The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-06-13
Bill Arp is Called Before the Reconstruction
Suppressed TeStimongl

been suppressed, but not to be hid out in obscu
rity Our country is the special jury, and byand-by
this business will 60 up before it appeal. The rec
ord must 60 up fair and complete and therefore I'll
take occasion to make public what swore to. said
good deal more than | can put down, Mr.. Editor,
and at times my language considered impudent,
but they thought that all the better for their side
for it illustrated the rebellious SPIRIT heard OF
'em say Let him go on-the ruling passion is strong
in death. He's good States evidence"
| When was put the stand old Boutwell, swore me
most fercely and solemnly to speak the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth and observed
that he then entertaining about quart Of double
rectied and it looked like it had soured on his
ack Old Blow settin off on side with memo
randum book, gettin ready to note down some gar
bed extracts"
! Old Iron Works was chairman, and when he nodded
his republican head, old Boutwell, says be: Your
name is Arp, believe, SIR"
$50 called" saysI
''You reside in the State of Georgia do you?o
81 can't say exactly" says /. . 1 live in Rome,
right in the fork of two njun rivers"
In the State of Georgia." says he fereely.
In state of uncertainty about that says I. eve
don't know whether Georgia is State not. would
like for you to state YOURSELF if you know. The state
of the country requires that this should be set
tied, and will proceed to state, -
"Never mind, sir says he. "How old are you,
Mr. Arp?"
" That depends on circumstances, says l. 81 don't
hllOW NHtlItf 10 count Tue last Se years OF lOt JGu
the your folks said thata State couldn't secede but
that while she in state of rebellion she ceased
/ to exist. Now you say we got cut and shan't get
back again until 1870. A mans age has got some
thin to do with his rights and if not to VOTE
don't think ought to count the time. That's about
as as / can come to my age, sir
"Well, sir,n says he; ''are you familiar with the
political sentiments of the citizens of your State?
Got no citizens yet, sir that we know OF. | will
thank you to speak of US as people,"
"Well, SIR says be- "4'll humor your obstinacy.
Are the people of your State"-
Don't speak of it as State, sir if you please. Tn
on oath now, and you must excuse for being par
ticuIar. Call it a 1section''
Mr. Arp are the people of your sseon sufficiently
humbled and repentant to come back into the Union
on such terms as we may think proper to impose?n
"Notmuch they amt" says ]. a. don'tthnk they
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 rumps
but at the same time they don't darn what you
do They've become Indifferent and don't care nohin
about your Guy Fawkes business mean no di8respect
to you, gentlemen but swore to tell the truth.
Our people amt noticin you only out of curiosity.
They don't expect anything decent, or honorable, or
noble from you, and they've gone to work dggin and
plowin and pantin and raisin boy children
Right here the with a memorandum book
scratched down garbled extract, and old Boutwell,
/ says he: What do you by that sir? What
inference do you intend?"
- I'm Stain facts" says l, "you must draw your
own inferences. They are raiSirs bon vchiIdreB ANY
harm about that? Any treason? Can't man raise
boy ehildren9 Perphaps you'd like to amend the con-
sution and stop it. Old Pharaoh tried to stop it
among the Israeites, but it didn't pay. He finally
caught the dropsy in the f2ed sea. We are rasin boy
children for the fun Of it. They good thing to
have in the house, as Mrs. Toodles would say"
Mr. Arp, not the feelings of your people very
bitter towards the north?h
81 beg your pardon sir but yol have to split the
question: else III have to split the answer Our
people have very high regard for honorable men,
brave men, noble-hearted men, and there's heap OF
'em north, sir, and there's heap of widows and or
plans there sorry for but for this here radi
cal party, they look upon em like they was hycnas
scrachin up the dead for Twin. It's natural to
hate EN- as it is to kill snake. It's utterly mpossi
bic for me to tell the strength and length and hight and
depth and breadth Of their contempt fer that party
They look upon radical as-as-as-Yell as beggar
en- horseback-a buzzard sailing around dead eagle
suck egg dog creapn up to the tail of dead of.
They talk about hiring Brownlow to abuse EN- like he
did few years ago when be spoke against Pryne. If
they do hire Brownlow he'll spatter 'cm, he'll daub
'em all over and slime 'em and sobber on 'em about
right and it will stick for the pores are open and
their morals spongy. I'd like to stand off about ten
rods and hear him spread himsel. 1t would be
than squl tgun full of slop and have no doubt
would give general satisfaction"
"Thats sufficient, sir" says old Boutwell, "Ef it
was in their power to do SO, woald your people
the fght?n
Not unless they could fight tbe radicals all alone
and all the world agree to hands off Even then
there wouldn't be no fight for couldn't cotch you"
What do your people say upon the subject of
negro equality?"
"They say it's lie, srit don't exist by nature and
never il practice. Folks not created free
and equal That may be theoretical truth but it's
always been practical Iie There's grades of society
everywhere. There's men give the sidewalk to- and
there's men that gives it to me. There's that
vote, and men that vote me- and the grades 90 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 the highest in the
nation; and then again it goes from me domn, down,
down to the niggers and the republicans and the rad
Gals, and that's as low as they run. There amt no
equality and you can't make Wen vote the
niggers certain. I'll vote Tip, and Tips head cen
ter He'll vote about forty, and the first thing you
know well elect big, black greasy niggers to
congress. Wen dc it certain-seven Of em Is caats
strong, with African musk. The other rebel States
will 90 the same thing, and you'll have about fifty of
'em to draw seats with, and you Can all stick your
legs upon your desks together, and swap lies and
min, and be shampood at the shop and the fair
ones can set together in the galleries and mix odors
and fan their scent about promscuousy. Wen give
you full benefit of your civil rights bill see if we
don't. You go on-play your cards. We are bidin
time. We payn your taxes and your duties
and back raons for 1864 and licenses and your infer
nal revenue, and obeyin your laws without havn any
hand in maxim EN-, and cut off from PENSIONS
and public lands; and you sold poor mans still in
my county the other day because he couldn't pay your
tax peach brandy be stilled for bis neghbors
two years ago. and soon you'll be selIin the land for
the land tax, and you're tryin your best to play the
the devil generaly but you'll catch it ii he long ran
See if you don't. Talk about Fenansl When tue
good men Of the north and south all get together
they walk the track fast that you won't have
time to get out of the way. Youalsubsde into obscu
rity and your children will deny that their daddies
ever belonged to such party. Excuse me, gentle
men, but I'm little excited Five cents pound on
cotton will excite anybody that makes it. Tax on in
dusry-on and toll Protection tariffs for Penn
syvana and FIVE cents pound on southern cotton
half its average worth-and your folks will manage
some way or other to steal the other half NY advice
you is, to quit this foolishness and begin to travel
the only road to peace"
Old Blow couldn't keep up with his garbled extracts
What makes the president popular at the south?'
Contrast sir-constrast. The more he amt like
your party, the more popular he is. He would treat
Us about right, reckon if you would let him alone
bat you bedevil him that sometimes he don't under
stand himself. / don't think he knew for while
whether hs peace proclamation restored the writ Of
hdbeaa corpus or not But do you 90 and impeach
hm, and that will bring matters 4 focus. I'll bet