The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-20
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Bill is Glad to See Mrs. Grant Welcomed
by the South.
Atlanta Constitution.

ple are giving to Mrs. General Grant.
I sympathize with her specially be-
cause she came into this sin-struck
world the same year and month that |
did and was born and raised in Dixie
and inherited about the same number
of slaves that my wife did and lived
off their hire up to the day of Lin
coin proclamation Of freedom in 1863,
and then lost them and got no pay for
them, just as my wife lost hers. But
there is one little difference. Mrs.
Grant is drawing a pension Of $4,000
a year and my poor wife isn't drawing
anything. Mrs. Grant is a Southern
woman and her sympathies were with
our people until the fortunes of war
drifted her lord and master the other
way. A professional soldier will gen.
orally fight for the best pay and the
highest promotion when other infiu-
ences are equally balanced; for in
stance, when he lives along the divid-
ing line and has interests on both
sides of it. I am glad our people hon
ored Mrs. Grant, for her husband was
at the last kind to the South and dared
to shield US from the tyranny OF our
conquerors. He had no revenges, no
malice, but acted the soldier pure and
simple. From the day that Lincoln
called him from his brothers lanyard
at Galena he never showed brutality
or hatred to our people. In fact he
was naturally kind-hearted man and
his comrades loved him. Our own
General Longstreet was his intimate
friend in the old army and helped him
to win his wife and has always defend
ed him. The Northern republicans
never admired him, for he was dem
ocrat and slave-owner, and after the
war was over he would not let them
confscate our property and grind us
into the dust. Up to this day they
have not been able or willing to raise
the money to build monument to his
memory. It is curious that Grant and
Lincoln, the two greatest factors in
the war;. were men with Southern SYM
pathies and had Southern wives, and
who repeatedly declared that so far as
they were concerned the negro was not
in it. Lincoln said that if he could
save the union without freeing slave
he would do it. Nobody believes this
except those who know it. The ne
groes do not believe it. England does
not believe it, but contributed freely
to Lincoln s monument thatrepresents
him striking the shackles from the
slaves. It is astonishing how long it
takes to get the truth Of history, but
sooner or later it comes out. We are
not lamenting the results of the war,
especially not lamenting the freedom
of the slaves, but we have all these
years suffered from SANDER and false
accusation and we rejoice that the
truth is gradually taking hold of the
Northern. mind. Slander runs race
and truth moves slow, but it catches
up. This reminds me that an educat-
ed Englishman told my son that for
all these years he thought our civil
war was between North America and
South America.
A brighter day is. dawning. When
we see New England mills breaking
up and coming South it is sign nat
their people no longer believe US to be
barbarians, but are willing to cast their
fortunes in the South. Without criug-
ing to their superior wealth we give
cordial welcome to all who dare to
come. I met Cape Cod yankee here
who is as friendly as brother and is
delighted with the South and her peo-
pie and regrets that he has invested
money in the Northwest. He has
purchased property here and is build
ing a winter home on the bay and the
fun of it is the first thing he did was
to build cellar. WHAT'S that for?"
said 1. "Well, we always have eel.
lar up North," said he. eve couldn't
keep house without a cellar He
has stored apples and potatoes and
turnips so long in cellar that he
thinks he must have one. Said he
would have brought one down if he
could have moved it.
This little hamlet is somewhat hid
den from the outer world and is of
the great thoroughfare, but when
found the visitor is content. We are
all calm and serene and are more
amused than concerned about politics.
If the laws of trade take all our gold
to England let it so. Then we can
run silver reckon. I wouldn't issue
any more bonds payable in gold. 1t
is another miserable makcshift. The
extravaganza Of the national govern
ment has brought about this disgrace
full condition of affairs and maybe a
general burst up will help us. Our
government is just like man who is
every year spending more than his in
come and keeps on borrowing from
Peter to pay Paul and giving another
mortgage to make up the deficit. Leg
islation won't pay debts nor raise
prices. Then let the old ship run on
to the breakers if she wants to. AS