飘-第133章
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ho could and did interfere with their verdicts； so that citizens so unfortunate as to get arrested were virtually at the mercy of the military authorities。 And so many did get arrested。 The very suspicion of seditious utterances against the government； suspected complicity in the Ku Klux Klan； or complaint by a negro that a white man had been uppity to him were enough to land a citizen in jail。 Proof and evidence were not needed。 The accusation was sufficient。 And thanks to the incitement of the Freedmen’s Bureau； negroes could always be found who were willing to bring accusations。
The negroes had not yet been given the right to vote but the North was determined that they should vote and equally determined that their vote should be friendly to the North。 With this in mind； nothing was too good for the negroes。 The Yankee soldiers backed them up in anything they chose to do； and the surest way for a white person to get himself into trouble was to bring a complaint of any kind against a negro。
The former slaves were now the lords of creation and； with the aid of the Yankees； the lowest and most ignorant ones were on top。 The better class of them； scorning freedom； were suffering as severely as their white masters。 Thousands of house servants； the highest caste in the slave population； remained with their white folks； doing manual labor which had been beneath them in the old days。 Many loyal field hands also refused to avail themselves of the new freedom； but the hordes of “trashy free issue niggers；” who were causing most of the trouble； were drawn largely from the field…hand class。
In slave days； these lowly blacks had been despised by the house negroes and yard negroes as creatures of small worth。 Just as Ellen had done； other plantation mistresses throughout the South had put the pickaninnies through courses of training and elimination to select the best of them for the positions of greater responsibility。 Those consigned to the fields were the ones least willing or able to learn； the least energetic； the least honest and trustworthy； the most vicious and brutish。 And now this class； the lowest in the black social order； was making life a misery for the South。
Aided by the unscrupulous adventurers who operated the Freedmen’s Bureau and urged on by a fervor of Northern hatred almost religious in its fanaticism； the former field hands found themselves suddenly elevated to the seats of the mighty。 There they conducted themselves as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do。 Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects whose value is beyond their comprehension； they ran wild—either from perverse pleasure in destruction or simply because of their ignorance。
To the credit of the negroes； including the least intelligent of them； few were actuated by malice and those few had usually been “mean niggers” even in slave days。 But they were； as a class； childlike in mentality； easily led and from long habit accustomed to taking orders。 Formerly their white masters had given the orders。 Now they had a new set of masters； the Bureau and the Carpetbaggers； and their orders were： “You’re just as good as any white man； so act that way。 Just as soon as you can vote the Republican ticket； you are going to have the white man’s property。 It’s as good as yours now。 Take it； if you can get it！”
Dazzled by these tales； freedom became a never…ending picnic； a barbecue every day of the week； a carnival of idleness and theft and insolence。 Country negroes flocked into the cities； leaving the rural districts without labor to make the crops。 Atlanta was crowded with them and still they came by the hundreds； lazy and dangerous as a result of the new doctrines being taught them。 Packed into squalid cabins； smallpox； typhoid and tuberculosis broke out among them。 Accustomed to the care of their mistresses when they were ill in slave days； they did not know how to nurse themselves or their sick。 Relying upon their masters in the old days to care for their aged and their babies； they now had no sense of responsibility for their helpless。 And the Bureau was far too interested in political matters to provide the care the plantation owners had once given。
Abandoned negro children ran like frightened animals about the town until kind…hearted white people took them into their kitchens to raise。 Aged country darkies； deserted by their children； bewildered and panic stricken in the bustling town； sat on the curbs and cried to the ladies who passed： “Mistis； please Ma’m； write mah old Marster down in Fayette County dat Ah’s up hyah。 He’ll come tek dis ole nigger home agin。 ‘Fo’ Gawd； Ah done got nuff of dis freedom！”
The Freedmen’s Bureau； overwhelmed by the numbers who poured in upon them； realized too late a part of the mistake and tried to send them back to their former owners。 They told the negroes that if they would go back； they would go as free workers； protected by written contracts specifying wages by the day。 The old darkies went back to the plantations gladly； making a heavier burden than ever on the poverty…stricken planters who had not the heart to turn them out； but the young ones remained in Atlanta。 They did not want to be workers of any kind； anywhere。 Why work when the belly is full？
