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Douglass；　Frederick。　　〃Reconstruction。〃

Atlantic　Monthly　18　（1866）：　761…765。







RECONSTRUCTION





The　assembling　of　the　Second　Session　of　the　Thirty…ninth　Congress

may　very　properly　be　made　the　occasion　of　a　few　earnest　words

on　the　already　much…worn　topic　of　reconstruction。



Seldom　has　any　legislative　body　been　the　subject　of　a　solicitude

more　intense；　or　of　aspirations　more　sincere　and　ardent。

There　are　the　best　of　reasons　for　this　profound　interest。

Questions　of　vast　moment；　left　undecided　by　the　last　session　of　Congress；

must　be　manfully　grappled　with　by　this。　　No　political　skirmishing　will　avail。

The　occasion　demands　statesmanship。



Whether　the　tremendous　war　so　heroically　fought　and　so　victoriously　ended

shall　pass　into　history　a　miserable　failure；　barren　of　permanent　results；

a　scandalous　and　shocking　waste　of　blood　and　treasure；a　strife　for　empire；

as　Earl　Russell　characterized　it；　of　no　value　to　liberty　or　civilization；

an　attempt　to　re…establish　a　Union　by　force；　which　must　be　the

merest　mockery　of　a　Union；an　effort　to　bring　under　Federal　authority

States　into　which　no　loyal　man　from　the　North　may　safely　enter；

and　to　bring　men　into　the　national　councils　who　deliberate　with　daggers

and　vote　with　revolvers；　and　who　do　not　even　conceal　their　deadly　hate

of　the　country　that　conquered　them；　or　whether；　on　the　other　hand；

we　shall；　as　the　rightful　reward　of　victory　over　treason；　have　a　solid　nation；

entirely　delivered　from　all　contradictions　and　social　antagonisms；

based　upon　loyalty；　liberty；　and　equality；　must　be　determined　one　way

or　the　other　by　the　present　session　of　Congress。　　The　last　session

really　did　nothing　which　can　be　considered　final　as　to　these　questions。

The　Civil　Rights　Bill　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　Bill　and　the　proposed

