CHAPTER VI.
THE MILLS ARE GRINDING.
It was the hour of high noon that a gentleman and lady alighted from acarriage at the foot of the mansion of Colonel Seymour without previousannouncement. The gentleman was a person of attractive presence andperhaps forty-five years of age. The lady was not attractive, a littlepatronizing in her manners, and perhaps thirty-five years of age. Their_patois_ was that of English people; to an artistic ear, however, thismay have appeared feigned. Their manner in the presence of the host wasunconstrained; indeed they expressed themselves with unusual freedom.The gentleman gave his name as Mr. Jamieson, and the lady as his niece,Miss Harcourt, both of them lately arrived from London. He hadinterested himself, he said, in scientific researches for the past fewyears, and was now pursuing an inquiry that he hoped would be ofpractical use to the South. The "London Society," whose agent he was,was seeking from all available sources the most exhaustive informationabout the negro in his gradations from the savage to the citizen; and hetook occasion to say that his principals had been greatly astonishedbecause of the alarming strides the negro had made in a country that,less than a century ago, made the British power tremble in its verystrong-holds. He would be pleased to ask if this sudden transition fromslavery to freedom had not reversed the orderly procedure of thegovernment in respect to its administration in the South. To thisinquiry Colonel Seymour replied, quite epigrammatically, "that theworld had no precedent for the revolutionary measures which were beingenforced in the South."
The stranger continuing, observed that he had desired this interviewbefore exploiting a field untried and perhaps dangerous; and he would begreatly obliged if his host would be as frank and communicative aspossible.
In the course of this interview, the arguments employed by the strangerdisarmed the old man's suspicions, and in a confidential way the Coloneltold Mr. Jamieson that he would communicate his knowledge of the mattersas far as he could, but feared it would not be of much value, as he wasunder suspicion by the Federal authorities; having fought under Lee inthe many battles of the South, he was still vehemently protestingagainst the invasion of his own country by the carpet bag government.
"You were, then, a Confederate soldier?" inquired the stranger.
"Yes, and was paroled at Appomattox," sententiously rejoined theveteran.
"Now, my dear sir, you greatly interest me; may I inquire your rank inthe Confederate army?"
"I was a Colonel of cavalry, sir."
"Were you at Gettysburg, sir?"
"Yes, and was wounded as we were falling back to the Potomac."
"Gettysburg! Ah, yes!" the stranger observed reflectively; "this battlewas quite disastrous to the South, I believe, and was claimed by theNorth as a great victory."
"And what upon the face of the earth have they not claimed?" excitedlyreplied the veteran.
"Ah yes, they are a boastful people," said Mr. Jamieson. "I doubt notthey claimed victories they never won. You of course are still of theopinion that the South was right?"
"No opinion about it. I know she was right. We never resorted tohostilities until our institutions were assailed."
"I am sure your statement is correct, sir," said the Englishman. "Whileour government, then in the control of a radical ministry, wasofficiously unfriendly to the South, your government had a great army ofsympathizers in England who deplored its downfall; indeed, the presidentof our society was an active sympathizer with your country, and the bankin which he was a director, upon his private account emitted bills ofcredit that were used by the agents of the Confederate government in thepurchase of materials of war. I presume, sir," continued the Englishman,"you would have no hesitation in going to war again if the samecasus-belli existed?"
"No indeed, sir."
"And you are of opinion that it would not be treasonable to oppose thepolicy of the government in respect to its acts of reconstruction?"
"If armed with adequate power, I should not hesitate in respect to myduty in the premises," replied the veteran with a show of temper.
"I am very glad, sir, that you have been entirely frank with me," saidthe stranger, "and I fully appreciate your feelings. I suspect that youdo not think that a strongly centralized government in any contingencyis the least oppressive form of government?"
