美国南北战争时期,南方庄园主卡梅伦一家原本过着安逸的生活。卡梅隆和斯通曼家的孩子同在一所寄宿学校念书,接触中,年轻的本杰明·卡梅隆(亨利·B·沃斯奥 Henry B. Walthall饰)和埃尔西·斯通曼(丽莲·吉许 Lillian Gish饰)互生情愫。然而不久南北战争爆发。本杰明参加了南方军队,奔赴前线,与北方的昔日好友斯通曼(拉尔夫·李维斯 Ralph Lewis饰)成了敌手。战后,黑人烧杀抢掠。本杰明组织三K党,对黑人进行报复,粉碎了建立所谓的“黑人王国”的阴谋。本杰明与埃尔西这对患难情侣也终于走到了一起。他们的结合,预示着一个新的国家的诞生和统一。
Charlie and Ben pay a visit to a pub, then decide to visit a swanky restaurant. Now intoxicated, they come into conflict with a French dandy and his ladyfriend. The large head waiter violently ejects Ben, and later ejects Charlie also. The pair pay another visit to a pub, then make their way to their hotel. They become interested in a pretty young woman staying in the room across the hall, but when Charlie spies on her through the keyhole a bellboy makes him stop. Charlie is taken aback to realize that the young woman's husband is the head waiter from the restaurant. He promptly checks out and moves to another hotel. Meanwhile, the head waiter and his wife, dissatisfied with the service, also decide to move to another hotel-- and, unfortunately, choose the same one Charlie has chosen, and once more wind up in the room across the hall from him. When the young woman's dog runs into Charlie's room she follows in her pajamas. Her husband returns to find his wife with Charlie in an apparently compromising position.