“But the Race Problem would be solved if the main body of the host passed over into the New Republic. The few that remained would not endanger the commonwealth, and would most likely, in the fulness of time, and as the glowin’ story of the New Republic reached their ears, be gathered into the Land of Promise, to become leaders there, and helpers of the weak.” Sez Col. Seybert, “They would starve there. They are a low, degraded, helpless, lazy set. They had rather lay in the sun and do nothing than to work.” As Col. Seybert said this he lay back in his chair in a still more lazy and luxurious manner, and stretched out his long legs in the sun. (What wuz he doin’ himself, I’d like to know? Talk about laziness! the idee!) And I sez, “Wall, it’s easier for most folks to rest than it is for ’em to work. As to their entire helplessness and ignorance, twenty-five years ago there wuz never an escapin’ Union prisoner who found a negro so low and ignorant that he could not help him to escape; or so destitute of resources and influence that he could not command the help of other black men. “In fact, there wuz a great silent army kep’ up under the surface, a systematic underground railroad, maintained and controlled in the most efficient and prudent manner by this despised people all through the War. Twenty-five years of partial education and partial freedom has not weakened this foresight and caution. [Illustration: “PILOT A HELPLESS UNIONIST.”] “If they could carry on this secret and most dangerous enterprise right under the eyes of their enemies without violence or bloodshed, if they could, under peril of detection and death, pilot a helpless Unionist through a network of dangers—Confederate soldiers, spies, pickets, false friends, and foes—out into safety, it seems as if they might conduct their own selves through the environing camps of ignorance and need, out into safety and prosperity. “Specially, as they would be out from under the paralyzin’ gaze of enemies, out where they wuz breathin’ free air, and amongst friends. “I have been spozin’,” sez I, “that the Nation should do as it ort to, and when it borrys a thing take it back home agin, jest as I would do if I borryed a cat of Miss Gowdey, or Josiah would do if he borryed a horse. “We should carry ’em back when we got through with ’em, specially if we stole ’em (though you wouldn’t ketch us at it). “I have been spozin’ that Uncle Sam should rig out a few ships and put some money in his pockets, and take back a few shiploads of this people, and start ’em to livin’ in the beautiful Congo Valley. “I should think as much agin of him if he would. And he would think more of himself, I would bet. “He would stand riz up in the eyes of the other admirin’ nations of the world as a man that wuz honest and laid out to do as he had ort to do, and as he would be done by.