The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-04-23
LETTER FROM ETHAN SPIKE.

| Did you ever get drawed into jewryI l
| was drawn aout of the box last fall, an sworn
to support the constitootien according to the
statoote. Beyo gineral idea that jewry-
men was bsound togo for the country-right
or wroHg-which country they is, | knowed
eeniist nothing of the supernoomary dewties
pertainin to such funkshonaries.
Wal-fust thing knowed, was summon
ed to Portland to try a Jarman and niger
| for KILN Mr.. Albion Cooper on the high sees.
I never could see why the tarm "high see"
was used in such eases spose it means flood
tide and know that pork killed at one time
of tide haint the same as when killed at ano-
ther time Of the tide--likewise beans pulled
on full moon don't bile so we'll as the moon
| is gibberish: but il feller mortal critter is
| slewed-it don't stan to reason that it makes
any difference whether he was slowed at high
water or low. Its murder any way. Thems
my dees of the law on that pint.
Wall, l felt rayther praoud that my fust
sarvice to my country as jewryman, was
one of life and death, and when | thought Of
them cussed pie rats, | felt as though ef had
my way I'd hang every Jarman an niger
could get hold on. In this here patriotic and
Christian frame went to the Court haouse.
/ found a smart chance of brother jewryman
thar and pretty soon the clark begun to ques'
tion fust one and then another, till at last
they kim to me.
"Mr Spike" said the clark, "have you any
conscientious scruples agn hangngi" said he.
"Wall," said |, "that depends on sarcnm-
stances. Ef it war the fust person snguler,
agreein to nomitive me, Muscular gender, en-
perytyve mood-that war to be hung--l hev
But If it war We, you or them, futer tense, in
dickytyve mood, not darn scruple, says l.
"IIev you formed any opinion for or agIn
the prisonersi' said he.
"Not pertikular agin the Jarman," says !,
"but hate niggers as gineral prlneiple-
and shall 90 for hanging this ere old white
wooled cuss, whether he killed Mr. Cooper or
not"-says1 l.
"Do you know the natur of an oathi" the
clark axad me.
81 orter" SAYS I, 'I've used enough of en-
began to swear when was only abaout'-
"Thatll do" says the clark. "You kin go
hum says he, 'you wont be wanted in this
ere case"-says the clark says he.
"what," says l, "aint to try this Niger
at alli"
NO" says the clark
"But I'm a iewryman," says ], "an You
can't hang the niger onless I've sot on him,
says l.
'DuJ, SAYS !, lOh unlsbSiy lO"N' ''N"''
as Won saw: I'm a regular Jury man Jou know.
Drawed aout of the box oy the seelIck men, y
saws |. 1--WE oilers had hankering to hang
a niger, and naow, when marciful dispen-
satorv seems to have provided one for me,
yor saw ] shant sit on himl Ar this aour free
instertootonsi Is this the nineteenth sentryH
And is this our boasted"-
Here somebody holered, ''Silencein Coortf
.Tbe Coort be-r' | didn't finish this re-
mark. for q couple of cornstables had holt oi
me and in the twinking of beadpost was
hustled down stairs into the street.
Naow, Mr.. Editor let me ask, what are we
comm to, when iewrymen-legal Lawful! jew
rymen kin be tossed about in this wayi Talk
about Cancers, Mormons, Spiritualism, free
love and pauicks-what ar they in comparl
soni Here's great principle upshotl AS IN
indervidooal perhaps Tm of no great account
faint for me to say but when as IN enlight
ed iewryman was TUX and carried down
stairs by perfane hands, just for assertln my
right to set on q nigger-wy 1t seems TO me
the pillows of society were shook; that IN my
sacred person the hull State itself-Deirego
an all-was. fggeratively speaker, kicked
daown stairs If thars law in the land, I'll
have this case brought up under-a writ ol
babons Corpus or icksey Dickst.
Wall, beein thus stripped OF my jewdisshal
robes, so to speak, went into coort again,
and sot daown among the common people.
couldn't keep away. l materially felt enX
ions abaout the nigger, an | found good
many others that felt as airnest abaout 1t al
did A good many times | was hall aiearo
the tarnal critter would get clear. Speshally J
when the indictment was read, which lnster
ment laid pretty much ull the blame onto tht
diyil, but luckily the prisner's Caouncil did
mt seem to notice il, and never mentioned II
in the plea Then when the prisner's Caoun
ell brought forward that Corpus de Hckty ar
gument, | says to myself says / he'll get thu
niger off as true as preaching. But wheT
tother Caouncil tux the'matter up, things be
gan to look quite different tell you. In ff
teen minutes arter he got underway caount
ed the prisoner dead Niger. wouldn'
have gin q second chaw Of terbaber for tn
lives Of ther. He really made me feel a
though it was religious duty to get right NJ
and cut the prisners throats. Arter he hx
ed EN- all right for hanging just as turkies i
fixed forroastin, he turns raound and dressed
them in the most feelinist manner lie tolc
them that they was poor miserable furriner
-one born in Jarmany an tother in the wes
Ingees. But notwithstanding they had, II
= addition to their tother crimes, bin guilty
a of being born in furrin parts. which is agIr
the statooes, still sich is the marcfnl arrange
ments Of aour free nstitootons, they had haC
I the benefit Of a trial, leavin them to infe'
that any where else they would have beeI
hung without one on account OF bein inrrln
! ers.
I At this touchin pint of pearoarntion, wa
so affected with sense of the greatness o
the country, and of my good luck of beeiT
born under the shar1er Of its perladyums
that ef I'd know should have been shot 70
. IT, | couldn't help singing aout as did-Hdt
c Rarlmnbyi For which patriotic aoutburst,
was again carried down stairs. Compliment
of the season to you and yours.
ETHAN SPIKE.