University of Virginia Library

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31

PREACHES AND MAKES A SUDDEN SHIFT.

I preached last Sunday from the text, “Break every yoke and let
the opprest go free.” I went on to show that this text had no reference
watever to niggers. Niggers wuz ordained 2 be bondmen fron
the very day Noah took a overdose uv the Great Happyfier, and cust
Canaan. But the text, like the Deklarashen uv Independense, and
the ever blessid Constitooshn, wuz made solely fer white men. It
hed undoubted reference to the payin uv debts. Wat heavier yoke
is ther than notes? and who is more opprest than he who pays ten
per cent? “Burn yer notes, and let yer debtors go free,” wood be a
more correcter readin uv the passage.

In our biznis meetin in the afternoon, the question uv the draft
wuz considered. It wuz plain that the enrolement cood not be prevented.
The enrolein orfisers hed managed to do it, and it wuz a sertinty
that every name atwixt 18 and 45 wuz down. And we were al
so satisfied that the draft cood be enforst, and there4, it behooves us
to make it ez light ez possible, more espeshly, ez when wun uv us is
draftid, he will hev 2 go, not hevin the nessary 300 dollars. It is
here ez it is in all excloosivly dimecratic communities, the grocery
keepers absorb all the capital. The follerin resolutions were past:

Wheras, Our nashen is involved in a horrible, fratrisidle war, the
same bein unholy and waged solely 2 free the nigger and enslaiv the
white man, wich is therefore our duty to oppose the same, therefore
be it

Resolved, That we are in favor uv raisin our quota by volunteerin,
and hereby urge the same.

Resolved, That the consider the employment uv niggers ez soljers
ez not only justifiable, but highly commendable.

Resolved, That a committee be appinted to sekoor the settlement
uv 2 hunderd families uv niggers in this township, excloosivly fer
volunteerin purposes.

The resolooshens wuz past, and the committees appointed.

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32

The very next day we heerd uv Vicksburg and Gettysburg. I to-wunst
blew the horn and got my flock together—told em the news,
and offerd the following resolooshens:

Whereas, Our beloved country is involved in a bloody war aginst
rebels and traitors—

(A old man interrupted me sayin “W-h-a t?” Payin no attenshen,
I proceeded.)

And in sich a crisis the dooty uv every troo citizen is to sustain
the Guverment, therefore, be it

Resolvd, That the Dimocrisy are, ez they alluz hev bin, in faver
uv a viggerus prossekooshen uv the war.

Resolvd, That our confidence in the great Vallandygum is unabated,
and bleevin him to be the only actooal war man in Ohio shel
give him our harty support.

Resolvd, That the reports uv troubles in Ohio and Ingeany is lies,
got up to deseeve the people.

The resolooshens wuz past, tho I had to tell em twice to vote for
em. We immejitly hunted up 2 enrollin orfisers who we tarred and
feathered sum weeks ago, jest after Hooker wuz defeated by Lee, at
Chanslerville, wen we spozd our Suthern brethrin wood triumph, and
giv em a public dinner. Ef all the leaders of the Dimocrisy were ez
sagashus ez me, the old party wood hev smooth sailin. Alas! how
few hev the gigantik intellek uv Nasby! I hev written to my frends
advisin em to shift ez soon ez possible.