"Assuredly not, sir. Nature has established a diversity of climates,interests and habits in the extensive territories embraced by theFederal government. We cannot assimilate these differences bylegislation. We cannot conquer nature. Other differences have beenintroduced by human laws and adventitious circumstances, verydifficult, if not impossible to be adjusted by Federal legislation,hence the necessity of local legislatures with adequate powers, and ageneral government with its appropriate powers."
"I presume, sir," said the stranger, "that you cannot conscientiouslysupport the reconstruction measures of Congress and the president?"
"I cannot and will not, sir," responded Colonel Seymour with emphasis;"and if you were advertant to that point of time in the history of ourlate war when, from sheer exhaustion, the South laid down its arms, youwould not ask the question. There were hundreds of thousands ofpatriotic men in the North, who, upon the question of the emancipationof the negro, concurred in its propriety, yea, its necessity, but whodenounced those reactionary measures that were crystalized and enforcedwith cruelty against the South. In our judgment these measures were notonly extra-hazardous, but inherently oppressive. It would have been apernicious power in the hands of an intelligent, conservative,law-abiding people, but most deadly in the hands of ignorant,unscrupulous and truculent officials. You must remember that the South,in a metaphorical sense, was an immense area sown in grain ready to beharvested, with its hedges trampled under foot and destroyed, andinviting cattle and swine to enter and devour. The herds came greedilythrough every gap, and like the wild beasts upon our western prairies,depastured and consumed almost the whole."
"How wonderfully recuperative have been the energies of your peoplesir," interrupted the stranger.
"Yes, but will you allow me to proceed?" replied the Colonel; "Webelieved that when the war ended, the people of the South relying uponthe pledges made by the union generals in the field before the armieswere disbanded; on the negotiations preceding the surrender; on theproclamation of President Lincoln; and the publications of the press; aswell as upon the terms actually agreed on between Grant and Lee, andJohnson and Sherman, at the time of the capitulation of the Confederatearmies; that when resistence to federal authority ceased, and thesupremacy of the constitution of the United States was acknowledged; andespecially after the ordinances of secession were repealed, and anamendment to the constitution, abolishing slavery wherever it existed,was ratified by the legislatures of the insurrectionary states; that afull and complete restoration of the southern states to their formerposition of equal states would at once take place; and after theexhaustion of such a war they hailed the return of peace withsatisfaction; they acknowledged defeat; accepted the situation, and wentto work to rebuild their waste places and to cultivate their crops. Themen who composed the union armies, found on their return home, ahealthy, prosperous, peaceable and well organized society; while thegovernment with a prodigal hand freely distributed pay, pensions, andbounties. It was not so in the south; society here was disorganized; thestrain upon the people to supply the armies in the fields had exhaustedtheir resources; labor was absolutely demoralized; the negroes beingfreed, in their ignorance and delusion were not slow to understand theirchanged condition, and became aggressive, riotous and lawless. Undersuch circumstances it was impossible to restore harmony in the civilgovernment without the utmost confusion; yet so earnestly did our peoplestruggle to return to their allegiance and thus entitle them to theprotection which had been promised, that from the day of the surrenderof the Confederate army, not a gun has been fired; no hostile hand hasbeen uplifted against the authority of the United States, but beforebreathing time even was allowed, a set of harpies, many of whom hadshirked t
he dangers of the battle field, pounced down upon our people toravage, plunder, and destroy. All remonstrances, entreaties, resistanceswere stifled by the cry of treason and disloyalty and by the hollowpretence that the plunderers were persecuted because of their loyalty tothe Union. A system has grown up in the South with obstinacy, wherebygreat protected monopolies are fostered at the expense of itsagricultural labor; then follow the series of offensive measures knownas the reconstruction acts; but one further observation sir, and I havedone. The English people had no just conception of the oppressions wantonly inflicted upon the South; of the insolence and rapacity of thecarpet-baggers and freedmen who were made our masters."
There was quite an interval before the stranger replied.
"Your address sir has been a revelation indeed; it is a lesson of greateducational value and I sincerely hope I may hear you again. Would youcare to present your views in writing?"
