50. L.
HAS A CLASS-MEETING, AND DEPRECATES NEGRO-KILLING.
Church uv the Noo Dispensashun, }
July the 30th, 1664.
Our class meetins hev bin sumwat neglected uv late. Somehow,
it is in our Church ez it is in the hetrodox — we are hot
and cold alternitly. Last Sunday we hed a preshus season.
Brother Siples spoke. He confest that he wuz a weak
mortal. He hed his ups and downs, bad. Whenever Grant
and Sherman hed a success, his faith failed him; and sometimes
he hed difficulty in comin to time even wen Lee whipt
Grant. But he hed recently paid $2 per gallon for whisky, and
that stirred him. With one hand upon his too often empty jug,
and tother pinted to heaven, he hed sworn eternal hostility to
them ez hed razed these prices, wich is Ablishnists. If convenient,
he askt the brethrin to pray for him.
Brother Hopp riz. He hed his ups and downs also — rayther
more downs than ups. His sole wuz full wen Forrist killed
the niggers; but, alas! wo wuz on him wen Sherman flaxt em
at Atlanta. Now the skies is brite. Lee holds out bully, and
tother day 4000 niggers wuz killed at Petersburg.
At this point I interruptid Brother Hopp. The killin uv
niggers is no cause uv rejoicin. Wat a destrucshen uv property!
4000 niggers, at $1500 per nigger, is $6,000,000!
This sum uv money, even at the present Ablishn prices, wood
prodoose 60,000,000 drinks! Wood, O, wood that I wuz condemned
to consoom em all! Ef them niggers hed bin white
men, I woodent hev keered. Why? Bekoz white soljers is
all Ablishnists. Don't shake yer hed, Brother Gamp; it's so.
Yoor own son, even, backslid. He it wuz who writ hum, a
sayin that if he cum back and found that ole hipocrit, Nasby, a
eatin chickins about yoor house, he'd plump a ounce ball into
him. Hipocrit! Chickins! Sich basenis confirms me in my
beleef in the doctrin uv totle depravity. I am no obtroosive
guest at the tables uv my flock. Troo, I eat; but wood any
uv em say that chickins wuz a equivalent for my improvin con
versashen? Ez for the paltry money I borrer, I alluz give my
note, wich settles them transactions.
To resoom. Every nigger killed inflames our brethrin
powerful. Imagine, my brethrin, a Suthern artilrist a bringin
uv his piece to bare upon the advancin enemy. He sees they
are niggers, and his heart sinks. Nearer and nearer they
come. Seizin a glass, he views em, and, horror! in the front
rank, “cloathed in soots uv bloo,” he beholds his indivijjle
niggers! Nearer! nearer! Fain wood he spare em, for them
very niggers may be the uncles uv a half dozen uv his children
(wich is patriarkle), to say nuthin uv the money he hez
investid in em. But no! The order is given! “Fire!” He
pulls the fatal string, and ez he beholds his own property a
bleedin on the plain, he swoons away. My gentle frends, I
make no doubt that half the cases reported in the Suthrin
papers ez sun-stroke, wuz from this coz.
Other brethrin giv their experience in. The feelin is
improvin sence the draft, and I hev faith that ef our groseries
kin hold out till September 5th, under the credit system, and
too many don't run to Canady, we will be able to whale any
Provo Marshell's force they kin send agin us.
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Paster uv sed Church, in charge
