17. XVII.
ADDRESSES THE SOLDIERS.
[1]
At a meetin uv the managers uv the ginoowine Dimokrasy,
consistin uv the illustrious Vallandigum and myself, it was
resolved to ishoo a address to the soljers uv the Cumberland.
Vallandigum, hevin failed in the habus corpus biznis, is employin
his spare time in amusin of hisself in Fort Warin, wich
is near Boston. The dooty, therefor, devolves upon me.
Soljers: Ez individooels hevin votes, I esteem you; ez
invaders of Dimekratik states, ez men engaged in the slawtrin
uv Dimekrats by the 1000, ez bloo-coated tools uv a Abolishn
despotism, I cannot smile on you approvinly.
Sum uv you wuz Dimekrats, who, without contemplatin the
konsekences to the party, volunteerd. Fatle errer! incomprehensible
stoopidity! And I regret to lern that, notwithstandin
we hev told you over and over that it is a Abolishn war, you
laff at our sollum warnins, and many uv you hev turned
Abolishnists yourselves.
We warned you uv the evils that wood naterally foller
Abolishn victoris. To show you that we proffeside correctly,
I call yure attenshun to the follerin strictly Dimekratik fact.
Since the commensement uv the war, the addishn uv niggers
to Northern Ohio hez bin ez follows:
| Hancock, |
28,000 |
| Wood, |
84,000 |
| Lorane (wich is near Oberlin), |
103,000 |
All uv wich is studyin for the ministry, drawin cavalry
captin's pay and rashens, till they gradooate, incloodin two white
servants, each.
And so on, ad infinytum. These niggers are workin in
sitooashens you wunst okepied. The tailor shops, blacksmith
shops, shoe shops, and stores is all filled with these noosencis,
fresh from Suthrin plantashens. So yoo see that while they
hev seezed upon yoor labor, you are taxt by a nigger-lovin
government to support them in idlenis. But there is more
facts:
Number uv soljer's wives who died uv starvashen in Hancock County
last week, |
1,253 |
Besides one small woman they did not count. And all this
time (my blood biles wen I think uv it) the entire nigger
populashen is bein fed on briled sirline stake, stufft with
oysters. 238 white men hev marrid black females within two
weeks, also 803 white wimmin to black men, all in the corporashen
uv Wingert's Corners, the guverment payin license,
preecher's fee, and the bridle outfit, incloodin furnytoor to
start em housekeepin.
It is useless to multiply instances. You are exposin yoor
lives and helth, just to set free a army uv shiftlis niggers, who
wont work, and who, by takin yoor places on the farms and in
the workshops, will prevent you from earnin a honest livin wen
yoo git back.
Soljers, remember these things wen yoo vote this fall.
Under Dimekratik rule, wen the South roold us precisely as
they wantid to, all wuz peace. We kin hev it agin on the
saim terms, with perhaps the payin uv the expensis they have
incurred in manetainin uv ther rites, payin penshuns to the
widders uv them yoo hev wickidly slain, et settery.
Soljers! you kin emansipate yoorselves. Shoot yoor orfisers,
throw down yoor arms, and cum home. The old party is in
danger, and without you it'll go to rooin a canterin. Shel any
feelin uv pride in yoor country deter you from comin wen yoor
party is in peril? I cannot believe it.
