendments, if not in form, in spirit. It means the payment of hundreds of rebel claims. It means the payment of pensions to rebel soldiers. It means the payment for slaves lost in the rebellion. It means the abrogation of that provision of the Const.i.tution which declares that the citizens of one State shall have all the rights, privileges and immunities of the citizens of other States.
"If my Democratic friends who seem to be anxious to bring about peace and quiet between the sections are sincere, and desire to make their expressions effective, they should act with that party which presents a solid front, a united North so long as we are menaced with the Solid South.
"If it could be understood in the South that they are to be met with a Solid North, I do not believe that the Solid South would exist in that condition a single year. They retain this position because they believe they can have the support of a fragment of the North; and thus with this fragment rule and control the country. I would have no fear of the control of the country by the Democratic party, if it were made up of something like equal proportions from all sections of the country. I discuss this question first, because I believe it is the most important question at issue in the pending canva.s.s. I repeat, that it is the imperative duty of the North to meet the Solid South with a united front!"
The above little speech thrilled the North, and put new life into the Republican party. It was a regular battle-cry; it was pa.s.sed along the line from city to city, and from State to State. It gave Mr. Foster the nomination for Governor of Ohio, and whereas the Democrats had possession of the State by a majority of 23,000, he reversed the whole question by a Republican majority of 17,000, and redeemed the State of Ohio to the Republican party. The rising tide of enthusiasm swept the whole country. That famous little speech was printed and set forth by all the papers of the land. Editorials were written on the subject, and orators all over the land took Mr. Foster"s speech at Upper Sandusky as a text from which to preach their sermons. The whole country was aroused over the treasonable designs and aims of the South. Her intentions were to come as near back to slavery as ever she could get, or rather as near as ever she dared to come, once more. But now the North was on her guard, and presented a solid Republican front against the Solid South, and in the course of two years more returned James A. Garfield as President of the United States.
You must have observed, my dear reader, in the last few pages, how the former secessionists arose in the South, and tore down the negro, or Republican, governments that ruled in the days of Reconstruction. You have seen the arrogance and insolence of the rebel brigadier-generals who vaulted into their places, and even came to Congress at Washington, and attempted to tie the hands of President Hayes by depriving him of the right to veto. You have seen how these self-same rebels next began to talk about pensioning the very soldiers who broke up the Union for a time, or at least prevented the free course of law in the Southern States, and they next built their hopes on the payment of their own war-claims and the price of their slaves out of the United States Treasury at Washington. You have seen how all the above, and far more, welded all the Northern States into what was termed "the Solid North,"
and rolled back the great Southern waves of presumption and insolence, saying to the sea, "Thus far shalt thou come, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed!" Having said and done so much, and having awakened the Southern States to their proper senses, a person would have thought that colored men would have been restored to the government of these States, at least in cases where the colored men were clever men, and therefore well qualified to rule. But the aforementioned Negro, or Republican, governments of the late rebel States were not restored, though we had established the "Solid North," and returned James A. Garfield to the White House as the head of the great republic.
For the time being, therefore, and for the sake of peace, the North has not yet seen fit to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment, so as to compel the South to make room for the rightful share of colored men in the governments of the South. If this were France or England, colored men would to-day be sitting side by side with white men, and ruling the country together. But the South was like a termagant, fighting wife, who shook her fists in her husband"s face, and exclaimed, "Look ye here Sam!
This is a white man"s government and I will rule it myself, or not rule at all; for these colored men shall not divide the power with me!" Then Uncle Sam, poor fellow, gave way, for a time, for the sake of peace, and ever since colored men in the South have kept away from this hateful contention with the white man there. It may have been for the best for the present, till we are more highly educated, and so more fitted and qualified to rule. In the meantime we are gathering knowledge like sands of the sea, and qualifying ourselves to hold any office on the face of the earth. Those rebels are rapidly pa.s.sing away who sold "their own flesh and blood" on the auction blocks, and who fought for slavery on many a well-contested field, and at last were subdued by physical force.
They are pa.s.sing away, and more intelligent and enlightened children are taking their places. And we are growing more and more intelligent every day of the year, and the time must come, and come soon, when we will get all the rights that belong to us, and one of this is the right for colored men to rule the entire Union, North, East, South and West, along with all other men. And, my dear reader, as sure as there is a G.o.d in heaven, so sure is it that we shall yet get all that belongs to us, and right and justice shall prevail and flourish from the Lakes to the Gulf!
CHAPTER XVI.