CHAPTER XLVIII. LYNCH LAW.

oseemsperfectlycalmanddecided.Themobstoodirresolute. "Come,Tom,"saidKite,pullinghimbythesleeve,"we'vegivenhimenough,atanyrate." "Yes,yes,"saidMr.Brown,"Mr.Gordon,Iadviseyoutogohome.Wemustallkeepthepeace,youknow.Come,boys,you'vedoneenoughforonenight,Ishouldhope!Gohome,now,andlettheoldmanbeandthere'ssomethingtobuyyouatreat,downatSkinflint's.Come,dothehandsome,now!" TomGordonsullenlyrodeaway,withhistwoassociateseachsidebut,beforehewent,hesaidtoClayton,— "Youshallhearofmeagain,oneofthesedays!" "Asyouplease,"saidClayton. Thepartynowsetthemselvesaboutrecoveringandcomfortingthefrightenedfamily.Thewifewascarriedinandlaiddownonthebed.FatherDicksonwassoonrestoredsoastobeabletositup,and,beinggenerallyknownandrespectedbythecompany,receivedmanyexpressionsofsympathyandcondolence.Oneofthemenwasanelderinthechurchwhichhaddesiredhisministerialservices.Hethoughtthisagoodopportunityofenforcingsomeofhisformerlyexpressedopinions. "Now,fatherDickson,"hesaid,"thisjustshowsyouthetruthofwhatIwastellingyou.Thiscourseofyourswon'tdoyouseeitwon't,now.Now,ifyou'dagreenottosayanythingofthesetroublesomematters,andjustconfineyourselftothepreachingoftheGospel,youseeyouwouldn'tgetintoanymoretroubleand,afterall,it'stheGospelthat'stherootofthematter.TheGospelwillgraduallycorrectalltheseevils,ifyoudon'tsayanythingaboutthem.Yousee,thestateofthecommunityispeculiar.Theywon'tbearit.Wefeeltheevilsofslaveryjustasmuchasyoudo.Oursoulsareburdenedunderit,"hesaid,complacentlywipinghisfacewithhishandkerchief."ButProvidencedoesn'tappeartoopenanydoorhereforustodoanything.IthinkweoughttoabideonthepatientwaitingontheLord,who,inhisowngoodtime,willbringlightoutofdarkness,andorderoutofconfusion." Thislastphrasebeingapartofastereotypedexhortationwithwhichthegoodelderwaswonttoindulgehisbrethreninchurchprayer-meetings,hedelivereditinthesleepydrawlwhichhereservedforsuchoccasions. "Well,"saidfatherDickson,"ImustsaythatIdon'tseethatthepreachingoftheGospel,inthewaywehavepreachedithitherto,hasdoneanythingtorectifytheevil.It'sabadsignifourpreachingdoesn'tmakeaconflict.Whentheapostlescametoaplace,theysaid,'Thesementhatturntheworldupsidedownarecomehither.'" "But,"saidMr.Brown,"youmustconsiderourinstitutionsarepeculiarournegroesareignorantandinflammable,easilywroughtupon,andthemostfrightfulconsequencesmayresult.That'sthereasonwhythereissomuchsensationwhenanydiscussionisbegunwhichrelatestothem.Now,IwasinNashvillewhenthatDresseraffairtookplace.Hehadn'tsaidaword—hehadn'topenedhismouth,even—buthewasknowntobeanabolitionistandsotheysearchedhistrunksandpapers,andtheretheyfounddocumentsexpressingabolitionsentiments,sureenough.Well,everybody,ministersandelders,joinedinthataffair,andstoodbytoseehimwhipped.Ithought,myself,theywenttoofar.Butthereisjustwhereitis.Peoplearenotreasonable,andtheywon'tbereasonable,insuchcases.It'stoomuchtoaskofthemandsoeverybodyoughttobecautious.Now,Iwish,formypart,thatministerswouldconfinethemselvestotheirappropriateduties.'Christ'skingdomisnotofthisworld.'And,then,youdon'tknowTomGordon.Heisaterriblefellow!Ineverwanttocomeinconflictwithhim.IthoughtI'dputthebestfaceonit,andpersuadehimaway.Ididn'twanttomakeTomGordonmyenemy.AndIthinkMr.Dickson,ifyoumustpreachthesedoctrinesIthinkitwouldbebestforyoutoleavethestate.Ofcourse,wedon'twanttorestrictanyman'sconsciencebutwhenanykindofpreachingexcitesbrawlsandconfusion,andinflamesthepublicmind,itseemstobeadutytogiveitup." "Yes,"saidMr.Cornet,theelder,"weoughttofollowthethingswhichmakeforpeace—suchthingswherebyonemayedifyanother." "Don'tyousee,gentlemen,"saidMr.Clayton,"thatsuchacourseissurrenderingourlibertyoffreespeechintothehandsofamob?IfTomGordonmaydictatewhatistobesaidononesubject,hemayonanotherandtherodwhichhasbeenheldoverourfriend'sheadto-nightmaybeheldoverours.IndependentoftherightorwrongoffatherDickson'sprinciples,heoughttomaintainhisposition,forthesakeofmaintainingtherightoffreeopinioninthestate." "Why,"saidMr.Cornet,"theScripturesaith,'Iftheypersecuteyouinthiscity,fleeyeintoanother.'" "Thatwassaid,"saidClayton,"toapeoplethatlivedunderdespotism,andhadnorightsoflibertygiventhemtomaintain.But,ifwegivewaybeforemoblaw,wemakeourselvesslavesoftheworstdespotismonearth." ButClaytonspoketomenwhoseearswerestoppedbythecottonofslothfulnessandloveofease.Theyroseup,andsaid, "Itwastimeforthemtobegoing." Claytonexpressedhisintentionofremainingoverthenight,toaffordencouragementandassistancetohisfriends,incaseofanyfurtheremergency.