The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-08-16
SARGE PLUNKETT.
A Philosophical Discussion of Atmospheric
Conditions.
Atlanta Consultation.

upon the human disposition. And |
have been watching the signs" and
refreshing my memory upon what the
same conditions produced at other
periods. Going back into the "6fties'
and dealing with that period, because
so many are yet living who remember
the times, one will be struck in the
similarity Of that date with the present
time. Old folks in the "ffties' were
laughed at because they asserted that
the "signs' pointed to war, just as l
would be laughed at were | to assert
that the signs Of the present point to
some great upheaval-to war, it you
please.
Take the date of 1859, and you who
are old enough, remember the atmos.
pheric conditions of that year and call
to mind the unsettled state of the
public pulse. The weather Of 1853
caused the expression to grow common
-"did you ever see the like Of it r
This "did you ever see the like p
grey monotonous, but the conditions
Justified the remark. Great black
clouds would gather in the northwest
while the painting people would watch
them with bated breath, anxious to be
deluged by the foods they promised,
but never a food. Black and heavy,
these clouds would pass over Georgia
without SO much as Sprinkle to
cool the parching earth, but instead, a
withering wind scorched the vegetaI
tion and filled the elements with
sitting clouds of dust and sand. The
"dry storms Of 1859 can we'll be
remembered by many Georgians, and
the terror they caused could not be
exaggerated. There was not enough
corn made in the State for seed the
next year-1860.
The year of 1860 was ushered in
under the most excited condition OF
the public mind that had ever been
witnessed. "Problems,' too familiar
for me to make mention here, held the
political caldron at red heat, while the
distress of the times caused the strong
est to tremble for the consequences.
Amid the 3panicky' condition of the
year, the great Northwest was drawn
upon for supplies to feed man and
brute. Western corn had to be used
for seed corn, and tits we'll to state
that this was the first Of using Western
corn in Georgia in any way-up to
that date Georgia had been self-sus-
tanning in abundance, and has never
been entirely so since. On top Of the
corn failure Of 1859. came the disap-
pointment in the western corn as seed.
This added terror to the existing
depression, as the corn, which, by this
time, had taken the name Of "Lincoln
corn," began to sstassel" atknee high.
Who can say but what the anxieties
of 1859-60 had much to do with bring
ing on the war that followed !? The
atmosphere was out Of joint, people s
livers got out Of fix, men got desperate
and were ready for anything for a
change. This anything for change"
is liable to take a hold on peo-
pie when the liver is tore up by
depressing atmospheric conditions,
and, altogether with the anxieties that
these conditions create, stand men
ace to everything that is, and gives
the bold, bad man his opportunity to
'tget there. Revolution is bred out
of the distress of the masses. Hungry
folks are dangerous, as well as are the
folks who have too great load OF
anxiety about their financial or social
standing, and the pressure must be
relieved. When damp, gloomy east
wind is blowing you can safely count
on many disordered livers; therefore,
an east wind is "sign." When
drought is burning up vegetation in
1893 it is "sign" that we are to be
without corn as in 1859, and as the
discomfort and restless spirit OF the
masses in 1893 so closely resemble the
days of 1860. unless crosstie gets on
the track we may look out for the
same schedule.
have read in the newspapers OF a
great drought in the Northwest. And
| read Of the fiery temper Of the people
there on the subject Of finance. The
atmospheric conditions are such as
have existed prior to war, and the agl-
tated people are affected as are people
before they fire on the fort. Old Fort
Sumter won't be in it. this time,
though there is plenty of the least
wind" conditions blowing over the
South to give the masses an air OF
don t-care -a-cent what comes. ! am
watching the "signs," and wouldn't it
be something if the Northwest would
have to draw on us for her seed corn
in 1894. It would be conditions re-
yersed, but so plaina a "sign' Of war, to
my mind, that I would at once go to
work hunting up a good dry cave in
the river bottom-no war will ever
slip up on me.
it is nothing to treat lightly, this
agitated condition of the country,
together with the signs. Many of us
shut our eyes and refused to see in
1860. Some went so far as to swear
that they would drink all the blood
that was split. 1t is wisdom to watch
the signs and try to counteract the at,
mospheric conditions. This govern:
ment is ponderous and you can't tell
what changes may come over people
under oppression and depression.
Men howled about "our rights in the
territories" along III the fifties who
had just as much prospect of having
goats in the moon as they did cf ever
getting out West. Agitation grows
popular as it grows dangerous, and
agitators are always to be found when
the people are willing to listen. The
story of Jenkins s Ear" is familiar
and is good illustration Of what
agitation will do. jenkins was OPP
pressed, he was treated cruelty, and
slowly, persistently, he told his story
till he was avenged. 1t is the COM
mon talk these days to hear OF the
people. In the first instance it may
be Imagination, or the cause for the
assertion mighty small, yet, if it keeps
on, it will soon be verified as "sign'
of great upheaval-war and revolu-
tion. This talk of oppression should
be frowned down if it is without foun-
dation and corrected if there be foun-
dation. While / believe in signs, |