Jeff’s some. He’s gut another
plan thet hez pertic’lar merits,
In givin’ things a cheerfle look an’ stiffnin’
loose-hung sperits;
For while your million papers, wut with lyin’
an’ discussin’,
Keep folks’s tempers all on eend a-fumin’
an’ a-fussin’,
A-wondrin’ this an’ guessin’ thet,
an’ dreadin’ every night
The breechin’ o’ the Univarse’ll
break afore it’s light, 190
Our papers don’t purtend to print on’y
wut Guv’ment choose,
An’ thet insures us all to git the very best
o’ noose:
Jeff hez it of all sorts an’ kines, an’
sarves it out ez wanted,
So’s’t every man gits wut he likes an’
nobody ain’t scanted;
Sometimes it’s vict’ries (they’re
‘bout all ther’ is that’s cheap
down here,)
Sometimes it’s France an’ England on the
jump to interfere.
Fact is, the less the people know o’ wut ther’
is a-doin’,
The hendier ‘tis for Guv’ment, sence it
henders trouble brewin’;
An’ noose is like a shinplaster,—it’s
good, ef you believe it,
Or, wut’s all same, the other man thet’s
goin’ to receive it: 200
Ef you’ve a son in th’ army, wy, it’s
comfortin’ to hear
He’ll hev no gretter resk to run than seein’
th’ in’my’s rear,
Coz, ef an F.F. looks at ’em, they ollers break
an’ run,
Or wilt right down ez debtors will thet stumble on
a dun,
(An’ this, ef an’thin’, proves the
wuth o’ proper fem’ly pride,
Fer sech mean shucks ez creditors are all on Lincoln’s
side);
Ef I hev scrip thet wun’t go off no more ’n
a Belgin rifle,
An’ read thet it’s at par on ’Change,
it makes me feel deli’fle;
It’s cheerin’, tu, where every man mus’
fortify his bed,
To hear thet Freedom’s the one thing our darkies
mos’ly dread, 210
An’ thet experunce, time ‘n’ agin,
to Dixie’s Land hez shown
Ther’ ‘s nothin’ like a powder-cask
fer a stiddy corner-stone;
Ain’t it ez good ez nuts, when salt is sellin’
by the ounce
For its own weight in Treash’ry-bons, (ef bought
in small amounts,)
When even whiskey’s gittin’ skurce an’
sugar can’t be found,
To know thet all the ellerments o’ luxury abound?
An’ don’t it glorify sal’-pork,
to come to understand
It’s wut the Richmon’ editors call fatness
o’ the land!
Nex’ thing to knowin’ you’re well
off is nut to know when y’ ain’t;
An’ ef Jeff says all’s goin’ wal,
who’ll ventur’ t’ say it
ain’t? 220
This cairn the Constitooshun roun’ ez Jeff doos
in his hat
Is hendier a dreffle sight, an’ comes more kin’
o’ pat.
I tell ye wut, my jedgment is you’re pooty sure
to fail,
Ez long ‘z the head keeps turnin’ back
for counsel to the tail:
Th’ advantiges of our consarn for bein’
prompt air gret,
While, ‘long o’ Congress, you can’t
strike, ’f you git an iron het;
They bother roun’ with argooin’, an’
var’ous sorts o’ foolin’,
To make sure ef it’s leg’lly het, an’
all the while it’s coolin’,
So’s’t when you come to strike, it ain’t
no gret to wish ye j’y on,