For the first time in their lives the negroes were able to get all the whisky they might want。 In slave days； it was something they never tasted except at Christmas； when each one received a “drap” along with his gift。 Now they had not only the Bureau agitators and the Carpetbaggers urging them on； but the incitement of whisky as well； and outrages were inevitable。 Neither life nor property was safe from them and the white people； unprotected by law； were terrorized。 Men were insulted on the streets by drunken blacks； houses and barns were burned at night； horses and cattle and chickens stolen in broad daylight； crimes of all varieties were committed and few of the perpetrators were brought to justice。
But these ignominies and dangers were as nothing compared with the peril of white women； many bereft by the war of male protection； who lived alone in the outlying districts and on lonely roads。 It was the large number of outrages on women and the ever…present fear for the safety of their wives and daughters that drove Southern men to cold and trembling fury and caused the Ku Klux Klan to spring up overnight。 And it was against this nocturnal organization that the newspapers of the North cried out most loudly； never realizing the tragic necessity that brought it into being。 The North wanted every member of the Ku Klux hunted down and hanged； because they had dared take the punishment of crime into their own hands at a time when the ordinary processes of law and order had been overthrown by the invaders。
Here was the astonishing spectacle of half a nation attempting； at the point of bayonet； to force upon the other half the rule of negroes； many of them scarcely one generation out of the African jungles。 The vote must be given to them but it must be denied to most of their former owners。 The South must be kept down and disfranchisement of the whites was one way to keep the South down。 Most of those who had fought for the Confederacy； held office under it or given aid and comfort to it were not allowed to vote； had no choice in the selection of their public officials and were wholly under the power of an alien rule。 Many men； thinking soberly of General Lee’s words and example； wished to take the oath； become citizens again and forget the past。 But they were not permitted to take it。 Others who were permitted to take the oath； hotly refused to do so； scorning to swear allegiance to a government which was deliberately subjecting them to cruelty and humiliation。
Scarlett heard over and over until she could have screamed at the repetition： “I’d have taken their damned oath right after the surrender if they’d acted decent I can be restored to the Union； but by God； I can’t be reconstructed into it！”
Through these anxious days and nights； Scarlett was torn with fear。 The ever…present menace of lawless negroes and Yankee soldiers preyed on her mind； the danger of confiscation was constantly with her； even in her dreams； and she dreaded worse terrors to come。 Depressed by the helplessness of herself and her friends； of the whole South； it was not strange that she often remembered during these days the words which Tony Fontaine had spoken so passionately：
“God God； Scarlett； it isn’t to be borne！ And it won’t be borne！”
In spite of war； fire and Reconstruction； Atlanta had again become a boom town。 In many ways； the place resembled the busy young city of the Confederacy’s early days。 The only trouble was that the soldiers crowding the streets wore the wrong kind of uniforms； the money was in the hands of the wrong people； and the negroes were living in leisure while their former masters struggled and starved。
Underneath the surface were misery and fear； but all the outward appearances were those of a thriving town that was rapidly rebuilding from its ruins； a bustling； hurrying town。 Atlanta； it seemed； must always be hurrying； no matter what its circumstances might be。 Savannah； Charleston； Augusta； Richmond； New Orleans would never hurry。 It was ill bred and Yankeefied to hurry。 But in this period； Atlanta was more ill bred and Yankeefied than it had ever been before or would ever be again。 With “new people” thronging in from all directions； the streets were choked and noisy from morning till night。 The shiny carriages of Yankee officers’ wives and newly rich Carpetbaggers splashed mud on the dilapidated buggies of the townspeople； and gaudy new homes of wealthy strangers crowded in among the sedate dwellings of older citizens。
The war had definitely established the importance of Atlanta in the affairs of the South and the hitherto obscure town was now known far and wide。 The railroads for which Sherman had fought an entire summer and killed thousands of men were again stimulating the life of the city they had brought into being。 Atlanta was again the center of activities for a wide region； as it had been before its destruction； and the town was receiving a great influx of new citizens； both welcome and unwelcome。
Invading Carpetbaggers made Atlanta their headquarters and on the streets they jostled against representatives of the oldest families in the South who were likewise newcomers in the town。 Families from the country districts who had been burned out during Sherman’s march and who could no longer make a living without the slaves to till the cotton had come to Atlanta to live。 New settlers were coming in every day from Tennessee and the Carolinas where the hand of Reconstruction lay even heavier than in Georgia。 Many Irish and Germans who had been bounty men in the Union Army had settled in Atlanta after their discharge。 The wives and families of the Yankee garrison； filled with curiosity about the South after four years of war； came to swell the population。 Adventurers of every kind swarmed in； hoping to make their fortunes； and the negroes from the country continued to come by the hundreds。
The town was roaring—wide open like a frontier village； mak
