176. CLXXVI.
THE CORNERS OUTRAGED.
Post Offis, Confedrit × Roads }
(wich is in the Stait uv Kentucky),
April 9, 1869.
Ef the Dimocrisy uv the North arn't satisfied by this time
that the ultimate intenshen uv the Ablishnists is to subjoogate
em and redoose em to the level uv the nigger, the voice uv
one risin from the dead woodn't avail nothin. Yesterday the
last outrage wich a chivalrous people has been compelled to
bear was perpetrated onto a citizen of the Corners. A Nigger
is now an offis-holder at the Corners! I shel state the case
calmly.
The posishen uv Assessor uv Internal Revenoo for the Deestrick
uv wich the Corners is the centre, hez bin held by Captain
Hugh McPelter, late uv Morgan's cavalry, C. S. A. That
he hez filled the posishen to the satisfaction uv the citizens uv
the Corners, no one denies. He is a distiller — in fact he and
Elder Pennibacker run the two distilleries in the town, and
they hev did a thrivin biznis. McPelter wuz Assessor, and
Pennibacker Collector, and ez a consekence none uv the capital
uv the Corners hez bin substracted and carried to Washington
to feed the Ablishen theeves there. Ez no tax hez ever
bin paid on the whiskey at this place, Bascom hez bin enabled
to continyoo to sell it at five cents per drink, while everywhere
else the regler price is ten and fifteen. There wuz other advantages
in havin the Assessorship and Collectorship in their
hands. By simply hintin to em that it wuz my dooty ez a
Fedril offis-holder to investigate their modes uv doin the government
biznis, I hev not only bin the happy recipient uv
scores uv two gallon jugs, but I hev bin enabled at divers and
sundry times to prokoor loans uv em uv various amounts, the
lowest bein $1.75, and the highest reachin $20.
This happy condishun uv affairs is bustid. Gabrel Babcock,
a nigger — that is, a half nigger — formerly the property uv
Deekin Pogram, and who looks enuff like the Deekin's oldest
son, Jehiel, to be his half-brother, wuz last week appinted and
confirmed Assessor in the place uv Captain McPelter, and immejitely
he entered onto the discharge uv his dooties.
There are many feechers pekoolyerly aggravatin in the appintment.
To begin with, this Babcock wuz notoriously obnoxyus
to the Corners doorin the late onpleasantnis. At the
beginnin thereof he run away from Deekin Pogram and entered
the Fedral servis. He wuz partikerly activ and cussid. His
knowledge uv the country made him yooseful to the Fedral
offisers ez a guide and scout, and at least one Fedral victory
is chargeable direct to the information he brot. Then his
wife wuz knowd to hev hid five Fedral soljers who hed escaped
from Andersonville. When he finally fell into the hands uv
Captain McPelter at Fort Pillow kin it be wondered at that he
wuz left for dead? or kin it be wondered at that the people
uv the Corners wuz surprized when he appeared among em at
the close uv the war with one leg off and one arm stiff? Not
much. Captain McPelter wuzn't in the habit uv half doin his
work, and the appearance uv this nigger who hed passed
through his hands ruther astonished the captin.
Doorin his absence he hed learned to read and write, and
he wuz made a teecher in the Freedmen's Skool wich wuz establisht
in this place, and now he's Assessor, with Pollock on
his bond.
Ez a matter uv course we despair uv the republic. Wat
freedom kin there be for us with a nigger in offishel posishen
to tyranize over us? Wat man uv culcher, uv ejucashen, uv
refinement, kin afford to live in a community where a disgustin
mulatto is made not only our ekal but our sooperior?
Deekin Pogram said this indignantly to Joe Bigler, who immejitly
askt the Deekin whether or not he didn't count Babcock's
mother his ekal thirty years ago? Wich question, wich
was askt in the presence uv the Deekin's wife, who hez a temper,
wuz the occasion uv severe remarks between the worthy
pair. Joe Bigler delites in openin old sores.
The first act uv this Babcock in his offishl capassity wuz the
shuttin up uv McPelter's and Pennibacker's distilleries, and
Bascom's bar, on the skore that none uv em hed ever taken
out licenses, or even paid any taxes. There wuz the most terrific
ebulishn uv feelin at this act of tyranny that it hez ever
bin my lot to witness.
“Kill the d—d nigger!”
“Hang the black cuss!”
“Down with the Afrikin despot!”
Shoutid the infuriated citizins. With a refinement uv crooelty
wich cood only be the offspring uv a most depraved and
vishus mind, he shut up these places at seven o'clock in the
mornin, before one uv the citizens hed hed his mornin bitters!
Hed he postponed it an hour we might hev fought it out, for
some one else would hev prokoored a supply before noon, and
things would hev gone on normal. But here wuz the entire
populashen uv the Corners at 7 A. M., with throats like limekilns,
and nary a drop to be hed for love or money. The skeem
wuz well considered and successful. The citizens cood hold
out but fifteen minits, and they surrendered. They gave
bonds, to wich they all appended their marks, to indemnify the
government for back taxes, and compelled Bascom to take out
license. This done, the nigger, who wuz backt up by Bigler
and Pollock, opened his doors, and the multitood surged in and
wuz satisfied. To think uv a nigger holdin the destinies uv
the Corners in his hands!
Ez a matter uv course, Elder Pennibacker will follow next;
“indeed he wants to resign now, for, sez he, with the Assessorship
in hostile hands uv wat avail is it to be Collector?” And
then, how long will my head stay on my shoulders? Is a nigger
to take my place! Already Bascom hez raised his price
to 10 cts. per drink, and notified me that likker from this time
out is cash, and already hez Pennibacker and McPelter refoozed
to lend me a cent! My kingdom is crumblin. The
eleckshen uv Grant wuz the wedge wich is rivin me from stem
to stern. I shel be compelled to go hentz a broken man.
Good Hevings, why coodn't I hev died while Johnson wuz
still President!
The blindness uv this present Administrashen is trooly
astonishen. Things wuz settlin rapidly at the Corners. McPelter
wuz becomin pacified, and Deekin Pennibacker likewise.
They wuz not satisfied with the Government, nor did
they approve uv anything it did, but they were passive. Now
the old sores is opened. Now McPelter is breathin slaughter,
and is for lettin slip the dorgs uv war. And wat hez Grant
got in return? Why, a nigger who wuz already hizzen, and
the two whites at the Corners who voted for him last fall, and
will agin, anyhow. General Grant evidently don't mean to
pacify us — he ain't on the soothe, nor hez he a clear idea uv
wat is needed to conciliate. I shel go next. There is to be a
meetin held next week to protest agin these changes, but it
won't avail nothin. We are all marked.
Petroleum V. Nasby, P. M.
(wich means Postmaster).
