Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-08
QDblo Statesman,
Bill Arp is Called Before the Re-
.r. construction Committee.
SUPPRESSED TEsTIMoNY.l
10 the EditOr Of the Netr0p0htan Reo0rd:


timony before the Destruction committee,
Ihave telt sorter slighted because no mem
| tion aint been made of mine. | suppose it
has been suppressed, but L am not to be
hid out in obscurity. Our country is the
special jury, and by and by this business
will 90 up before it on appeal. The record
must 90 up fair and complete, and therefore
I'll take occasion to make public what /
swore to. said a good deal more than /
can put down, Mr.. Editor, and at times my
language was considered impudent, but
they thought that was all the better for
their side, for it illustrated the rebellious
spirit-I heard one OF 'em say: LET him
90 On-the ruling passion strong in death.
He's good States evidence"
When was put upon the stand old Bout
well swore me most tiercely and solemny
to speak the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, and | observed that
he was then entertaining about quart OF
double rectiiled, and it looked like it had
sOured on his stomach. Old Blow was
settin off on one side with memorandum
book, gettin ready to note down some
"garbled extracts"
Old Iron Works was Chairman, and
when he nodded his Republican head, old
Boutwell, says he: "Your name is Arp, |
believe, sir?"
'So-called," says /.
"You reside in the State of Georgia, do
you?" ..
II can't say exactly" says I. IL live in
Rome, right in the fork of two Injun riv-
ers."
"In the State of Georgia" says he fierce
| ly.
"In state of uncertainty about that"
says |. ave don't know whether Georgia
is a 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 will proceed to state, -
"Never mind, sir" says he. allow 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 State couldn't secede, but that
while she was in a state of rebellion she
ceased to exist. Now you say we got out
and we shan'G get back again until 1870. A
mans age has got somethin to do with his
rights, and if we are not to vote, | don't
think we ought to count the time. That's
about as near as can come to my age, sir"
swell, SIR" says he; 'are you familiar
with the political sentiments of the citizens
of your State"
SCOT no citizens yet, sir, that we know of.
| will thank you to speak of us as 'peO-
ple.'"
'Well, SIR" says he, ''I'll humor your
obstinacy. Are the people of your State"-
"DOn't speak of it as a State sir, if you
please. Pm on oath now, and you must
excuse me for being particular. Call it
| 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 Amt" says /. 81 don't
think they arc 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 nothin about
Guy Fawkes business. | mean no respect
to you, gentlemen, but was swOre to tell
the whole truth. Ourpeople amt nOticin
you only out of curiosity. They don't ex-
Dect anything decent, or orhonOrable, or noble
from you, and they've gone to work dig
gin and plowin and plantin and raisin boy
children"
Right here the man with memorandum
scratched down garbled extract, and old
Boutwell, says he: What do you mean by
that, sir? What inference do you intend ?"
I'm statin facts" says |. "You must
|
bog children. Any harm about that? Any
treason? Can't man raise boy children ?
Perhaps you'd like to amend the COnstitu-
tion and stop it. Old Pharaoh tried to stop
it among the Israeites, but it didn't pay.
He finally caught the dropsy in the Red
Sea. We are raisin boy children for the
fun of it. They are agOod thing to have
in the house, as Mrs. Toodes would say"
"Mr. Arp, are not the feelings of your
people very bitter towards the North ?"
Il beg your pardon, sir, but you'll have
to split the question, or else I'll have to
split the answer. Our people have avery
high regard for honorable men, brave men,
noble-hearted men, and there's a heap of
'em North, sir, and there's heap of Wild
oWs and orphans there we are sorry for {;
but as for this here Radical party, they
look upon 'em like they was hyenas a
scratchin up the dead for a livin. It's as
natural to hate 'em as it is to kill snake.
It's utterly impossible for me to tell the
strength and length and hight, depth and
breadth OF their contempt for that party.
They look upon a Radical as--as--as-well
a beggar on horseback buzZard sailin
round dead eagle-a suck egg dog creep
in up to the tail OF dead lion. They talk
about hrin BrownlOw to abuse 'em, to use
language on 'em like he did few years ago
when he spoke against Pryne. If they do
hire Brownlow he'll spatter 'em, he'll daub
'em all over, and slime 'em and slob6er on
'em about right, and it will stick, for the
pores are open and their morals spongy.
I'd like to stand of about ten rods and
hear him spread himself. 1t would be
worse than squirt-gun full OF cow-slop
and i have no doubt would give general
satisfaction" .ur.
That's sufficient, sir" says old Boutwell,.
"Ef it was in their power to do so, would
your people renew the tightY" a,..-
'Not unless they could fight the Radi-
Gals all alone, aud all the world agree to
hands 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 equalityT
"They say it's a lie, sir-it don't exist by
. nature and never can In practice. Folks
J were not created free and equal. That may
: be a theoretical truth, but it's always been
a practical le. There's grades Of society
, everywhere. There's men l give the side
:, walk to and there's men that gives it to me.
/ There's men that vote, and men that; vote
me, and the grades go up, up, up, step by
. step. from my sort to Mr.. Davis and Mr..
Stephens, and General Lee, and Howell
Cobb, and Ben Hill, and their sort; for they
kare the highest in the nation; and then
aoain it goes from me down, down, down to
Q 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
= lone. Wen vote the niggers certain. LII
vote Tip, and Tips abthead CENTER He'll
vote about forty, and the first thing you
, know we'll elect seven big, black, greasy
rip,sere RI Conuress Well do IL certain