"always wears a soft hat, so that it wont be injured by being knocked
over his eyes."

I pondered deeply over this idea, my boy, and it seemed to me that a
soft hat must be the real Cap of Liberty.

Passing over the organization of Senate and House, which suggested
thoughts of ancient Rome about the time she was saved by geese, I shall
proceed to notice the Message which our honest Abe fired into Congress
from his intellectual breastworks during the week.

You have undoubtedly read this Abe L. paper, my boy, in the reliable
morning journals, making due allowance for the typographical outrages
committed by printers of opposite politics; but there was one portion
of it gotten up for the honest Abe by the Chaplain of the Mackerel
Brigade, and this portion is so mutilated in the publishing, that I
cannot refrain from giving you the true version. Speaking of the cost
to the country of Emancipation with compensation, the Chaplain wrote:

"Certainly it is not so easy to pay something as it is to pay nothing;
but it is easier to pay a small sum than it is to pay a large sum; and
it is easier to pay any bill when we have the money, than it is to pay
a smaller bill when we have no money. Compensated Emancipation requires
no more money than would be necessary to the progress of Remunerated
Enfranchisement, which would not close before the end of five hundred
years. At that time, we shall undoubtedly have five hundred times as
many people as we have now, provided that no one dies in the mean time;
and supposing the premium on gold to increase in the same ratio as it
has increased since our last census was taken, the premium on the
specie belonging to five hundred times our present population will be
amply sufficient to pay for all persons of African descent.

"I do not state this inconsiderately. At the same ratio of increase as
we now realize, American gold will soon be worth more than all Europe.
We have ten millions nine hundred and sixty-three thousand miles, while
Europe has three millions eight hundred thousand, and yet the average
premium on specie, in some of the States, is already above that of
Europe. Taking the brokers in the aggregate, I find that if one gold
dollar is worth $1.30 in one year,

It will be worth $2.60 in two years,
" " " " 3.90 " 3 "
" " " " 5.20 " 4 "
" " " " 6.50 " 5 "

"This shows a yearly increase. If a gold dollar is worth $6.50 in