minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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who she hates most, she says: 'The Scallywags.' People, thank
God, remember things like that."

Scarlett's voice rose furiously. "And I suppose you tell her I'm a
Scallawag!"

"Daddy!" said the small voice, indignant now, and Rhett, still
laughing, went down the hall to his daughter.



That October Governor Bullock resigned his office and fled from
Georgia. Misuse of public funds, waste and corruption had reached
such proportions during his administration that the edifice was
toppling of its own weight. Even his own party was split, so great
had public indignation become. The Democrats had a majority in the
legislature now, and that meant just one thing. Knowing that he
was going to be investigated and fearing impeachment, Bullock did
not wait. He hastily and secretly decamped, arranging that his
resignation would not become public until he was safely in the
North.

When it was announced, a week after his flight, Atlanta was wild
with excitement and joy. People thronged the streets, men laughing
and shaking hands in congratulation, ladies kissing each other and
crying. Everybody gave parties in celebration and the fire
department was kept busy fighting the flames that spread from the
bonfires of jubilant small boys.

Almost out of the woods! Reconstruction's almost over! to be sure,
the acting governor was a Republican too, but the election was
coming up in December and there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to
what the result would be. And when the election came, despite the
frantic efforts of the Republicans, Georgia once more had a
Democratic governor.

There was joy then, excitement too, but of a different sort from
that which seized the town when Bullock took to his heels. This was
a more sober heartfelt joy, a deep-souled feeling of thanksgiving,
and the churches were filled as ministers reverently thanked God for
the deliverance of the state. There was pride too, mingled with the
elation and joy, pride that Georgia was back in the hands of her own
people again, in spite of all the administration in Washington could
do, in spite of the army, the Carpetbaggers, the Scallawags and the
native Republicans.

Seven times Congress had passed crushing acts against the state to
keep it a conquered province, three times the army had set aside
civil law. The negroes had frolicked through the legislature,
grasping aliens had mismanaged the government, private individuals
had enriched themselves from public funds. Georgia had been
helpless, tormented, abused, hammered down. But now, in spite of
them all, Georgia belonged to herself again and through the efforts
of her own people.

The sudden overturn of the Republicans did not bring joy to
everyone. There was consternation in the ranks of the Scallawags,
the Carpetbaggers and the Republicans. The Gelerts and Hundons,
evidently apprised of Bullock's departure before his resignation
became public, left town abruptly, disappearing into that oblivion
from which they had come. The other Carpetbaggers and Scallawags
who remained were uncertain, frightened, and they hovered together
for comfort, wondering what the legislative investigation would
bring to light concerning their own private affairs. They were not
insolent now. They were stunned, bewildered, afraid. And the
ladies who called on Scarlett said over and over:

"But who would have thought it would turn out this way? We thought
the governor was too powerful. We thought he was here to stay. We
thought--"

Scarlett was equally bewildered by the turn of events, despite
Rhett's warning as to the direction it would take. It was not that
she was sorry Bullock had gone and the Democrats were back again.
Though no one would have believed it she, too, felt a grim
happiness that the Yankee rule was at last thrown off. She
remembered all too vividly her struggles during those first days of
Reconstruction, her fears that the soldiers and the Carpetbaggers
would confiscate her money and her property. She remembered her
helplessness and her panic at her helplessness and her hatred of
the Yankees who had imposed this galling system upon the South.
And she had never stopped hating them. But, in trying to make the
best of things, in trying to obtain complete security, she had gone
with the conquerors. No matter how much she disliked them, she had
surrounded herself with them, cut herself off from her old friends
and her old ways of living. And now the power of the conquerors
was at an end. She had gambled on the continuance of the Bullock
regime and she had lost.

As she looked about her, that Christmas of 1871, the happiest
Christmas the state had known in over ten years, she was disquieted.
She could not help seeing that Rhett, once the most execrated man in
Atlanta, was now one of the most popular, for he had humbly recanted
his Republican heresies and given his time and money and labor and
thought to helping Georgia fight her way back. When he rode down
the streets, smiling, tipping his hat, the small blue bundle that
was Bonnie perched before him on his saddle, everyone smiled back,
spoke with enthusiasm and looked with affection on the little girl.
Whereas, she, Scarlett--

who she hates most, she says: 'The Scallywags.' People, thank

God, remember things like that."

