University of Virginia Library

18. XVIII.
A Cry of Exultation. — A Gleam of Light.

KIN it be? Is it troo, or is it not troo? Is
Androo Johnson all my fancy painted him,
or is he still a heaven-defying persekooter uv the
Democratic Saints? That's wat I and some thousands
uv waitin souls wood go suthin handsome to
know.

I confess I never quite lost faith in Androo.

Pro-slavery Democracy sticks to a man ez does
the odor uv the gentle skunk to clothes, and it is got
rid uv only by the same means, to-wit, buryin the
victim thereof.

Androo started out to be a Moses, and he is one;
but I think he's changed his Israelites. I onst saw
a woman skinnin live eels, and I reproached her,
saying, —

“Woman, why skinnest thou eels alive? Doth
it not pain em?”

“Nary!” retorted she. “I've skinned em this
way for going on to 20 years, and they're used to it.”

Even so. The negroes hev bin in bondage so
long that they're used to it, and Androo feelin a call
to continue in the Moses biznes, hez, I hope, turned
his attention to the Dimocrisy. It's US he's a-goin
to lead up out uv the Egypt uv wretchedness we've
bin in for neerly five years; it's US that's a-goin to
quit brick making without straw, and go up into
the Canaan wich is runnin with the milk and honey
uv public patronage. We shel hev sum fites:
there's Amakelitish post masters and Phillistine
collectors to displace, but with a second Jaxon at
our hed what can we fear?

I feel to-night like a young colt. To me it seems
ez though my venerable locks, wich hangs scantily
about my temples, hed grown black agin, and that
my youth was returnin. Ef I hed any notion uv
sooiside, them idea is dismist. I'm young agin.
Wat hez worked this change? you ask. It's the
proclamation declarin the war at an end, and withdrawin
from the Dimocratic States the odious hirelins
uv the tyrant Linkin, and the doin away uv that
terrible marshal law. That's wat's done it for me.

Now I feel like sayin, with one uv old, “Mine eyes
hev seed thy glory; let thy servant depart in peace.”

We hev bin dooly subjoogated some time, and a
waitin for this. We wantid it, and longed for it ez
the hart does for the water course, and considerably
more, onless the hart wuz thirsty in the extreme.
For now we are in the Yoonyun agin; we are under
the shadder uv that glorious old flag wich protects
all men ceptin niggers and ablishnists. The nigger
is left to be adjustid by us, who is to be governed by
the laws wich control labor and capital. Certenly
he is — uv coarse. I saw two uv my neighbors adjustin
one last nite. They wuz doin it with a paddle,
wich wuz bored full uv holes. He didn't seem
to enjoy it ez much ez they did. By that proclamation
our states are agin under their own control.
Let em go at wunst to work to destroy all the vestiges
uv the crooel war through wich they hev past.
There aint no solgers now to interfere, for the policy
uv keepin soldiers in and among free people is abhorrent
to freedom and humanity. Go to work at
wunst, and build up the broken walls uv your Zion.

We must hev Peace and unanimity; and Peace
cannot dwell among us onless there's a oneness uv
purpose and sentiment. To prokoor this is yoor
fust dooty. If there be among you them ez opposed

yoo doorin yoor late struggle for Rites, hist em.
Their presence is irritatin, and kin not be tolerated.
Ablishunism is as abhorrent now s ever, and the
sooner yoo are rid uv it the better. It is safe to
assume that every man who opposed the lately
deceased confederacy is a Ablishnist.

The next step, and the most important, is to tear
down the nigger school houses and churches wich
hev bin built here and there, and kindly take the
nigger by the ear, and lead him back to his old
quarters, wich is his normal position. The Yankee
school teachers sent here by Freedmen's Aid Societies
shood properly be hung for spreadin dissatisfaction
and spellin books among the niggers, but I
wood advise mercy and consiliation. Tar and
featherin, with whippins, will perhaps do ez well,
and will go to show the world that our justice is
tempered with charity; that we kin be generous ez
well ez just. Yoor Legislatures shood be instantly
called together, and proper laws for the government
uv the Freedmen should be passed. Slavery is
abolisht, and the people must live up to the requirements
of the act in good faith. I protest agin any
violation uv good faith, but labor must be done, for
the skripter commands it, and our frail nature demands
wat cant be got without it. We don't like

to do it, but shel skripter be violated? Not at all.
The nigger must do it hisself, not ez a slave, for
slavery is abolished, but ez a free man. Ethiopean
citizens uv Amerikin descent (wich is mulatters),
and full-blooded blacks, and all hevin in the veins
a taint uv Afrikin blood, must be restrained gently,
and for their own good, I suggest laws ez follows:
—

1. They must never leave the plantation onto
wich they are, when this act goes into effect, without
a pass from the employer, under penalty uv bein
shot.

2. They shel hev the privilege uv suein everybody
uv their own color, ef they kin give white bail
for costs.

3. They shel hev the full privilege uv bein sued
the same ez white folks.

4. They shel be competent ez witnesses in cases
in wich they are not interested, but their testimony
is to go for nothin ef it is opposed by the testimony
uv a white man or another nigger.

5. No nigger shel be allowed to buy or lease real
estate outside uv any incorporated city, town, or
village.

6. No nigger shel be allowed to buy or lease real

estate within any incorporated city, town, or village,
except as hereinafter provided for, to wit: —

He shel give notice uv his desires by publication
for six consecutive weeks in some noosepaper uv
general circulation in sed village, for wich publication
he shel pay invariably in advance. He shel
then give bonds, in sich sums ez the mayor shel
decide, that neither he, nor any uv his ancestors, or
descendants, or relations, will ever become public
charges, and will always behave themselves with
doo humility, the bondsmen to be white men and
freeholders. Then the mayor shel cause a election
to be proclaimed, and if the free white citizens shel
vote “yea” unanimously, he shel be allowed to buy
or lease real estate. If there is a dissenting vote,
then he shel be put onto the chain gang for six
months for his impudence in makin sich a request.

7. Their wages shel be sich ez they and the employers
shel mutually agree; but that the negroes
may not become luxurious and effeminate, wich two
things is vices wich goes to sap the simplicity and
strength uv a people, the sum shel never exceed $5
per month, but not less than enuff in all cases to
buy him one soot uv close per annum, wich the
employer shel purchase hisself.

8. The master shell hev the privilege uv addin to

this code sich other rules and regulations for their
proper government ez may strike him ez being
good for em from time to time.

These provisions sekure the nigger in all the rites
wich kin reasonably be asked for him, just elevated
ez he is from slavery, and thrown upon the world,
ignorant of the dooties of his new position and
status. He is simple, and needs the guidin hand uv
the stronger race.

My hart is too full to make further suggestions.
Organized into a tabloo, with the constitooshun in
one hand (wich beloved instrument kivers a great
deal of ground), a scar-bangled spanner in the other,
and a tramplin on a bloo coat wich I stript orf uv a
returned nigger solger wich wuz sick, I exultinly
exclaim, “The Union ez it is is ez good ez the
Union ez it wuz. 'Ror!”