Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-07-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
WHAT SAW IN TENNEssEE--a
by EDMUND KIRKE.
Author of "Among the Pines. -

Near the forward door were number of
citizens, who, politely displacing some pieces
of luggage, invited the Colonel and myself
to squeeze ourselves into seats by the side
OF two Fat men i'll Secession gray, who turned
out to he planters from Western Tennessee.
They were of party of ncighbors, who had
been TO Louisville together, and were re-
turning to their homes.
AS the train moved off from the station
one of them said to me-
You're from the North, Sir p
"Ics. Sir"
"Thngs are rather disturbed with We
jest now-anen't they? That Vallandigham
| affair is creating some trouble ~
Not much. Sir-thc best ale will foam :;
it is only a little froth on the surface
at seems to me it's more than iroth,'
said my right-hand ncigh1or. Il reckon
your people are about tired of the war. If
the Democrats were in power, they'd stop
it,
"lIow would they stop it ?"
"By letting the South 90. I'm Union
man. Sir but I've had enough of the war
| want peace. You people at the North
know nothing about it. We're robbed by
both sides; we can't stir out of our houses
in safety; | never wake in the morning but
| fear the day will be my last"
/ at is n sad state of things no doubt ::
| but fear it will continue till the South
| submits"
"Ihcn it will last forever" exclaimed
another planter who sat fucing me. THE
/ South Will never submit, Sir. 1t will never
come back Every Southern man will die
first
| ".illOw me to ask if you're not a slave
/ holder = said the Colonel. leaning forward
and smiingly addressing the last speaker
YES, Sir own some twenty negroes
( 81 thought so. | never heard man
with less than that number express such
sentiments
But own more, and I'm not of that
: opinion" said the quiet gentleman beside
the Colonel. Il would be glad to see the
South back now
YOU'RE not Il native, Sir"
"No. Sir; but I've done business here for
30 years. My friend the doctor here"
pointing to another gentleman, sitting OPP
positc to me, lis "A native, and STAKEHOLDER,
and rs rabid on the Union as | am
And how many slaves have you, DOCTOR"
asked the Colonel, with another pleasant
smile
Only two quarters of orc. Sir, an old
man and Il woman who were playmatcs of
b
Il thought 50" said the Colonel quietly.
"Comc gentlemen, | exclaimed laughing,
"aS the Colonel thinks the number of darkics
sort of political barometer, let us take
census at once
They all received my remark good-naturcd-
ly, and, in five minutes, had the statistics.
The corpulcnt planter, who expected each
day would be his last. had seventy odd
the Northern born merchant had 21 the
doctor had ,. and the Others had respective
~ lO9, 81, ~ and 81 the latter number
representing the interest that the bclligcrcnt
planter had in the peculiar institution. \
halt-hours dcsultory conversation followed,
and during 1t every one of them, except my
right hand ncighbor, and the No sub
mission man, expressed willingness to
sacrifice his chattrs to save the Union.
"Ah, Colonel" | exclaimed, as got at
the sentiments of the whole of the party.
''you are iloorcd-your theory won't stand
FIRE"
'ItrhoIS it won't" he replied, dryly.
More extended observation subsequently,
convinced me that his views are fully sup
ported by general facts.
As the planter of Secession proclivitics
was rather warmly combating my views ON
the Emancipation Proclamation, a singular
ly Sclt.posscsScd, gcntlcmamly-looking man
of about fifty, approached us, and leaning
against thcarm oi the opposite scat, accostcd
me rs follows:
And when the South is subducd, and
the war is over, what will YOU tlo with four
millions of cmancipatcd blacks p
'Sct them at work, and pay them
And would you, n white man, consent
To live where every second citizen is black
and your political and social equal T.
Freedom of itself Sir, will not make
the black my equal. At the North he is
not politically or socially on a par with the
( white, and there he has had fifty years of
irccdom.l
But your black is inferior to ours. The
4 negro Is Of II tropical race; he comes to
| perfection only under a warm sun"
/ III that be true, it proves that your ne
! grocs are fit for freedom. for our blacks are
rs orderly, industrious, and quietly disposed
I aS any class we have
The newcomer was about To reply, when
| the doctor, turning to him, said: Colonel,
you consider our whites superior to our
| blacks; do you not Z"
Certainly do"
"Thcn give the blacks freedom: subject
them To free competition with the poor
whites, and you'll soon be rid Of them, for
| they'll die ont. The Indian is naturally
superior to the negro but two centuries of
contact with the white man-the Indian
being frce-haS reduced the race from six
teen millions to two millions. set the black
free, leave him to himself and his fate will
hc the same
Then slavery Keeps the race alive among
u.s."
"Of course it does; Tor, while the black
lahors for us, We feed, and clothc, and Miak
Tor him; and bcsides-and this is ia,
principal rcaSon-we are constantly iniusing
fresh white blood into his veins. That
would not be- il lac were free for the black
does not scek the white, but the white th,
black"
You have stated the strongest argument
for slavery tina, I ever heard You say il
will save the black, yet, while YOU admit
that freedom would destroy him, yuu would
set him free"
II would-to save the whites. The socia
and political corruption which absolut,
ountful Of him has bred among us, h dc
stroying us. II has caused the present
state of things, and God is using this war
the ffuit at our corruption "a purify IA
lle has written On the wall any man cal
; read it-"slayegY j. doomed -
Il cannot read Il, aud do not believe