of the individual—­as long as men such as you and I form its citizens.  Look at the South Americans.  How do Republics go there?  And the minute you and I let in niggers, who haven’t any more self-control than dogs, on an equal basis, with as much of a vote as you have,—­niggers, sir, that have lived like wild beasts in the depths of the jungle since the days of Ham, —­what’s going to become of our Republic?”

“Education,” cried the Judge.

But the word was snatched out of his mouth.

“Education isn’t a matter of one generation.  No, sir, nor two, nor three, nor four.  But of centuries.”

“Sir,” said the Judge, “I can point out negroes of intelligence and learning.”

“And I reckon you could teach some monkeys to talk English, and recite the catechism, and sing emotional hymns, if you brought over a couple of million from Africa,” answered the Colonel, dryly, as he rose to put on his hat and light a cigar.

It was his custom to offer a cigar to the Judge, who invariably refused, and rubbed his nose with scornful violence.

Virginia, on the verge of leaving, stayed on, fascinated by the turn the argument had taken.

“Your prejudice is hide-bound, sir,” said Mr. Whipple.

“No, Whipple,” said the Colonel, “when God washed off this wicked earth, and started new, He saw fit to put the sons of Ham in subjection.  They’re slaves of each other in Africa, and I reckon they’re treated no better than they are here.  Abuses can’t be helped in any system, sir, though we are bettering them.  Were the poor in London in the days of the Edwards as well off as our niggers are to-day?”

The Judge snorted.

“A divine institution!” he shouted.  “A black curse!  Because the world has been a wicked place of oppression since Noah’s day, is that any reason why it should so continue until the day of Judgment?”

The Colonel smiled, which was a sign that he was pleased with his argument.

“Now, see here, Whipple,” said he.  “If we had any guarantee that you would let us alone where we are, to manage our slaves and to cultivate our plantations, there wouldn’t be any trouble.  But the country keeps on growing and growing, and you’re not content with half.  You want everything,—­all the new states must abolish slavery.  And after a while you will overwhelm us, and ruin us, and make us paupers.  Do you wonder that we contend for our rights, tooth and nail?  They are our rights.”

“If it had not been for Virginia and Maryland and the South, this nation would not be in existence.”

The Colonel laughed.

“First rate, Jinny,” he cried.  “That’s so.”

But the Judge was in a revery.  He probably had not heard her.

“The nation is going to the dogs,” he said, mumbling rather to himself than to the others.  “We shall never prosper until the curse is shaken off, or wiped out in blood.  It clogs our progress.  Our merchant marine, of which we were so proud, has been annihilated by these continued disturbances.  But, sir,” he cried, hammering his fist upon the table until the glasses rang, “the party that is to save us was born at Pittsburgh last year on Washington’s birthday.  The Republican Party, sir.”