“After years and years of haughty supremacy, ambition and pride growing rankly, as they must in such a soil, fostered, it would seem, by Northern indolence and indifference, the South was conquered by armed force—brought down to the humiliation of defeat by a successful, if generous foe. “And then, what was far harder for them to endure, a race of people that they had looked upon much as you look upon your herd of cattle was suddenly raised from a condition of servitude to one of legal equality, and in many cases of supremacy. “It was hard for this hot-blooded, misguided, warm-hearted Southern people to lose at once all their brilliant dreams of an independent, aristocratic Confederacy—it was hard for them to lose home, and country, and wealth, and ambition at one blow. “It was hard for their proud, ambitious leader to have his beautiful old country home, full of aristocratic associations and sweet memories, turned into the national graveyard. “And this one tragedy that changed this sweet home into a mausoleum is not a bad illustration of what the Southern people endured. “No matter what brought this thing about—no matter where the blame rested—it was _hard_ for them to stand by the graves of their loved ones, who fell fighting for the lost cause—to stand amongst the ruins of their dismantled homes, and know that their proud, ambitious dreams were all ended. “But this they could endure—it was the fortune of war, and they had to submit. But to this other indignity, as they called it, they would _not_ submit. “Through centuries of hereditary influences and teachings this belief was ingrained, born in them, bone of their bone, flesh of their flesh, soul of their soul, implanted first by nature, then hardened and made invulnerable by centuries of habits, beliefs, and influences—this instinctive, hereditary contempt and aversion for the black race only as servants. “And they _would not_ endure to have them made their equals. “Now, no preaching, be it with the tongue of men or angels, could vanquish this ingrained, inexorable foe, this silent, overmastering force that rose up on every side to set at naught our preaching. [Illustration: A BLACK. ] “After twenty-five years of Christian effort it remains the same, and at the end of a century of Gospel work it will still be there just the same. “And those who do not take into consideration this overwhelming power of antagonism between the races when they are considering the Southern question are fools. “The whites _will_ not look upon the negroes as their equals, and you cannot make them—” “Wall, they be!” hollered out Josiah. “The Proclamation made ’em free and equal, jest as we wuz made in the War of 1812.” “But oh, what a difference!” sez Cousin John Richard sadly.