173. CLXXIII.
THE LAST OUTRAGE UPON KENTUCKY. — PASSAGE
OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BY THE
HOUSE.
Post Offis, Confedrit × Roads }
(wich is in the Stait uv Kentucky,
February 7, 1869.
The die is mostly cast — gloom hez settled like a dark pall
onto Kentucky. The last vestige uv Constitooshnel liberty is
swept away, leavin us nothin but the name thereof, wich is
holler mockery. Ef the Senit goes on and concurs with the
House, — wich it will do, — and the rekisit number of States
ratify the ackshen of them two accussid bodies, — wich they
will do, — why, then all is over. Niggers will vote in Kentucky
the same ez white men, and the star uv liberty is sot
forever! They may go so far, ez they will be in a majority,
ez to disfranchise the brave men who served in the Confedrit
army.
Ez might hev bin expectid, the intelligence affectid the Corners
profoundly. We wuz all a settin in at Bascom's ez happy
ez we cood be. A new barrel hed bin tapped. Deekin Pogram
had money, and I wuz not altogether unprovided, ez a
letter hed bin dropped into the Post Offis that mornin wich
contained a remittance uv six dollars to a lottery concern in
Noo York. Ez I beleeve lotteries to be swindles, and demoralizin
in their nacher, I opened the missive and confiscatid the
contents. I will never be the means uv leadin young men to
rooin thro the agency of lottries — never.
It wuz a pleasant scene. The fire wuz a burnin brightly,
wich reflectin on our respective noses, gave the room a more
than usual briteness; Bascom wuz behint the bar, his elbows
leanin onto it, waitin for the orders wich he knew wood be
made; Captain McPelter wuz a smokin his pipe, peacefly, a
watchin the clouds that ariz, formin a sort uv halo about his
head; while Deekin Pogram and myself wuz just in the act uv
takin suthin hot wich hed bin fixed for us. At this moment
Pennibacker's boy rode up on Bascom's mule and hove a paper
at me wich contained the fatal intelligence. I read it aloud.
There wuz no more innocent mirth that nite. Deekin Pogram's
hand relaxed its holt onto the glass and it fell to the floor, the
precious flooid wastin itself thro the cracks, and the old Saint
fell from his chair in a swoon. I hed more presence uv mind
— I drank mine with one convulsive gulp, and then dropped
the empty glass. The effect, so far ez manifestin greef
wuz concerned, wuz the same ez tho I hed dropped it, likker
and all, and it wuz better for me. The glass wuz Bascom's —
the sensashen in my bowels perdoosed by the likker wuz
mine. That, even constitooshnel amendments can't take away
from me.
It didn't take long to figger how this outrage, ef it is consummatid,
will effect the Corners. Ther is in this peeceful
township sixty-three loyal white voters, uv wich number thirty-nine
vindicated their manhood in the Confedrit servis, the
others bein too old, ceptin Pollock, wich is from Illinoy, and uv
Ablishen proclivities. Garrettstown is in this township, and
countin them in, ther is two hundred and forty-four adult
male niggers, and ther wood hev bin a hundred more hed niggers
all bin born bullet and rope proof. So long ez these niggers
wuz in their normal condishen uv servitood they wuz
indispensable sence they wuz crooelly wrested from us, we
hev made em a most ez yooseful to us by hevin the law into
our own hands. They hev, ez a rool, accumulated suthin, for
they labor. We uv course held the offises. Issaker Gavitt is
Assessor, and Deekin Pogram Treasurer, and the niggers hev
bin made to pay all the taxes that hev bin paid. They coodent
help theirselves, for the law hez terrors when weeldid by
strong and willin hands, and the hands uv our offishels are both
strong and willin.
But for these niggers the township government wood be a
mere nothin. Issaker didn't dare to assess Bascom for fear
he'd stop supplies onto him, nor wood Bascom hev any uv the
white citizens taxed, for watever they shood pay in taxes, that
went either into the County or State Treasury, wuz so much
lost to him. He wuz anxious to hev the niggers sweat, for uv
the money collectid uv them he got a large per cent., either
through the Collector or Treasurer, wich wuz clear gain, ez
they don't patronize him anyhow.
In various other ways we hed em. Pennibacker is Justis
uv the Peece, and hez bin for yeers, and he held the scales
firmly. The niggers wood occasionally labor in plantin time or
in harvest for the white citizens who owned land, and, filled
with the idea that they wuz free citizens, they wood, in the
most insolent manner, demand pay for their services. Uv
course they wood be refoosed, whereupon they wood bring
soot before Pennibacker. The result uv their venchur it is
onnecessary for me to state.
“What biznis hez a nigger in this yer court?” wood the indignant
embodiment uv the majesty uv the law thunder forth,
with a face as black as a cloud. And dismissin the soot, he
wood promptly ishoo an execooshen agin em for costs. Ten or
twenty niggers who sood white men wuz sold out, bob and
sinker, by the court for costs in sich soots, and when the costs
didn't take all they hed, the Justis wood fine em for contempt
uv court for comin before him at all. The niggers, after a few
experiments, declined to seek justis at that fountain-head uv
the article.
Then agin in case uv assault and battery, and inquests on the
ded bodies uv niggers, it wuz nessary to hev Pennibacker
Justis. Niggers wich wuz found ded hanging on a tree, and
with bullet holes into em, wuz reglerly found guilty uv dyin
by visitation uv Providence. Ez they hedn't votes, uv course
none uv the offishels wuz afraid uv em. I heard one uv em,
wunst, who hed bin fined twenty dollars for striking Issaker
Gavitt, wich hed in a playful mood chased his daughter thro
the Corners, groaninly exclaim that he wisht he'd bin born in
Ireland instid uv Ameriky.
But now how will it be with us? They will vote, and they
hev a majority. Pollock will be made Justis uv the Peace, Joe
Bigler Assessor, and a nigger constable. Wat sekoority hev
we? Niggers will soo us and git judgment, and the nigger
constable will serve execooshens onto us. Why, Deekin Pogram
owes enuff to niggers to swamp every aker he holds,
and Bascom wood sweat severely. And when we punch one
uv their heads for insolence to us, then to be arrestid by a nigger,
and taken afore a Justis elected by niggers, and be fined
or perchance imprisoned! It's too much. When this happens,
will the Corners, I ask, be a place for gentlemen uv pride and
culcher? Nay. And to this it must come.
I see one weak spot in the amendment, viz.: It provides
that no State shel disfranchise anybody becoz of race or color,
but don't say that people can't be disfranchised for other causes,
and I eagerly seezed hold uv that ez a shipwreckt mariner
does to a plank.
“Wat good will that do us?” groaned the Deekin.
“Why, we kin disfranchise em on the skore of ignorance!”
remarked I; “the niggers can't all read?”
“No more kin I,” replied Isaaker Gavitt, mournfully. “I'd
be cut out with em.”
And upon givin the matter matoor reflection, I saw that ther
wuz no bottom to that hope. By makin readin a test, the
sooperior class at the Corners wood be more hurt than the inferior
class.
Thank Heaven, ten States kin block this game, and save us
this torment. O, that they may do it! O, that that bitter
draft may be spared us! May the Dimocrisy uv the North
put forth their strength, and save us this last degradation.
Petroleum V. Nasby, P. M.
(wich means Postmaster).