constitutional　amendments；　with　the　amendment　already　adopted　and　recognized

as　the　law　of　the　land；　do　not　reach　the　difficulty；　and　cannot；

unless　the　whole　structure　of　the　government　is　changed　from　a

government　by　States　to　something　like　a　despotic　central　government；

with　power　to　control　even　the　municipal　regulations　of　States；

and　to　make　them　conform　to　its　own　despotic　will。　　While　there　remains

such　an　idea　as　the　right　of　each　State　to　control　its　own　local　affairs；

an　idea；　by　the　way；　more　deeply　rooted　in　the　minds　of　men　of　all　sections

of　the　country　than　perhaps　any　one　other　political　idea；no　general　assertion

of　human　rights　can　be　of　any　practical　value。　　To　change　the　character

of　the　government　at　this　point　is　neither　possible　nor　desirable。

All　that　is　necessary　to　be　done　is　to　make　the　government　consistent

with　itself；　and　render　the　rights　of　the　States　compatible　with　the　sacred

rights　of　human　nature。



The　arm　of　the　Federal　government　is　long；　but　it　is　far　too　short

to　protect　the　rights　of　individuals　in　the　interior　of　distant　States。

They　must　have　the　power　to　protect　themselves；　or　they　will　go　unprotected；

spite　of　all　the　laws　the　Federal　government　can　put　upon　the　national

statute…book。



Slavery；　like　all　other　great　systems　of　wrong；　founded　in　the　depths

of　human　selfishness；　and　existing　for　ages；　has　not　neglected　its　own

conservation。　　It　has　steadily　exerted　an　influence　upon　all　around

it　favorable　to　its　own　continuance。　　And　to…day　it　is　so　strong

that　it　could　exist；　not　only　without　law；　but　even　against　law。

Custom；　manners；　morals；　religion；　are　all　on　its　side　everywhere

in　the　South；　and　when　you　add　the　ignorance　and　servility

of　the　ex…slave　to　the　intelligence　and　accustomed　authority

of　the　master；　you　have　the　conditions；　not　out　of　which　slavery

will　again　grow；　but　under　which　it　is　impossible　for　the　Federal

government　to　wholly　destroy　it；　unless　the　Federal　government

be　armed　with　despotic　power；　to　blot　out　State　authority；

and　to　station　a　Federal　officer　at　every　cross…road。

This；　of　course；　cannot　be　done；　and　ought　not　even　if　it　could。

The　true　way　and　the　easiest　way　is　to　make　our　government　entirely

consistent　with　itself；　and　give　to　every　loyal　citizen　the　elective　franchise；

a　right　and　power　which　will　be　ever　present；　and　will　form　a　wall

of　fire　for　his　protection。



One　of　the　invaluable　compensations　of　the　late　Rebellion

is　the　highly　instructive　disclosure　it　made　of　the　true　source

of　danger　to　republican　government。　　Whatever　may　be　tolerated

in　monarchical　and　despotic　governments；　no　republic　is　safe

that　tolerates　a　privileged　class；　or　denies　to　any　of　its　citizens

equal　rights　and　equal　means　to　maintain　them。　　What　was　theory

before　the　war　has　been　made　fact　by　the　war。



There　is　cause　to　be　thankful　even　for　rebellion。　　It　is　an　impressive　teacher；

though　a　stern　and　terrible　one。　　In　both　characters　it　has　come　to　us；

and　it　was　perhaps　needed　in　both。　　It　is　an　instructor　never

a　day　before　its　time；　for　it　comes　only　when　all　other　means

of　progress　and　enlightenment　have　failed。　　Whether　the　oppressed

and　despairing　bondman；　no　longer　able　to　repress　his　deep　yearnings

for　manhood；　or　the　tyrant；　in　his　pride　and　impatience；　takes　the　initiative；

and　strikes　the　blow　for　a　firmer　hold　and　a　longer　lease　of　oppression；

the　result　is　the　same；society　is　instructed；　or　may　be。



Such　are　the　limitations　of　the　common　mind；　and　so　thoroughly

engrossing　are　the　cares　of　common　life；　that　only　the　few　among

men　can　discern　through　the　glitter　and　dazzle　of　present　prosperity

the　dark　outlines　of　approaching　disasters；　even　though　they　may　have

come　up　to　our　very　gates；　and　are　already　within　striking　distance。

The　yawning　seam　and　corroded　bolt　conceal　their　defects　from　the　mariner

until　the　storm　calls　all　hands　to　the　pumps。　　Prophets；　indeed；

were　abundant　before　the　war；　but　who　cares　for　prophets　while

their　predictions　remain　unfulfilled；　and　the　calamities　of　which

they　tell　are　masked　behind　a　blinding　blaze　of　national　prosperity？



It　is　asked；　said　Henry　Clay；　on　a　memorable　occasion；

Will　slavery　never　come　to　an　end？　　That　question；　said　he；

was　asked　fifty　years　ago；　and　it　has　been　answered　by　fifty　years

of　unprecedented　prosperity。　　Spite　of　the　eloquence　of　the　earnest

Abolitionists；poured　out　against　slavery　during　thirty　years；

even　they　must　confess；　that；　in　all　the　probabilities　of　the　case；

that　system　of　barbarism　would　have　continued　its　horrors　far　beyond

the　limits　of　the　nineteenth　century　but　for　the　Rebellion；

and　perhaps　only　have　disappeared　at　last　in　a　fiery　conflict；

even　more　fierce　and　bloody　than　that　which　has　now　been　suppressed。



It　is　no　disparagement　to　truth；　that　it　can　only　prevail

where　reason　prevails。　　War　begins　where　reason　ends。

The　thing　worse　than　rebellion　is　the　thing　that　causes　rebellion。

What　that　thing　is；　we　have　been　taught　to　our　cost。　　It　remains　now

to　be　seen　whether　we　have　the　needed　courage　to　have　that　cause

entirely　removed　from　the　Republic。　　At　any　rate；　to　this　grand　work

of　national　regeneration　and　entire　purification　Congress　must

now　address　Itself；　with　full　purpose　that　the　work　shall　this　time

be　thoroughly　done。　　The　deadly　upas；　root　and　branch；　leaf　and　fibre；

body　and　sap；　must　be　utterly　destroyed。　　The　country　is　evidently

not　in　a　condition　to　listen　patiently　to　pleas　for　postponement；

however　plausible；　nor　will　it　permit　the　responsibility　to　be　shifted

to　other　shoulders。　　Authority　and　power　are　here　commensurate

with　the　duty　imposed。　　There　are　no　cloud…flung　shadows　to　obscure　the　way。

Truth　shines　with　brighter　light　and　intenser　heat　at　every　moment；

and　a　country　torn　and　rent　and　bleeding　implores　relief

from　its　distress　and　agony。



If　time　was　at　first　needed；　Congress　has　now　had　time。

All　the　requisite　materials　from　which　to　form　an　intelligent

judgment　are　now　before　it。　　Whether　its　members　look　at　the　origin；

the　progress；　the　termination　of　the　war；　or　at　the　mockery　of

a　peace　now　existing；　they　will　find　only　one　unbroken　chain　of　argument

in　favor　of　a　radical　policy　of　reconstruction。　　For　the　omissions

of　the　last　session；　some　excuses　may　be　allowed。　　A　treacherous

President　stood　in　the　way；　and　it　can　be　easily　seen　how　reluctant

good　men　might　be　to　admit　an　apostasy　which　involved　so　much

of　baseness　and　ingratitude。　　It　was　natural　that　they　should　seek

to　save　him　by　bending　to　him　even　when　he　leaned　to　the　side

of　error。　　But　all　is　changed　now。　　Congress　knows　now　that　it　must

go　on　without　his　aid；　and　even　against　his　machinations。

The　advantage　of　the　present　session　over　the　last　is　immense。

Where　that　investigated；　this　has　the　facts。　　Where　that　walked　by　faith；

this　may　walk　by　sight。　　Where　that　halted；　this　must　go　forward；

and　where　that　failed；　this　must　succeed；　giving　the　country　whole

measures　where　that　gave　us　half…measures；　merely　as　a　means　of

saving　the　elections　in　a　few　doubtful　districts。　　That　Congress　saw

what　was　right；　but　distrusted　the　enlightenment　of　the　loyal　masses；

but　what　was　forborne　in　distrust　of　the　people　must　now　be　done

with　a　full　knowledge　that　the　people　expect　and　require　it。

The　members　go　to　Washington　fresh　from　the　inspiring　presence　of　the　people。

In　every　considerable　public　meeting；　and　in　almost　every　conceivable　way；

whether　at　court…house；　school…house；　or　cross…roads；　in　doors　and　out；

the　subject　has　been　discussed；　and　the　people　have　emphatically　pronounced

in　favor　of　a　radical　policy。　　Listening　to　the　doctrines　of　expediency

and　compromise　with　pity；　impatience；　and　disgust；　they　have　everywhere

broken　into　demonstrations　of　the　wildest　enthusiasm　when　a　brave　word

has　been　spoken　in　favor　of　equal　rights　and　impartial　suffrage。

Radicalism；　so　far　from　being　odious；　is　not　the　popular　passport　to　power。

The　men　most　bitterly　charged　with　it　go　to　Congress　with　the

largest　majorities；　while　the　timid　and　doubtful　are　sent　by　lean　majorit