se of our meal, to "draw him out," as follows:

"What is the political sentiment, sir, of this section of the State?"

"Wal, I reckon most of the folks 'bout har' is Union; they'm from the
'old North,' and gin'rally pore trash."

"I have heard that the majority of the turpentine-farmers are
enterprising men and good citizens--more enterprising, even, than the
cotton and rice planters."

"Wal, they is enterprisin', 'cause they don't keer for nuthin' 'cep'
money."

"The man who is absorbed in money-getting is generally a quiet citizen."

"P'raps that's so. But I think a man sh'u'd hev a soul suthin' 'bove
dollars. Them folks will take any sort o' sarce from the Yankees, ef
they'll only buy thar truck."

"What do you suffer from the Yankees?"

"Suffer from the Yankees? Don't they steal our niggers, and haint they
'lected an ab'lishener for President?"

"I've been at the North lately, but I am not aware that is so."

"So! it's damnably so, sir. I knows it. We don't mean to stand it eny
longer."

"What will you do?"

"We'll give 'em h--l, ef they want it!"

"Will it not be necessary to agree among yourselves before you do that?
I met a turpentine farmer below here who openly declared that he is
friendly to abolishing slavery. He thinks the masters can make more
money by hiring than by owning the negroes."

"Yes, that's the talk of them North County[D] fellers, who've squatted
round har. We'll hang every mother's son on 'em, by ----."

"I wouldn't do that: in a free country every man has a right to his
opinions."

"Not to sech opinions as them. A man may think, but he mustn't think
onraasonable."

"I don't know, but it seems to me reasonable, that if the negroes cost
these farmers now one hundred and fifty dollars a year, and they could
hire them, if free, for seventy-five or a hundred, that they would make
by abolition."

"Ab'lish'n! By--, sir, ye aint an ab'lishener, is ye?" exclaimed the
fellow, in an excited manner, bringing his hand down on the table in a
way that set the crockery a-dancing.

"Come, come, my friend," I replied, in a mild tone, and as unruffled as
a pool of water that has been out of a December night; "you'll knock off
the dinner things, and I'm not quite through."

"Wal, sir, I've heerd yer from the North, and I'd like to know if yer an
ab'lishener."

"My dear sir, you surprise me. You certainly can't expect a modest man
like me to speak of himself."

"Ye can speak of what y