Historical voices

Yes, that, is all well enough, General; but these are negroes, who ought to be subordinate, and when I tell them to go to their quarters, and they don’t do it, we can’t put up with it.

You see, General, this is alarming, and you must acknowledge that we are not safe.

I would rather give up my crop to the negroes than the lives of my wife and children.

What reason should the negroes have to resort to violence?

Negroes neglected to touch their hats to overseers or former masters whom they disliked; and straightway it was announced that they were growing too saucy for human endurance.

After due investigation and reflection upon this matter, we have determined to talk plainly, without fear or favor, and if our voice of warning is not heeded, we, at least, will have the consoling reflection that we have performed our duty.

At its close they had developed a mineral wealth which ages could not exhaust, and had built up here, as I have said, a manufactory of guns, great and small, with which only three or four in the United States could be compared.

But for the utter collapse of the rebellion, at about the same time, this destruction of these shops would have been justly considered the weightiest among the crowding calamities of the rebellion.

With reasonable prudence and skill, they might hope to realize at least double as much as could be expected from an investment of the same amount of capital in farming at the North.

They had been fairly whipped in fight; they frankly acknowledged it, and desired, above all things, to go to work and repair their shattered fortunes.

What’s the use of your right to do a thing, if you know you’ll get soundly whipped if you attempt it?

We believe in the right of secession as much as we ever did; but what difference does that make?

The more I see of them, the more I am convinced that they are a totally different class of people, and can never assimilate with us Southerners.

But they all indorsed President Johnson; the despot of Tennessee, the tory who had deserted his section and attempted to grind down his people; the drunken tailor and demagogue, had suddenly become the pattern of all statesmanlike virtues.

The temper which used to display itself in lynching gentlemen whose writings were not satisfactory, now found this safer outlet.

The newspapers found it difficult to realize that free speech and a free press were at last established.

Public sentiment was against the sale of lands to the Yankees; “Get white laborers,” they urged, “and in a year you’ll make enough to be able to hold on to your lands.

A pioneer company of planters, disgusted with “free niggers,” the United States Government, the defeat, and everything connected with the country, were about to sail for Brazil, taking with them farming utensils and provisions for six…

The local papers were calling out lustily to “checkmate the Freedmen’s League.” This association, it seemed, had “taken upon itself to fix the wages of freedmen at ten dollars per month,” a rate higher than had been heretofore ruling.

A few thought of watching the Yankees and imitating their policy; but the most of those who did not propose flying to Brazil, were dreaming of imported white labor.

It is only where the attrition of social intercourse is almost wholly removed that a human being can possibly grow to manhood with so little advancement beyond the condition of the brutes around him.

The men who make haste to adjure all the principles they fought for, and to acknowledge their dead brothers and sons to have been traitors, they are the ones whose new-born “loyalty” is sown upon the sand.

The men to suspect of dishonesty are not these who frankly, admit that they are defeated and bound to submit, but still insist that they were right in the start of the quarrel.

They admit that they are whipped; but the honest ones make no pretense of loving the power that whipped them.