the sequel of appomattox-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




The　church　organizations　were　as　much　involved　in　the　war　and　in　the　reconstruction　as　were　secular　institutions。　Before　the　war　every　religious　organization　having　members　North　and　South；　except　the　Catholic　Church　and　the　Jews；　had　separated　into　independent　Northern　and　Southern　bodies。　In　each　section　church　feeling　ran　high；　and　when　the　war　came；　the　churches　supported　the　armies。　As　the　Federal　armies　occupied　Southern　territory；　the　church　buildings　of　each　denomination　were　turned　over　to　the　corresponding　Northern　body；　and　Southern　ministers　were　permitted　to　remain　only　upon　agreeing　to　conduct　〃loyal　services；　pray　for　the　President　of　the　United　States　and　for　Federal　victories〃　and　to　foster　〃loyal　sentiment。〃　The　Protestant　Episcopal　churches　in　Alabama　were　closed　from　September　to　December　1865；　and　some　congregations　were　dispersed　by　the　soldiers　because　Bishop　Wilmer　had　directed　his　clergy　to　omit　the　prayer　for　President　Davis　but　had　substituted　no　other。　The　ministers　of　non…liturgical　churches　were　not　so　easily　controlled。　A　Georgia　Methodist　preacher　directed　by　a　Federal　officer　to　pray　for　the　President　said　afterwards：　〃I　prayed　for　the　President　that　the　Lord　would　take　out　of　him　and　his　allies　the　hearts　of　beasts　and　put　into　them　the　hearts　of　men　or　remove　the　cusses　from　office。〃　Sometimes　members　of　a　congregation　showed　their　resentment　at　the　〃loyal〃　prayers　by　leaving　the　church。　But　in　spite　of　many　irritations；　both　sides　frequently　managed　to　get　some　amusement　out　of　the　〃loyal〃　services。　The　church　situation　was；　however；　a　serious　matter　during　and　after　the　reconstruction；　and　some　of　its　later　phases　will　have　to　be　discussed　elsewhere。

The　Unionist；　or　〃Tory；〃　of　the　lower　and　eastern　South　found　himself；　in　1865；　a　man　without　a　country。　Few　in　number　in　any　community；　they　found　themselves；　upon　their　return　from　a　harsh　exile；　the　victims　of　ostracism　or　open　hostility。　One　of　them；　William　H。　Smith；　later　Governor　of　Alabama；　testified　that　the　Southern　people　〃manifest　the　most　perfect　contempt　for　a　man　who　is　known　to　be　an　unequivocal　Union　man；　they　call　him　a　'galvanized　Yankee'　and　apply　other　terms　and　epithets　to　him。〃　General　George　H。　Thomas；　speaking　of　a　region　more　divided　in　sentiment　than　Alabama；　remarked　that　〃Middle　Tennessee　is　disturbed　by　animosities　and　hatreds；　much　more　than　it　is　by　the　disloyalty　of　persons　towards　the　Government　of　the　United　States。

Those　personal　animosities　would　break　out　and　overawe　the　civil　authorities；　but　for　the　presence　there　of　the　troops　of　the　United　States　。　。　。　。　They　are　more　unfriendly　to　Union　men；　natives　of　the　State　of　Tennessee；　or　of　the　South；　who　have　been　in　the　Union　army；　than　they　are　to　men　of　Northern　birth。〃

In　the　border　states；　society　was　sharply　divided；　and　feeling　was　bitter。　In　eastern　Tennessee；　eastern　Kentucky；　West　Virginia；　and　parts　of　Arkansas　and　Missouri；　returning　Confederates　met　harsher　treatment　than　did　the　Unionists　in　the　lower　South。　Trowbridge　says　of　east　Tennessee：　〃Returning　rebels　were　robbed；　and　if　one　had　stolen　unawares　to　his　home；　it　was　not　safe　for　him　to　remain　there。　I　saw　in　Virginia　one　of　these　exiles；　who　told　me　how　homesickly　he　pined　for　the　hills　and　meadows　of　east　Tennessee；　which　he　thought　the　most　delightful　region　in　the　world。　But；　there　was　a　rope　hanging　from　a　tree　for　him　there；　and　he　dared　not　go　back。　'The　bottom　rails　are　on　top；'　said　he；　'that　is　the　trouble。'　The　Union　element；　and　the　worst　part　of　the　Union　element；　was　uppermost。〃　Confederates　and　Confederate　sympathizers　in　Maryland；　West　Virginia；　Tennessee；　and　Kentucky；　were　disfranchised。　In　West　Virginia；　Tennessee；　and　Missouri；　〃war　trespass〃　suits　were　brought　against　returning　Confederates　for　military　acts　done　in　war　time。　In　Missouri　and　West　Virginia；　strict　test　oaths　excluded　Confederates　from　office；　from　the　polls；　and　from　the　professions　of　teaching；　preaching；　and　law。　On　the　other　hand　in　central　and　western　Kentucky；　the　predominant　Unionist　population；　themselves　suffering　through　the　abolition　of　slavery；　and　by　the　objectionable　operations　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　and　the　unwise　military　administration；　showed　more　sympathy　for　the　Confederates；　welcomed　them　home；　and　soon　relieved　them　of　all　restrictions。

