ern planter," whose noble character
was sketched in chapter XII. He had fought a brave fight with poverty
and hardship since the war, and as we come again into his company for a
moment, it is with a sense of confidence which even official documents
do not inspire. He had no doubt of the oppressiveness of Republican
rule, and the need of shaking it off by vigorous measures. It is related
that the taxes on his plantation for 1873 were over $900, while the
income was less than $800. Yet one letter tells that he is in "a
laughing humor" because he has just paid his taxes for 1875--only
$375,--a reduction of more than half--and this was still under
Republican rule.

One other witness may be heard, the writer's life-long friend, Henry W.
Warren, now of Holden, Mass. To those who know him his name is a synonym
for integrity, efficiency and modesty; he is one of the men who never
seek a public honor and never decline a public service. From his own
words some statements are here condensed. "After graduating at Yale in
1865, I was called to a position as public school teacher at Nashville,
Tenn.; and from there, seeing a promising opportunity, I went with two
friends to work a cotton plantation in one of the 'white' counties of
Mississippi. We bought it from its old owner, who had kept his slaves in
his employ as paid laborers, and they continued to work for us. As
slaves they had not been badly treated, except by the overseer during
the master's absence. Many of the whites of the county, owning no
slaves, had been indifferent to the Confederate cause, and many of them
had served in its army only when hunted by the conscription officer,
sometimes with bloodhounds. More than a few of them were Republicans. I
was asked to serve as registrar of voters for the Constitutional
convention, being one of the few who could take the 'iron-clad oath'
(that is, that he had never aided the Confederacy) and this led to my
going to the convention, and afterward to the Legislature. The Speaker
dying, I was chosen to his place for the rest of the term. Our county
going Democratic, I was not re-elected; but I was chosen chief clerk of
the House, and served for four years, after my two years as a member.
All the Democrats united in signing a paper, asking me to be always
present in the House,--this was after I had induced the Speaker to
change a mistaken ruling. So I was in a position to know pretty well
what was going on. From the first there were