39. XXXIX.
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; many refoozd to contribbit to the Vallandigum
Fund, and the collecshun for the benefit uv the Confedrit
prizners at Johnson's Island wuz a total failure, in consekens
uv wich I am doin without a overkote this cold weather, wich
is unclerikle. And wuss than this — I hev heard, recently,
members uv the congregashun discussin the skarsity uv labor,
and I actooally heard wun uv em dam Jeff Davis instid uv
Linkin! I felt that suthin must be dun, and I set about to
do it.
I hed been preachin considable on the subgik uv a nigger
imigrashen, and ez the dislike uv nigger is chronic in the
Dimekratik mind, I thot I wood stir em up with the nigger
wunst more. So I blacked myself all over, and puttin on a
soot uv old close, 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 comin, and I spectid nothin less than a bullet
thro me; but for the grate cause, I hed determined to risk
even that. But, to my horror, the Square sed “Good mornin,”
and askt wher I wuz from. I told him I wuz a runaway slave
from Virginny; that 32,000 startid the same day I did; and
that the rest wood be along in a day or two. I spozd he wood
bile at this; but he didn't. He pulled from his breast-pockit
the familiar old bottle, and invited me to take hold, wich I did,
wondrin why he wuz so pleasent to a nigger. Alas for Dimokrasy!
I soon found out. HE WANTED TO HIRE ME to
work for him. Ez the words fell from his lips, I well nigh fainted;
but my consternashen wuz redoubled when he askt me if
I couldn't git him three or four more kulerd men! “Kulerd
MEN!” thot I, in agony. O, wat a softnin down from the
“Nigger” uv a year ago!
Sadly I retraced my steps. Washing off my disgise, I felt,
for the first 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 used to. They pay the taxis, and say they ain't so heavy
after all. They hev diskivered that guverment munny isn't
wuthless; they won't talk enny more about resistin the draft
— on the contrary, they are raisin money to send Dimekrats
into the army, wich alluz cums back rantin Ablishnists, a
knockin down peace men, and forcin em to take the oath.
Farmers endoor the high prices uv prodooce 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 warned Wilyum uv the risk he was 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 guide! 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, decisive, Confedrit victry wood
help us; but, alas! I see no probability uv that. It's too lait
to talk uv compermise, for there's hardly enuff left uv the
South to compermise with. I'm sick. I'm sorry I supported
Vallandigum. I wish I had been a war man. My congregashen
is gittin lookwarm, and don't pay their quartrage reglar,
and the grocery-keepers are intimatin that before long I must
begin to pay for my licker! Wher will it end?
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Pastor uv sed Church, in charge.
