Book Review

Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War

Government Fails/ Intimidation Rules

            In the book, Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, Nicholas Lemann describes the cruel realities of how terrorism, violence, and brutality led to the resurgence of white politics in the southern states during the 1870’s.  These tactics of intimidation took several years but ends with black Republicans not being able to exercise their new rights.  The political reinstatement of white southern politics and terroristic intimidation of the White Liners eventually leads to the demise of black and white Republicans.  Lemann clearly thinks the Federal government’s decision to withdraw from supporting black political rights forces a victory for the South in the American Civil War.

            So, who is to blame for the failure of Reconstruction?  Was it the intimidation of White Liners and such groups in the South or the Federal government?  Lemann thinks it was the failure of the Grant administration.  Now that history has played out, I believe it was society not ready for “change”.  The white southerners were not ready to give up the rights of what they felt they were entitled, which was empowerment over blacks.  The government was not ready to stand up for the policies that were written.  And blacks still didn’t have a voice.  We have all heard the saying, “if you want it bad enough you will find a way.”  The White Liners, Southern Democrats, ex-Confederates, or white supremacy groups must have wanted it more; although they did it in unconstitutional, illegal ways, they won.  If you let a bully, bully, he will bully.