The National tribune., 1903-07-02

the Deacon. "Why, You said yourself
that you'd been advocating secession, fol-
years before the war"
$50 | had, sab. And l voted for Sc
cessiOn in the Convention. But L can,
see that that was any reason for send
ing armies down here to destroy ouah
country and run off Ouah niggehs. We
were only exercising ouah rights as free
and Independent American citizens, sab. u
"Well," gasped the Deacon, "if any
man tore out the side of my house, and
left my family to the rain and snow, I'd
90 after him with a hickory fail, even if
| he had some claim to the boards in the
siding Reminds me of Bill Hicks and
Wash Hart, who came into our country
about the same time l did. They were
partners in red steer, which hauled their
| little jag of things out to Injianny. When
they got there Bill wanted to kill his halt
of the steer for meat for his family, while
Wash wanted to keep his alive to do his
powing. They fought over it, and kept
| fighting over it, without either one being
able to pound the other into his way OF
| thinking, until the steer got so disgusted
with the row that he ate something, and
died Of milk sick, so that they lost both
| their meat and their plow- animal"
81 don't see the application Of youah
story, sah, to ouah difficulties" said Mr..
jenkins MODray, nauSntlly.
"It means that we don't propose to do
as Hart and Hicks did, but settle right
now whether the steer shall be beef OF
plow animal. We're going to know that
before many days, and then you'll be
whipped into our way of thinking"
"Nevah, sab. You can nevah conqueh
us. We're too brave, too determined, too
resolved to shed the last drop Of ouah
blood in the defense Of ouah independence.
Well fight you, step by step, back to ouah
mountains. and every rod Of the way will
invaders and the remains of the brave de-
tenders of Ouah hearths and homes"
Hum" remarked the Deacon reflective
ly. Apparently, the Georgians and South
Carolinians haven't caught on to that
racket, though l remember they used to
talk the same way. They let 60 of quite
lot of their country without burying any
body in particular on it. But you were
talking about your 10 slaves, and what
you would do with them if it hadn't been
for the war"
81 was contemplating putting them into
the cypress swamps below heah, to make
shingles. There Is always a great de-
mand for cyprus shingles, and calculated
that by keeping him hard at work each
man would net me from $500 to $500 a
year over what it d would cost to feed
him."
"What'd you feed 'em on ?'' inquired the
Deacon, always interested in such details.
20, the regular slave rations-half a
pound of bacon a day, and three pecks Of
corn meal a month"
LES see, at the old-time prices that'd
be about 60 to rs cents for Is pounds Of
pork month, and say 80 cents for three
pecks of meal. Pretty cheap boarding
that. Can't get any men up my way to
live on that"
That's all they need, and that's all that
anybody gives them" remarked the Hon.
Member from Pamlico County, biting off
another huge chew of the Deacon's tobac-
co. Don't do to give nisgers too much.
dent. But they'd kill coons, 'possums, and
otters, and catch fish. eels and turtles. o,
they'd live fine, tell you"
"But you had to clothe 'em, too?"
20, niger don't need much clothes
in the swamp. Be in their way. They're
half-naked most of the time. Some folks
pet their niggers too much. Spoils 'em.
The less clothes you give a Niger the bet
ter for him. II he gets cold he'll hustle
around and work harder to keep warm.
| never calculate to spend more'n $5
year on a nigger's clothes"
"And you expect to make from $500 to
$500 year on each slave, and expend less
than $25 year on him." said the Deacon,
after a little mental calculation. "Why
it costs me a great deal more than that
every year for every horse have on my
place, and I don't get anything like
that
'Of coahse you don't You don't need
it. We people in the South have to live
like gentlemen"
Eyes, on tho sweat Of other mems
brows," said the Deacon Indignantly. II
don't wonder that you're fighting hard to
preserve such a system. I declare, I've
never been a real out-and-out Abolitionist
till now. was only in favor Of the
Proclamation as a war
measure. Now I'm in favor Of 1t as an
Act Of God"