Elsie's Motherhood
Page 6
Chapter Sixth.
"So false is faction, and so smooth a liar,As that it never had a side entire."--DANIEL.
By the first of December Mr. Travilla had entirely recovered from theill effects of his accident--which had occurred early in November--andlife at Ion resumed its usual quiet, regular, but pleasant routine,varied only by frequent exchange of visits with the other families ofthe connection, and near neighbors, especially the Lelands.
Because of the presence among them of their northern relatives, thiswinter was made a gayer one than either of the last two, which had seenlittle mirth or jovialty among the older ones, subdued as they were byrecent, repeated bereavements. Time had now somewhat assuaged theirgrief, and only the widowed ones still wore the garb of mourning.
A round of family parties for old and young filled up the holidays; andagain just before the departure of the Rosses and Allisons in the earlyspring, they were all gathered at Ion for a farewell day together.
Some of the blacks in Mr. Leland's employ had been beaten and otherwisemaltreated only the previous night by a band of armed and disguised men,and the conversation naturally turned upon that occurrence.
"So the Ku Klux outrages have begun in our neighborhood," remarked Mr.Horace Dinsmore, and went on to denounce their proceedings in unmeasuredterms.
The faces of several of his auditors flushed angrily. Enna shot a fierceglance at him, muttering "scalawag," half under her breath, while hisold father said testily, "Horace, you speak too strongly. I haven't adoubt the rascals deserved all they got. I'm told one of them at least,had insulted some lady, Mrs. Foster, I believe, and that the others hadbeen robbing hen-roosts and smoke-houses."
"That may perhaps be so, but at all events every man has a right to afair trial," replied his son, "and so long as there is no difficulty inbringing such matters before the civil courts, there is no excuse forLynch law, which is apt to visit its penalties upon the innocent as wellas the guilty."
At this, George Boyd, who, as the nephew of the elder Mrs. Carringtonand a member of the Ashlands household, had been invited with theothers, spoke warmly in defence of the organization, asserting that itsmain object was to defend the helpless, particularly in guarding againstthe danger of an insurrection of the blacks.
"There is not the slightest fear of that," remarked Mr. Travilla, "theremay be some few turbulent spirits among them, but as a class they arequiet and inoffensive."
"Begging your pardon, sir," said Boyd, "I find them quite thereverse;--demanding their wages directly they are due, and not satisfiedwith what one chooses to give. And that reminds me that you, sir, andMr. Horace Dinsmore, and that carpet-bagger of Fairview are entirely tooliberal in the wages you pay."
"That is altogether our own affair, sir," returned Mr. Dinsmore,haughtily. "No man or set of men shall dictate to me as to how I spendmy money. What do you say, Travilla?"
"I take the same position; shall submit to no such infringement of myliberty to do as I will with my own."
Elsie's eyes sparkled: she was proud of her husband and father. Rose,too, smiled approval.
"Sounds very fine," growled Boyd, "but I say you've no right to put upthe price of labor."
"Papa," cried young Horace, straightening himself and casting awithering look upon Boyd, "I hope neither you nor Brother Edward willever give in to them a single inch. Such insolence!"
"Let us change the subject," said old Mr. Dinsmore, "it is not anagreeable one."
It so happened that a few days after this Messrs. Dinsmore, Travilla andLeland were talking together just within the entrance to the avenue atIon when Wilkins Foster, George Boyd and Calhoun Conly came riding by.
They brought their horses to a walk as they neared the gate, and Fostercalled out sneeringly, "Two scalawags and a carpet-bagger! fit companyfor each other."
"So we think, sir," returned Travilla coolly, "though we do not acceptthe epithets you so generously bestow upon us."
"It is an easy thing to call names; any fool is equal to that," said Mr.Leland, in a tone of unruffled good-nature.
"True; and the weapon of vituperation is generally used by those wholack brains for argument or are upon the wrong side," observed Mr.Dinsmore.
"Is that remark intended to apply to me sir?" asked Foster, drawinghimself up with an air of hauteur and defiance.
"Not particularly: but if you wish to prove yourself skilled in theother and more manly weapon, we are ready to give you the opportunity."
"Yes; come in, gentlemen, and let us have a free and friendlydiscussion," said Mr. Travilla.
Boyd and Conly at once accepted the invitation, but Foster, reining inhis horse in the shade of a tree at the gate, said, "No, thank you; Idon't care to alight, can talk from the saddle as well as anyway. I callyou scalawags, Messrs. Dinsmore and Travilla, because though natives ofthe South, you have turned against her."
"Altogether a mistake," observed Travilla.
"I deny the charge and call upon you to prove it," said Mr. Dinsmore.
"Easy task; you kept away and took no part in our struggle forindependence."
"That is we (I speak for Travilla as well as myself) had no share in theeffort to overthrow the best government in the world, the hope of thedown-trodden and oppressed of all the earth a struggle which we foresawwould prove, as it has, the almost utter destruction of our belovedSouth. They who inaugurated secession were no true friends to her."
"Sir!" cried Boyd, with angry excitement, "ours was as righteous a causeas that of our Revolutionary fathers."
Mr. Dinsmore shook his head. "They fought against unbearable tyranny;and that after having exhausted every other means of obtaining a redressof their grievances; and we had suffered no oppression at the hands ofthe general government."
