The National tribune., 1897-08-26

| by turns were for secession. The divisions IN
| the mountains were the same as they always
| have been and always will be Ill every land
and form OF society: the virtuous, thrifty,
| Industrious rising middle class, against the
| other two extremes The afiStocracy dislikes
! and fears the middle class, and constantly
| strives to make a wide dcmarkatiOn between 1t
| and them 1t only wants servants. slaves, de-
! pendents and retainers. and it must find these
III the lowest stratum. 1t was so in the days
/ of feudaiSm, when it was the lords and their
, binds and SertS against the small, lndepend-
! emf farmers, the mechanics and the merchants,
and the same lines of struggle can be found
| today III every form of society in the world.
The baronial slave-owners, aping the man
ners of the English aristocracy, had as little
use for the middle class in the South the
| French nobility had for the b0uFge0iSje, or
the British lordIings for the yeomanry of
! Cromwell and Ireton. They only wanted
fawners and sycophants, overseers and slave
| catchers; men whom they could get for
| superciliously tossed dollar or Jug Of whisky,
and whom they could shoot down mercilessly
! the moment they became " impudent" They
/ found these in perfection among the Sang
| diggers.
"They'uns say" said Pid Pancake, VINO
had had new life infused into him " the
| gourd full of raw whisky, had forgotten all
about his agcr, !" and felt fresh inspiration
of manhood, THAT this new President, Abe
Linkum. has niger wife an mulatter chill
dren, an that all his Cabinet hez more ur less
Niger blood in 'em."
Yes STREE; that's n facll, shos yo' born"
| said Wills Cluke. An niggers set down t
the hotel tables in Washington jest the same
ez white people, and white people wait on
! EN-. Afore I'd set down t eat alongside o %
niger" said Wills, swelling in predictions
| wrath. an afore I'd wait on a nlgge" at
! table, they'uns ID burn me alive, so they
mout"
'Yit that's what we've got to come t, if
we stay in the Union, " responded Pid, sol
EMMY. They'll take our niggeTs away
! from us, an make EN- better'n we 'uns air.
| Hill be turrible times fur white men an
| gentlemen"
"I'H swim in blood afore they 'uns shall
take our niggers way from us an make EN-
free" said the pot-vaIiant Wills, who at no
time in his life could have bought u negro if
slaves had been selling for silver dollar
! each
s'Fd cut the heart out of any man who'd
try t. make a niger en- good Ell me" echoed
Pid, who bad always been kicked and cuifed
with IMMUNITY by anyone who happened to
take a vagrant fancy to that form Of diversion
"Pid." said OF Sol, with a leeT at the
rest, hain't 70 afeaFd that yo' wjte'll die
| with the ager if you don't hurry home with
that ere sperits
MY OF woman" answered Pid, elmer
ully gifts better of her fit Ell the sun rises
| Hill not come on her agin till the sun be-
gins TO go down. I'll be home long afore
that :"
q Huile, thar comes Big Jim HosSins,"
said or Sol, as the young bully hulked into
view on foot carrying his rifle on his shout
der.
I" He was clearly superior man to the
rest. He was broader shouldered and fuller
chested and the flesh on his limbs showed
| that he had had a more liberal ptovender
| He dominated over all OF them IL Ell Old
/! Soils manner changed from the contenptuoHs
superiority he had maintained towards the
others 10 the genial fellowship that the
keeper of a sporting saloon displays toward a
| boss gambler or a champion pugllist.
. Mornin' Jim. How re yo' teelin' 2" said
he, with grin of welcome on his knotty
countcnance 'Heahs a nip out o my OF
stock; BIN in the bar'l two years this Spring
Yo' don't seem peart. Take nuther. Hit'n
liven yo' up
That's a faek; ] amt peart by n long
! sight, said Big Jim, with an oath Eve
| had huff t. make me down in the mouth
| Fust place, my wife's done skipped ont an
| lef' me. Them cantin', shoutn' Methodists
| hev turned her agin me, an I'm sho that
sanctimonious oil Storpmont is at the bottom
OF hit I'd like t. skin him alive. Next
she's takin up with them stuck-up, over
bearin' lnrules, that | hates ez a hound does
salt meat. Then, Clay Pollock got the drop
l. 4
finally, Kunnel Rhea got the grand stand oti
at the big meetin' ut Mt Gilboa. We done
went over thar 10 larn em a lesson, but when
hit come TO a show down they uns had three
men with guns 10 our one, an we had t.
haul Off But thar's got t be a turnin' over.
These white-liyeTed, black-hearted, Linkun
scalawags can't walk ropgh-shod over decent
men. We've got to show EN- who's boss.
Here's a coonskin, Sol Give the boys the
with of hit in likker."
Can't / have mouthful o. that two-year-
OF, Mister Bienker?" begged Pid Pancake.
I'm sartin ht'd help my ager moutily. Y
moo hkker is powerful good, but hit don t
alluz seem t. 90 edzactly t the right spot"
No. yo' can't, Pid. That ere two-year-
obs entirely too precious t. be wasted on a
gullet that's bin tanned by dogwoed bark. y
What's agwine t be done, Jim?" asked
J OF Sol, after he had dispensed to the crowd
the full value Of the raccoon skin
Big things. Big things. They'uns II
) quit talkin' an come down t. plain bizniss.
J Kunnel Rheas done got commission from
Gov. Harris t. raise rijimint for the Con.
fedrit States, an he's agwine right t. wuk
Sam GIiggs's T. raise one o. the companies
heah in the monntings, an Pm agwine inter
hit, an to be a Sarjint, eff git the boys 'Iound
! heah t enlist which they'll be sartin t. do, y
and he looked around imperiously.
. Ell hit wuzzent fur my ager, " murmured
Pid Pancake.
My fioatin' kidneys likely t. kill me
, inside OF week eff | 'spose myself t the
, weather" sighed Wills Cluke.
: al think y'uEs kin all stand hit Ell Ions
Ell we'unsn need yo', y said Big Jim, signifi
; cantly. "Capn Sam Griggsl IL he hcah this
afternoon with the enlistment papers, an
'spect all y'uns t stay round heah till h,
Gums an sign EN-"
i orter t. hurry home with these 'sperit4
fur my oil woman" said Pid Pancake, sidlins
off toward his horse. She wuz suilerin
oriul when / come way, an I've stayed to,
long already"
, "Yoll stay right heah till Cap'n San
5 Griggs comes with the papers" said Big Jim
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