The Colonel without any suggestion of evil said to the stranger. Thatpossibly at some future day he might find the leisure to do so.
"And now you must allow me to thank you, before leaving, for thecourtesy you have shown. I shall take pleasure in reporting thisinterview."
Colonel Seymour upon entering his wife's chamber remarked to her "I havefound a friend in need; an Englishman who was delightfully entertainingand who represents certain humanitarian interests. I expect to hearsomething very flattering to the South when he submits a report to hisprincipal."
Mrs. Seymour who had passed that period in life, when she could lookhopefully upon anything, observed quite sadly. "I hope it is so, my dearhusband; I hope the future has very much happiness in store for you; butI am suspicious of strangers who seem to have no other business withyou, than to obtain your views upon the unhappy events that are girdlingour home as it were with a zone of fire." "Ah," exclaimed the husband,"you do not understand, perhaps your opinion will change in a few days."
"I hope so" the sick lady replied feebly.
We pretermit events more or less irritating to follow the urbaneEnglishman. The reader has perhaps surmised that he was an agent of thesecret service bureau. This was true, as Colonel Seymour learned to hissorrow, within forty eight hours after the man and the lady dropped outof the wide open arms of the old mansion. But how could a southerngentleman withhold knowledge when sought under such a disguise. He spokeas he felt; and if the weapons that he used to punctuate his expressionswere boomerangs that impaled him on its points, he could not help it.Anywhere, everywhere, he would have spoken his convictions withoutconcealment, without equivocation. Laflin came to Ingleside; came toforeclose a poor man's liberty, without a day of redemption. The old mansaw the offensive carpet-bagger approaching the mansion and met himsternly with the interrogatory. "What is your business?"
"Ah!" sneeringly answered the carpet-bagger, "that is a fine question toask a gentleman. Do you recognize that seal sir" he continued, handingthe old man an official requisition bearing the broad seal of thedepartment of justice upon it "you will perhaps conclude, sir, that itwill be compatible with your safety to return with me; I promise you asafe conduct to Washington."
"I will go with you" replied the old man with all the suavity possible,"but you will allow me to prepare for the journey."
"Certainly sir," said Laflin, "but I must see that you do not provideyourself with arms."
"I do not want my house polluted by your presence," cried the old man inthe vehemence of his feelings.
"Then you shall go as you are," gruffly replied the carpet-bagger.
Alice had but little to say to the man, knowing that entreaty orexpostulation would be unavailing, and Clarissa slunk away from him asif he were the forerunner of the plague. When the Colonel arrived in thevillage he saw the white-haired governor with his overcoat upon hisarms, and his valise and umbrella upon a chair beside him. He knewintuitively that their missions were the same, that their destinationwas Washington.
"What are you doing here governor?" asked Colonel Seymour.
The dejected man replied deliberately, "I am going to Washington sir.May I ask your destination as I observe you are traveling too?"
"You see my guide, do you not," answered the Colonel with a frigidsmile.
"Yes and I am informed he is mine also; so we shall not get lost on theroute shall we?" answered the governor lugubriously. "I presume we shallhave a suite of rooms at the old capital," asked the Colonelprovokingly.
"Perhaps so, if the President doesn't invite us to the executivemansion. I hope he will do this as I have no bank account North, and butlittle currency in my pocket," replied the Governor in irony. "By theway Colonel," continued the Governor, "did you have an elegant gentlemanand his niece to call upon you a few days ago? Quite an interesting manwas he not? I hope we shall have a good report from him when he returnshome."
"And were you confidential toward this man?" asked Colonel Seymour.
"Why yes, quite so," replied the Governor innocently. "I found him soagreeable and so intelligent withal, that I told him all that I knew andI am expecting great things when I hear from him."
"Do you think, Governor," asked the Colonel quizzically, "that theEnglishman has given us free transportation to Washington to be examinedand punished as suspects?"
"Why my dear sir" replied the old Governor, "you alarm me. Is itpossible we are the dupes of a government spy so clever andintelligent?"
