The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-02-04

You don't actually propose to disobey
the authority of the Southern Confederacy,
do your Numbered Capt Bib to the Sc
rene patriarch. You'll not defy the
Southern Confederacy, will you?"
II know nothing Of what We call the
southern Confederacy. L have never
heard of Of it before We do not pretend
to keep pace with the inventions of man.
we go to the Bible for all our knowledge.
That Is Gods final revelation of His will"
| But you at least recognize the author
lty Of the State of Georgia! OF the Gov
ernor Of Georgia?'
'Thc State of Georgia-the Governor of
Georgia.! repeated Father Meliot. slowly
rousng his memory. 1--WE know that the
Governor of Georgia is one set in author
ity-whether or how much over us we
have never settled We have only heard
or him through messengers coming to de
mand tribute. We have given his tax
gathcrers tribute of kline and sheep, be
cause Christ commanded tax-paying, and
1t was meet that we pay taxes to some
one. Therefore. every season one of us
would give an OK or Il sheep to the Gov
ernor's tribute gatherer. Those who gave
an OK Mt one time would give sheep the
next. and an OK again after he had given
a sheep
Capt. Bibb and Lieut. Hunloke looked
at one another and exchanged meaning
winks.
You never heard whether the Governor
received your tribute of cattle and sheep.
did you:" inquired the Captain.
No; nor rocked not. 1t was sufficient
unto us that he came bearing the Cover
nor's seal and sign manual Whether he
delivered our tribute to the Governor was
naught to us. That was the care of him
| who sent him.
Lieut.. Hunloke gave drunken horsc
] I'm I,gI ii Div
tainIy played it fine on you mountain
slobs, he said coarsely. "He always ha'
more cattle and sheep to sell than an:
dozen men in the County, and he certainl
didn't raise EN-
Yes. Lieut. Hunloke and I were on t.
his secret" interposed Capt. Bib. som,
% or so years ago he got a commissio,
from Wills. Lumpkin, who was Governor
of Georgia then, and byand-by the cum
ming old rascal, who was always thinking
up some scheme to get ahead Of other
| folks. took it into his head to work it off
| on you mOuntaineerS for warrant for the
collection of taxes. and it went so we'll
that he's kept it up every year since. and
got rich selling your cattle and sheep. He
| showed us the old commission q year or
| two ago, and said he wouldn't take the
best plantation in Georgia for it. Other
people raised for him all the cattle he
| could handle. fed and wintered them. and
! delivered them in good condition to him a
the right time FOR market"
| "In truth, the paper he brought was old
and stained with much handling" said the
| Patriarch. but all the more to be re-
| spected therefor. If he perverted the
| tribute the sin was his. and his accounta
biity much to the man who sent him."
But Gov. Lumpkin has been dead these
20 years, and never gave him authority
| to collect taxes"
Mere lawyers bubbles. With lawyers
we have naught to do. Christ cursed them,
and we esehew them, and all their learn
| ing Its feet lay hold on hell, and out of it
can come nothing but strife. contention,
and all manner of evil. We dwell together
i'll peace and humility. obeying our elders"
But | tell you. Wilson Lumpkin has
been dead i don't know how many years,
and there have been dozen different
Governors Of Georgia since he was
That matters not, nor who rules in his
stead. The messenger came to. us, with
the signet and sign manual, and we made
him il free-will Offering, and our CON
sciences were clear"
well. now / come to you with n com
mission from the President Of the South
ern Confederacy, and one from the Gov
ernor Of Georgia. requiring Of you Il com
pany of men for the army
THAT differeth greatly. When our fa-
from the scourge of the sword, the Births,
King promised them that they should be
mt peace. so long as they kept the peace.
This was the covenant they made with
Gen OglctlIorpp. They kept the cove
nant. We shall keep the covenant. They
remained at peace with the British. the
Indians and the Spanards. No man OF
| ours drew sword. or smote with spear
during any of the wars. Some drove
| teams. and followed the armies. but they
were weak in the faith, and we cut them
eff They returned Eot to their homes nor
their people, and died far away, among
| strangers"
That has nothing to do with the pres
ent case. We are now engaged in Il great
war for onr independence. We are fight
ing for our liberty"
I'VE have 10 independence to gain. Our
| liberty is not endangered.'
Don't be any more stupid than you can
help, old man.. said the Captain angrily.
THE whole South is fighting for its indie
pcndencc--its liberty"
why. I always thought that the South
was rs independent and free rs any coun-
try could be-
'Look here: shall waste no more time
in useless argument. You don't under
stand. and you won't understand. because
You don't want to understand. I'll tell you
some things, in regular order, that you've
got to understand, and that on the instant.
In the first place, you are living in the
State of Georgia, and subject to the laws
| thereof The law orders that every white
man between the ages Of 1S ard ~ shall
be enrolled in the army. and hold himself
| ready to obey orders for active service.
They are subject at MI times to the order
| of the Governor The Governor has or
dcred me to come here and organize n
company Of the younger men OF the settle
| ment. If these will come forward
| promptly and volunteer. it will allow the
older men TO stay ut home until there is
need for them, which there may not be-"
'.Np man, Young or DID, shall 90 TO war,
nor shall any man forsake his wife" an
Swercd the pa triarch with quiet firmness,
as he knocked the ashes out of his pire.
I'VE are followers of the Prince of
Peace who iabhdr war The Lord COM
mands us to- refrain from war. and to slay
not. upon our souls peril. No man
stained with blood can stand before Him
on the Judgment Day. We have lived IN
| peace with dill men. white red and black
I-Spaniard. indian British and American
Jew and 'Geiitle, for 125 years nov.
and shall continue so to live. Nothing
| n, \ I ,rJ Ia.