wuz bonds wich held the members
together, and prevented the possibility uv trouble. Johnson, hevin a
ambition to head a party, must hev a party to head. The Northern
delegashun--wich hed formerly actid with the Ablishnists--couldn't do
nothin without the Democracy North; and both on em combined couldn't do
nothin without the Democracy South, The President cood depend on the
Democracy North, coz he holds the offices; the Democracy North cood
depend on the President, coz he must hev their votes. The President cood
depend on the Democracy South, coz they want him to make a fight agin a
Ablishen Congris, wich is a unconstooshnelly keepin uv em out, and
preventin em from wollopin their niggers; the Democracy South cood
depend on the President, coz he must hev their Representatives in their
seats to beat the Ablishnists in Congris,--all cood depend on all, each
cood depend on the other, coz each faction, or ruther each stripe, hed
its little private axe to grind, wich it coodent do without the others
to turn the grind-stone.

The Southern delegates, some on em, wuznt so well pleased. "What in
thunder," sed one uv em, "did they mean by pilin on the agony over the
the Yanks we killed? by pledgin us to give up the ijee uv seceshen, and
by pledgin on us to pay the Nashnel Yankee debt?"

"'Sh!" sed I; "easy over the rough places. My friend, they didn't mean
it; or, ef they did, _we_ didn't. Is a oath so hard to break? Wood it
trouble that eminent patriot Breckenridge, after all the times he swore
to support the Constitution, to sware to it wunst more? and wood it
trouble him to break it any more than it did in '61? Nay, verily.
Dismiss them gloomy thots. Vallandigham wuz kicked out; but a thousand
mules, and all uv em old and experienced, cooden't kick him out uv our
service. Doolittle talked Northern talk, coz it's a habit he got into
doorin the war; but he'll git over it. Raymond will be on our side this
year, certain, for last year he was agin us; and by the time he is ready
to turn agin, he'll be worn to so small a pint that he won't be worth
hevin; and the Democrisy uv the North wuz alluz ourn, and ef they
wuzzent, the offices Johnson hez in reserve will draw em like lode stun.

"My deer sir, I wunst knowd a Irishman, who wuz sense killed in a Fenian
raid, employed as a artist in well diggin. It wuz his lot to go to the
bottom uv the excavation and load the buckets with earth. The dinner
horn sounded, and he, with the alac