the sequel of appomattox-第13节

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eriod　of　transition。　When　the　Negro　should　be　fit；　let　him　be　advanced　to　citizenship。

Most　Southern　leaders　agreed　that　the　removal　of　the　master's　protection　was　a　real　loss　to　the　Negro　which　must　be　made　good　to　some　extent　by　giving　the　Negro　a　status　in　court　and　by　accepting　Negro　testimony　in　all　cases　in　which　blacks　were　concerned。　The　North　Carolina　committee　on　laws　for　freedmen　agreed　with　objectors　that　〃there　are　comparatively　few　of　the　slaves　lately　freed　who　are　honest〃　and　truthful；　but　maintained　that　the　Negroes　were　capable　of　improvement。　The　chief　executives　of　Mississippi　and　Florida　declared　that　there　was　no　danger　to　the　whites　in　admitting　the　more　or　less　unreliable　Negro　testimony；　for　the　courts　and　juries　would　in　every　case　arrive　at　a　proper　valuation　of　it。　Governors　Marvin　of　Florida　and　Humphreys　of　Mississippi　advocated　practical　civil　equality；　while　in　North　Carolina　and　several　other　States　there　was　a　disposition　to　admit　Negro　testimony　only　in　cases　in　which　Negroes　were　concerned。　The　North　Carolina　committee　recommended　the　abolition　of　whipping　as　a　punishment　unfit　for　free　people；　and　most　States　accepted　this　principle。　Even　in　1865；　the　general　disposition　was　to　make　uniform　laws　for　both　races；　except　in　regard　to　violation　of　contracts；　immoral　conduct；　vagrancy；　marriage；　schools；　and　forms　of　punishment。　In　some　of　these　matters　the　whites　were　to　be　more　strictly　regulated；　in　others；　the　Negroes。

There　was　further　general　agreement　that　in　economic　relations　both　races　must　be　protected；　each　from　the　other；　but　it　is　plain　that　the　leaders　believed　that　the　Negro　had　less　at　stake　than　the　white。　The　Negro　was　disposed　to　be　indolent；　he　knew　little　of　the　obligations　of　contracts；　he　was　not　honest；　and　he　would　leave　his　job　at　will。　Consequently　Memminger　recommended　apprenticeship　for　all　Negroes；　Governor　Marvin　suggested　it　for　children　alone；　and　others　wished　it　provided　for　orphans　only。　Further；　the　laws　enacted　must　force　the　Negroes　to　settle　down；　to　work；　and　to　hold　to　contracts。　Memminger　showed　that；　without　legislation　to　enforce　contracts　and　to　secure　eviction　of　those　who　refused　to　work；　the　white　planter　in　the　South　was　wholly　at　the　mercy　of　the　Negro。　The　plantations　were　scattered；　the　laborers'　houses　were　already　occupied；　and　there　was　no　labor　market　to　which　a　planter　could　go　if　the　laborers　deserted　his　fields。

What　would　the　Negro　become　if　these　leaders　of　reconstruction　were　to　have　their　way？　Something　better　than　a　serf；　something　less　than　a　citizena　second　degree　citizen；　perhaps；　with　legal　rights　about　equal　to　those　of　white　women　and　children。　Governor　Marvin　hoped　to　make　of　the　race　a　good　agricultural　peasantry；　his　successor　was　anxious　that　the　blacks　should　be　preferred　to　European　immigrants；　others　agreed　with　Memminger　that　after　training　and　education　he　might　be　advanced　to　full　citizenship。

These　opinions　are　representative　of　those　held　by　the　men　who；　Memminger　excepted；　were　placed　in　charge　of　affairs　by　President　Johnson　and　who　were　not　especially　in　sympathy　with　the　Negroes　or　with　the　planters　but　rather　with　the　average　white。　All　believed　that　emancipation　was　a　mistake；　but　all　agreed　that　〃it　is　not　the　Negro's　fault〃　and　gave　no　evidence　of　a　disposition　to　perpetuate　slavery　under　another　name。

The　legislation　finally　framed　showed　in　its　discriminatory　features　the　combined　influence　of　the　old　laws　for　free　Negroes；　the　vagrancy　laws　of　North　and　South　for　whites；　the　customs　of　slavery　times；　the　British　West　Indies　legislation　for　ex…slaves；　and　the　regulations　of　the　United　States　War　and　Treasury　Departments　and　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureauall　modified　and　elaborated　by　the　Southern　whites。　In　only　two　states；　Mississippi　and　South　Carolina；　did　the　legislation　bulk　large　in　quantity；　in　other　states　discriminating　laws　were　few；　in　still　other　states　none　were　passed　except　those　defining　race　and　prohibiting　intermarriage。

In　all　of　the　state　laws　there　were　certain　common　characteristics；　among　which　were　the　following：　the　descendant　of　a　Negro　was　to　be　classed　as　a　Negro　through　the　third　generation；*　even　though　one　parent　in　each　generation　was　white；　intermarriage　of　the　races　was　prohibited；　existing　slave　marriages　were　declared　valid　and　for　the　future　marriage　was　generally　made　easier　for　the　blacks　than　for　the　whites。　In　all　states　the　Negro　was　given　his　day　in　court；　and　in　cases　relating　to　Negroes　his　testimony　was　accepted；　in　six　states　he　might　testify　in　any　case。　When　provision　was　made　for　schooling；　the　rule　of　race　separation　was　enforced。　In　Mississippi　the　〃Jim　Crow　car；〃　or　separate　car　for　Negroes；　was　invented。　In　several　states　the　Negro　had　to　have　a　license　to　carry　weapons；　to　preach；　or　to　engage　in　trade。　In　Mississippi；　a　Negro　could　own　land　only　in　town；　in　other　states　he　could　purchase　land　only　in　the　country。　Why　the　difference？　No　one　knows　and　probably　few　knew　at　the　time。　Some　of　the　legislation　was　undoubtedly　hasty　and　ill…considered。

