Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly
Page 21
CHAPTER XIX.
Teck Pervis, the Leader.
"Come, stan' back, men! I led you uns this fer, an' kin lead youthrough. I'm goin' ter lead the way ter ther Mare's office. Foller me!"A crowd of disappointed poor whites, who had assisted in restoring whitesupremacy and who had not been treated fairly in the distribution of thespoils, had gathered upon the City Hall steps in Wilmington to statetheir grievances and have them adjusted. Teck Pervis, the chairman ofWhite Supremacy League of Dry Pond and leader of the raiders on the 10thof November, pushed his way through the crowd and faced the Mayor, who,seeing them approaching, had sent forward a platoon of police tointercept them, but without effect. "I say, Mr. Mare," said the leader,fumbling with his hat, "we uns heard that you sont orders fer us terturn in our guns." "I did give such orders," returned the Mayor calmly."Le' me tell yer, Mr. Mare, you uns ain't filled yer contract wid we po'uns, an' ther hain't er goin' ter be eny turnin' in guns tell yer do.""State your grievance," commanded the Mayor, in a tone that betrayed theugliness of his temper. "You hain't carried out yer promus by a jugfull," said Teck. "We uns have ter have ther pintin' er half er ther newofficers in ther city. We uns war ter be giv'n these big-bug niggers'houses, churches an' so on. Niggers places in ther sto'es an' every wharwas ter be giv' ter we uns. Now, drot my hides, ef these things airtakin' shape zactly ter suit we uns. Now, we want satisfaction." "Well,"said the Mayor, "we thank you gentlemen for your zeal in helping us torid Wilmington of radical rule, but we are sorry that you misunderstoodus in regard to spoils and so forth. We can't take from the Negro hisproperty and give it to you, but in cases where he has been timid enoughto give it up (and we have had instances of the kind) we have sustainedthe white man. As many of the merchants as could consistently do so havedischarged their black help and put on whites. But complaints arecoming in to me that you can't do their work; that it often takes twowhite men to perform one Negro's task. Good and reliable colored helpare leaving the city in alarming numbers, and we must call a halt. Mr.Skidmore tells me that he tried a few whites at his mill a few days agoand the result was most unsatisfactory. They couldn't count and pile thelumber and run the saws, and the scheme is a dead loss. What are we todo? We have given you the street work, and the police force is full. Youmen are not sufficiently educated to fill clerical positions, and evenif you were, we must reserve them for the first families," concluded theMayor, with a haughty lift of his head. "Now, Mr. Mare, yo' speech isall right 'nough, but it don't suit we uns ernough ter give up therguns. We went back on our colored frends ter giv' yo' 'ristocrats thergov'ment, and we uns'll combine wi' ther colored men an' take hit fromyer, see?"
Teck Pervis turned and faced the men who stood like a wall at his back."Gentermen, go home an' keep yer guns an' yer powder dry, for yo'll need'em! Good day, Mr. Mare!" He followed and addressed his men from thesteps of the City Hall.
"Gentermen, we pu' down nigger rule on the tenth, the nex' move mus' beter let ther 'ristocrats know thet the one gullus boys air indowed byGod wi' ther same rites as they air. We po' uns'll have er show, erbreak up the whole thing. Go home, boys, and be ready to rally when therorder's giv'!"