The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-17
Bill Arp to Mr. Tammany Han
Mn1rpoFYrLrr. Feb. 1866.
DEAR TAMMANY-

got a heart-a great big heart-and i
you were here / would exclaim in the
langwidge of my unkle Billy "put yel
hand in mine, honey, and kiss me. -
We are whip'd at last, old Tammany
We rebs arc conquered, subdude and
subiugated, not by bayonets or bullets
but by your friendly overtures, your
manly speeches. You and Sunny South
Cox and Company have captured us,
taken rs prisoners and We are as dosile
as we have been hostile Dident 1 tell
you that We would meet you ON hall
way ground? Dident we stretch forth
our arms for sympathy. and wasn't we
about to turn away in defiance and de-
spair for the want of it?
= EFc spred the mantle Of Oblivion orer
The past. f you Of the South haze The
spirit to accept, zee Of the North haue the
heart to tender you The o6ises Of Kindness.
TJe uiN help you plant again the seed
snboSe perfect leaueS, ttolcers and f5aitS
shall be yours acith ours to enjoy"
Did Mr.. Cox say that, old Tammany,
and did you clap yore hands and say
"ongkore?"
He are today ardyed against the
contention concerning the black race, for
fhe treJfere and grec!leSs Of our country. "
And didn't you say that; too, Old Tam
many? and dident all hands iewbilee
and exclaim, that S it, that's 'em, that's
the doctrine, the Niger may be big
fish, bat the white man is a whale. -
And dident you all take another drink
on that, Mr.. Tammany Wish some
Of US rebs had been there, old fel, jest
to have teched tumhlers with you
Thank the Lord that there's good men
North of Dixcy. There's heap of EN-
here, Mr.. Hall, and their hearts are a
j9mpin and o bumpin and thumpin
as big az yores. Their hearts were cas-
Ties and their buzums citadels, but you
have taken EN-. Don't be alarmed,
don't reseed, don't take Lack nuthin;
be kahn and screen, and VIC Of the re-
bellyDs South will wipe out the last
spark of hatred to such as you. We
are now wipin away the curses that
were on our lips. We are risin up from
saEr humiliation, and like strong men
are shakin the dust off our garments.
Think of it Tammany- What glo-
rious sight to see a brave people lifted
ur--a whole nation of white folks re-
konsyled. What spirit, what jost, what
Inspiration told you how to reach US?
How did you know that We was weak
where we was strong, in the same Sc
c1s& coSslAr of our buzzu.ns?
Teu've got us Tammany, and we'll
respond to you, well reinforce you
We've said some hard things, Mr. Hall
we've tried to scorch, and to blister and
excoriaie, but you see we were goaded,
gored by bulls-Trumbulls and Repub-
lican bulls. They bellerd and wepawed
dirt. They punched us in the cage,
and we growled. They put tax under
cur saddles and we kicked. What else
could We do? Jest think of it. Tamma-
ny. Ruined and desolate, the people
in mournin and their homes in ashes
nc luxuries, no comforts, no Christmas
wSfh esss, no Santa Claws, no nuthin.
Could we lick the hand that laid us 10
nary time-no, never. While We
was strugglin to rise out the wreck, to
tsethe the air above US, to take On in.
voice and see if there was enuf left to
1.-Two for, our enemies were shoutin
hit nim, kick him, mash him, smash him
agin.
Wc were then at the bottom, Tam
many. Wedid not know there was any
lower deep, but our enemies were hun
tin, and they are still huntin, sum deep
er pit to put us in, and some pendulum
of Poe to swing and cut US. Well, We
amt hethens, we've been to meetin
we've seen misshionerys, we've got
churches and sermons and hymn books
and prayers. We've got pious old mer
and Wimmen, and brave boys, and mai
deaz #ho ere finished all the way NJ
like the corners Of ternpls, God bless
'em. Tammany, partickler them last
for in conection with them is centerC
the hopes of posterity and the joys o
our life. We've all got hearts, old Tam
many, and there's many good Samar
itan among us who wouldn't pass yol
by and go over on the other side
We've got charity too, and long suffer
ing, and patience, and hope in abun
dance, though we cant believe them Ra
dicals will walk right straight int
heaven without knockin at the door
r.