My policy for settling up these questions,” said a Yankee, “would be to banish all the leaders, and tell the rest that they had been soundly whipped, and, now, the best thing they could do would be to go to work and repair their ruined fortunes.
This quote reflects a perspective on post-war reconstruction and the attitudes towards leadership in the South.
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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.
They should persist in this claim respectfully, but firmly, taking care to bring no discredit upon it by their own action.
It has proved, also, that universal suffrage is the surest guarantee and most powerful stimulus of individual, social and political progress.
He who has that right will usually respect himself more, be more respected, perform more, and more productive work, and do more to increase the wealth and welfare of the community, than he who has it not.