Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1867-02-05

The Author of +" Nasbx,"

Everybody has read the Nasby letters, but
very few persons know anything of their ori.
gin or their author. Those who have read
the book-lately printed-containing, ac.
cording to the title page, Divers Views,
Opinions and Prophecies Of yoors trooly, Pc.
troleum V. Nasty have undoubtedly made
themselves familiar with the portrait Of the
"Lai Pastor" as drawn by Jones and prin.
ed therein. This is undoubtedly true like.
ness of Petroleum w. if not of the gentle.
man who persona,es him in the Nasby let
ters, and it is quite probable tha, many would
recognize the former as real caricatnre Of
the latter. The picture was undoubtedly in
tended to have points of resemblance to the
real author of :. Nasty" and with this his
admirers should be satisfied. The first of
the Nasty letters appeared in April, 1868.
but is printed third in the book. Its title is
Negro Emancipasion." This letter depre-
Gates the alarming ''suckcess" Of negro bop.
u.ation at Wingetl's Corners. calls upon the
disinterested patriots of this Of the place
TO hold mass meetin to take this subiik
in2 considerashun, and proposes the adop-
shun nv series Nv resolushuns" The sec
ond clanse ofthe proposed "preamble" has
in il the germ Of the entire series Of Nasby
letters, and is given below.
Warras: In the event NV this emiyrs
shin, our tellow-townsman. Abslum Kit and
uthers whose familis depended upon their
labor fur support, wood be throde out NV en-
ployment." Absolem Kilt is not q my,h,
but at the time this letter was first publish.
ed, lived in Findlay, Ohio, his real name be.
ing Flenner. Fenner was a lazy drunken,
good fornothing sort of fellow seldom do
ing any work, and making himself little less
than a town charge. In fact. his father was
already in the poor house, and if Flenner,
Jr, had been there too, he would have cos,
the town less trouble and money About
this .ine, a petition, emanating from high
Democratic authority, was circulated in Ohio.
asking the Legislature to pass a law prohb>
iting Negro Immigration, and to provide for
the removal Of negroes then living in the
State. The principal reason offered by these
" disin'eres'ed patriots" for the passage of
such law was the great Influx Of negroes
from the South which would follow the ex.
pccted emancipation. and would so reduce
the wages Of Ia Dor in Ohio that white labor.
ers could no, live there. A copy Of this be.
tition was sent to a very respectable Demo-
crat Of Finday. who being ashamed to cir
culate it himself employed Flerner to do TIE
job While in Flenner's hands, the petition
was seen by Mr. ID. X. Locke. publisher a,
tha, time Of the Findlay J.lf;vsoaian, who
was at once struck with its absurlity espec.
tally when presented by man ike Flenner.
lie therefore borrowed the petition intending
to print it in the next issue of his paper.
aid make some serious comments regarding
it. Ifthis design bad been carried out, the
Nasby letters would never have been written
or published but so extremely ridiculous did
the affair appear to Mr.. Locke, who is
practical printer, he gave up the idea Of writ
ing anything serious bout il and commenced
putting in type the letter referred to above.
This be did without having written word
ofit, and without any well defined plan. ex.
cept to make his solecsms humorous and his
humor pointed and pnsgent. After the LETT
ter was in type, Mr.. Locke hesitated about
publishing it. and would not have done so If
he could have prepared other matter to 6ll
its place in time for the issue of his paper.
So the letter was published in the Jel1trson.
ian, and in short time thereafter appeared
in many Of the leading Republican journals
throughout the country, giving the writings
Of Nasty the stamp Of success from the very
first. Thus encouraged, Mr.. Locke contin
ued to write over this signature and the sub
sequent career of Petroleum Y. Nasby is
known to every one. Flenner, the indirect
author OF ,he first Nasty letter, afterwards
enlisted in the United States service and
died in the army.