riends," said my host, as he
finished the reading. "I hope every man here is ready to do his duty by
old South Carolina."

"Yes, _sar_! if she does _har_ duty by the Union. We'll go to the death
for har just so long as she's in the right, but not a d----d step if
she arn't," said the long-legged native I have introduced to the reader.

"And what have _you_ to say about South Carolina? What does she owe to
_you_?" asked the Colonel, turning on the speaker with a proud and angry
look.

"More, a darned sight, than she'll pay, if ye cursed 'ristocrats run her
to h---- as ye'r doin'. She owes me, and 'bout ten as likely niggers as
ye ever seed, a living, and we've d----d hard work to get it out on
her _now_, let alone what's comin'."

"Don't talk to me, you ill-mannered cur," said my host, turning his back
on his neighbor, and directing his attention to the remainder of the
assemblage.

"Look har, Cunnel," replied the native, "if ye'll jest come down from
thar, and throw 'way yer shootin'-irons, I'll give ye the all-firedest
thrashing ye ever did get."

The Colonel gave no further heed to him, but the speaker mounted the
steps of the meeting-house and harangued the natives in a strain of rude
and passionate declamation, in which my host, the aristocrats, and the
secessionists came in for about equal shares of abuse. Seeing that the
native (who, it appeared, was quite popular as a stump-speaker) was
drawing away his audience, the Colonel descended from the driver's seat,
and motioning for me to follow, entered the carriage. Turning the horses
homeward, we rode off at a brisk pace.

"Not much secession about that fellow, Colonel," I remarked, after a
while.

"No," he replied, "he's a North Carolina 'corn-cracker,' one of the
ugliest specimens of humanity extant. They're as thick as fleas in this
part of the state, and about all of them are traitors."

"Traitors to the state, but true to the Union. As far as I've seen, that
is the case with the middling class throughout the South." "Well, it
may be, but they generally go with us, and I reckon they will now, when
it comes to the rub. Those in the towns--the traders and
mechanics--will, certain; its only these half-way independent planters
that ever kick the traces. By the way," continued my host, in a jocose
way, "what did you think of the preaching?"

"I thought it very poor. I'd rather have heard the stump-speech, had it
not been a little too personal on you."