The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-06-14
spill Arp . n---So.CaNed.


viii be sold for one dollar and half a
copy, will contain large number of hu-
morous illustrations, and will also have q
life-like portrait Of the author" The fol-
lowing is addressed to the publisher, and
is an admirable preface to the many ex-
cellent hits made by the distinguished hu-
morist in these fugitive letters, which
have attracted SO much attention through
out the United States We commend the
perusal of this preface, as indicative Of
thegenial soul from whence emanates the
broad hnmor and bold declarations of
these epistles:
- TO THE PUBLISHER.
Yours, requesting copies of my hnmor-
ous letters for pu ublication, is before me. |
hare thought that they were hardly wor-'
thy of being placed before the public in
book form At the time they were writ
ten they were appreciated, because the
minds of the people needed relaxation
from the momentous and absorbing inter.
.ests of the war. The fountain Of thought
was tired, and these were its rest. The
humor: that is in them was entertaining
then, for It was pertinent to the occasion
that provoked it, and very impertinent to-
those it held up before the public eye. :.
:. II do not think. that such humor will
bear the wasting severity of time. 1t was
once considered sparkling and exhilarat-
ing, but like good wine it has become
stale from having been too long un-
corked. -
Nevertheless, these letters may be
worthy of preservation, as illustrative of
a part Of the.war-a asa side-show.to to the
Southern side of it -an index to our feel
iings and sentiments, and for this reason
only ISplace them at your disposal. |
must request, however, that in compiling
them, you will thoroughly revise and re-
construct the orthography. When | be-
gan writing under the signature of Bill
Arp, was honestly idealizing the Ian
guade and humor of an unlettered coun-
tryman who bears that name. | tried to-
write as he would, could he have written
ut all. His earnest, honest wit attracted
NV attention. and he declares to this day:
that / have faithfully expressed his senti-
,nents. Those who know him can see
more of him in my letters than they can
Of ne, and in this view of my labors may
be suspected of playing Boswell toan un-
educated and humorous man, whose name
is not johnson, but Arp.
Reflection has, however convinced me
that while good taste would not condemn
one or two letters for numbering her Ma
iesty's English, yet a frequent5repetltlon
of the offence can hardly be justified. 1t
is demoralizing to language. The truth
iiss no wit is. good wit that will not bear to
be correctly written, and I therefore di-
rect q reconstruction. of the orthography,
even atthe peril of Mr.. Arp's reputation.
For the sentiments that pervade these,
letters, I have no apology to make. At
the time they appeared in the press OF the
South. these sentiments were the silent
echoes of our peoples thoughts, and this
accounts inthe main for the popularity
with which they were received OF tcourse
they contain exaggerations and prophe-
cies.which. were never fulfilled but both
sections were playing ''brag" as well as
".battle,"" and thoughwe could not COM
pete with the opponents in the former, yet
some of MS did try to hold our own. At
both games we were whipped by over
wkelming forces, and we have, givenit up.
,onauered. but not convinced, we have
sceented the situation, and have pledged
ourselves to abide by it. We have sworn
+o tIo:so. We have declared it most sol
;emnly in convention. We have asserted
it in4eyery act and deed; and Southern
honor. which our enemies cannot appreci-
ate. but which is untarnished and imper-
ishable. is the seal of our good faith. Who
ever testifes to the existence among us of
an association designing a renewal OF the
rebellion, is either the victim OF his own
cowardice, or else the author OF selfish
and heartless lie. I say this with feeling
and indignation, for we see in such testl-
,nony a. willingness, nay, a desire on the
mart of our military rulers, to retain over
us us their power and their tyranny for mali
oious or ayaricious ends. We have long
felt and we still are feeling their insults,
their black mail, their robberies. Ours is
the stranded ship, andsthe Federal officers
aamrone us are the wreckers; ours the car
,s cass. and they the vultures who are pick
ing our denuded bones. The little that
was left our people is, seized, and released
on paving part into private pockets.
iThey get rich and resign, and fresh
corps Of vampires take their places, to re-
new the operation. / have even known
them to steal by night, and haul away the
poor pittance Of damaged corn that our
generous q Government had stored for
distribution to our starving poor. 1t is
for such purposes that military dominion
isto be continued. Would that this were
all! But not content with even this ex-
haustion of our seanty means, they are
arnuling our contracts made with the la
borers who were content to work in our
tialds for fair wages, and are tolling them