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　League　was；　in　fact；　the　machine　of　the　radical　party；　and　all　candidates　had　to　be　governed　by　its　edicts。　As　the　Montgomery　Council　declared；　the　Union　League　was　〃the　right　arm　of　the　Union…Republican　party　in　the　United　States。〃

Every　Negro　was　ex　colore　a　member　or　under　the　control　of　the　League。　In　the　opinion　of　the　League；　white　Democrats　were　bad　enough；　but　black　Democrats　were　not　to　be　tolerated。　It　was　almost　necessary；　as　a　measure　of　personal　safety；　for　each　black　to　support　the　radical　program。　It　was　possible　in　some　cases　for　a　Negro　to　refrain　from　taking　an　active　part　in　political　affairs。　He　might　even　fail　to　vote。　But　it　was　actually　dangerous　for　a　black　to　be　a　Democrat；　that　is；　to　try　to　follow　his　old　master　in　politics。　The　whites　in　many　cases　were　forced　to　advise　their　few　faithful　black　friends　to　vote　the　radical　ticket　in　order　to　escape　mistreatment。　Those　who　showed　Democratic　leanings　were　proscribed　in　Negro　society　and　expelled　from　Negro　churches；　the　Negro　women　would　not　〃proshay〃　（appreciate）　a　black　Democrat。　Such　a　one　was　sure　to　find　that　influence　was　being　brought　to　bear　upon　his　dusky　sweetheart　or　his　wife　to　cause　him　to　see　the　error　of　his　ways；　and　persistent　adherence　to　the　white　party　would　result　in　his　losing　her。　The　women　were　converted　to　radicalism　before　the　men；　and　they　almost　invariably　used　their　influence　strongly　in　behalf　of　the　League。　If　moral　suasion　failed　to　cause　the　delinquent　to　see　the　light；　other　methods　were　used。　Threats　were　common　and　usually　sufficed。　Fines　were　levied　by　the　League　on　recalcitrant　members。　In　case　of　the　more　stubborn；　a　sound　beating　was　effective　to　bring　about　a　change　of　heart。　The　offending　party　was　〃bucked　and　gagged；〃　or　he　was　tied　by　the　thumbs　and　thrashed。　Usually　the　sufferer　was　too　afraid　to　complain　of　the　way　he　was　treated。

Some　of　the　methods　of　the　Loyal　League　were　similar　to　those　of　the　later　Ku　Klux　Klan。　Anonymous　warnings　were　sent　to　obnoxious　individuals；　houses　were　burned；　notices　were　posted　at　night　in　public　places　and　on　the　houses　of　persons　who　had　incurred　the　hostility　of　the　order。　In　order　to　destroy　the　influence　of　the　whites　where　kindly　relations　still　existed；　an　〃exodus　order〃　issued　through　the　League　directed　all　members　to　leave　their　old　homes　and　obtain　work　elsewhere。　Some　of　the　blacks　were　loath　to　comply　with　this　order；　but　to　remonstrances　from　the　whites　the　usual　reply　was：　〃De　word　done　sent　to　de　League。　We　got　to　go。〃　For　special　meetings　the　Negroes　were　in　some　regions　called　together　by　signal　guns。　In　this　way　the　call　for　a　gathering　went　out　over　a　county　in　a　few　minutes　and　a　few　hours　later　nearly　all　the　members　in　the　county　assembled　at　the　appointed　place。

Negroes　as　organizing　agents　were　inclined　to　go　to　extremes　and　for　that　reason　were　not　so　much　used。　In　Bullock　County；　Alabama；　a　council　of　the　League　was　organized　under　the　direction　of　a　Negro　emissary；　who　proceeded　to　assume　the　government　of　the　community。　A　list　of　crimes　and　punishments　was　adopted；　a　court　with　various　officials　was　established；　and　during　the　night　the　Negroes　who　opposed　the　new　regime　were　arrested。　But　the　black　sheriff　and　his　deputy　were　in　turn　arrested　by　the　civil　authorities。　The　Negroes　then　organized　for　resistance；　flocked　into　the　county　seat；　and　threatened　to　exterminate　the　whites　and　take　possession　of　the　county。　Their　agents　visited　the　plantations　and　forced　the　laborers　to　join　them　by　showing　orders　purporting　to　be　from　General　Swayne；　the　commander　in　the　state；　giving　them　the　authority　to　kill　all　who　resisted　them。　Swayne；　however；　sent　out　detachments　of　troops　and　arrested　fifteen　of　the　ringleaders；　and　the　League　government　collapsed。

