Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-04-25
miscellaneous.
JOHN sAYRE's CONVERSION.

j. a >
"TH,R's no use talking to me, Cooper.
I'm an old man, but fm not to be fooled, l
kin tell We. We've talked this thing over
bout enough. The times come now for
sometbin' inore'u talk, and, by ginger l
hope every blamed Yankee'll be druv squar
out o. the country
WHY what have they done, Doctor, that
won want to drive 'em out. These same
Yankees are the working bees Of the South.
They amt lazy, are they?'
Levy wish 10 thunder they was. It's
nv ouinion that if they was bit lazier they d
make less difikIlty. They're the hull time
a snoopin round up stars an down stars an .
in my lady's chamber. 10 see what they kin
poke out to make dime on"
That's no fault, Doctor, so long as they're
honest. You don't mean to say they re not
honest, 60 you %
"Honesti What dye call honest? Kin
man be honest that'll steal niggers? Ans
wer me that. an III talk to ye."
"No, perhaps not. Maybe not If he trades
IN them either"
"There We go agin with your cursed abol-
iuon idees. It's my 'pinion. George Cooper,
that old Tennessee amt big enough to hold
YOU. II you vally yer hide it's ike enough
tn be safer for you outside the State llm-
its
I'm much obliged to you, Doctor, for
tie ADVICE. but think ] shull stay in Nash
Vile vet a while. I've dJne business hon
estlv in this town six wears, and don be
lieve any bodv's going to trouble me now be-
cause 1 don't happen to be of the same op'n-
ION as themselves
"Ye don't. ehi Well, Sir, there's ,becn
smarter fellers nor you toted around on
rail and treated free to tar for lessn nor you We
said this day. Now it's my advice to you
70 get some dirt betwixt you an Nashville
list AS soon as the Lord'll let ye, and take
that white-laced sister of yourn along too.
A smile had been upon the face of George
Coooer until the last few words, but 1t van
ished in an instant. and a flush Int up his
features and sparkled IN his eye. That some
strong controlling spirit was at work check
ING ms tongue. and possibly his hand to-
wards the spsaker. was very apparent. lie
looked him steadily for an instant IN the
eve. until that Of the old man quailed, and
then with a slight gesture of contempt turned
aside. sterued out towards the road, un-
b,tcbed his horse, and drove away.
Geo1re Cooper was Massachusetts, man.
Six Years before he had settled in Nashville
10 follow mercantile career, and success had
crowned his labor. Three years be ore, upon
the death of his mother, George Cooper had
brourbt to a new Southern home an only
sister. Clara, q type of Northern beauty,
rure and pale, but still possessing the North
crn traits of industry and activity. Around
this sister his love clung with adevotlon that
admitted no com promise. He could bear
the slurs and hali-uttered threats Of Doctor
John Savre on bipsell, but when even
whi>rer fel. upon Clara be was ready to have
offered NO the offender TO immOlatlJn IN ex-
uiatIon Of the ofiense,
We have said that some strong controls
ing spirit was at work checking hls tongue
and rossihv his hand. We will explain.
Doctor John Sayre was physician of the
old Southwestern school. 1t would no doubt
Rave ruzz.ed Doctor John to have shown a
dlrloua. had he been obliged to collect his
fees Lv uroce.s oflaw. lie settled in Tenn.
IN the edllv DAYS when a little learning went
a long way. and a soap pill was swallowed
without analvzation. lie had been care
ful man. having married plantation with
fifty negroes, to say nothing OF the encum
brance of a wife, within five miles Of Nash
vile, which after careful nursing-the plan
tation not the wife-of quarter OF a csntu-
~. had not decreased in value. At the
time of our writing DR.. John Sayre found
himself widower with one son, Wits
Sayre, and about one bundled thousand dol
lars worth of the worlds goods to take care
of. There was one line of study 10 which
DR.. John delighted beyond all others, medl
cine included, which was, the false polItlca
economy preached daily through the South
ern press and by Southern demagoges, al
tending to the theory that the product o
his plantation was essential TO the success o
the world. and must be had at whateve
risk and cost.
uLook'ee hyar, sir" Doctor John woul'
argue. "do YOU see that thar head o cotton
The dav'u come, sir. when that ar artlel
will fetch double what it fetches now. Ina
thar day will come, cir, by ginger! III
com", sir, list as soon as these byar State
c0n-clu1e 10 sep-e-rate from yer cussed dick
ering, swapping, Yankee arrangement u
North. They kin DO it, and, by ginger
they will do II,
But. Doctor" some political economi'
would answer, "don't you know that Il
great trouble with the cOtton-using worl
Just now is that the article Is too high, al
that they are trying, with might and man
to find some place upon the face OF the earl
where it ciu he cultivated cheaper by subsi
tuung lice idout-
Fee labor shouts Doctor John; ''fr
labor can't make cotton, Sir, An If tn
could, Sir, dye mean to say that free lab
Is cheaper an niegers? The idee is pre-pC
tu-rous, stranger.
Il mean 10 say, Doctor, that you S1ut
crn ulaniers aTe this moment paying 30
cent. more Tor your labor than NoIthe
farmers. aud running more RISKS with II;
The things i'm possible. Sir - says DC
TOR John. with mighty thump on 'he 'Ao
''it can't be proved.
''See here, Doctor, what DO you give io'
fret cilss leid hand p
Fifteen hundred doll Is, Sir, says D'
tor I'm, with slight exdltation.
Very wei, Sir, the interest on that me
O., by southern rule, OF in fact by any ru
would be 10 per cent, or one hundred a
fffy dollars per annum. You insure him
tNy-third> his giiac, still risEing five hu
drsI dollars; taI, costs Yoa fifteen doll
ter auiuih. lou cIothe aim that costs y
iwent.-.ye dollars. You pay hls docto
bad: ih.t costs you five diilafs year; q
,..u iis1 h.ui IL totacco and Ferhsp' SUM
,tt.rtr.ii,s we Won't name. hat st Tia
down q. i've dollars. Foot thai W, Doct
and va viii fud 1t comes to exactly ~
Beaides which YOU lose the Work OF Mas
Cudee when he is too sick or lazy. Nc
then, Doctor, the Northern farmer goes Il
the labor market and buys his Stout