the sequel of appomattox-第31节

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ite　men；　representing　the　remains　of　the　old　civilization。　These　are　good…looking；　substantial　citizens。　They　are　men　of　weight　and　standing　in　the　communities　they　represent。　They　are　all　from　the　hill　country。　The　frosts　of　sixty　and　seventy　winters　whiten　the　heads　of　some　among　them。　There　they　sit；　grim　and　silent。　They　feel　themselves　to　be　but　loose　stones；　thrown　in　to　partially　obstruct　a　current　they　are　powerless　to　resist　。　。　。　。

〃This　dense　Negro　crowd　。　。　。　do　the　debating；　the　squabbling；　the　lawmaking；　and　create　all　the　clamor　and　disorder　of　the　body。　These　twenty…three　white　men　are　but　the　observers；　the　enforced　auditors　of　the　dull　and　clumsy　imitation　of　a　deliberative　body；　whose　appearance　in　their　present　capacity　is　at　once　a　wonder　and　a　shame　to　modern　civilization　。。。。　The　Speaker　is　black；　the　Clerk　is　black；　the　doorkeepers　are　black；　the　little　pages　are　black；　the　chairman　of　the　Ways　and　Means　is　black；　and　the　chaplain　is　coal　black。　At　some　of　the　desks　sit　colored　men　whose　types　it　would　be　hard　to　find　outside　of　Congo；　whose　costumes；　visages；　attitudes；　and　expression；　only　befit　the　forecastle　of　a　buccaneer。　It　must　be　remembered；　also；　that　these　men；　with　not　more　than　a　half　dozen　exceptions；　have　been　themselves　slaves；　and　that　their　ancestors　were　slaves　for　generations。　。　。

〃But　the　old　stagers　admit　that　the　colored　brethren　have　a　wonderful　aptness　at　legislative　proceedings。　They　are　〃quick　as　lightning〃　at　detecting　points　of　order；　and　they　certainly　make　incessant　and　extraordinary　use　of　their　knowledge。　No　one　is　allowed　to　talk　five　minutes　without　interruption；　and　one　interruption　is　a　signal　for　another　and　another；　until　the　original　speaker　is　smothered　under　an　avalanche　of　them。　Forty　questions　of　privilege　will　be　raised　in　a　day。　At　times；　nothing　goes　on　but　alternating　questions　of　order　and　of　privilege。　The　inefficient　colored　friend　who　sits　in　the　Speaker's　chair　cannot　suppress　this　extraordinary　element　of　the　debate。　Some　of　the　blackest　members　exhibit　a　pertinacity　of　intrusion　in　raising　these　points　of　order　and　questions　of　privilege　that　few　white　men　can　equal。　Their　struggles　to　get　the　floor；　their　bellowings　and　physical　contortions；　baffle　description。

〃The　Speaker's　hammer　plays　a　perpetual　tattoo　to　no　purpose。　The　talking　and　the　interruptions　from　all　quarters　go　on　with　the　utmost　license。　Everyone　esteems　himself　as　good　as　his　neighbor；　and　puts　in　his　oar；　apparently　as　often　for　love　of　riot　and　confusion　as　for　anything　else　。　。　。　。　The　Speaker　orders　a　member　whom　he　has　discovered　to　be　particularly　unruly　to　take　his　seat。　The　member　obeys；　and　with　the　same　motion　that　he　sits　down；　throws　his　feet　on　to　his　desk；　hiding　himself　from　the　Speaker　by　the　soles　of　his　boots　。　。　。　。　After　a　few　experiences　of　this　sort；　the　Speaker　threatens；　in　a　laugh；　to　call　the　〃gemman〃　to　order。　This　is　considered　a　capital　joke；　and　a　guffaw　follows。　The　laugh　goes　round　and　then　the　peanuts　are　cracked　and　munched　faster　than　ever；　one　hand　being　employed　in　fortifying　the　inner　man　with　this　nutriment　of　universal　use；　while　the　other　enforces　the　views　of　the　orator。　This　laughing　propensity　of　the　sable　crowd　is　a　great　cause　of　disorder。　They　laugh　as　hens　cackleone　begins　and　all　follow。

〃But　underneath　all　this　shocking　burlesque　upon　legislative　proceedings；　we　must　not　forget　that　there　is　something　very　real　to　this　uncouth　and　untutored　multitude。　It　is　not　all　sham；　nor　all　burlesque。　They　have　a　genuine　interest　and　a　genuine　earnestness　in　the　business　of　the　assembly　which　we　are　bound　to　recognize　and　respect　。　。　。　。　They　have　an　earnest　purpose；　born　of　conviction　that　their　position　and　condition　are　not　fully　assured；　which　lends　a　sort　of　dignity　to　their　proceedings。　The　barbarous；　animated　jargon　in　which　they　so　often　indulge　is　on　occasion　seen　to　be　so　transparently　sincere　and　weighty　in　their　own　minds　that　sympathy　supplants　disgust。　The　whole　thing　is　a　wonderful　novelty　to　them　as　well　as　to　observers。　Seven　years　ago　these　men　were　raising　corn　and　cotton　under　the　whip　of　the　overseer。　Today　they　are　raising　points　of　order　and　questions　of　privilege。　They　find　they　can　raise　one　as　well　as　the　other。　They　prefer　the　latter。　It　is　easier　and　better　paid。　Then；　it　is　the　evidence　of　an　accomplished　result。　It　means　escape　and　defense　from　old　oppressors。　It　means　liberty。　It　means　the　destruction　of　prison…walls　only　too　real　to　them。　It　is　the　sunshine　of　their　lives。　It　is　their　day　of　jubilee。　It　is　their　long…promised　vision　of　the　Lord　God　Almighty。〃

