Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/520

 514 Southern Hisforical Society Papers.

Public sentiment rigidly forbade the cultivation of any but limited crops of cotton and tobacco, and the distillation of grain was forbid- den by law. Though, perhaps, mere bruhim fulmen, in view of their corislitutionality, these laws were cheerfully sustained by a patriotic public voice and were generally obeyed. The fields everywhere were green and golden with the corn and wheat. Old men and women, in many cases, guided the plough whilst children followed with the hoe in the gaping furrows. The most serious conditions of life are oltentimes fruitful of amusement to those who have philoso- phy sufficient to grasp it ; and the sufferings of those dark days were frequently illumined by the ludicrous. The prohibition upon dis- tilling was regarded by many as a peculiar hardship. "Old Rye" grew to be worth its weight in silver, and " Mountain Dew " became as the nectar of the gods. Even " New Dip " became precious, and was rolled as a sweet morsel under our rebel tongues. Yet, true to their character of the most law-abiding people on the continent, all respected the act of Assembly. Many thirsting souls, however, fan- cied that I was invested with that illegal power, the exercise of which lost James II his crown, of dispensing with laws, and petitioned me accordingly for a dispensation. The excuses given were various. One had much sickness in his family, and would I permit him to make a small " run " for medicine ? Another wanted to make just enough " to go in camphor" ; and still another gave it as his solemn opinion that it was going to be a terrible bad season for snakes, and they must have a little on hand in case of bites! Finally, one man wrote me, with an implied slander on my appetite, shocking to think of even now, that he only wanted to make ten gallons, and if I would give the permission he would send me a quart ! I replied in all seri- ousness, that I could not think of violating my official oath for less than a gallon. That broke the trade.

In addition to providing for the soldiers in the field, there was still a more difficult task in providing for the destitute at home — a task which I think the military men did not appreciate properly. For the comfort of soldiers travelling to and fro, wayside hospitals or inns were established at Weldon, Goldsboro', Wilmington, Raleigh, Greensboro', Salisbury, Charlotte, and other chief points. Here the sick, the wounded, and the furloughed, were entertained. But there were thousands of the families of the poor whose only supporters were in the army, and whom we were in duty bound to care for and keep from suffering. Noi only did justice and humanity require this, but good policy as well. When the paper which the husband in the army received became so depreciated that it would buy the wife and