46. XLVI.
TRIES TO AWAKEN AN INTEREST.
Church uv the Noo Dispensashun, }
February the 10th, 1864.
The old Dimokrasy hez lost its anshent sperit.
I know not why, but a gloomy forebodin ez to our
fucher hez hed poseshun uv my sole for sevral
weeks past. I notist that the farmers belongin to
my flock wuz a savin up greenbax, and hed quit
callin uv em rags; menny refoozd to contribbit to
the Vallandigum Fund, and the colleckshun for
the benefit uv the Confedrit prizners at Jonson's
Iland wuz a totle faleyoor, in consekens uv wich
I am doin without a overkote this cold wether,
wich is unclerikle. And wuss than this—I hev
heerd, resently, members uv the congregashun
discussin the skarsity uv laber, and I actooally
heerd wun uv em dam Geff Davis, instid uv
Linkin! I felt that suthin must be dun, and I
set abowt to do it.
I hed bin preechin considable on the subgik uv
a nigger imigrashen, and ez the dislike uv nigger
is cronic in the Dimekratik mind, I thot I wood
stir em up with the nigger onct more. So I blackd
myself all over, and puttin on a soot uv old cloze,
I startid out afore daylite, pintin for Square Gavitt's,
who alluz wuz a invetrit hater uv the nigger.
The old man saw me a cumin, and I spectid
nothin less than a bullet thro me; but for the
grate coz, I hed determind to resk even that.
But, to my horror, the Square sed good mornin,
and askt wher I wuz frum. I told him I wuz a
runaway slaiv frum Virginny; that 32,000 startid
the same day I did; and that the rest wood be
along in a day or 2. I spozd he wood bile at
this; but he did n't. He puld from his brestpockit
the familyer old bottel, and inwited me to
taik hold, wich I did, wondrin why he wuz so
plesent to a nigger. Alas for Dimokrasy! I soon
found out. HE WANTED 2 HIRE ME to
work for him. Ez the words fell frum his lips,
I well-nigh fainted; but my consternashen wuz
redubbled when he askt me if I coodent git him
3 or 4 more kulerd men! “Kulerd MEN!” thot
I, in agony. O, wat a softnin down frum the
“Nigger” uv a yere ago!
Sadly I retracd my steps. Washing off my disgise,
I felt, for the fust time in my life, utterly and
entirely retched. Wen Dimekrats git to callin
niggers “kulerd men,” and want em to work beside
em, and drink out uv the same bottle with
em, wat better air they than Ablishnists? The
fucher uv the Dimokrasy is, indeed, dark and
gloomy. We can't move the peeple ez we ust 2.
They pay the taxis, and say they aint so hevy
after all. They hev diskiverd that guverment
munny is n't wuthless; they won't talk eny more
about resistin the draft—on the contrary, they are
raisin munny to send Dimekrats into the army,
wich alluz cums back rantin Ablishnists, a nockin
down peese men and forsin em 2 taik the oath.
Farmers endoor the high prices uv prodoose with
a pashense and ekanimity wonderful to behold.
Yisterday Bill Sipes sold his sorril mare for $150,
and insistid on hevin his pay all in greenbax. I
warnd Wilyum uv the risk he wuz runnin in
keepin so much uv that stuff, wen he impudently
exclaimed, “Stuff! hay! Old Nosey, that 's playd
out.”
“Old Nosey!” “Playd out!” This to his spiritooal
father, his paster, and gide! Whair air
we driftin?
Wat we are to do to stem the tide that is settin
agin us is more than I know. A good, decisiv
Confedrit victry wood help us; but, alas! I see no
probability uv that. It 's 2 lait to talk uv compermise,
for thers hardly enuff left uv the Sowth
to compermise with. I 'm sick. I 'm sorry I
supported Vallandigum. I wish I hed bin a war
man. My congregashen is gittin look-warm, and
don't pay ther qwartrage reglar, and the grosrykeepers
air intimatin that before long I must begin
to pay for my licker! Wher will it end?
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Paster uv sed Church, in charge.
