22. XXII.
PREACHES AND MAKES A SUDDEN SHIFT.
Church uv St. Vallandigum, }
July the 7th, 1863.
[1]
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 whatever to niggers. Niggers wuz ordained
to 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 wuz plain that the enrolement cood
not be prevented. The enrolin orfisers hed managed to do it,
and it wuz a certinty that every name atwixt 18 and 45 wuz
down. And we were also satisfied that the draft cood be enforst,
and therefore it behooves us to make it ez light ez possible,
more espeshly ez when wun uv us is draftid, he will hev
to go, not hevin the nessary 300 dollars. It is here ez it is in
all excloosively 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 to free the nigger and
enslave 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 appointed to sekoor the settlement
uv two hundred families uv niggers in this township, excloosively
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 followin 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 guverment; therefore, be it
Resolvd, That the Dimokrasy are, ez they alluz hev bin, in
favor uv a viggerous prosekooshen 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 hed to tell em twice to
vote for em. We immejitly hunted up two 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
gigantic intellek uv Nasby!
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Paster uv sed Church, in charge.