Scarlett's voice rose furiously. "And I suppose you tell her I'm a

Scallawag!"

"Daddy!" said the small voice, indignant now, and Rhett, still

laughing, went down the hall to his daughter.

That October Governor Bullock resigned his office and fled from

Georgia. Misuse of public funds, waste and corruption had reached

such proportions during his administration that the edifice was

toppling of its own weight. Even his own party was split, so great

had public indignation become. The Democrats had a majority in the

legislature now, and that meant just one thing. Knowing that he

was going to be investigated and fearing impeachment, Bullock did

not wait. He hastily and secretly decamped, arranging that his

resignation would not become public until he was safely in the

North.

When it was announced, a week after his flight, Atlanta was wild

with excitement and joy. People thronged the streets, men laughing

and shaking hands in congratulation, ladies kissing each other and

crying. Everybody gave parties in celebration and the fire

department was kept busy fighting the flames that spread from the

bonfires of jubilant small boys.

Almost out of the woods! Reconstruction's almost over! to be sure,

the acting governor was a Republican too, but the election was

coming up in December and there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to

what the result would be. And when the election came, despite the

frantic efforts of the Republicans, Georgia once more had a

Democratic governor.

There was joy then, excitement too, but of a different sort from

that which seized the town when Bullock took to his heels. This was

a more sober heartfelt joy, a deep-souled feeling of thanksgiving,

and the churches were filled as ministers reverently thanked God for

the deliverance of the state. There was pride too, mingled with the

elation and joy, pride that Georgia was back in the hands of her own

people again, in spite of all the administration in Washington could

do, in spite of the army, the Carpetbaggers, the Scallawags and the

native Republicans.

Seven times Congress had passed crushing acts against the state to

keep it a conquered province, three times the army had set aside

civil law. The negroes had frolicked through the legislature,

grasping aliens had mismanaged the government, private individuals

had enriched themselves from public funds. Georgia had been

helpless, tormented, abused, hammered down. But now, in spite of

them all, Georgia belonged to herself again and through the efforts

of her own people.

The sudden overturn of the Republicans did not bring joy to

everyone. There was consternation in the ranks of the Scallawags,

the Carpetbaggers and the Republicans. The Gelerts and Hundons,

evidently apprised of Bullock's departure before his resignation

became public, left town abruptly, disappearing into that oblivion

from which they had come. The other Carpetbaggers and Scallawags

who remained were uncertain, frightened, and they hovered together

for comfort, wondering what the legislative investigation would

bring to light concerning their own private affairs. They were not

insolent now. They were stunned, bewildered, afraid. And the

ladies who called on Scarlett said over and over:

"But who would have thought it would turn out this way? We thought

the governor was too powerful. We thought he was here to stay. We

thought--"

Scarlett was equally bewildered by the turn of events, despite

Rhett's warning as to the direction it would take. It was not that

she was sorry Bullock had gone and the Democrats were back again.

Though no one would have believed it she, too, felt a grim

happiness that the Yankee rule was at last thrown off. She

remembered all too vividly her struggles during those first days of

Reconstruction, her fears that the soldiers and the Carpetbaggers

would confiscate her money and her property. She remembered her

helplessness and her panic at her helplessness and her hatred of

the Yankees who had imposed this galling system upon the South.

And she had never stopped hating them. But, in trying to make the

best of things, in trying to obtain complete security, she had gone

with the conquerors. No matter how much she disliked them, she had

surrounded herself with them, cut herself off from her old friends

and her old ways of living. And now the power of the conquerors

was at an end. She had gambled on the continuance of the Bullock

regime and she had lost.

As she looked about her, that Christmas of 1871, the happiest

Christmas the state had known in over ten years, she was disquieted.

She could not help seeing that Rhett, once the most execrated man in

Atlanta, was now one of the most popular, for he had humbly recanted

his Republican heresies and given his time and money and labor and

thought to helping Georgia fight her way back. When he rode down

the streets, smiling, tipping his hat, the small blue bundle that

was Bonnie perched before him on his saddle, everyone smiled back,

spoke with enthusiasm and looked with affection on the little girl.

Whereas, she, Scarlett--