Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-09-28
Nasty.

Everybody has read the Nasty letters,
but very few people know anything of
their origin or their author. The first of
the Nasty letters appeared in April, 1863.
Its title is "Negro Emigration" This let
ter deprecates the alarming ''inkrees" of
negro population at Wingert's Corners,
calls upon the disinterested patriots of that
place to "hold mass meetin' to take this
subjick in2 considerashun," and proposes
'the adopshen Nv series Nv preabIe and
resolooshuns." The second clause of the
proposed 'pleamble" has in it the germ of
the entire series of the Nasby letters,
and is printed as follows:
Whereas, In the event Of this imigra-
shun, our fellow-townsman, Abslum Kit
and uthers, whose familis depend upon
their lakor for support would be thrown
out of employment"
"Abslum Kit" is not myth, but at the
time this letter was first published, lived
at Findlay, Ohio, his real name being Flen-
ner. Flenner was a lazy, drunken, good
for-nothing sort of fellow, seldom doing
any work, and making himself little less
than town charge. In fact, his father
was already in the poor-house, and if Flen-
ner, Jr., had been there too, he would have
cost the town less trouble and money.
About this time petition, emansting from
high Democratic authority, was circulated
in Ohio, asking the Legislature to pass a
law prohibiting negro immigration, and to
provide for the removal of negroes then
residing in that State. The principal rea-
son offered by these 'disinterested patri
OTIS" for the passage of such a law was that
the great influx of negroes from the South,
that would follow the expected emancipa-
ton, would so reduce the wages of labor
in Ohio, that white laborers could not live
there. A copy of this petition was sent to
very respectable Democrat of Findlay,
who, being ashamed to circulate it him
self, employed Flenner to do the job.
While in Flenner's hands the petition was
seen by DR.. D. R. Locke, publisher at that
time of the Findlay Jefersonian, who was
at once struck by its absurdity, especially
when presented by man like Flenner.
He therefore borrowed the petition, intend
ing to print it in the next issue of his pa
per and make some serious comments re-
garding it. If his design had been car
ried out, the Nasby letters would never
have been written or published; but so
extremely ridiculous did the whole affair
appear that Mr.. Locke, who is a practical
printer, finally gave uptbe idea of writing
anything serious about it and commenced |
putting in type with his own hands, the
letter referred to above. This he did |
without having written a word of it and |
without any defined plan, except to make
his solecism humorous, and his humor |
pointed and pungent. After the letter was
in type Mr.. Locke hesitated about publish
ing it and probably would not have done
so if he could have prepared other matter
to fill its place before the time for the is
sue of his paper. So the letter was pub
lished in the Jefsrsonian, and in short
time thereafter appeared in many leading
journals throughout the coun-
try, giving the writings of Nasby the stamp |
of success from the very first Thus en-
couraged, Mr.. Locke continued to write
over this signature, and the subsequent ca
reer of Petroleum V. is known to every
one. Flenner, the indirect author of the
first Nasby letter, afterwards enlisted in
the United States service, and died in the
army. Mr.. Locke is now one of the edi-
tors of the Toledo BLade-Detrott Post.