*　Fourth　in　Tennessee。


But　the　laws　relating　to　apprenticeship；　vagrancy；　and　enforced　punitive　employment　turned　out　to　be　of　greater　practical　importance。　On　these　subjects　the　legislation　of　Mississippi　and　South　Carolina　was　the　most　extreme。　In　Mississippi　orphans…　orphans　were　to　be　bound　out；　preferably　to　a　former　master；　if　〃he　or　she　shall　be　a　suitable　person。〃　The　master　was　given　the　usual　control　over　apprentices　and　was　bound　by　the　usual　duties；　including　that　of　teaching　the　apprentice。　But　the　penalties　for　〃enticing　away〃　apprentices　were　severe。　The　South　Carolina　statute　was　not　essentially　different。　The　vagrancy　laws　of　these　two　states　were　in　the　main　the　same　for　both　races；　but　in　Mississippi　the　definition　of　vagrancy　was　enlarged　to　include　Negroes　not　at　work；　those　〃found　unlawfully　assembling　themselves　together；〃　and　〃all　white　persons　assembling　themselves　with　freedmen。〃　It　is　to　be　noted　that　nearly　all　punishment　for　petty　offenses　took　the　form　of　hiring　out；　preferably　to　the　former　master　or　employer。　The　principal　petty　offenses　were；　it　would　seem；　vagrancy　and　〃enticing　away〃　laborers　or　apprentices。　The　South　Carolina　statute　contains　some　other　interesting　provisions。　A　Negro；　man　or　woman；　who　had　enjoyed　the　companionship　of　two　or　more　spouses；　must　by　April　1；　1866；　select　one　of　them　as　a　permanent　partner；　a　farm　laborer　must　〃rise　at　dawn；〃　feed　the　animals；　care　for　the　property；　be　quiet　and　orderly；　and　〃retire　at　reasonable　hours；〃　on　Sunday　the　servants　must　take　turns　in　doing　the　necessary　work；　and　they　must　be　respectful　and　civil　to　the　〃master　and　his　family；　guests；　and　agents；〃　to　engage　in　skilled　labor　the　Negro　must　obtain　a　license。　Whipping　and　the　pillory　were　permitted　in　Florida　for　certain　offenses；　and　in　South　Carolina　the　master　might　〃moderately　correct〃　servants　under　eighteen　years　of　age。　Other　punishments　were　generally　the　same　for　both　races；　except　the　hiring　out　for　petty　offenses。

From　the　Southern　point　of　view　none　of　this　legislation　was　regarded　as　a　restriction　of　Negro　rights　but　as　a　wide　extension　to　the　Negro　of　rights　never　before　possessed；　an　adaptation　of　the　white　man's　laws　to　his　peculiar　case。　It　is　doubtful　whether　in　some　of　the　states　the　authorities　believed　that　there　were　any　discriminatory　laws；　they　probably　overlooked　some　of　the　free　Negro　legislation　already　on　the　statute　books。　In　Alabama；　for　example；　General　Wager　Swayne；　the　head　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　reported　that　all　such　laws　had　either　been　dropped　by　the　legislature　or　had　been　vetoed　by　the　governor。　Yet　the　statute　books　do　show　some　discriminations。　There　is　a　marked　difference　between　earlier　and　later　legislation。　The　more　stringent　laws　were　enacted　before　the　end　of　1865。　After　New　Year's　Day　had　passed　and　the　Negroes　had　begun　to　settle　down；　the　legislatures　either　passed　mild　laws　or　abandoned　all　special　legislation　for　the　Negroes。　Later　in　1866；　several　states　repealed　the　legislation　of　1865。

In　so　far　as　the　〃Black　Laws〃　discriminated　against　the　Negro　they　were　never　enforced　but　were　suspended　from　the　beginning　by　the　army　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau。　They　had；　however；　a　very　important　effect　upon　that　section　of　Northern　opinion　which　was　already　suspicious　of　the　good　faith　of　the　Southerners。　They　were　part　of　a　plan；　some　believed；　to　reenslave　the　Negro　or　at　least　to　create　by　law　a　class　of　serfs。　This　belief　did　much　to　bring　about　later　radical　legislation。

If　the　〃Black　Laws〃　represented　the　reaction　of　the　Southern　legislatures　to　racial　conditions；　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　the　corresponding　result　of　the　interest　taken　by　the　North　in　the　welfare　of　the　Negro。　It　was　established　just　as　the　war　was　closing　and　arose　out　of　the　various　attempts　to　meet　the　Negro　problems　that　arose　during　the　war。　The　Bureau　had　always　a　dual　nature；　due　in　part　to　its　inheritance　of　regulations；　precedents；　and　traditions　from　the　various　attempts　made　during　war　time　to　handle　the　many　thousands　of　Negroes　who　came　under　Federal　control；　and　in　part　to　the　humanitarian　impulses　of　1865；　born　of　a　bel