"My sons," sed he, "wuz in the confedrit army.
This fact wood hev turned the affections uv a week-minded man in that
direction; but when I thot uv the boys, I alluz thot also uv that
gellorious star-spangled banner, under wich I hed whipped my niggers and
sold their children; under whose shadder I hed men servants, and made
servants, and home-made servants born unto me. That banner hed bin my
shield. Ef my niggers run off, who so prompt in their pursoot ez the
Democratic marshals, wich alluz returned em to me ef it wuz possible?
The instooshun wuz guaranteed to me by solemn compermises, wich we cood
hev ez often ez we desired. Compermises wuz our best holt. Whenever we
wanted anything, all we hed to do wuz to ask for it. The Ablishinists
wood object, the Dimocrisy wood draw up a compermise, wich inklooded, ez
a rool, twice or 3 times wat we asked, and pass it to save the Union.
Sich a Union wuz worth havin, and I opposed all efforts to dissolute it.
Hed the South succeeded, I shood hev gone with em; for Kentucky
alone--the only nigger State in the North--wood hev bin helpless.
Scaldin tears hev I shed when contemplatin the horrors uv war; but I
cood do nothin to avert it. Kentucky wuz loyal, but nootral."
I find down here that the loyal citizens uv Kentucky who hev returned
from the confedrit service are not at all discouraged; on the contrary,
they are hopeful.
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