University of Virginia Library

27. XXVII.
CONVERSES WITH A BROTHER.

I hed a brother who left his paternal roof in
18forty-nine, fer the perpus uv makin a fortin, a
follerin the briny deep. He did n't maik a fortin,
however, makin fortins bein a thing fer wich the
Nasby family is not cellebratid. He had bin
absent all uv the time, and hed heard never a word
frum his naytiv land. He went frum this county,
and wen he landid at Noo York, he cum strate 2
this plais. I reseeved him with open arms.

“Josef,” sez I, “do yoo still remane troo 2 the
Dimekratik faith?”

“Petroleum,” sez he, “I do. Ez wuz resolvd
in our konvenshun the yere afore I startid, I
bleeve that slaivry is a evil, and that the Dimokrasy
uv Ohio shood use all constooshnel means to
mittygait and finelly eraddycait it, and”—

“Hold,” sez I, “times is changd. The Dimokrasy
now look upon slaivry ez a blessin; but,
go on.”

“I bleeve,” resoomd he, “that the settlin uv the

question uv slaivry by the Missory Compermise
wuz rite; and”—

“Hold on,” sez I, “we repeeld the Compermise.”

“I bleeve,” retorted he, feebly, “that slaivry is
the creecher uv lokle legislashen, and shood be
exclooded frum the territories; and”—

“Stiddy,” sez I, “the Dimokrasy is in favor uv
extendin it all over the territories.”

“Well,” sez Josef, sez he, “I 'm fer the Union,
wun and indivizable; that 's Dimokrasy, aint it?”

“Yes,” sez I, “with sevral ifs and much buts.
We are jest now, ez a party, ingaygd in the deliteful
work uv splittin up the old Union in2 4
parts, as per Vallandigum. Josef, your behint
the age. You see, Josef, we wuz fer the Union,
wun and indivizable, jest so long ez the Dimokrasy,
wich wuz mostly lokated Sowth, hed controle
uv sed Union. In them days Noo England
wuz under. Then things changd. Noo England
spred over the West, and ther wuz danger uv losin
the controle. To check em, we commenst legislatin;
fustly repeelin the Compermise, so they mite
take niggers ther, if they cood git in fast enuff.
That wuz a failyer. Then we decided that the
constooshn pertected slaivry, and that it cood go
ther anyhow. Still Noo England beet us, electin

a Abolishn President, and we bolted, so that we
cood git shet uv New England. And that 's wat
the war's about.”

Sez Josef, sez he:

“Petroleum, to me it doth seem that all that 's
left uv the Dimokrasy, to which I wunst belongd,
is the naim.”

2 which I sentenshusly replide:

“It air.”

Sez Josef, sez he, “Petroleum, I can't git it
thro me. Ef I hed staid at home, perhaps I
mite hev took these changis down, wun at a time,
but at wun dose it 's 2 much. Therefoar, Petroleum
V., consider me owt. The old flag 's good
enuff fer me, I thank you, and Androo Jaxn wuz
abowt the style uv a Dimekrat you mite bet yer
bottom dollar on. I repoodiate the hull on 't. I
do n't like egg-shells, ner nuthin wat aint got no
meet into it; by wich strikin mettyfor I meen to
say that a party that hez dispozd uv its prinsipples,
and lives on a empty naim, aint the assosiashen
fer any body but a low graid uv ijeots, and
a high graid uv skoundrels, sech ez would garrote
the Goddis uv Liberty fer the white cotton nite
gownd she is piktorelly represented ez wearin.
Petroleum V., adoo.”

The next day he enlistid. I saw him depart
with a bloo kote on. Ez he haddent a dollar that
I cood borrer, I wuz rejoist to see him go.