"Hadn't we?" interrupted Foster fiercely. "Were the provisions of theFugitive Slave Law carried out by the North? didn't some of the NorthernStates pass laws in direct opposition to it? and didn't Yankeeabolitionists come down here interfering with our institutions andenticing our negroes to run away, or something worse?"
"Those were the acts of private individuals, and individual states,entirely unsanctioned by the general government, which really had alwaysrather favored us than otherwise."
"But uncle," said Conly, "there would have been no secession but for theelection of Lincoln, an abolition candidate."
"And who elected him? who but the Democrats of the South? They made adivision in the Democratic party, purposely to enable the Republicans toelect their man, that they might use his election as a pretext forsecession."
A long and hot discussion followed, each one present taking more or lesspart in it. It was first the causes of the war, then the war itself;after that the reconstruction policy of Congress, which was bitterlydenounced by Foster and Boyd.
"Never was a conquered people treated so shamefully!" cried the former,"it is a thing hitherto unheard of in the history of the world, thatgentlemen should be put under the rule of their former slaves."
"Softly, softly, sir," said Leland, "surely you forget that the termsproposed by the fourteenth amendment, substantially left the power ofthe State governments in your hands, and enabled you to limit suffrageand office to the white race. But you rejected it, and refused to takepart in the preliminary steps for reorganizing your State governments.So the blacks acquired the right to vote and hold office: they were, asa class, well meaning, but ignorant, and their old masters refusing toaccept office at their hands, or advise them in regard to their newduties, they fell an easy prey to unscrupulous white men, whose onlycare was to enrich themselves by robbing the already impoverishedstates, through corrupt legislation.[A] Now, sir, who was it that reallyput you under the rule of your former slaves, if you are there?"
[Footnote A: See report of Congressional Committee of Investigation]
Foster attempted no reply, but merely reiterated his assertion thatno conquered people had ever been so cruelly used; to which Messrs.Travilla, Dinsmore and Leland replied wi
th a statement of facts, i.e.,that before the war was fairly over, the Government began to feed,clothe, shelter and care for the destitute of both colors, and millionswere distributed in supplies; that in 1865 a bureau was organized forthis purpose, and expended in relief, education and aid to people ofboth colors, and all conditions, thirteen millions, two hundred andthirty thousand, three hundred and twenty-seven dollars, and fortycents; while millions more were given by charitable associations andcitizens of the North: that the Government sold thousands of farmanimals in the South, at low rates, and large quantities of clothing andsupplies at merely nominal prices, that there had been no executions fortreason, no confiscation of lands, but that some estates abandoned bythe owners during the war, and taken possession of and cultivated by theGovernment, had been returned in better condition than they would havebeen in if permitted to lie idle; that the railroads of the South wereworn out by the war, woodwork rotted, rails and machinery worn out; thatthe Government forces as they advanced, captured the lines, repaired thetracks, rebuilt bridges and restored and renewed the rolling stock; thatat the close of the war the Government might have held all these lines,but instead turned them over to the stockholders, sold them the rollingstock at low rates, and on long time, and advanced millions of dollarsto the southern railroads; that there were debts estimated, when the warbegan, at three hundred millions of dollars due the merchants of theNorth; that they compounded with their southern debtors, abating morethan half their dues, and extending time for the payment of theremainder; that a bankrupt act was passed enabling those hopelesslyinvolved to begin business anew. Sound institutions took the places ofthe old broken banks, and United States currency that of Confederatenotes, etc. etc.[B]
[Footnote B: See Reports of Congressional Committee of Investigation.]
Foster attempted no denial of these facts, but spoke bitterly ofcorruption among the state government officials, resulting in ruinoustaxation etc.
His antagonists freely admitted that there had been frauds and greatextravagance, yet claimed that neither party was responsible for these,but members of both and persons belonging to neither who cared only fortheir own gains.[C] "And who," they asked, "are responsible for theirsuccess in obtaining the positions which enable them thus to rob thecommunity?"
[Footnote C: See Reports of Congressional Committee of Investigation.]
"They had no vote from me," said Foster. "But, I say it again, we havebeen shamefully treated; if they'd confiscated my property and cut offmy head, I'd have suffered less than I have as things have gone."
"Why not petition Congress for those little favors? Possibly it may notyet be too late;" returned Leland, laughing.
This ended the talk, Foster put spurs to his horse and rode off in arage.
"Come, Conly, we've surely had enough of this Republican discourse: letus go also," said Boyd, and with a haughty wave of his hand to theothers, he hurried into the road and remounted.
But Conly did not follow. Elsie joined the group at that moment andlaying her hand on his arm, said with one of her sweetest smiles, "Don'tgo, Cal, you must stay and take tea with us; it is already on thetable."
"Thank you, I will," he said with a pleased look.
He was one of his cousin's ardent admirers, thinking her the mostbeautiful, intelligent, fascinating woman he had ever seen.
She extended her invitation to Leland and Boyd, Mr. Travilla secondingit warmly, but it was courteously declined by both, and each went hisway.
"Papa, you will not forsake us?" Elsie said gayly, putting both handsinto his and smiling up into his face, her sweet soft eyes, brimful offond, filial affection; "but you know you are at home and need noinvitation."
"Yes," he said, returning the smile, and holding the hands fast for amoment, "I am at home and shall stay for an hour or so."