Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-30
Aniun and Amrrifan.
sUPPRESsED EVIDENCE.
Bill Arp Before the Reconstruction
Committee His Own Report Of TITS
Testimony.

Committee own Report Of Hts
Testimony.
When / was put on the stand, old Bout.
well swore me most fercey and solemnlv 10
speak the truth, the whole truth, and no
thing but the truth, and ] observed that he
was then entertaining about quart Of dou-
bic rectiied, and il looked like it had soured
on his stomach. Old Blow was settin off on
one side with a memorandum book, getting
ready 10 note down some "garbled eX-
tracts
Old Iron Works was Chairman, and when
he nodded his Republican head, old Bout
well, says lac, Your name is Arp, be
lieve, sir 2'
80 called" says l.
''You reside in the State Of Georgia, do
you?"
81 can't say exactly" says ]. al live
in Rome, right in the ford Of two Injin
rivers"
"In the State Of Georgia" says he,
fercely.
"In state Of uncertainty about that, says
]. eve don't know whether Georgia is a
State or not ! would like Tor you to state
yourself, if you know The state Of the
country requires that this matter should be
settled, and i will propose 10 state, -
''Neycr mind, sir" says he. "IIow old
are you, Mr.. Arp?"
"That depends on circumstances" says /.
81 don't know whether TO 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 a state Of rebellion she
ceased 10 exist. Now you say we gOtOu and
weshan't get back again until 1870. Aman's
age has got somethin' 10 do his with rights,
and if we are not 10 vote, ! don't think we
ought to count the time. That's about as
near "a ] can come to my age, sir"
"Well, sir says he, "are you familiar
with the political sentiments Of the citizens
of your State Y'
Got no citizens yet, sir that we know of.
| will thank you 10 speak Of rs "a people D"
well sir" says he, "pll humor your
obstinacy. Are the people Of your State"
Don't speak of it "a a State, sir, if you
please. I'm on oath now, and you must ex-
cuse me for being particular. Call 1t a sec
ton
Mr. Alp, are the people Of your section
sufficiently humbled and repentant TO come
back into the Union on such terms As we
think proper TO impose !"
'Not much they amt" says l. 81 don't
think they are prepared for it yet. They
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 in
different and don't care nothin about your
Guy Fawkes business. | mean no respect to
you, gentlemen, but was swore TO tell the
whole truth. Our people amt noticin you
only out Of curiosity. They don't expect
anything decent OF honorable, OF noble from
you, and they've gone TO work diggin and
plowin and plantin and raisin boy children
Right here the man with a memorandum
scratched down a garbled extract, and old
Boutwell, says he "What do you mean by
that, sir2 What inference do You intend?'
ppm Stain facts" says |. "Gon must
draw your own differences. They are raisin'
boy children. Any harm about that? Any
treason? Can't a boy raise boy children
Perhaps you'd like TO amend the Constitu-
ton and stop IL. Old Pharaoh tried to stop
il among the Israeltes, but il didn't pay
lie finally caught the dropsy in the Red
Sea. We are raising boy children for the
fun Of il. They are good thing 10 have in
the house. "a Mrs. Toodes would say
. "Mr Arp are not the feelings Of your
! people very bitter towards the NORTH
= 81 beg your pardon, sir, but you'll have
TO split the question, or else I'll have TO split
D the answer. Our people have very high
regard for honorable men, brave men, mo-
j. ble-hearled men, and there's heap of 'em
North sir; and there's a heapo of widows and
orphans there we're sorry for but as for this
here Radical party, they look upon 'em like
they was hycnas scratchin' up the dead for a
Twin. It's as natural TO hate 'em as it is to
kill a snake. IL is utterly impossible for
q, toll IA, .y,I aud lf,,It
depth and breadth Of their contempt for that
party. They look upon a Radical as-as-
as-well, rs a bcggar ON horseback buz-
gard sailn' round a dead eaglc-a suck-egg
dog creepin' mp 10 the tail Of a dead lion.
They talk about hirin' Brownlow to abuse
'em, 10 use language on 'em, like he did a
few years ago when he spoke against Prvne.
IL they do hire Brownlow he'll spattcr 'em,
he'll daub 'em all over and slime 'cm and
slobber 'em about right, and 1t will stick,
for the pores are open and their morals
spongy. I'd like 30 stand off about ten rods
and hear m spread himself IL would be
worse than squirt-gun full Of COW slop,
and | have no doubt would give general sat
isfaction.
"That's sufficient sir,' says old Boutwell,
" Ef il was in their power 10 do so, would
your people renew the iightY'
q" Not unless they could light the Radicals
all alone, and all the world would agree to
hand off, Even then there wouldn't be no
fight, for we couldn't cotch YOU
What do your people say upon the sub
ject Of negro equality ?"
"They say it's lie sir-it don't exist in
nature and never can in practice Folks
were not created free and equal. That may
he a theoretical TRUTH but it's always been a
4 !
everywhere. There's men | give the side
walk 10, and there's men that gives it TO me.
There's men that | vote and there's men
that vote me, and the grades go up, up, up,
step by step, from my sort TO Mr.. Davis and
Mr.. Stephens and Gen. Lee, and Howell
Cobb and Ben. Hill, and their sort for
they are the highest i'm the nation and then
again il goes from me down, down, down TO
the niggers, and the Republicans and the
Radicals, and that's as low as they run.
There amt no equality, and you can't make
one. Wen vote the niggers, certain. I'll
vote Tip, and Tip is a head centre He'll
vote about forty, and thu first thing you
know well elect seven big, black, greasy
niggers 10 Congress. Wen do il certain
seven of en-, Is Carats strong, with African
musk. The other rebel States will do the
same thing and you II have about fifty of
'em 20 draw seats with, and you can all stick
your legs upon your desks together, and
swap lies and vermin, and be shampood at
the same shop, and the fair sexes can set to-
gelher in the galleries and mix odors, and
fan their scent about promiscuous. Wen
give YOU a full benefit of your Civil Rights
bill, see if we don't You go on-play
your cards. We are hiden our time.
I'VE are payin your taxes, and your duties
and back ratious for 1864, and licenses, and
your internal revenue, and obeyin your laws
without havin any hand in maxim EN-, and
we are cut of from pontions and public
lands and YOU sold a poor mans still in
my county the other day because he couldn't
pay your tax on some peach brandy he
stiled two years ago; and soon You'll be
selln the land for the land tax, and you're
irwin your very best 20 play the devil gener-
ally, but youll cctch IL in the long run. See
if YOU don't. Talk about Fcnians. When
the good people Of the North and of the
South all get together, they'll walk over the
track 50 fast that You wont have time to get
out of the way. You'll subSide into OBJ
security, and your children will deny that
their daddies ever belonged 90 such party.
Excuse me, gentlemen, but ! am little oN-
cited. Five cents a pound on cotton will
e,cife any man who makes IT, Tax ON IN