Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-06-20
Bill Arp is Called Before the
Reconstruction Committee
SUPPRESSED Testimony.


timonv before the Destruction Committee, [
have felt sorter sighted because no mention
aint been made of mine. l suppose 1T has
been suppressed, but [ am not to be Ind out
in obscurity. Our country is the special jury
and by and by this business will go up before
it on appeal. The record must go up fair
and complete, and therefore / II take occasion
to make public what | swore to. L SAID
good deal more than / can put down, Mr..
Editor, and at times my language was con-
sidered impudent, but they thought that
was all the better for their side, for it illus
trated the rebellious spirit heard one OF
'em say: LET him go on-the ruling pas
sion strong In death. He's good States
evidence.
When was put on the stand old Bout
well swore me most tiercely and solemnly to
speak the truth, the whole truth, and moth
ing but the truth, and / observed that he
was then entertaining about quart of dou-
ble I recti6ed and it looked like It had soured
on his stomach. Old Blow was settin off on
one side with memorandum book, getting
ready to note down some ''garbled extracts.
Old Iron Works was Chairman, and when
he nodded his Republican head, old Bout
well, says he: your name is Arp, believe,
sir?''
so called, says L
''You reside in the State of Georgia, do
you?
Il can't say exactly, says I. ~ live in
Rome, right in the fork of two injun rivers y
In the State Of Georgia. says he fiercely.
''In state of uncertainty about that,
says l. 1--WE don't know whether Georgia
is State or not [ would like for you to
state yourself, if you know. The state of
the country requires that this matter should
be settled, and | would proceed to state"
''Never mind, sir, says he. How old are
you, Mr. Arp ?''
THAT depends on circumstances, . says ].
II don't know whether you count the last
five years or not. Durin the war your folks
said that a State couldn't secede, but that
while she was in state Of rebellion she
ceased to exist. Now you say we got out,
and we shant 60 back again until 1870. a
mans S age has got something to do with his
rights, and if we are not to vote, l don t
think we ought to count the time. That's
about as near as [ can come to my age, sir. ="
''Well, sir, says he, are you familiar
with the political sentiments Of the citizens
of your State?'
''Got no citizens yet, sir, that we know Of
| viii thank you to speak of US as people. ]"
''Wel, SIR, says he, "I'l humor your
obstinacy Are the people Of your State =
Don't speak Of it asa State, sir if you
please. I'm on oath now, and you must
excuse me for being particular. Call 1t a
section.
'Mr. Arp, are the people of your section
sufficiently humbled and repentant to- come
back into the Union on such terms as we
may think proper to impose?'
Not much they ain t" says T. II don t
think they are prepared for it yet. They
wouldn't voluntarily go it blind against your
hand. They say the deal wasn't fair and
you've marked the cards and stole the
trumps, but at the same time they don t
care darn what you do. They've become
Indifferent, and don't care nothing about
your Guy Fawkes business. / mean no re-
spect to you, gentlemen, but [ was swore to
tell the whole truth. Our people amt a
noticin you only out of curiosity They don't
expect any thing decent or honorable, or no.
bic from you, and they've gone to work
diggin and plowin and plantin and Faisir
boy children.
Right here the man with memorandum
scratched down a garbled extract, and old
Boutwell, says he: What do you mean by
that. sir? What inference do you intend?'
I'm Stain facts, says j. You must
draw your own inferences. They are raisin'
boy children Any harm about that? Any
treason? Can't man raise boy children
Perhaps you d ike to amend the ConstitU-
ton and stop it Old Pharaoh tried to stop
it among the Israelites, but it didn't pay.
He finally caught the dropsy in the Red Sea.
We are raisin boy children fer the fun Of it.
They are a good thing to have IN the house,
as Mrs. Toodles would say.
Mr.. Arp, are not the feelings of your
people very bitter against the North ?''
Il beg your pardon, sir but you Il have tC
split the question, or else I'll have to split
the answer. Our people have a very high
regard for honorable men, brave men, noble
hearted men, and there's heap of EN-
North, sir, and there's heap of widows and
orphans there we are sorry for but as fol
this here Radical party, they look upon EN-
like they ashyenasa scratchin up the dead
for livin It's as natural to hate 'em as il
is to Kill snake. It's utterly impossible fol
me to tell the strength, and length, anC
hight, depth and breadth of their contempt
for that party They look upon Radical as
as as-well, as a beggar on horseback
buzzard sailin round dead eagle-a suck
egg dog creepin' up to the tail of dead lion.
They talk about hirin' Brownlow to abuse
EN-, to use language on EN- like he did few
years ago when he spoke against Pryne. II
they do hire Brownlow, he'll spatter EN-,
he'll daub EN- all over, and slime EN- and
slobber on EN- about right and it will stick
for the pores are open and their morals
sponcy. I'd Ike to stand off about ten rod;
and hear him spread himself 1t would be
worse than a squirt-gun full of cow-slop, and
l have no doubt, would give general salts
faction -
THAT sufficient, sir, saysold Boutwell,
''Ef it was in their power to do so, would
your people renew the fight p
Not unless they could fight the Radicals
all alone, and all the world agree to hand,
off = Even there wouldn't be no fight, fol
we. .couldn't cotch you. .
wv hat do your people say upon the sub
jet of negro equality 2
They say it a lie, sir-it don't exist by
natare andnever can in practice. Folks wer'
not created free and equal. That may be {
theoretical truth, but it S always been prac