The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-08
THROUGH MISSISSIPPI.
Bill Arp gets his Health Certificate and
goes West.

THROUGH MISSISSIPPI.
Bill Arp gels his Health Certificate and
goes West.
atlanta Consultation
Get your health certificate before you
go vest"
That was the placard at the ticket
Office. It seemed very like the old war
times, when we had to get passports and
papers to go anywhere. But there was
quite difference so far as the doctors
were concerned, for they gave 9 sick GER:
tifcate then, and asoldier couldn't travel
without one, unless he was going to the
front.
So l interviewed the doctor and got my
papers, and set out for Mississippi. Be.
fore I got to Birmingham another doctor
walked me up and put me through coro.
ner's inquest and let me go on. Just
before I got to the State line another one
boarded the train, and I had to satisfy
him that I was we'll, and hoped that be
| was enjoying the same blessing. But I
reached Macon all right, and took refuge
| with another doctor, an old schoolmate,
whom T had not seen for 48 years. Good
gracious what 8 time-nearly half 8
| centuary-and yet his youthful image
had been all these years before me. His
rnddy face and pleasant countenauce and
uuselfsh disposition was photographed
upon my memory. But ammo domini
will tell upon us all. would not have
known him nor would he have known
me. I am not ashamed of the havoc that
old Father Time has made upon me, but
still I almost wished that we could meet
again as boys with the same bright
laughing faces and glossy hair and active
limbs, and for awhile could run, and
jump, and wrestle, and play ball, and
climb trees as we used to. How easily
and stealthily does old age encroach upon
US, and how gradually do We get recon.
ciled to that approach. Providence is
very kind in letting it come without 8
stock. DR.. Hendricks met me at the
gate and by the moonlight we looked
into each others faces for some faint
shadows of our youth, and of course were
disappointed, and of course tolda little
ib in each pretending that the other did
not look 80 old as was expected. I was
soon at home in his household, and it
was late when we ceased to talk about
the old school days at the GWinnett in-
stitute and to refresh each other with
delightful memories. But few, very few
of those boys are left now, and they are
| widely scattered. Our teachers are all
dead. The institute is dead. The ma:
boring farmers are all dead. The land
is there and not far away is the same old
mill pond where we. used to go in swim
ming and jump from the spring board,
and the water as it falls over the dam
still sings the same old song,
ssFor men may come and men may CO."
"But l go on forever"
Macon is the county seat of one of the
richest counties in Mississippi, a county
that presents some very remarkable tea-
lures. There has been less change in
Noxubee county thanin anyI have found
l in all my travels. The sons of the old
patriarchs are more like their fathers.
They are proud and we'll hammered,
courteous and kind and are still the mon
archs of the rich and fertile soil that
their fathers owned. The war left them
poor in everything but land and self.
respect and State pride. The freedowm
of ftheir slaves has made but little change,
for the negroes still do all the work and
seem as docile and contented as they
used to be. Now just think of black
land country of 900 square miles, where
there are thirty.fiye Thousand negroes
and only six thousand withstand all
working harmoniously together, without
q Jar or strike or any outrage; where
there is no clash OF disturbance, either 10
politics or religion; where labor is at
perfect peace with capital; where there
are over thirty thousand bales of cotton
made annually, besides corn and hay in
great abundance, and an increasing sup.
ply of cattle and hogs; where there are
large creameries that market butter at
Mobile and New Orleans; where there
are good schools for white and for black
where the entire white population is
native to the manorborn and have assim.
ilated in thought and manners and prin.
;ciples, and where about FIVE hundred
whites own all the acrege of rich land
that produces easily without fertillzlng
an average of one thousand pounds OF
cotton and fifty bushels of corn to the
acre-no wonder that I found contented
and prosperous people. Now, General
| Sherman, what do you think of that?
What do you think of thirty FIVE thou.
sand black people living under the
political dominion ofsix thousand whites!
What could they not do if they wanted
to, and yet the whites hold every office
| and manage these negroes as easily as a
parent controls his child. It proves that
the white race is the superior race and
was born to command, and the negro
when let alone to pursue the natural
| instincts and inclination of his race are
content to live and labor in a subordinate
condition. 1t proves that your threaten.
ed second war with torch and dagger
would not avail you if you expect the
negroes of the south to use those horrible
weapons against u.s. Why not let the
negro alone-why seek to destroy his
happiness? What have ne done to you
and your people that so proyokes you!
yeugeuance? Suppose there was wall
around Noxubee county where these few
whites are living in peace with that army
of negroes, and both races are content,
would you break down the wall and 60
| in With torch and dagger and incite q
war /? I believe you would, but it would
be from hatred to the whites, and not
from love or pity for the negro. You
made him citizen, and are mad because
he prefers southern to northern mas.
ter. Now let me undeceive you about
the negro. Ifyour people get up another
war with us you will find the negro on
our side. As the years roll on he is bet
ter content with his relation to our peo'
pie. He is not longing or languishing.
He is happier than you are and has q
more reasonable hope of heaven.
From Macon journeyed to the thriv.
ing town of Hope in Arkansas, to g.eet
the good people at another fair. This
was their first venture in that line, and
was q great success. l stood up before
four thousand people who were arrayed
!