After　it　was　seen　that　existing　political　institutions　were　to　be　overturned　in　the　process　of　reconstruction；　the　white　councils　of　the　League　and；　to　a　certain　extent；　the　Negro　councils　were　converted　into　training　schools　for　the　leaders　of　the　new　party　soon　to　be　formed　in　the　state　by　act　of　Congress。　The　few　whites　who　were　in　control　were　unwilling　to　admit　more　white　members　to　share　in　the　division　of　the　spoils；　terms　of　admission　became　more　stringent；　and；　especially　after　the　passage　of　the　reconstruction　acts　in　March　1867；　many　white　applicants　were　rejected。　The　alien　element　from　the　North　was　in　control　and　as　a　result；　where　the　blacks　were　numerous；　the　largest　plums　fell　to　the　carpetbaggers。　The　Negro　leadersthe　politicians；　preachers；　and　teacherstrained　in　the　League　acted　as　subordinates　to　the　whites　and　were　sent　out　to　drum　up　the　country　Negroes　when　elections　drew　near。　The　Negroes　were　given　minor　positions　when　offices　were　more　plentiful　than　carpetbaggers。　Later；　after　some　complaint；　a　larger　share　of　the　offices　fell　to　them。　The　League　counted　its　largest　white　membership　in　1865…66；　and　after　that　date　it　steadily　decreased。　The　largest　Negro　membership　was　recorded　in　1867　and　1868。　The　total　membership　was　never　made　known。　In　North　Carolina　the　order　claimed　from　seventy…five　thousand　to　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　members；　in　states　with　larger　Negro　populations　the　membership　was　probably　quite　as　large。　After　the　election　of　1868；　only　the　councils　in　the　towns　remained　active；　many　of　them　transformed　into　political　clubs；　loosely　organized　under　local　political　leaders。　The　plantation　Negro　needed　less　looking　after；　and　except　in　the　largest　towns　he　became　a　kind　of　visiting　member　of　the　council　in　the　town。　The　League　as　a　political　organization　gradually　died　out　by　1870。*

*　The　Ku　Klux　Klan　had　much　to　do　with　the　decline　of　the　organization。　The　League　as　the　ally　and　successor　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　one　of　the　causes　of　the　Ku　Klux　movement；　because　it　helped　to　create　the　conditions　which　made　such　a　movement　inevitable。　As　early　as　1870　the　radical　leaders　missed　the　support　formerly　given　by　the　League；　and　an　urgent　appeal　was　sent　out　all　over　the　South　from　headquarters　in　New　York　advocating　its　reestablishment　to　assist　in　carrying　the　elections　of　1870。


The　League　had　served　its　purpose。　It　had　enabled　a　few　outsiders　to　control　the　Negro　by　separating　the　races　politically　and　it　had　compelled　the　Negroes　to　vote　as　radicals　for　several　years；　when　without　its　influence　they　would　either　not　have　voted　at　all　or　would　have　voted　as　Democrats　along　with　their　former　masters。　The　order　was　necessary　to　the　existence　of　the　radical　party　in　the　Black　Belt。　No　ordinary　political　organization　could　have　welded　the　blacks　into　a　solid　party。　The　Freedmen's　Bureau；　which　had　much　influence　over　the　Negroes；　was　too　weak　in　numbers　to　control　the　Negroes　in　politics。　The　League　finally　absorbed　the　personnel　of　the　Bureau　and　turned　its　prestige　and　its　organization　to　political　advantage。



CHAPTER　IX。　CHURCH　AND　SCHOOL

Reconstruction　in　the　state　was　closely　related　to　reconstruction　in　the　churches　and　the　schools。　Here　also　were　to　be　found　the　same　hostile　elements：　Negro　and　white；　Unionist　and　Confederate；　victor　and　vanquished。　The　church　was　at　that　time　an　important　institution　in　the　South；　more　so　than　in　the　North；　and　in　both　sections　more　important　than　it　is　today。　It　was　inevitable；　therefore；　that　ecclesiastical　reconstruction　should　give　rise　to　bitter　feelings。

Something　should　be　said　of　conditions　in　the　churches　when　the　Federal　armies　occupied　the　land。　The　Southern　organizations　had　lost　many　ministers　and　many　of　their　members；　and　frequently　their　buildings　were　used　as　hospitals　or　had　been　destroyed。　Their　administration　was　disorganized　and　their　treasuries　were　empty。　The　Unionists；　scattered　here　and　there　but　numerous　in　the　mountain　districts；　no　longer　wished　to　attend　the　Southern　churches。

The　military　censorship　in　church　matters；　which　continued　for　a　year　in　some　districts；　was　irritating；　especially　in　the　Border　States　and　in　the　Union　districts　where　Northern　preachers　installed　by　the　army　were　endeavoring　to　remain　against　the　will　of　the　people。　Mobs　sometimes　drove　them　out；　others　were　left　to　preach　to　empty　houses　or　to　a　few　Unionists　and　officers；　while　the　congregation　withdrew　to　build　a　new　church。　The　problems　of　Negro　membership　in　the　white　churches　and　of　the　future　relations　of　the　Northern　and　Southern　denominations　were　pressing　for　settlement。

All　Northern　organizations　acted　in　1865　upon　the　assumption　that　a　reunion　of　the　churches　must　take　place　and　that　the　divisions　existing　before　the　war　should　not　be　continued；　since　slavery；　the　cause　of　the　division；　had　been　destroyed。　But　they　insisted　that　the　reunion　must　take　place　upon　terms　named　by　the　〃loyal〃　churches；　that　the　Negroes　must　also　come　under　〃loyal〃　religious　direction；　and　that　tests　must　be　applied　to　the　Confederate　sinners　asking　for　admission；　in　order　that　the　enormity　of　their　crimes　should　be　made　plain　to　them。　But　this　policy　did　not　succeed。　The　Confederates　objected　to　being　treated　as　〃rebels　and　traitors〃　and　to　〃sitting　upon　stools　of　repentance〃　before　they　should　be　received　again　into　the　fold。

Only　two　denominations　were　reunitedthe　Methodist　Protestan