The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-11-06


troops, and all this by coIrpuision; and L
think it strange indeed if we should not
divert this labor from that channel. TGreat
applause They do not object to it, and
why should we? Another reason why L
think this slave labor should be diverted
Is this: Tallahatchie county, Miss, has
but 900 voters, and that county sends 600
soldiers to the rebel army. They havo
$4,000 or 10000 slaves, and these slaves
are at work in the fields, producing the
hog and the hominy, Of which you have
heard so much. If these slaves were lib
Grated, these 600 men would be compelled
almost to man to go home to produce
that hog and hominy which is necessary
to the support Of themselves and their
families. L am asked if | believe that
this proclamation can be carried out Yes,
L believe 1t can be carried out, just so sure
and just so long as negroes have legs
Laughter and applause For they will
escape to the Union lines at every oppor-
tunity. They came into the Union lines
long ago, but they learned it was the pol
icy ofthe Government not to receive them.
1t was opposed t. the views of the Gener-
ais, and Gen. Nelson and Gen. Wood and
Gen. Ammon have tied up the negroes
and whipped them and sent them back.
This [ have known to be the case, and
have seen to be the case. One of them
has gone to his reward. T"More of 'em
will go ~ [ am stating things now that
L know to be true; that have seen with
my eyes. We are often asked this ques-
ton: "Will the slaves make good soldiers3
Are they sufficiently intelligent 2" Let me
tell you that the slaves are more intelligent
than the poor whites in the South. Why
l went into a house not three months ago,
and there was a lady belonging to this
class Of sand-hillers, and | remarked, BY
way of passing my time, as l was waiting
for her husband, that there was pictGGre
Of the Presidents. eyes" said she, .'them's
the picters of the Presidents, and some of
'em must be gittin' mighty old by this
time, if they amt dead" prolonged
laughter [ remarked, in addition, that
that one at the head was Gen. Washington.
YES" said she, "I've heern of him ever
since l was gal /; wonder if he's dead
yet" told her that L had seen an account
of his death in the papers. [Continucd
laughter There were two families in
Tishamingo county who were going to
move, one to Texas and the other to Ar
kansas !; but the wife of the Texas man
wanted to go to Arkansas, and the wife of
the Arkansas man wanted to go to Texas.
The men were out hunting one day, and
were thinking about it, and at last they
agreed that to trade would be a good plan.
Laughter and applause.l As [ am rela-
ting the matter just as 1t occurred, shall
have to relate the express words One of
the women was cid, and the other was
young. "Neow," said one, ''if YOU had an
old mar, and l had young filly, you
wouldn't want to trade even, would se 2"
[Great laughter The other agreed with
him, and so they compromised the matter,
by the one who possessed the old wife
giving a double barreled shotgun and
eighteen dollars to boot lie paid The
eighteen dollars, however, in coonskins,
and things Of that sort, Now, this is the
condition OF the poor whites in that vicn-
ity. The shareholders rule them. There
is one thing that they complain of bitterly,
and tat Is this-they are compelled to
patrole the country to keep down insurree,
tons Of the negroes. =
Then there is the question about wheth-
er the negroes Will fight against their
masters. The negroes are very kind
peoplS, anu IucJ are pOSS6SSeu VI Il very
great deal of piety-indeed, | believe that
the real piety of the South is ensconccd
in the bosom of the slave population of
that country-and they would not wish to
destroy their masters, however they might
abuse or whip them. But every man in
the South is not the master of every spe-
cifc negro IN the South; that negro wo'd
not fight against his master, but be would
fight against every other master il tts
South. l have relatives In the South
| unfortunately have three brothers-in-
law officers in the rebel army. If | knew
| was aiming at one Of them, | would not
shoot but | would fight willingly, and if
in fighting | should kill one oi them,
should do 1t with a good conscience l
have been asked. Viii there be iasprrec-
tions? | say not, so long as the negroes
can run away; so long as they can run
and 6nd protection, there viii be no insur-
rectiols. Bat there IS great alarm in the
South through fear that there will be in
surrectious. | attended the Synod of
Mississippi, in October last, at Natehez,
and / was told that fifteen negroes had
been hanged there for fear of finaarrection
Others said it was not true, and that
they were hanged upon irresponsible state
nents of irresnnnsihl,. nerSons Wbila r