University of Virginia Library

PREACHES—SUBJECT, “GIVEN.”

I preeched yisterdy frum this text: “Verely I say unto yoo, it is
moar blesseder toe give than toe reseeve.”—Joab 17, 313 to 21, incloosiv.

The inspird riter hed, no dout, the Dimecratic party in his mind's
I, wen he rit them wurds uv wisdom. Experence hez shode the
trooth uv them sentens, and ef it hadent youd be bound to bleeve it,
coz I, yoor paster, sez so, wich is Dimocrisy. To illustriat we shell
inquire:

1. Wat is givin?

Givin is givin, wich is a suffishently cleer explanashen fer all practikle
perpuses.

2. Wen shood we giv?

This pint reqwires moar eloocydashen. We must giv alluz, fer it
is moar blessider toe giv ner toe reseeve. The Dimocrisy hez alluz
bin scriptooral in this partikeler. Wen the Sowth wantid Misoory,

we giv it. Wen she wantid a Fugytiv Slaiv Law, we giv it. Wen
she wantid Texis, and Kansas, and Nebrasky, we giv it, halleloogy.
Wen she wantid Bookannon, we giv it, and wen she demandid Duglisses
hed, we giv it, fer it is moar blessider to give ner it is to reseeve.

3. Why shood we giv?

Becoz it pays. So long ez the Dimocrisy hed the power uv givin
all wuz well. The Sowth hevin all it wanted wuz contentid, and evrythin
went on smooth and plesent like. Nacher intendid em to rool,
and us uns to serve, and we wuz satisfide, and so wuz they. Such
offisis ez wuz benethe em, they tost to us, and all wuz peese. It wuz
normel.

4. Wat hez bin the consekencis uv not givin?

My frens, seest thou yon Post orifise? A abolishnist sets there.
And woe is us the plasis we onct did fill all ore the land, we fill no
moar. And wus. Ther is war—the North hez rebeld aginst the
Dimocrisy, and to-day, yoor sons is being dragged to the tentid feeld,
to be offered up a sakrifis to the fell sperit uv “not givin.” Oh, my frens,
we stumbled ourselvs. We faild to giv wunst, and that failyour wuz
fatle. Wen we in our pride defide the Sowth at Charleston, we sinned,
and air now payin fer it. O hed we all yoonited in given, then
—hed we follered presedent and got down into the dust then, all wood
hev bin well.

We dedooce from the foregoin the follerin grate trooth, to-wit, viz:
Suffrin alluz follers sin. Nether duz the sinner git the price uv his
sin. The demon uv Abolishnism, er Not Given, wich is sinonymus,
held afore the eyes of Duglis the dazzlin prospek uv Northrin votes.
But lo! wen Duglis hed took the fatel step, the votes wuz Linkin's,
and the Post orfises wuz Linkin's, and the Dimocrisy supped on sorrer,
and brekfasted on woe.

Ther is, my brethren, a hevy cuss on Not givin. “Wo unto yoo
fer a stif-necked and rebelyus people.” Abiram 31, 5, xlp. In the
originel Rooshen it is “stif-backt” instid uv “stif-neckt,” wich makes
it mene Massychusetts. They wood never bend a inch, they hed no
limbernis, and with head up, instid uv down—with backs strate, instid

uv curvd, they insisted on bein men ez well ez Virginny, thus forcin
the Sowth to take up arms to bend em into ther nateral posishen.

My frens, this war is a effort on the part uv the Sowth to put down
these rebels aginst the grate prinsiple uv Given. That's all they
want, and wen they git it they'll stop, I make no doubt. Then
breethrin, let us pray fer their sukcess—let us imytait our marterd
saint, Vanlandigum, who is a exel far away, and 2 the xtent uv our
ability ferther the grate coz. Let Noo Ingland be got under, Sumner,
and Waid, and Giddins, and Gim Ashly, and Oin Luvgoy, hung
—the grate Davis President, with Fernando Wood and Vandaldigum
in his Cabynit, then will ther be for us peece, and harmony, and good
will, and post orifises. Let wat I hev sed sink deep in2 yoor harts,
wen the contribooshen box cums around, remember that “it is moar
blesseder 2 give than 2 reseeve.” So mote it be.