"That is my opinion, sir," replied the Colonel.
"Is it possible? My, my, my!" he ejaculated, and sank back in theupholstered seat, and after awhile fell asleep.
These were men who had made the wager of battle for eleven proudcommonwealths and lost; men coming now with their patriotism repudiated,to be told that their traditions were treasonable, their principlesinsurrectionary; to be badgered into compliance; to be scourged intosubmission; men who believed with a living faith that they had givenAmerican reasons for convictions that ought not to be challenged, comingnow heroically to receive their doom.
The Governor, on entering the great judgment hall with Colonel Seymour,was surprised to see in the person of the chairman a highly honoredcolleague upon the committee of ways and means in the congress of 1858.The recognition was mutual, and the distinguished chairman descendingfrom the dais, demonstratively grasped the old Governor's hand,exclaiming, "My dear sir, what has brought you here?" The excess of joyexperienced by the Governor quite overcame him, and for a moment he didnot answer, but he replied after awhile as coherently as he could, thathe had never been informed of the charge against him.
"Ah!" replied the chairman sympathetically, "That is indeed regretable,but the discipline of this court does not contain within itself the germof an arbitrary prerogative. No man, however bitter may be his opinionsshall be condemned unheard." The Englishman, under the alias of Mr.Jamieson appeared as a witness in the person of Jonathan Hawkins.
It is unnecessary to go through the trial that followed. "You are atliberty," said the chairman, at its conclusion, "to go wheresoever youwill. You shall be safeguarded while you remain in the city, and weshall exert our utmost to protect you and your interests at home. Mr.Laflin," he continued, "you will procure passports for these gentlemenwhom you have brought here without a pretext of reason."
Our old friends, taking up their hats and canes, returned their gratefulthanks to the honorable commission, whose judicial fairness was sopraise-worthy; and turned their faces homeward; the Governor exclaimingthrough his clenched teeth, "The infamous, villainous Englishman!"
"Why, bless my soul, Governor," exclaimed the Colonel in a startledtone, "What an opportune moment to have carried out the wishes of ourmeeting!"
"What meeting do you refer to sir?" asked the Governor in surprise.
"Why, my dear sir, had you forgotten that we were deputized to visit theauthorities in Washington at the meeting presided over by Judge Bonham?"
"Well, well, well!" ejaculated the Governor, "I verily believe, sir, ifpeace is not speedily restored to the country that I will become
adriveling idiot."
The Colonel adroitly changed the subject by observing, "It has occurredto me that if the practical operation of the reconstruction acts wasdirectly in the control of the authorities in Washington, we should seethat they are our friends; I am sure that the sentiment of the Northernpeople is in favor of the restoration of the South, and would counteractthe vicious primary mischief resulting from a criminal abuse of power--Imean that power that is centralized in the Southern States."
"I am looking for conservative measures myself from the wise men who arein charge of the government," replied the Governor. "The infernal spoilssystem in the South, if not checkmated, will destroy the country. Thissame spoils principle has been the cause of more wretchedness and guilt,individual and national, than any other in the history of humansuffering. It is the incentive alike to the burglar who breaks andenters your house at night and the highwayman who waylays your path andtakes your life; that, rising from individuals to multitudes, it is theimpelling motive to all the plunderings and desolations of militaryconquests; it forces the gates of cities; plunders temples of religion;the great despoiler of private rights and national independence. It wasthe spoils system that united the barbarians of the North and finallyoverthrew the vast fabric of Roman policy law and civilization; and itis this principle, worse than war, that has shaken to their foundationour free and happy institutions.
Perhaps we shall meet at the cemetery to-morrow, if there are no Englishspies around," suggested the Governor.
"Yes, yes; and adieu until then," replied the Colonel, as they alightedfrom the cars.
"Dare goes joshaway, now, wid Ole Glory strowed er roun'him, steppin lak a rare-hoss over de tater ridges."]
The Broken Sword; Or, A Pictorial Page in Reconstruction Page 8