The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-11-27

learn something of the origin of those
famous Nasty letters, and his account,
of the first one was substantially as fol-.
lows: During the campaign for the re-
election of Mr.. Lincoln, Mr.. Locke
(Nasby) was editing Republican paper
in small town in Ohio. The Democrats
were making desperate efforts to carry
the State for Mcclellan, and were TAX
ing horns ofthe "nigger" dilemma In
one breath they would argue that as the
lines OF our army advanced. the niggers
in swarms would pour into the State,
and being great strong fellows used to
hard labor they would work for almost
nothing, thereby taking the bread from
the mouths Of the honest hard working
men of the State. In the next breath
they would argue that these same mig
gers were set of lazy brutes who had
never done anything and never would,
and must all be supported in the poor
house, and those hard working Dem
ocrats would be taxed to support them.
How very consistent! Still Democratic
audiences are not very CRITICAL, and both
lines of argument took well. So much
exercised did the niger haters finally
| become that the Democratic State Cen
trail Committee caused petition to the
legislature to be prepared in which they
asked the passage of law prohibiting
the presence of these eontrabands in the
State, and also praying for the banish-
ment of all negroes from the State.
| The petition, for some time, they were
positively ashamed to circulate; but at
| last a packet was sent to one Levi. @.
Flenner for distribution. AT the men,
| ton of this name Nasty paused and in
dulged in one ofthose quick, chuckling
laughs of his, and remarked: "What 8
lucky thing tits for me that Flenner
Mt fhnP
had been no Flennsr there might have
been no Nasty" "Who was this
| Flenner? - asked. "He was a poor
white from Virginia, who had come
! into the State years before, with his IA
Their and mother, Qeither whom could
| read or write) and his only occupation
was hanging around the bar rooms, drink
ing whisky and talking politics. Neith-
er father or son had ever been known to
do a single days work in their lives, and
ofcOurse they were the great Democratic
oracles of the place. FOT these valuable
political services they were admitted in
to the ring" of the overseers of the
town poor, and had managed to steal
| enough of the supplies furnished by the
| town TO exc out a miserable existnece.
| Such was Flenner, and when saw such
a petition-a document so wholey beneath
the reach of any dignified or serions dis
| CdSoiOi, the lued OI inc HfsI NaSDy letter
came to me. My main idea was to rid
icule this Flenner, and it took so we'll,
was copied so extensively, and so effect
lively squeiched him and his petitions
that was satisfied that had struck
rich vein and must work it out" Such
was the origin ofthe famous Nasty let
tiers, which are copied all over this coun-
try and translated into several European
languages. OF these letters it is certainly
within bounds to say that they are
second to none ever published in the
United States, not excepting the Jack
Downing letters nor the Bigelow pa
pers.
Before taking leave we suggested a
call upon "Bascom," but he has had a
falling out with that grocer, as ''Bascom"
wouldn't let the bill run over year, and
he'd begun to think his whisky was too
poor to drink anyhow I'm satisfied"
he said, that it killed poor Elder Gavitt,
and it shall never kill me!'
And thus ended our first visit TO the
worthy postmaster ut the Gross
Roads, the tried and faithful friend of
Andy Johnson, the fairest Democrat of
the day, the immortal auther of ''swing-
ing round the cirkle"-D. r. Locke, ed
tor of the Toledo Blade.