The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-04
GABRIEL TOLLIVER|
copywrIsht, 1902, by Joel Chandler Harris.

his elders. And what a pity it was not!
How many mistakes would have been
avoided! What a dreadful tangle and tur-
moil would have been prevented. For
the boys Interpretation of the restless
ness and uneasiness of the blacks was
the correct one. What he scored him
self for in the days to come was that
his interest in the matter never rose above
the idle curiosity of a boy
When the Clopton negroes were told
that they were free, large number Oh
them joined the restless migratory
throng that passed to and fro along the
public highway, but all moved by the
same irresistible impulse to test their
freedom-to see if they really could come
and go without let or hindrance' oheie
Plato and his family, with a dozen others
remained in their places and Jared pe'ter
than the rest.
For a time Shady Dale rested peace
fully in its seclusion; but behind THIS ap-
pearance of response there was goSd
deal of restlessness and uneasness. Some
times its bosom $50 to speak, was m
famed with anger and sometimes II
would be sunk in despair. One of the
events that brought Shady Dale closer
to the troubles that the newspapers were
full Of was a circular letter issued by
Mai. Tomlin Perdue, of Halcyondale.
Major Perdue had returned home thor
oughly reconstructed. He was full or ad-
miration for General Grants attitude
toward General Lee and he endorsed with
all his heart the tonic and spirit of Lee's
address to his old soldiers; but when he
saw the unexpected turn that the poll
ticians had been able to give to events,
he found 1t hard to hold his peace Fin
ally he melted his friends to hold a
! meeting and propose his name as can
didate for congress. This was DONE and
the major seized the opportunity to issue
a circular letter declining the nominal
ton, and giving his reasons therefor
This letter remains to this day the most
scathing Arrangement of carpet-bag-
gerry. bayonet rule, and the republican
party generally that has ever been put
in print.
Major Perdue did not intend 1t so, but
the effect of this scorching document
was to bring a company OF federal
troops to Halcyondale, and in the course
of few weeks a detachment was sta
toned at Shady Dale. This was taken as
a signal by the carpet-baggers, and forth
with they began operations, receiving
occasional accessions in the person or
a number of scalawags, the most respect
able and conscientious of these being Mr..
Mahlon Butts, who had been vigorous
and consist ent union man all through tie
war. His consistency won for him the
respect of his neighbors, but when the
carpet-baggers made their appearance,
and Mahlon Butts began to fraternize
with them, he was ostracized along with
the rest.
1t soon became necessary for the whites
to take counsel together, and Shady
Dale became, as it had been before the
war, the mecca of the various leaders.
Then it was that Gabriel had an oppor-
tunity to see Toombs and Stephens, ana
Hill and Herschel V. Johnson-he who
was on the national ticket with Douglas
in 1S60-and other men who were TO be-
come prominent later. There were some
differences of opinion to be settled. A
few of the leaders had advised the white
voters to take no part in the political
farce which congress had arranged, but
to leave 1t all to the negroes and the
! aliens. Others, on the contrary, advised
the white voters to qualify as rapidly as
possible 1t was this difference Of opinion
that remained to be settled, so far as
Georgia was concerned.
1t was Gabriel's acquaintance with Mr..
Stephens that first fired his ambition.
Here was a frail, weak man, hardly ablc
to stand alone, who had been an in
valid all his life, and yet had won re-
nown, and by his wisdom and conserva-
tism had gained the confidence and es-
TEEN of men of all parties and OF all
shades of opinion. His will-power and his
energy lifted him above his bodily weak
ness and ills, and watching him close
ly and noting his wonderful vivacity and
cheerfulness, Gabriel Toliver came to
the conclusion that If an invalid could
win fame a strong healthy lad should
be able to make his mark.
1t fell out that Gabriel attracted the at
tention of Mr. Stephens, who was always
partial to young men. AT the suggestion
of Mr.. Stephens the lad was permitted to
attend the conferences, which were all
informal, and the kindly statesman took
pains to introduce the awkward, blush
ing youngster to all the prominent men
who came.
AS might be supposed, no definite policy
was hit upon. The conditions were SO
new to those who had to deal with them
that after an interchange of views the
company separated feeling that the
policy proper to be pursued would arise
naturally out of the immediate neces-
stiles of the occasion or the special char
acter of the situation. This was the view
of Mr.. Stephens, who as he was still suf-
fering from his confinement in prison. ac-
cepted the invitation of Meriwether Clop-
ton to remain at Sandy Dale for a week
or more and during the week. there was
hardly a day that Gabriel did not go to
| the Clopton place.
| Moreover Gabriel came in closer con-
| tact with Francis Bethune That young
gentleman seized the opportunity to in
vite Gabriel to his room, where they had
| several familiar and pleasant talks.
Bethune told Gabriel much that was IN
| teresting about the war and about the
men he had met In Richmond and Wash
ington He also related many interesting
| Incidents and stories or adventure, in
which he had taken part. But he never
| once put himself forward as the hero
| of an exploit.
| Gabriel had never suspected this proud
| looking young man of modesty, and ne
at once began to admire and like Be-
thune. who was not only genial, but con-