To break this cycle, the northern abolitionists demanded the implementation and acceptance of the 13th and 14th amendments to ensure that the southern states emancipated the slaves. Although Congress had to enforce these articles by appropriate legislation, the die-hard southerners did not like the fact that if they lost their laborers and servants they would be devastated, socially and financially. The family plantations had become accustomed to slaves providing the majority of the work in their houses and the fields. The number of slaves and how hard they worked determined the monetary and social successes. Trescott was immediately affected when the slaves were emancipated. His statement that “slavery informs all our modes of life” might indicate that he was not accustomed to living without slaves and would face difficulties by having to labor for himself. This would have a major effect on their everyday operations and they were not going to let a group of Northerners disrupt their normal way of life. The south would never accept the Negroes and they had a disgruntled attitude because the slaves could not possibly live amongst whites as equal citizens and they would not assist them in any way.
The constant discrimination reminded the freedmen that the south was always going to treat them like second class citizens and the temptation to relocate to a place where they would at least feel free and equal was very tempting, but the task of traveling and reaching their final destination would be dangerous and difficult. It was absurd that the white community leaders established terrorists groups to frighten and remind Negroes to stay in their place. The political leaders were often participants of these groups and the attitudes were not favorable to the abolitionists who were lobbying for slavery reform. As it was plain to see, acceptance in the south for negroes would take some time to implement and ensure freedom and equality for all.
Trescott stated that “slavery lies at the basis of social existence and their political faith”, could not have been nothing but the selfish realization that they were not concerned about nobody but themselves. What about the lives and social existence of the freedmen? Is it not stated in the Federal Constitution (XIV Amendment), that any state shall not deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of the law?
Unfortunately, there were a lot of holes in the way the southern politicians and white supremacists interpreted or disregarded this amendment because it would drastically reduce their social existence. The time has come that the old plantation days are gone and the descendants of the slave owners would have to change. This would not happen overnight. Racism is a learned behavior that allows people to influence others to hate an individual because of race or color. We must change the way we teach our children to break the pattern. Trescott had been taught that Negroes were often considered as property.
Today we have accepted the changes that were initiated by the abolitionists
to end slavery and discrimination but, when humans are involved you cannot change personal views of some people. Trescott had his beliefs and even though I don’t agree with his views, I can understand why there was resistance to the emancipation of slaves. Over the last one hundred years, the efforts of many civil rights leaders have campaigned for the immediate end of racism and equal treatment for Negroes in the southern states. To this day there are still racists organizations that will not accept that this country has changed and the south will never be like it was more that 150 years ago. Measures have been established to ensure fair and impartial treatment of all.
