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Report on the Condition of the South by Carl Schurz
page 68 of 289 (23%)
related to the former than to the latter, _the introduction of which will
be attempted_. I have already noticed some movements in that direction,
which were made under the very eyes of our military authorities, and of
which the Opelousas and St. Landry ordinances were the most significant.
Other things of more recent date, such as the new negro code submitted by
a committee to the legislature of South Carolina, are before the country.
They have all the same tendency, because they all spring from the same
cause.

It may be objected that evidence has been given of a contrary spirit by
the State conventions which passed ordinances abolishing slavery in their
States, and making it obligatory upon the legislatures to enact laws for
the protection of the freedmen. While acknowledging the fact, I deem it
dangerous to be led by it into any delusions. As to the motives upon which
they acted when abolishing slavery, and their understanding of the
bearings of such an act, we may safely accept the standard they have set
up for themselves. When speaking of popular demonstrations in the south in
favor of submission to the government, I stated that the principal and
almost the only argument used was, that they found themselves in a
situation in which "they could do no better." It was the same thing with
regard to the abolition of slavery; wherever abolition was publicly
advocated, whether in popular meetings or in State conventions, it was on
the ground of necessity--not unfrequently with the significant addition
that, as soon as they had once more control of their own State affairs,
they could settle the labor question to suit themselves, whatever they
might have to submit to for the present. Not only did I find this to be
the common talk among the people, but the same sentiment was openly avowed
by public men in speech and print. Some declarations of that kind, made by
men of great prominence, have passed into the newspapers and are
undoubtedly known to you. I append to this report a specimen,
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