The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-12-31
BLOOlY-SHIRT PAPERS!
NUMBER XI.

The sun was shining brightly on an
Alabama plantation, in the year 1864, as
small command of men crossed the
Tennessee, and marched along stretch
of road lined by cotton fields, in search
of a number of Southern Democrats, who
under the leadership of a distinguished
statesman by the name of Roddy, had
been attempting to cross the river at GER
tain points. These lively Democrats
were some distance back in the country
perhaps not having returned from one
of their after-dark excursions. A COM
pany of men was left in charge of con-
siderable quantity of baled cotton, and
these soon found it convenient to locate
in an adjoining township, and that only
temporarily. Among the men who thus
suddenly disturbed the indications of the
Democratic guards, was company of
''Home Guards" from across the river.
These men were farmers whose places
had been raided time and again by Rod
dy's rangers,-and they had organized for
protecting their homes as best they could.
A number of men went into the house
upon the plantation, to speak with any
person who might be left within. Two
ladies were there, and while an officer
conversing with them, courteously with
the ladies, member of the company of
guards entered. Casting his eyes about
the room hastily, he discovered small
baby's dress. Instantly his eyes blazed
with indignation and rage. Stepping
back he raised his carbine, and had there
not been several Northern men present,
the man-now turned into a fend by
passion-would have murdered a helpless
lady, and neighbor, too.
An explanation was demanded by an
officer, when the man explained that he
lived just across the river, that few
nights before company of Roddy's men
had raided his home and stolen every
thing they could carry away. This little
dress belonged to his baby, at home, and
the sight of it, and the thought that men
calling themselves men and soldiers
could do such thing threw him into a
passion, and he fully intended to murder
the woman who could receive the stolen
garments of his little one. Here was a
nice picture; number of neighbor seek
ing the home of another neighbor, run
ming him away, plundering his house, and
carrying away the clothing and provis-
ions which by hard labor he had prepared
for his family. Here was that prosecuted
neighbor in turn seeking the life of an in
offensive lady, the wife of leader among
the gang of night-riders. Here neighbor
was turned against neighbor, and friends
were changed to enemies in the twinkling
of an eye It was bad, disagreeable pic
ture Along the valley of the river was
land of plenty, and there seemed to be
nothing left to wish for on the part of the
fortunate inhabitants of the favored
region.
But let us investigate as to the cause of
the distress In the first place, every man
in Roddy's command was a Democrat
every one. These Democrats had some
how fallen into the belief that the clay
bank Democrat of the South was of SUI
perior order of creation to the intelligent
men of the North. They were gentle
men of the old school," They came into
the field to shoot down the Yankee inva-
ders, much as the western farmer would
go out to shoot a wolf not for a moment
dreaming of anything like successful re-
sstance. Perhaps none of these Southern
statesmen ever expected to be exposed as
the thieves of clothing and provisions be-
longing to their neighbors, but SO it was.
Let us go into the house again and talk to
the lady of the house, and thus get at the
cause of all this evil, if possible. What"
we ask, "was the idea of your people in
going into armed rebellion against the
governments"
"Well, we knowed as you-au would
some day free the niggahs, an we thought
we'd bettah secede." Going from here
along down the rows of "nigger-quarters'
we met an old colored woman, past
ninety. "Well. Aunty, s'pose you're sat
isfied with your lot, and will remain here"
mo sab! No sab! We knowed you-an
wuz a comm, an wese gwine away wild
yerW
So it seemed that these people under
stood that any indication of the approach
of human freedom through peaceful po-
htical methods, the result of enlighten-
ment and progress, was to be met by
armed rebellion and resistance. In other
words, Democrat was to be patriot
just so long as he was permitted to remain
in power and have his own Way. But
rather than permit the party to be defeatd
at the polls, he would steal his neighbor's
goods, murder his children, and deluge an
entire country with suffering and sorrow.
This was the Democratic method then,
and the method is less manly If possible,
now. A Democratic politician is, as
rule, revolutionary, in that he will gener-
ally go into any kind of excess rather than
acknowledge defeat. It was more manly
to fight in the open field than to stuff bal
lot-boxes in saloons. 1t was more hon
orable to make the midnight raids and
burn railroad bridges and pontoon-boats,
than to raise the figures on election re-
turns, and thus defeat the will of the peo
pie. But why make comparisons? The
Democratic party is guilty of all of these
things. That there are great many very
good men in the Democratic party, is
fact which cannot be denied. But where
is the public utterance denunciatory of
the horrible methods of the party? The
history of this party shows it to be hor-
rible thing. Young man, do not go into
it. Old man, middle-aged man, get out of
it, at once, and forever.
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3dec1m