When I had thus spoken, my inquisitor was nonplussed, and the laugh went against him.
When a candidate before the Presbytery of Chickasaw, in Mississippi, for licensure, one of the members of Presbytery, learning that I was a "Yankee," asked me the following questions, and received the following answers:
"Mr. Aughey, when will the day of judgment take place?"
"The Millerites have stated that the 30th of June next will be the judgment-day. As for myself, I have had no revelation on the subject, and expect none."
"Do you believe that any one can call the spirits?"
"What! believe that the spirits can be called?"
"I will vote, then, against your licensure, if you have fallen into this heresy of the land of your nativity."
"Brother Aughey, please explain yourself. I know you do not believe in spirit-rapping."
"I do not, sir, though I believe, as I stated, that any one may call the spirits; but I do not believe that they will come in answer to the call."
A lady once remarked to me that she did not believe that a northern man would ever become fully reconciled to the institution of slavery, and that his influence and sentiments, whatever might be his profession of attachment to the peculiar institution, would be against it. The cause of the general opposition to northern men is their opposition to slavery. Their testimony is against its abominations and barbarities, and hence the wish to impair the credibility of the witnesses.
An illustration of the working of the institution may be found in the following letter:
KOSCIUSKO, ATTALA COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, December 25, 1861.
DEAR SIR--Your last kind and truly welcome letter came to hand in due course of mail. I owe you an apology for delaying an answer so long. My apparent neglect was occasioned by no want of respect for you; but in consequence of the disturbed state of the country, and difficulty of communication with the North, I feared my reply would never reach you. Now, however, by directing "_via_ Norfolk and flag of truce," letters are sent across the lines to the North. In your letter you desired me, from this stand-point, to give you my observations of the workings of the peculiar institution, and an expression of my views as to its consistency with the eternal principles of rectitude and justice. In reply, I will give you a plain narrative of facts.