The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-15
Mountain Whites Are Not Poor Whites.
To the Editor of the PRESS:

L O the EulGOT OIL bu0 ItGoO'
This mornings PRESS contained an ex-
ceedingly interesting account of the onser-
vance of Defenders Day; but l want to
mildly demonstrate against the use OF the
phrase "poor whites,' as applied TO Abra-
ham Lincoln. and the class in our Southern
Mountain region, of which he is the grand
est type.
Tie poor whites are the CRACKERS" OF
Georgia. and their fellows in the other
parts of the South. The Mountain whites,
as thew have come to be called, and they
resent the former appellations. occupy
the mountain regions in Virginia, West Vir-
einia. Kentucky, Tennessee. Alabama and
North Carolina, territory nearly twice
as large as New England. and containing
population of :more than. two million in
babitants. They are sunk in the lowest
depths of degradation. but they have in
ti.eir veins some of the best blood In the
country. descended as they are from the
Huguenots, Covenanters. Pennsylvania
Dutch, English and the Scotoh-lrisiI, who
brought their intense Professionalism to
New Hampshire and to other parts OF the
New England and Atlantic States.
They have always been loyal. and at
Kings Mountain, under the lead OF the
gallant Huguenot. John Sewer, with thelT
watchwa1d, 1.-THE sword of the Lord and OF
our Gideon.'' they gained one OF the most
signal victories of the Revolution. And in
orr civil war, after vain1y striving to resist
secession. and to hold Tennessee at least
from the Shareholders oligarchy, they
rushed in to the ranks of the nations de-
Tenders. in larger numbers than came from
any other like territory. and with bravery
unexcelled, $1,000 of them enlisted without
bounty, and without dIaft.and many OF
them verified their principles with their
lives.
= They were of the Old Ironside stock. and
like Crornwell's ironsides. they know what
they fought for and loved what they knew
In spite ofstheir degradation. their counter
feiting, their illicit whiskey manufacture,
thew are one of the most interesting feat
ures of our national life. For several years
the writer has made very careful study
of them, their heredity, patriotism, temper
anee principles-for if the vote of the
Mountain Whites had not been overc ONE by
the vote of the old cotton-growing counties.
Tennessee would have been prohibition
state, their record as the founders of the
and the isolation which is the cause of
their degeneration; and the study is zone of
intense interest.
FROM such aspeople came Abraham Lin
coin. and it was this same isolation whic II
made his immediate ancestry what they
we're, for he camesof old bingham stock,
the descendant of one of the families of
Lincoln who settled in bingham in 1636-37.
His ancestor was Samuel lincoln. brother
of .sThomas the Weaver and 10 this fami-
" belong the names of Levi Lincoln attor-
ney general of the United STATES, Levi Lin
coin, who among various other Offices, was
elected the governor of Massa-
chusetts, and Governor Enoch lincoln of
Maine and many others. To this family be-
long the Lincolns OF Portland and vicinity
to great extent. although inteTmarriages
with the family of "Thomas the Cooper
have given to many double conn ion
with the bingham Lincolns, and such fam
lies are more proud of their collateral con-
nection with the mountain white'' patriot
who freed this country from the soul fret
ting stigma of slavery than with any other
name on their escutcheon.
IDA VOSE WOODBURY..
Woodford February IA, '95.