24. XXIV.
PREACHES AND MAKES A SUDDEN SHIFT.
Church uv St. Vallandigum, July the 7th, 1863.
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,
from 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 for
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 was plain
that the enrolement cood not be prevented. The
enrolin orfisers hed managed to do it, and it wuz
a sertinty that every name atwixt 18 and 45 wuz
down. And we were also 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 to go,
not hevin the nessary 300 dollars. It is here ez
it is in all excloosivly Dimekratik communities—
the grocery keepers absorb all the capital. The
follerin resolutions were past:
Wareas, 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
Resolvd, That we are in favor uv raisin our
quota by volunteerin, and hereby urge the same.
Resolvd, That we consider the employment uv
niggers, ez soljers, ez not only justifiable, but
highly commendable.
Resolvd, That a committee be appinted to sekoor
the settlement uv 2 hundred families uv niggers
in this township, excloosivly for volunteerin
purposes.
The resolooshens wuz past, and the committees
appointed. 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:
Wareas, Our beloved country is involved in
a bloody war against 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 guvernment; therefore,
be it
Resolvd, That the Dimokrasy are, ez they alluz
hev bin, in favor uv a viggerus prossekooshen uv
the war.
Resolvd, That our confidence in the great Vallandigum
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, when we spozd our Suthern
brethrin wood triumph, and giv em a public dinner.
Ef all the leaders of the Dimokrasy 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.
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Paster uv sed Church, in charge.
