irtue of his office, had sprung from the
same class as Fetters, that of the aspiring poor whites, who, freed
from the moral incubus of slavery, had by force of numbers and
ambition secured political control of the State and relegated not only
the Negroes, but the old master class, to political obscurity. A
shrewd, capable man was the mayor, who despised Negroes and distrusted
aristocrats, and had the courage of his convictions. He represented in
the meeting the protesting element of the community.

"Gentlemen," he said, "Colonel French has ordered this Negro to be
buried in Oak Cemetery. We all appreciate the colonel's worth, and
what he is doing for the town. But he has lived at the North for many
years, and has got somewhat out of our way of thinking. We do not want
to buy the prosperity of this town at the price of our principles. The
attitude of the white people on the Negro question is fixed and
determined for all time, and nothing can ever alter it. To bury this
Negro in Oak Cemetery is against our principles."

"The mayor's statement of the rule is quite correct," replied old
General Thornton, a member of the board, "and not open to question.
But all rules have their exceptions. It was against the law, for some
years before the war, to manumit a slave; but an exception to that
salutary rule was made in case a Negro should render some great
service to the State or the community. You will recall that when, in a
sister State, a Negro climbed the steep roof of St. Michael's church
and at the risk of his own life saved that historic structure, the
pride of Charleston, from destruction by fire, the muncipality granted
him his freedom."

"And we all remember," said Mr. Darden, another of the trustees, "we
all remember, at least I'm sure General Thornton does, old Sally, who
used to belong to the McRae family, and was a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and who, because of her age and infirmities--she
was hard of hearing and too old to climb the stairs to the
gallery--was given a seat in front of the pulpit, on the main floor."

"That was all very well," replied the mayor, stoutly, "when the
Negroes belonged to you, and never questioned your authority. But
times are different now. They think themselves as good as we are. We
had them pretty well in hand until Colonel French came around, with
his schools, and his high wages, and now they are getting so fat and
sassy that there'll soon be no living with them. The last