The Augusta Courier

Verdict Of Jury In Tennessee Case Put Judge-Made Law In The Saddle

The verdict of the jury in the trial at Clinton, Tennessee means that a new Reconstruction period has been inaugurated in the South.

During the first Reconstruction period the radicals of the North divided the South into five military districts and the districts were occupied by Union troops.

The first period of Reconstruction was supervised and directed by the military commanders of the Union Army under military rule.

Pattern Is Different

The pattern this time is different. This time the reconstruction is to be carried on by federal judges under judge-made law.

Federal judges have been substituted for military commanders. Judge-made law is to be substituted in the place of military rule.

Acting under the judge-made law of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Robert Taylor of Knoxville, Tennessee, made him some "Taylor-made" law governing the conduct of the citizens of Clinton, Tennessee and its environs.

Taylor-made Law

When the citizens of Clinton, Tennessee saw fit to disregard the "Taylor-made" law of Tennessee they were charged with contempt of Court and tried by a jury and the jury impaneled by Judge Taylor found seven people to be guilty of contempt of his "Taylor-made" law.

The trial at Clinton, Tennessee completes the pattern designed by Chief Justice Warren.

Its object is to mix the races in the South and to place the Negro in position to where he can dominate Southern white people.

This was the object of the first Reconstruction period.

Warning Since 1954

The Augusta Courier and its editor have been trying to tell the people of the South since May, 1954 that the Supreme Court of the United States, by an unconstitutional and illegal edict, had decreed this kind of a second Reconstruction period.

In writing about the first Reconstruction period, U. S. News & World Report, in its issue of July 26, 1957 gives us a picture of what happened during the first period of Reconstruction:

"In the North, there were many who complained that the Federal military commanders had granted surrender terms that were too liberal. There was much criticism of the moderate plan President Lincoln devised for reconstruction. After Mr. Lincoln's assassination, radical Republicans in Congress thrust aside his plan and took over the South as a conquered province. The North ruled most of the 11 States as such for almost a decade.

"This period of Federal rule in the South produced strange scenes.

Federal Agents

"Federal agents moved through the South preaching to the Negroes hatred for their former masters, organizing them into masses of voters whom they marched to the polls. A large share of the southern whites were disfranchised. Radical Republicans in Washington directed the work.

"With the support of Federal bayonets, unscrupulous whites from the North had used the Negroes to take over the governments of the southern States. Negroes, carpetbaggers and a scattering of their southern sympathizers, called 'scalawags,' filled the legislatures, took over State, county, and city offices. They looted the States systematically exploited hatred between the races in the South, took everything of value that was not nailed down.

"The end result was to destroy the two-party system in the South. Old-line Whigs turned in desperation to the Democratic Party. And not since reconstruction has the modern Republican Party managed to make a dent in the solidarity of most of the States of the deep South.

The Bitter Days

"The bitter days for the South began in March 1867, when an army of occupation moved into the area. The conquered States were divided into 5 military districts, ruled by 20,000 Federal troops and Negro militiamen. Civil governments that had been operating for a year under the reconstruction plans of Presidents Lincoln and Johnson were thrown out.

"With the troops came hundreds of northerners, many of them bringing all their belongings in carpetbags. Thus, they got the name 'carpetbaggers.' They floated through the area, mingled with the Negroes. Some were from the Republican Party's Union League Clubs of New York and Philadelphia. Others were Federal agents, paid by the Government, devoting their time to party organization.

Local Officers

"Thousands of local officials were thrown out of office to make room for the newcomers and former slaves. Six governors were displaced. Three legislatures were purged of men who might prove hard to handle. Sheriffs, county and city officials, judges were thrust out of office. State laws were modified or set aside. Back of the civilian invaders stood the power of the United States Army.

"The first task assigned to the military commanders by the radical Republicans in Washington was to enroll a new electorate. The Boards of Registry were composed of Army officers, officials of Federal agencies, discharged Union soldiers,