Year: 1868

| --
from the seat of government very often
and what we do hear is also "stale, flat
and unprotitable" Our mails come not
often, and the carrier appears to spend
more time in hunting for excuses ''how
not to do it" than in performing the du-
ty required by His contract, so that the
intelligence that has come to you and
been forgotten is fresh and new to US by
the time we get our newspapers. New
ertheless, we are getting in our crops
and preparing for the summer and har-
vest, Just as confident and hopeful in
the seasonable operations of nature as
though we had daily mail, and pow
erful and wickedly corrupt party was
not trying to destroy our Constitution
al Government.


While W, are deeply interested in the
revolution now being attempted by the
dominant party, we hope nothing from
the present reigning pswer, and only
look on as spectators, not attempting to
understand the intrigues, and plots and
counter-plots, so intensely attractive Is
many who have access to the news
daily.


Our undeveloped resources being mea-
gre and unremunerative, we rely only
on good Mother Earth at present, con-
fdently expecting that the Great Ruler
will regulate the seed-time and harvest
with the usual certainty, and we shall
reap an abundance for our natural
wants, while the praying itinerants as
sist us in our spiritual needs.


To come down to details, the news
papers are as slow as cold molasses get
ting to this point, and we do not attempt
to Keep ourselves posted on current
events. The price of gold and silver
has about the same interest for us as
Roman antiquities, and commercial
news in general is'like the remembrance
of pleasant dream. Some timber is
sold from the abundance in our noun
tains and valleys, and if sundry State,
county and National tax collectors do
not come oftener than once a week, we
NAV be able to turn out a neat little
stock after a while. and perhaps some
wool and grain to sell. Further than
this, at present, our interest in CONNER
cial news does not extend. AS for pol
itics-we are cents-ibly impressed that
some of our Aeighbors legislate and su
peryise and assess, but out of twelve
hundred voters (before the war; less
than one hundred now have the whole
management-voting levying taxes,
collecting and disbursing the same
and this is said to be "a Government re-
publican in form" / suppose the
form" spoken of is ghost Off govern
ment, or perhaps the shadow-for va
pory clouds cast shadow when before
the sun.


But we do not pretend to understand
all this sort of thing, SO our interest In
politics is rather mixed, similar to the
"feelings" of the gentleman who wrote
TO his friend: at is with mingled feel
ings of pleasure and regret that l am
still living and moving on in the even
tenor of my way, but hoping that Smith,
my worst enemy, will soon be dead and
buried" We cannot at present very
we'll help this feeling of indifference,
as we have been so many times caution
ed that we were on probation, and the
disfranchised ones among us had de-
termined that their part of the contract
to return quietly and remain peacea-
bly at their homes, should be honOra-
bly and strictly fulfilled. But when the
time comes-as we hope it will soon
when we can enjoy the right once sup:
posed to be the "inalienable right" of
every American citizen, then we intend
to do all that we may rightfully do to
remain in the enjoyment of that right.


A good many are disposed to make
Jokes of the new condition of things.
A thrifty farmer living on Tug Fork of
Big Sandy, talking about the poor roads
in his section, said no one could be
found to oversee the repairing of the
roads, who, if competent, intellectually
and politically, was willing to under
take the job. He wanted the road re-
paired along his farm, and having the
men to help made good road thus far,
but he didn't know but that his Radical
neighbers would indict him for it, as
he had no authority to repair the road,
and couldn't take the oath! An old
gentleman living in the mountains,
where there are plenty of deer, was one
day pompously informed by Radical
sovereign that it was against the law
to kill deer at such q time. "Ies, l
know" said the old gentleman, "and
do you know what the penalty is I"
"Why, a fine reckon" mo, the peR-
atty is twenty lasbes on the bare back,
and the informer gets half" AS the
enlightened sovereign didn't know any
better the announcement had a good
effect. A young joker, while talking
about the internal revenue laws, grave
ly inquired if there was any stamp tax
for kissing newly married wives.


There was little group of RAIDS and
disfranchised men one day talking about
the nice little scheme set on foot to Sc
cure the suspension bridge at the mouth
of Guyand otte river to few friends OF
the Governor, when one of the crowd
told the Radicals that if that game of
seven-up had succeeded according to
the plan, bill would have been pre-
sented to the Legislature, providing
that the bridge should be removed, on
the ground that the "partaker is as
guilty as the the thief" and it would
corrupt the public morals for travellers
to pass over q stolen bridge!


There is squad of soldiers yet at the
Court House now under the command
of the Lieutenant Carey. They all
live very quiet life, and the biennial
draw of greenback rations is q welcome
change.


Farming operations have been very
successful thus far, and not so late as
nearer the Ohio. Wheat, rye and oats
look we'll, and promise good yield; corn
has also got a good start, and consider
able new land in small patches will be
in corn and tobacco this year.


/ / am not permanent resident here,
but / cannot help sympathizing with a
people like this, deprived Of a cherished
right, peaceably disposed and law
abiding as know them to be, oppressed
by laws they had no yeice in making
\ and can have no voice ia attempting to
repeal, submissive under government.
j al insult, direct and implied, patiently
waiting for rolie1by proper legal means
and a change Of Lawmakers and rulers.
Because large number were in the re-
beliion, it said of them by those
who know nsthing about ii, that
they are .disorderly and lawless. Be-
4 - g., ,x,a, In, %ha am IN