"Confess now, Oleah, that you are a little prejudiced against Mr. Lincoln," said the father, good-humoredly. "You may call it prejudice or what you like, father," Oleah answered, his flushed face showing how deep was his feeling; "but if Mr. Lincoln is elected you will not have a nigger when his term is over, if he should be permitted to take his seat." "Why, my son, you can't think he would not be permitted to take his seat?" "That is a question, father. Each State has its rights. Southern people have rights, and rather than be cheated of them they may resort to force." "Now, Oleah," said Abner, "you don't for a moment suppose that if Mr. Lincoln should be chosen President by the voters of the United States, that any considerable body of intelligent people could be found who would be unfair enough, or foolhardy enough, to attempt to prevent him from taking his seat?" "I certainly do," answered Oleah, with an air of conviction. "You are a Democrat; do you not hold with us Democrats that the majority should rule?" "That has nothing to do with it," said Oleah, hotly. "The North and the East outnumber the South, and they have formed a combination for her ruin, and the impoverishment of her people. They have nothing at stake in Lincoln's election; we have everything. They have nothing to lose--we, all. Our interests conflict. They see an opulent and growing South, and have set their inventive Yankee genius at work to compass its ruin. Our cotton fields, our rice fields, our sugar crops, our tobacco crops, are the production of slave labor, and the abundant wealth of the South excites the emulation of the cold and envious North. If they can deprive us of this slave labor, they will have killed the goose that lays our golden eggs, and may surpass us in wealth and power. This they have determined to do. They have tried it by legislation, and so far have failed. They outnumber us in votes, because there every worthless fellow's vote counts as much as that of a Governor or a man who owns a thousand slaves. How can they accomplish our ruin? By electing as president a man whose every breath is poison to slavery; a man who may, at any time, under the fancied exigencies of the moment, declare all slaves free. Their plans are deep and shrewd, but there are heads in the South as wise as theirs, and eyes that can see the danger in time to avert it." "You are crazy, Oleah," said Abner; "your very words are treason." "If treason, then his mother is infected with the same disease, and, in the language of Patrick Henry, 'If this be treason, make the most of it,'" said Mrs. Tompkins, with a laugh, in which all joined. "I am sure we ought to get at the truth of this question," said Mr. Tompkins; "we have both sides represented." "Who will judge between us?" asked Mrs. Tompkins. "All have taken sides except Irene. Which side are you on?" asked Oleah. "I know nothing about either side," the girl answered, lightly; "so how can I choose?"