The　congressional　delegations　were　as　radical　as　the　state　governments。　During　the　first　two　years；　there　were　no　Democratic　senators　from　the　reconstructed　states　and　only　two　Democratic　representatives；　as　against　sixty…four　radical　senators　and　representatives。　At　the　end　of　four　years；　the　Democrats　numbered　fifteen　against　seventy　radicals。　A　Negro　succeeded　Jefferson　Davis　in　the　Senate；　and　in　all　the　race　sent　two　senators　and　thirteen　representatives　to　Congress；　but　though　several　were　of　high　character　and　fair　ability；　they　exercised　practically　no　influence。　The　Southern　delegations　had　no　part　in　shaping　policies　but　merely　voted　as　they　were　told　by　the　radical　leaders。

The　effect　of　dishonest　government　was　soon　seen　in　extravagant　expenditures；　heavier　taxes；　increase　of　the　bonded　debt；　and　depression　of　property　values。　It　was　to　be　expected　that　after　the　ruin　wrought　by　war　and　the　admission　of　the　Negro　to　civil　rights；　the　expenses　of　government　would　be　greater。　But　only　lack　of　honesty　will　account　for　the　extraordinary　expenses　of　the　reconstruction　governments。　In　Alabama　and　Florida；　the　running　expenses　of　the　state　government　increased　two　hundred　percent；　in　Louisiana　five　hundred　percent；　and　in　Arkansas　fifteen　hundred　percentall　this　in　addition　to　bond　issues。　In　South　Carolina　the　one　item　of　public　printing；　which　from　1790　to　1868　cost　609；000；　amounted　in　the　years　1868…1876　to　1；326；589。

Corrupt　state　officials　had　two　ways　of　getting　moneyby　taxation　and　by　the　sale　of　bonds。　Taxes　were　everywhere　multiplied。　The　state　tax　rate　in　Alabama　was　increased　four　hundred　percent；　in　Louisiana　eight　hundred　percent；　and　in　Mississippi；　which　could　issue　no　bonds；　fourteen　hundred　percent。　City　and　county　taxes；　where　carpetbaggers　were　in　control；　increased　in　the　same　way。　Thousands　of　small　proprietors　could　not　meet　their　taxes；　and　in　Mississippi　alone　the　land　sold　for　unpaid　taxes　amounted　to　six　million　acres；　an　area　as　large　as　Massachusetts　and　Rhode　Island　together。　Nordhoff*　speaks　of　seeing　Louisiana　newspapers　of　which　three…fourths　were　taken　up　by　notices　of　tax　sales。　In　protest　against　extravagant　and　corrupt　expenditures；　taxpayers'　conventions　were　held　in　every　state；　but　without　effect。

*Charles　Nordhoff；　〃The　Cotton　States　in　the　Spring　and　Summer　of　1875〃。


Even　the　increased　taxation；　however；　did　not　produce　enough　to　support　the　new　governments；　which　now　had　recourse　to　the　sale　of　state　and　local　bonds。　In　this　way　Governor　Holden's　Administration　managed　in　two　years　to　increase　the　public　debt　of　North　Carolina　from　16；000；000　to　32；000；000。　The　state　debt　of　South　Carolina　rose　from　7；000；000　to　29；000；000　in　1873。　In　Alabama；　by　1874；　the　debt　had　mounted　from　7；000；000　to　32；000；000。　The　public　debt　of　Louisiana　rose　from　14；000；000　in　1868　to　48；000；000　in　1871；　with　a　local　debt　of　31；000；000。　Cities；　towns；　and　counties　sold　bonds　by　the　bale。　The　debt　of　New　Orleans　increased　twenty…five　fold　and　that　of　Vicksburg　a　thousandfold。　A　great　deal　of　the　debt　was　the　result　of　fraudulent　issues　of　bonds　or　over…issue。　For　this　form　of　fraud；　the　state　financial　agents　in　New　York　were　usually　responsible。　Southern　bonds　sold　far　below　par；　and　the　time　came　when　they　were　peddled　about　at　ten　to　twenty…five　cents　on　the　dollar。

Still　another　disastrous　result　followed　this　corrupt　financiering。　In　Alabama　there　was　a　sixty…five　percent　decrease　in　property　values；　in　Florida　forty…five　percent；　and　in　Louisiana　fifty　to　seventy…five　percent。　A　large　part　of　the　best　property　was　mortgaged；　and　foreclosure　sales　were　frequent。　Poorer　property　could　be　neither　mortgaged　nor　sold。　There　was　an　exodus　of　whites　from　the　worst　governed　districts　in　the　West　and　the　North。　Many　towns；　among　them　Mobile　and　Memphis；　surrendered　their　charters　and　were　ruled　directly　by　the　governor；　and　there　were　numerous　〃strangulated〃　counties　which　on　account　of　debt　had　lost　self…government　and　were　ruled　by　appointees　of　the　governor。

A　part　of　the　money　raised　by　taxes　and　by　bond　sales　was　used　for　legitimate　expenses　and　the　rest　went　to　pay　forged　warrants；　excess　warrants；　and　swollen　mileage　accounts；　and　to　fill　the　pockets　of　embezzlers　and　thieves　from　one　end　of　the　South　to　the　other。　In　Arkansas；　for　example；　the　auditor's　clerk　hire；　which　was　4000　in　1866；　cost　twenty…three　times　as　much　in　1873。　In　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina；　stealing　was　elevated　into　an　art　and　was　practiced　without　concealment。　In　the　latter　state；　the　worthless　Hell　Hole　Swamp　was　bought　f