Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-11-30
Soliloquy of a Soutllerner.
BY g BRICK" poMERoY.

e Soliloqny ola Southerner.
5E BY g BRICK poMERoY. .,... --..r@
Dog on my buttons if us folks down here
don't amount to little bit Of melody after
ALL We were but handful of towards be-
fore the war killed half of us off, yet the great
big North is afraid to have us in the Union
We uns helped make the Constitution. and
helped make our common country great, and
when we saw danger Of our rights under the
Constitution being ignored after we were ed-
ucated by Abolitionsts to believe we had the
right to secede, and to save ourselves did Sc
ceae-dog gon us if these same men who
wanted us out didn't want US back agin j
They said we were a bill Of expense to the
Union that it cost more to furnish us mails,
revenue officers, ETC., ETC., than it to come
to; and when we wished to relieve the Iber-
al North Of this taxation on our account, dog
gon us but they incurred more expense to
keep us in than we were worth while we were
in. And they didn't want US to work Mig
gers, yet were willing to sell them to u.s. and
to buy all the niggers raised, and pay us in
gimcracks for the same. They drove us out
of the Union. They said we better 60. out.
We took; them at their word, for such good
Christians as populate the North must be
honest; and they sent armies here to drive
us back, They said we'd right to secede,
and advised us to do 50. We took the North
at their word. Then they said we could not
secede
And they sent soldiers and thieves down
among us. While brave men fought US,
thieves stole from us the things we bought
of them, and now insist on selling them over
We could stand their fighting, but dog gon
EN-, not their stealing When we sent our
wounded home, we found our homes: burned,
OF. goods stolen. They destroyed or stole all
we had, then blamed us for. not caring for
their wounded! They carried on war against
us to drive us back into Union. And when
we were driven back, they discovered that
we Were. out Of the Union ..a
They wanted us to send members TO Con-
gress, and they sent them back home. They
say the war was brilliant success. They
say lighting, alone, can restore the Union,
and still when the fighting is over with, say
war divided the Union. Wehave been sub
ugated--repuliated- dispossessed-
banded reconstructed and
desolated sa st a3 a5iaj M
]. We have quit fighting, yet are warred up
on. We want peace, yet are promised war.
We want to be in the Union, yet we are told
we shall not come in. They call us in6dels,
yet forget Christianity themselves. M
! al. nj
power or prestige, why is the North afraid
of us? If we are expected to be good citi-
zens why do not the Radicals Of the North
set the example ? If this is our reward fer
disbanding our serritd ranks, what was the
use Of lisbanding? Why not keep on fight
ing? If we are conquered, why not accept
us as such If we are not conquered, why
not 60 on with the. war, renew the murder
Gus crusade for cotton, mules, niggers, jew
elry and furniture The men who fought
us like brave men, now say that fair play
shall be the order Of the day. The towards,
thieves and plunderers who robbed and des
olated and desecrated us now are anxious for
another war upon us, that the balance Of
what we have may be stolen from US, and
their pockets still further filled, and we are
now blamed for not laughing at our funerals
We are asked to sing melodies while sitting
on bayonets! We are asked to dance while
the slow match is burning still brightly in
our cellars. We are asked to sit still and
be insulted by the same men who stole from
us-who insulted our women-who stole
while others fought. We are asked to be
good citizens when we are treated like bad
citizens. We are asked to believe others who
will not believe us, even in tears. We are
asked to grow flowers in the face Of wintry
blasts yet piping from the North, and to deck
our graveyards with flowers, while dogs are
barking at our heels The North claims the
religion Of the country, yet jobs and stabs US
with puritanical hate.
All we want is peace. We wish to repair
the damages the war made. We wish to live
as brothers of common heritage, yet are
treated as servants. AS one of the South
erncrs, | try to bear all this-I try to smile
II try to dance while our conquerors are
fiddling in drunken glee-I am III earnest in
asking for the peace which was promised US,
Lii we disbanded our armies-I keep faith with
the North, yet the North will not keep faith
With us. And I tell you, if we can't have
the peace and the rights promised US, life is
burthen and we had better lose it at once.
But will wait awhile-for surely the sense
Of national honor has not quite died out in
the North. There is a better day coming