DOWNINGVILLE, July 15, 1864.
_To the Editors of the Da-Book_:
SURS: I got your letter tellin me that Mister Bromley and Kumpany
wanted to print my letters in book form, and as you seem to think they
understand such kind of work, and are proper persons to do it, I ain't
got eny perticaler objecshins. It is now jest thirty years sence my
first Book of Letters was printed by Harper and Kumpany, but I hear
that they have turned Abolishinists sence then, and if that is so, I
wouldn't let 'em print a book of mine for love nor money.
After I got your letter, I sot down and writ the Kernel, askin his
opinion as to printin the Letters in book form, and he wrote back to me
rite off, saying I must do it without fale. The Kernel has got 'em all
cut out of the papers and put in a scrap book, but it's kinder onhandy,
and he wants to get 'em in better shape. I've promised him that you
would send him a copy jest as soon as it was out, and you must not fale
to tell Bromley and Kumpany to do so. I also writ the Kernel that I
thought it would be a good idee to issue a Proclamashin, ordering all
the people to buy the book, espeshilly the Loyal Leegers, the soldiers
in the army, all the Tax-Collectors, Custom-House Officers,
Provo-Marshalls, Postmasters, Copperheads, War Dimmecrats,
Abolishinists, Black Republikins, etc., etc. The Kernel sed it was a
capital idee, and he told me to write it for him. He sed Seward had
wrote most all of his Proclamashins, but he would trust me to write
this. He sed he looked upon my letters as "Pub. Doc," and hence
Congrissmen ought to frank 'em, and reed 'em, too. He said he didn't
mind the little jokes in 'em on him, for ef there was anything on arth
he could forgive a man for, it was for makin a joke. He didn't see how
eny one who knew enuf to make one could help doin it.
So I have writ a Proclamashin, which you will find at the bottom of
this letter, which you can print with it. I think when Ginneral Banks,
and Rosykrans, and all them Ginnerals who sometimes stop books and
papers, read it, they will understand that it will not answer to
interfere with my book.
There is one thing that makes me a little bashful about publishin a
book. My eddicashin was not very well taken keer of when I was a boy,
and the consequence is, I ain't quite so smart in grammer and spellin
as sum peepil. But one thing is certain, I allers make myself
understood, and that, after all, is the main thing. I want Bromley and
Kumpany to fix up the spellin a leetle, and then I think the book will
pass muster.
I don't ever expect to live to write anuther book; in fact, I don't
want to. I have labored as hard for the good of my kentry as any man in
it, and yet I've lived to see it all go to rack and ruin. I don't raly
know whether I shall write anuther letter, for a man of my years don't
feel like such work. But there is one thing I feel sure of. Though the
clouds look dark and black now, and though I don't expect to live to
see everything all rite again, yet the Dimmocracy will triumph in the
end. There is no blottin that out. It is in the natur of things. Peepel
are naterally Dimmocrats, so old Ginneral Jackson used to say, and it
takes a good deal of hard lying to make 'em enything else. Sometimes
the liars get the upper-hand for a time, jest as they have now, but it
can't last always.
I don't want you to put any preface to my book, for I have most always
found that prefaces are filled full of falsehoods. I jest want my book
to go on its merits, if it has eny. I've tried to tell the truth about
politics, as I understand it, and ef Linkin had only taken my advice,
the kentry would now be nigh about as good as new. But he wouldn't do
it, and so I've left him to get out of the scrape he is in the best way
he can. The Kernel, however, don't think any the less of me because
I've been plane with him. He thinks my idees of niggers are all rong,
and I think his are all rong, and there is jest where we split, for
turn this question upside down or inside out, and, after all, the
nigger is at the bottom of it. Jest as a man's idees run on niggers,
jest about in that style will be his views on the war. Take an
out-an-out Abolishinist, who thinks niggers are a little better than
white folks, and he is for subjugashin, confiskashin, and exterminashin
to the bitter end. Ef he thinks niggers are jest as good as white
folks, but no better, then he is a little milder on the South; and so
on down through every grade of a war man, the bitterness agin the South
runs jest about even with the ignorince about niggers. Finally, the man
who knows jest what niggers are fit for and what they need to make 'em
useful and happy, is the strongest opponent of the war. So you see this
proves that the nigger is at the bottom of the hull war.
There are, however, a good many things that make matters worse.
Greenbacks, offices, &c. are terribul upon corruptin the peepul. Almost
every other man has an office now-a-days, and them that ain't got
office are interested in greenbacks. It will take a hard pull to get
the present party out of power; but ef the Dimmocrats will only be
honest and plucky, they can do it. I want to live long enuff to vote
the Dimmocratic ticket this fall, and help do it.
Yours till deth,