American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-23
Fsom the New York Tribune.
The Southerner at Home.
IProm the Journal of Northern Traveleron llorseb

the road, and inquired OF him IT he coulo
recommend me to comfortable place tc
pass the night?
"Yes, can" said he; "You stop al
John Watson's. He is real good fellow
and his wife is NICE tidy woman; he's
got good house, and you ii be as well
taken care of there as any place | know. y
What | am most concerned about is a
clean bed" said |.
"WSs you are safe for that there"
So distinct recommendation was un-
usual, and when | reached the house he
had described to me, somewhat before
nightfall, | of course stopped to solicit
entertainment.
In the gallery sat a fine, stawart man,
and a woman who in size and figure match
ed him we'll Some ruddy, fat children
were playing on the steps. The man wore
a full beard. which is very uncommon IN
these narts. I rode to horse block, near
the gallery, and asked if | could be ac-
commodated for the night? "Oh, yes,
YOU can stay here if you can get along
without anything to eat; we don't have
ANYTHING but once week" Well, you
look as if it agrees with you, | reckon III
try it for one night" "Alight, then, sir,
alght. Why, you came from Texas, didn't
you? Your rig looks like it., he said as
I dismounted. " Yes, I've just crossed
Texas. all the way from the Rio Grande." ."
"Have you, though? Well, I'll be right
glad to hear something of that country"
He threw my saddle and bags across the
rail of the gallery, and we walked together
to the stable.
"I hear that there are a great many
Germans in the western part of Texas,
he said presently "There are a great
many; west of the Guadeloupe, more
Germans than American born" Have
they got many slaves ?" "No." "Well,
won't they break off and make Free
State down there, by and by? 81 should
think it not impossible that they might"
"I wish to God they would; l would like
right we'll to go and settle there if it was
free from slavery. You see, Kansas and
all the Free States are too far North for
me L was raised in Alabama, and don't
want to move into colder climate but L
would like to 90 into country where they
hadn't got this curse of slavery"
He said this not knowing that | was a
Northern man greatly surprised, | asked,
"What are your objections to slavery, sir"
COLLECTIONS The first is here (strik-
ing his breast); was brought up in a
nigger State, and have always been used
to it, but could never bring myself to
like it. Well, sir, know slavery is wrong,
and God II put an end to it. It's bound
to come to an end, and when the end does
come. there II be woe in the land. And,
instead of preparing for it, and trying to
make it as light as possible, we are doing
nothing but making it worse and worse.
That's the way it appears to me, and I'd
rather get away from here bofore it comes.
Then, I've another objection to it. don't
like to have slaves about me. Now, tell
anigger to 90 and feed your horse; never
know if he's done it unless | 90 and see
and if he didn't know | would goand see,
and would whip if | found he hadn't fed
him. would he feed him? He'd let him
.starve. I've got as good niggers as any
body, but | never can depee on them ;
they will lie and they will steal, and take
advantage of me in every way they dare.
OF course they will, if they are slaves.
Lying and stealing are not the worst OF it.
Ave got family of children, and don't
like to have such degraded beings round
my house while they are growing up. |
know what the consequences are to chill
.dren growing up among slaves"
here told him that / was Northern
man, and asked if he could safely utter
such sentiments among the people of this
district, who bore the reputation of being
among the most extreme and fanatical dev-
,otees of slavery. "Pve been told hun
.dred times / should be killed if were
mot more prudent in expressing my opin-
ions; but, when it comes to killing, I'm
as good as the next man, and they know
It, never came the worst out of fight
since was boy. never am afraid to
speak what think to anybody. / don't
think ever shall be"
aAre there many persens here who
have as bad an opinion of slavery as you
have ?"