The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-31

ms SLAVES, f0SoRAxT or THEIE PRE-
DOM, REuAIS. WIN AND CALL HM
MAsTER-sTRASoE II True
Meridian Mercury. I

Meridian Mercury.
A correspondent Of the New York
Tribune, who made part Of the journey
from Florida 10 Selma, Ala, on horse
back, tells Of q remarkable discovery.
Between Andalusia and Greenville, Ala,
distance apart eighty-three miles, he
found an old white man who did not
know the war was over. His slaves were
with him and called him master.
The name OF this strange man Is
Wiltsie. He lives forty-iive miles from
GreenVille. in the bottoms. The CORES
pondent arrived'at his residence late in
the evening. The old man said for
twenty-six wears he had been a hopeless
naralvtic; that he had not had visitor
or heard from the outside world Tor
twenty years. His wife died long ago;
one Of his sons went TO the war aud
died, and the other was murdered 10
New Orleans in 1850. He continued
The world gets ON, l suppose, but
how or in what way / do not care.
take no papers, have no mail, comm0ni-
cate with no one. We make our own
sugar, -four and meal; raise our meat
grain and fruit. ! take no interest IA
our government, and neither know OF
care who is Governor of Alabama nor
President Of the Confederate Southern
States Of America. ] do no trading
my goods aud slaves that / have satisfy
me. In more than twenty years ! have
not bought nor sold anything from
box OF pills to n slaye!'
Surely you know 1.-The result oil the
rebellionT'
He struck the table with his clenchcd
fist, exclaiming excitedly, II do not
know what has been done, and do not
carep
Il sec that you suppose that the secs.
sion was succeSsfulf
"Suppose It'll have never thought
he replied. "A well-made scheme Is
always successful. Though little ! care
for citizenship, ] am proud TO hc
citizen of the Confederate States
"Why," | said, edo you not know
that the civil war resulted in suppres
sion of the rebellion? The secession
was failure" The man glared at me
and said nothing.
"You spoke of slaves" l continued.
''You do not pretend to own slaves now,
do your He glared more hercely anu
did not answer.
"There are no slaves in America, !
continued. "Every slave in the south
il a free person!' Still he glared, and
then he hissed. "
"You are a Northern sOrehead. You
have come TO amuse me with lies.
Keeping my temper as well as coH,u' ,,
/ | looked him sauarely in the face. MI
Wiltsie," said !, "let me ask you d, a
question. viii you answer 1t directly
dWellP' he said sharply.
do you not know that Alabama is
still member of the Union, as IT was
before it seeded, and do you not kno"
that slavery is aholished% After abus.
ing and cursing me, he gave me most
emphatic "no." g..
There were four or five hours from
the time of my arrival until J. wa,
shown to nv room, and in that time
tried as well as l could to convlnc'
nv host that l had told him tina
! which was true. But in vain were my
efforts. The old man wa positive tina
he was right, and confident that was
= liar. We had supper and at 8 o,clocI
: he called his "slaves" into the nous
and read prayers. There were some o
! the negroes-three men and four We
y men-who we're gray headed, and a gar
In her teens, and little boy. lhee.
sat with bowed heads, and after tn
r reading went out. Then Mr.. Wiltsi
signiied that had better retire, and on
of the women took tallow candle an'
conducted me TO a chamber. When m.
sable escort withdrew she bolted IN
door. The two windows had alread
3 been nailed up. -,
4 At o'clock the next morning wa
q let out of my prison, and sat at IN
J masters frugal breakfast immedlatel
2 after. He was very uncommunieatiy'
a and when the meal was over, before i
u had rung for "Sam" TO wheel out n
P chair, he said to me: "Good-by! j. %
4 can be off as soon as you please!
le said "Good-byW and one of the Sc
y wants showed me out. My horse was
d the door, and / rode of,
er A man capable of manufacturing
X lie like that ought to be considered
shining light in New York Journalist
IT. particularly, and would make go
oir editor in any locality.>