School History of North Carolina Part 42

12. No man knew better than Governor Holden that on our side the war was entirely at an end when the troops laid down their arms, and that when the people of North Carolina renewed their allegiance to the Federal government, they intended to stand to it honestly and faithfully. None better than he knew that they desired nothing so much as to set themselves to the task of rebuilding their fallen fortunes. He knew, too, that they were well aware that before this could be done, civil government, with all its varied machinery, must be re-established, and that in all that was right and proper for a people so situated, they were ready to aid him in doing this. The returned soldiers, too, especially felt that of them some recognition was due for the honorable terms and respectful treatment accorded to them at Appomattox and Greensboro.

13. In such mood it would have been an easy task for a ruler who was both patriot and statesman to re-establish Federal authority in North Carolina. It was simply impossible to punish all who had fought against the Federal government. It was quite as impossible to expect the many who had fought against it to take part in punishing the few. Amnesty and oblivion on one side, renewed allegiance and strict observer of the laws on the other, plainly const.i.tuted the true solution of the problem.

Unfortunately, the partisan prevailed over the patriot. Instead of granting amnesty and oblivion, treason was to be made odious and traitors to be punished. Instead of making the path easy back to the Union, it was constantly blocked up in every possible way by both State and Federal authority. Of course an era of bitterness began, which the long imprisonment of Mr. Davis, the judicial murders of Mrs Surratt and Henry Wirz, the protracted exclusion of the Southern States from all partic.i.p.ation in the general government, and the harsh policy of reconstruction, daily served to intensify.

QUESTIONS.

1. What movement did General Johnston attempt after the surrender of General Lee? What men met General Sherman's army in behalf of the city of Raleigh?

2. When did Sherman's army reach Raleigh? What event is mentioned?

3. What was done by Johnston after learning of Lee's surrender?

What occurred at Washington City?

4. What is said of President Andrew Johnson? How did he act concerning Johnston's surrender?

5. When and where did General Johnston surrender?

6. Who became military Governor of North Carolina? What was his first official act? What is said of the freedom of the slaves?

7. How is the question of slavery further considered?

8. How had the slaves acted during the war? How did they receive the news of freedom?

9. What befell Governor Vance? To what office was W. W. Holden appointed? What was the condition of civil affairs in North Carolina?

10. What is said of Governor Holden?

11. Can you tell something of his life?

12. How should Governor Holden have viewed the situation?

13. What would have been the proper course to pursue towards North Carolina?

CHAPTER LXIV.

REFITTING THE WRECK.

A. D. 1865 TO 1867.

1. When the bulk of the vast armies that had effected the overthrow of the Confederacy was marched northward and disbanded, the full extent of the ruin that had been wrought was at last realized. So many Federal troops had been collected in North Carolina that their subsistence and depredations had consumed nearly all the food in the State, and the utmost scarcity was disclosed in broad districts contiguous to the line of march and occupation by General Sherman's great armies.

2. Grief for the ruined South, the desolated homes and slain kinsmen was further supplemented by the pangs of want and hunger.

Famishing men and women were forced to solicit rations of the Federal officers. Aid was given generally to needy applicants, upon their taking the oath of allegiance to the United States.

3. In the liberation of the slaves ruin was brought upon the banks and other fiscal corporations of the State, and, as a consequence, the endowments of the University and the colleges were, to a great extent, forever lost. Even the large Literary Fund, by which the whole system of common schools was sustained, being invested in similar securities, also disappeared in the general bankruptcy.

4. When the Provisional Governor had entered upon the discharge of his official duties, North Carolina was reduced to a small supply of cotton as the sum of her available means to discharge the current expenses of the new government, and even that was seized by the agents of the United States, and to Governor Holden's appeals for its release, the Secretary of the Treasury and President Johnson proved deaf and inexorable.

5. Judges Pearson and Battle were re-instated in their places of Supreme Court Justices, but Judge M. E. Manly was replaced by Edwin G. Reade, of Person. By orders from Washington, a proclamation was issued for an election of a Convention to restore the State to its former relations. This body met October 2nd, 1865, and selected Judge Reade as its president. Ordinances were pa.s.sed repealing and declaring null and void the secession ordinances of May 20th, 1861, abolishing slavery and invalidating all contracts made in furtherance of the late war.

1866.

6. In the same election, Jonathan Worth, of Randolph, was chosen over Governor Holden as Chief-Magistrate. The State was apparently resuming its self-government, and was soon to show that some spirit was left in the people. They refused to ratify the ordinances of the late Convention by a decided majority; and while accepting the situation and submitting in all quietude to the authorities imposed, they were yet resolved to take no part in these constrained reformations.

7. The general government had been for four years declaring the Ordinances of Secession, pa.s.sed by the several States, null and void. It had been repeatedly announced that no State could thus sever her connection with the Union; but when the legally elected Senators and Representatives from North Carolina reached Washington, they found that this doctrine was reversed, and were told that they could not take part in national legislation until Congress should restore the Southern States to their lost privileges.

8. In the Southern elections that were held, every man was required to take oaths of allegiance and for the support of the amended Federal Const.i.tution. Some refused to attend the polls and a few left the country for foreign lands. A vast majority were resolved to support the Union in good faith, but, unhappily, this was not so understood by the men who controlled at Raleigh and Washington. They were impressed with the belief that only hostile sentiments actuated Southern white men, and, therefore, the proper policy was to confer political power upon the negroes, and in that way establish a new system of rule and social life in the Southern States lately in revolt.

1867.

9. This was a great and cruel mistake in policy. It was not only impossible of execution, but necessarily entailed trouble and suffering on both races thus put in antagonism. It could not be expected that white people would quietly submit to the domination of negroes who had so recently been their slaves, even if such rulers had been equally intelligent and socially respected. When the race feeling was added to the late subjection and present ignorance of the negroes, it was the most futile and abortive scheme ever proposed in America, and was at war with all the precedents and spirit of the great Republic.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the condition of the State after the departure of Federal troops?

2. How were the people enduring mental and bodily suffering?

3. What had become of the various educational funds?

4. What was the only means by which North Carolina could meet the expenses of the State government? What became of the small supply of cotton?

5. What changes did Governor Holden make in the Supreme Court?

What orders did the Governor receive from Washington? What was the Work of the Convention?

6. Who. was chosen to succeed Governor Holden? What political opinions were expressed by the people in their votes?

7. What inconsistencies were observed in the management of affairs at Washington?

8. How did the men of the South feel concerning the laws of Congress?

9. How are the events of this period considered?

CHAPTER LXV.

GOVERNOR WORTH AND PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

A. D. 1867 TO 1868.

President Andrew Johnson, as has already been stated, was born and reared in the city of Raleigh. He went to Tennessee after reaching manhood, and, though blessed with small advantages as to early culture, devoted himself to political life. He is said to have mastered the rudiments of education with his wife's help. His native ability soon gave him position as a politician and eventually great popularity and control over the Tennessee people.

2. He soon relaxed in the severity of his feelings toward the late Confederates, and thereby incurred the resentment of the leaders in the party which had elected him Vice-President. In the bitterness of the mutual recriminations, between him and his late friends in Congress, there was, unhappily, evil to result to North Carolina and the South; for to the old resentments against the South was added a desire in many men to thwart the President who had become their ally.