The Southern leaders still have the devil in them, and presuming upon the leniency of the President, they are losing sight of their real positions.
Whitelaw Reid: “The Southern leaders still have the devil in them, and presuming upon the leniency of the President, they are losing…”
Editor's note · Context
Reid critiques the attitude of Southern leaders who underestimate their situation after the Civil War.
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Ordinarily the simple performance of duty is so blessed of God, that men who live in the doing of it, are the best off, in all respects, even in this world.
And it is both natural and right that colored Americans, entitled to the rights of citizens, should claim their exercise.
In this way they will surely overcome unjust hostility, and convince even the most prejudiced that the denial to them of any right which citizens may properly exercise is equally unwise and wrong.
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