Still　another　element　of　discord　was　added　by　the　Northerners　who　came　to　exploit　the　South。　Many　mustered…out　soldiers　proposed　to　stay。　Speculators　of　all　kinds　followed　the　withdrawing　Confederate　lines　and　with　the　conclusion　of　peace　spread　through　the　country；　but　they　were　not　cordially　received。　With　the　better　class；　the　Southerners；　especially　the　soldiers；　associated　freely　if　seldom　intimately。　But　the　conduct　of　a　few　of　their　number　who　considered　that　the　war　had　opened　all　doors　to　them；　who　very　freely　expressed　their　views；　gave　advice；　condemned　old　customs；　and　were　generally　offensive；　did　much　to　bring　all　Northerners　into　disrepute。　Tactlessly　critical　letters　published　in　Northern　papers　did　not　add　to　their　popularity。　The　few　Northern　women　felt　the　ostracism　more　keenly　than　did　the　men。　Benjamin　C。　Truman；　an　agent　of　President　Johnson；　thus　summed　up　the　situation：　〃There　is　a　prevalent　disposition　not　to　associate　too　freely　with　Northern　men　or　to　receive　them　into　the　circles　of　society；　but　it　is　far　from　unsurmountable。　Over　Southern　society；　as　over　every　other；　woman　reigns　supreme；　and　they　are　more　embittered　against　those　whom　they　deem　the　authors　of　all　their　calamities　than　are　their　brothers；　sons；　and　husbands。〃　But；　of　the　thousands　of　Northern　men　who　overcame　the　reluctance　of　the　Southerners　to　social　intercourse；　little　was　heard。　Many　a　Southern　planter　secured　a　Northern　partner　or　sold　him　half　his　plantation　to　get　money　to　run　the　other　half。　For　the　irritations　of　1865；　each　party　must　take　its　share　of　responsibility。

Had　the　South　assisted　in　a　skillful　and　adequate　publicity；　much　disastrous　misunderstanding　might　have　been　avoided。　The　North　knew　as　little　of　the　South　as　the　South　did　of　the　North；　but　the　North　was　eager　for　news。　Able　newspaper　correspondents　like　Sidney　Andrews　of　the　Boston　Advertiser　and　the　Chicago　Tribune；　who　opposed　President　Johnson's　policies；　Thomas　W。　Knox　of　the　New　York　Herald；　who　had　given　General　Sherman　so　much　trouble　in　Tennessee；　Whitelaw　Reid；　who　wrote　for　several　papers　and　tried　cotton　planting　in　Louisiana；　and　John　T。　Trowbridge；　New　England　author　and　journalist；　were　dispatched　southwards。　Chief　of　the　President's　investigators　was　General　Carl　Schurz；　German　revolutionist；　Federal　soldier；　and　soon　to　be　radical　Republican；　who　held　harsh　views　of　the　Southern　people；　and　there　were　besides　Harvey　M。　Watterson；　Kentucky　Democrat　and　Unionist；　the　father　of　〃Marse〃　Henry；　Benjamin　C。　Truman；　New　England　journalist　and　soldier；　whose　long　report　was　perhaps　the　best　of　all；　Chief　Justice　Chase；　who　was　thinking　mainly　of　〃How　soon　can　the　Negro　vote？〃；　and　General　Grant；　who　made　a　report　so　brief　that；　notwithstanding　its　value；　it　attracted　little　attention。　In　addition　a　constant　stream　of　information　and　misinformation　was　going　northward　from　treasury　agents；　officers　of　the　army；　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　teachers；　and　missionaries。　Among　foreigners　who　described　the　conquered　land　were　Robert　Somers；　Henry　Latham；　and　William　Hepworth　Dixon。　But　few　in　the　South　realized　the　importance　of　supplying　the　North　with　correct　information　about　actual　conditions。　The　letters　and　reports；　they　thought；　humiliated　them；　inquiry　was　felt　to　be　prying　and　gloating。　〃Correspondents　have　added　a　new　pang　to　surrender；〃　it　was　said。　The　South　was　proud　and　refused　to　be　catechized。　From　the　Northern　point　of　view；　the　South；　a　new　and　strange　region　with　strange　customs　and　principles；　was　of　course；　not　to　be　considered　as　quite　normal　and　American；　but　there　was　on　the　part　of　many　correspondents　a　determined　attempt　to　describe　things　as　they　were。　And　yet　the　North　persisted　in　its　unsympathetic　queries　when　it　seemed　to　have　a　sufficient　answer　in　the　reports　of　Grant；　Schurz；　and　Truman。

Grant's　opinion　was　short　and　direct：　〃I　am　satisfied　that　the　mass　of　thinking　men　of　the　South　accept　the　present　situation　of　affairs　in　good　faith　。　。　。　。　The　citizens　of　the　Southern　States　are　anxious　to　return　to　self…government　within　the　Union　as　soon　as　possible。〃　Truman　came　to　the　conclusion　that　〃the　rank　and　file　of　the　disbanded　Southern　army　。　。　。　are　the　backbone　and　sinew　of　the　South　。　。　。　。　To　the　disbanded　regiments　of　the　rebel　army；　both　officers　and　men；　I　look　with　great　confidence　as　the　best　and　altogether　the　most　hopeful　element　of　the　South；　the　real　basis　of　reconstruction　and　the　material　of　worthy　citizenship。〃　General　John　Tarbell；　before　the　Joint　Committee　on　Reconstruction；　testified　that　〃there　are；　no　doubt；　disloyal　and　disorderly　persons　in　the　South；　but　it　is　an　entire　mistake　to　apply　these　terms　to　a　whole　people。　I　would　as　soon　travel　alone；　unarmed；　through　the　South　as　through　the　North。　The　South　I　left　is　not　at　all　the　South　I　hear　and　read　about　in　the　North。　From　the　sentiment　I　hear　in　the　North；　I　wo