conversation, 'that overseers are a necessity on a large plantation.'

'Wal, the' ar', an' thet's why thar ortent ter be no big plantations;
God Almighty didn't make human bein's ter be herded togethar in th'
woods. No man orter ter hev more'n twenty on 'em--he can't look arter no
more himself, an' it's agin natur' ter set a feller over 'em what han't
no int'rest in 'cm, an' no feelin' fur 'em, an' who'll drive 'em round
like brutes. I never struck one on 'em in my life, an' my ten du more'n
ony fifteen th' Cunnel's got.'

'I thought they needed occasional correction. How do you manage them
without whipping?'

'Manage them! why, 'cordin' ter scriptur'--do ter 'em as I'd like ter be
dun ter, ef I war a nigger. Every one on 'em knows I'd part with my last
shirt, an' live on taters an' cow-fodder, 'fore I'd sell 'em; an' then I
give 'em Saturdays for 'emselfs; but thet's cute dealin' in me, (tho'
th' pore, simple souls doan't see it,) fur ye knows the' work thet day
fur 'emselfs, an' raise nigh all thar own feed, 'cept th' beef and
whisky, an' it sort o' makes 'em feel like folks, too, more like as ef
the' war _free_--the' work th' better fur it all th' week.'

'Then you think the blacks would work better if free?'

'In _course_ I does--it's agin man's natur' to be a slave. Thet lousy
parson ye herd ter meetin' a Sunday, makes slavery eout a divine
institooshun, but my wife's a Bible 'oman, and she says 'tan't so; an'
I'm d--d ef she arn't right.'

'Is your wife a South-Carolina woman?'

'No, she an' me's from th' old North--old Car'tret, nigh on ter
Newbern--an' we doan't take nat'rally to these fire-eaters.'

'Have you been here long?'

'Wal, nigh on ter six yar. I cum har with nuthin' but a thousan' ter my
back, slapped thet inter fifteen hun'red acres, paid it down, and then
hired ten likely North-Car'lina niggers, hired 'em with th' chance uv
buyin' ef the' liked eout har. Wal, th' nigs all know'd me, and the'
sprung ter it like blazes; so every yar I've managed ter buy two on 'em,
and now I've ten grow'd up, and thar young uns, th' still and all th'
traps paid fur, an' ef this d--d secesh bisness hadn't a come 'long, I'd
hev hed a right smart chance o' doin' well.'

'I'm satisfied secession will ruin the turpentine business; you'll be
shut up here, unable to sell your produce, and it will go to waste.'

'Thet's my 'pinion; but I reckon I kin manage now witheout turpentine.
I've talked it over 'long with