"Swingin round the cirkle" : $b His ideas of men, politics, and things, as set forth in his letters to the public press, during the year 1866.
John Locke · en
And, my brethren, while yoo are at the Squire's huntin up that tex, keep
on till yoo find another, to wit:--
"No man also seweth a piece uv old cloth onto a new garment,
else the new piece that filleth it up taketh it away from the
old, and the rent is made worse."
My hearers, Democrisy went to Philadelphy in a soot uv gray, wich it hed
bin a wearin for five years. It wuz trooly old, and ther wuz greevious
rents in it, made mostly by bayonets, and sich. O, why wuzn't we content
to wear it? Why wuz we not satisfied with it? Agin wuz the Skripters
fulfilled. We patched up the Confedrit gray with Federal blue; we put
onto the back, Seward; onto the knees, Randall; onto the shoulders,
Cowan; and onto the seat, Johnson, and they wuz stitched together with
Post Offisis. But it didn't hold. The Skripters wuz fulfilled; the old
cloth wuz rotten, and one by one patches fell off, somewhat dirtied, and
takin with em a part uv the old, and the rents is bigger than before.
Our coat is busted at the elbows, our pants is frayed round the bottoms,
out at the knees, and from behind the flag uv distress waveth drearily
in the cold wind.
My brethren, we will succeed when we stick to our integrity. Wat wuz the
yoose uv our assoomin what we did not hev? Wat wuz the sence uv our
askin our people to vote for Kernels for Congris wich hed, doorin the
war, drafted their sons? Wat wuz the yoose uv talking Constooshnel
Amendments to men who spozed that Internal Improvements and a Nashnel
Bank wuz still the ishoo? Wat wuz the yoose uv lettin go our holt on
nigger equality, wich is the right bower, left bower, and ace uv the
Democrisy,--its tower uv strength, its anker and cheefest trust, and
wich is easy uv comprehension, and eminently adapted to the Democratic
intelleck,--and takin up questions wich will all be settled ten years
afore they begin to comprehend em? In breef, wat wuz the sense, my
brethren, in puttin new wine into old bottles?--uv patchin old cloth
with new? Let us be warned; and never repeet the fatle error.
The congregashen dispersed somewhat sadly, but ez they gathered at
Bascom's to discuss the sermon, I wuz gratified at observin a visible
improvement in their temper. Bascom hisself bussled around lively;
Deekin Pogram remarked that probably it wuz unskriptooral to put new
wine into old tubs, but ez he didn't hev an ijee; that the prohibishen
extendid to new whisky, he'd resk it, bust or no bust, and he pizened
hisself very much in the old style, and Elder Slather and Kernel
McPelter so far recovered their sperits ez to hang the nigger I menshend
in the beginnin ez lookin pleased at the church. The Corners is rapidly
gettin itself agin.
PETROLEUM V. NASBY, P.M.
(wich is Postmaster).
XLI.
A Few Last Words.--The Writer hereof bids his Readers Farewell, and
hurls a Trifle of Exhortation after them.