chapter 2 scarlett meeting butler

(noon time, the gentlemen are gathering in the downstair hall,talking about the war.)
mr. o'hara: we've borne enough insults from the "meddling yankees. it's time we made them understand we keep our slaves with or without their approval. who's to stop them right from the state of georgia to ^secede from the union.

man: that's right.

mr. o'hara: the south must assert ourselves by force of arms.after we fired on the yankee rascals at fort sumter, we've got to ight.there's no other way.

man1: fight, that's right, fight!

man2: let the yankee's be the ones to ask for peace.

mr. o'hara: the situation is very simple. the yankees can't fight and we can.

chorus: you're right!

mans: that's what i'll think! they'll just turn and runevery time.

man1: one southerner can lick twenty yankees.

man2: we'll finish them in one battle. gentlemen can always fight better
than rattle.

mans: yes, gentlemen always fight better than rattle.
mr. o'hara: and what does the captain of our troop say?

ashley: well, gentlemen...if georgia fights, i go with her. but like my father i hope that the yankees let us leave the union in peace. man1: but ashley...

man2: ashley, they've insulted us.

mans: you can't mean that you don't want war.

ashley: most of the miseries of the world were caused by wars. and when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about.

mr. o'hara: now gentlemen, mr. butler has been up north i hear.don't you agree with us, mr. butler?

rhett butler : i think it's hard winning a war with words, gentlemen.

charles: what do you mean, sir?

rhett: i mean, mr. hamilton,there's not a cannon factory in the whole south.

man: what difference does that make, sir, to a gentleman?

rhett: i'm afraid it's going to make a great deal of difference to a great many gentlemen, sir.

charles: are you hinting, mr. butler, that the yankees can lick us?

rhett: no, i'm not hinting. i'm saying very plainly that the yankees
are better equipped than we. they've gotfactories, shipyards, coalmines... and a fleet to bottle up our habours and starve us to death. all we've got is cotton,and slaves and ...arrogance.

man: that's treacherous!

charles: i refuse to listen to any renegade talk!

rhett: well, i'm sorry if the truth offends you.

charles: apologies aren't enough sir. i hear you were turned out of west
point mr. rhett butler. and that you aren't received in an decent family in charleston. not even your own.

rhett: i apologize again for all my shortcomings. mr.wilkes,perhaps you won't mind if i walk about and look over your place. i seem to be spoiling everybody's brandy and cigars and...dreams of victory.
(rhett butler leaves the hall.)

man: well, that's just about what you could expect from somebody like rhett butler.

mr. o'hara: you did everything but call him out.

charles: he refused to fight.

ashley: not quite that charles. he just refused to take advantage of you.

charles: take advantage of me?

ashley: yes, he's one of the best shots the country, he's proved a number of times, against steadier hands and cooler heads than yours.

charles: well, i'll show him.