Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-11-25
UNCLE ABE'S VIEWS.

ID. C. NJ, in Brooklyn Eagle.
UNCLE ABE'S VIEWS.
A Most Interesting Opinion on Peculiar
Colored Weakness.
Uncle Abe belonged to that class
among the colored people who were
raised in slavery and were self-instruct-
ed in the principles of moral philoso-
ply. Interest, with that plausible
sophistry which willing disposition
furnishes the temper, argued that two
wrongs make right; consequently,
stealing from a master was not steal
ing. With his fervent religious nature,
he was greatly interested in the discus
sion of much-mooted points Of Chris
tan tenet and doctrine. But the polem-
les of learned doctors, in his hands,
often led to startling conclusions.
After emancipation, realizing the boon
of opportunity; Uncle Abe sent his
children to school; but, like all men,
white and black, while he admitted the
advantage of learning oyer ignorance,
he always felt himself all exception to
the rule. He believed it necessary to
educate other people in order to bring
them on level with his mother-wit.
There is no denying his general
shrewdness, although the sincerity OF
some of his positions may be doubted.
Jacob, his eldest son, soon began to
display an activity of intellect and
evince disposition to inquire into
first and final causes that gave the old
man some trouble to maintain that
supremacy which he assumed, and
which had hitherto been unquestiona-
bly, conceded by the family. The oracle
was hard-pressed by the devotee.
Daddy" said Jacob of the nascent
intellect one night as they sat around
the wide-mouthed, mud-daubed, stick
chimney while the pot of chlttlings sus-
pended from the crane dubbed II low
and savory song of joy, ''you said your
master was mighty hard man, an
didn't give you all enuff to eat. How
could you work when you was hun
gryP"
"Huh! chile, got plenty. Ididn't
AK nobody to feed me. | use to go to
de smoke-house an fare sum- tious, an
de chickens said dere prairs ev'ry night
case dey didn't know which one had
to go mex. Eff you wants to ketch o
chicken SO he won't holler, jis take
him by the make So" illustrating with
the poker, IAN you got i'm"
"But, daddy, whose meat and chick
ems was they?"
"Dey war mine when got holt Il,
en-" said the old man, laughing boist
erously.
"But whose wos they before YOU
took emp"
"W'y, moster claimed 'em, but
guess some NV 'em belonged to me
SEEM | worked fur 'em."
"But was it right to take 'em. with
out askin' for emp"
"Uv course, cause eff I had a-ast
I'd a-got whippin' an no mea
neither" This ratiocination did no
seem conclusive, for Jacob continued
"Would it be right for me to tax,
some of them big October peaches
helped you plantp'
mo" said the old man, hastily
alarmed for his best fruit, IAN yol
better not"
"Why wouldn't it be rightp'' sal,
Jacob, acquiesciug without question il
the inexpediency of the proposed act
"'Cause Use your pa" said Uncl
Abe, conclusively.
"Would it be right to take some o
mammie's preservesP'
mo" sententieusly responded tn
philosopher.
"Whyp'
s" Cause she's your ma, confident
| ly.
"Would it be right to take buddi
Jim's hick'ry nutsp"
| .No!'
| "WhyP"
"'Cause he's your brer," triumph
antly.
"Would it be right to take some c
Mr.. Thompson's roas'in earsP"
mo, an you better not go foolir
roun' dere neither, fur he doan' tax
no foolishness.
when is it right to take somethin
from somcbodyY asked the boy, II.
ing indefinite terms, finding all specifi
cases under the ban.
"'Taint never right fur you to tax
nothin' fun nobody" answered Uncl
Abe in sentence that was a trump
of jugglery in the use of NEGATIVES
And fearing lest Jacob might still /
inclined to emulate his prowess, b
continued: "You mus'n try to do as
duz, ease circumstances alters cases
you'se little boy an Pse man; 1
got family to pervide fur, an yo
amt. Eff you wus to try to do as
duz, you'd git cotehed de fust tim
Chilun ain'tso sharp desc days, Min
} now, Of you touches dem Octob,
} peaches, gwine to skin you 'live."-