Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-11-23
! CHARLEsToWN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1865

heap more feeiin IOr the poor nigSSI tual
any aboiishunistI We are as poor rs Job, but
III bet dollar we can raise more money in
Rome to build niger church than they did
in Dostown. The papers say that after goin
around for weeks, the -Bostown christins
raised thirtyseven dollars TO build Niger
church in Savannah. They are powerful ON
theory, but mighty scace in practice.
But its no use talkih. Everybody will know
by waitin who's been foold. Mr. johnson says
he's gwine to experiment, that's all ne can do
now--its all anybody can do, Mr., Jdhhstm's
heads Level, I'm for him, andeverybody ought
to be for him-only he's powerful slow about
something's. Amt worshippin him. He
never made me, / hear folks hollowin hurraw
for Andy Johnson and Che papers say, oh . he's
for us, he's all right, he's our friend. Well
spose he is, hadn't he ought to bc7 Did you
expekt him 10 be dog7 BekHtse he aiii't
hangin of us, is it necessary to be playin hipo-
crit around the foot-stool Of power and maxim
out like he was the greatest man in the world,
and we was the greatest sinners Who's sorry?
Who's repentin Who amt proud of our pco-
ple? Who loves our enemies? Nobody but
a burned sneak. say let EN- hang and be
hanged to 'em, before I'd beg 'en for grace
Whar's Sokrates, whars Cato? But if Andy
holds his own, the tountry's safe, provided these
general Assemblys and sinods and Bishops con-
ventions will keepthe devil and Brownlow tied.
Here's passel Of slinkhcarted fellers whoplay-
ed tory Jest to dodge bullits or save property,
now bowling about offis-want everything be-
kause they was for Union. They was for
themselves, thats all they was for, and they
amt going to get offises neither. Mr.. John
son amt got no more respek for 'em than
have. We want to trade 'em off, BY hokey,
we'll give two of 'etn for one coppcrhead, and
ak nothin to boot Let em shinny on their
own side, and git over among the folks who
don't want us reconstructed There's them
newspaper scribblers who slip down to the
edge of Dixey every "a hours, and peep over
at lis, on tip toe. Then they run back puff
fin and blowin with a straight coat tail, and
holler out, ale amt dead-he amt deadlock
out everybody. I'm Jest from thar-seed his
toe move---heard him grunt; he's going to rise
agin. Don't withdraw the sojers, but send
down more troops immegeately." And here's
your Harper's Weeklyha headin all sich-a
gassin lies and ISLANDERS in every issue--makin
insultin pikters In every sheet-breedin ever
lastin discord, and chawin bigger than ever
since we got licked. Wish old Stonewall had
cotch these Harper's at their Ferry, and VIC
boys had knowd they was goin to keep up this
deyilment so long. We'd made baptist OF
them sartin, payroll or no payroll. Hurraw
for bravo soldier, say, reb or no reb, yank
or no yank hurraw for manly foe and gen.
erous victor-hurraw for our side too, golly,
excuse me, but sch expressions will work their
way out sometimes, brakes or no brakes.
But I'm for Mr., Johnson. I'm for all the
Johnson's-its a bully name. There's our Gov
ernor, who amt goingat discount and there's
Andy who is doing powerful well considerin,
and there's the hero of Shiloh-peace to his no
bic ashes.
And there's Joe--my bully Joe--wouldnt
walk ten miles of rainy night to see them ha-
Eel eyes, and feel the grip of his soldier hand.
Didn't my rooster always clap his wings and
crow whenever he passed otir quartersl ''ln-
stinct told him that he was the true prince,
and it would make anybody brave to be nigh
him, / like all the Johnsons, even TO Sam
L.C. He never levied on me if he could git
round it. For 20 years me and Sam have been
working together in the justice court. was
an everlastin defendant, and Sam the Constable
but he never sold my property nor skeered Mrs.
Arp. Hurraw for the Johnsons.
Well, ON the whole, there's heap of things
to be thankful for. I'm thankful the war is
over-thats the big thing. Then I'm thank
full that amt black republican, I'm thank
full that Thad Stevens and Sumter and Phillips
nor none of their kin amt no kin to me. I'm
thankful for hehigh privilege of hatin all such.
I'm thankful live in Dixey, in the State OF
Georgy and our Governors name amt Brown
low. Poor Tennessee ] golly, didn't she catch
it. Andy Johnson's pardons won't do rebs
much good there. They better git one from the
devil if they expekt it to pass. Wonder what
made Providence afflikt em with such cuss.
But can't dwell on such subjekt. Its
highly demoralizin and Improbable.
s'Sweet land Of Liberty, of thee"
could not sing in Tennessee.
But then we've had circus once more, and
seen the clown play round, and that makes up
for heap of trouble In fact, its the best sign
of Reconstruction l have yit observed.
Yourn, hopin,
BILL ARP.
P. S.-And they hawled Grants cabin
thousand miles. WE'LL Sherman's war horse
stayed in my stable one night. want to sell
the stall to some Yankee State fair. As our
people amt the sort that runs after big folks
things, the stall amt no more than any other
stall to me. State Fairs, its for sale. sup
pose that Harpers Weekly or Frank Lesly viii
paint picter of it soon, by drawin on their
imagination. IS. a.
mba Naxuonapor