University of Virginia Library

STRATEGISES.

Dimocrisy hezn't ez many hobbies now ez it used to hev, and it is
somewhat difficult to keep the people strung up the proper pitch.

Nigger is all the capital we hev left, and its rayther tough work to
keep the old machine runnin. In Union and Orange their blood
dident bile when I told em that 40,000 niggers wuz on their way to
that section—nary bile. So I hed recourse to strategy. Last Friday
nite I prokoored some lamp-black and lard-ile, and applyin it to my
classic countenance, and my laber-staned hands, transformd myself
into a villainous contraband. Then I proceedid after night to the
south end uv the township, and at day-light commenst goin north.
The skeem workt beautiful. At every house the follerin conversashen
wood ensoo:

“Hello, Cuff, wher yoo from?”

“Tennisee, massa.”

“Wher you goin?”

“I'se gwine to stop sum 'ers 'bout heah.”

“Who sent you North.”

“Kurnel Niblin, and de ablishners ob de 21st.”

“Dam Niblin and yoo too. Git!”

Wich I alluz did. Then goin back I'd take another road, stealin
sich trifles ez shirts and stockins, and usin sich other means uv arousin
our people 2 a realizin sense uv the cuss uv a floatin nigger populashen,
ez sejestid themselves to my mind. It became a serious thing
though, fer on the fourth day so many hed seen me, that they reely
sposd the nigger invashen had commenst and they hunted me. I run
a mile, and findin they were gainin on me, darted into the woods,
washed, and come out ez the original Nasby.

Lord! what an enthoosiastic meetin we had that night. Their
faith in the nigger invasion hed bin shaky, but it was now firm.
They had seen em. Wun had seen 38, that day, uv wich number he
wuz proud to say he had killed 5. I larfed innardly, but held my
peece. Desepshen is justifiable now and then. I kin do it. I only
borrered $4 in Union.