We'll hang every mother's son on 'em, by G----.'
[Footnote A: The 'North Counties' are the north-eastern portion of North
Carolina, and include the towns of Washington and Newberne. They are an
old turpentine region, and the trees are nearly exhausted. The finer
virgin forests of South Carolina, and other cotton States, have tempted
many of these farmers to emigrate thither, within the past ten years,
and they now own nearly all the trees that are worked in South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida. They generally have few slaves of their own, their
hands being hired of wealthier men in their native districts. The
'hiring' is an annual operation, and is done at Christmas time, when the
negroes are frequently allowed to go home. They treat the darkies well,
give them an allowance of meat (salt pork or beef), as much corn as they
can eat, and a gill of whisky daily. No class of men at the South are so
industrious, energetic, and enterprising. Though not so well informed,
they have many of the traits of our New England farmers; in fact, are
frequently called 'North Carolina Yankees.' It was these people the
Overseer proposed to hang. The reader will doubtless think that 'hanging
was not good enough for them.
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