Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1874 — NASBY’S LETTER. [ARTICLE]

NASBY’S LETTER.

[From the Toledo Blade.] Mr. Nasby Inaugurates a New Enterprise—The “ Cross Roads Reformer and Friend uv Purity ”—l.etiers from Distinguished Personages Endorsing the Paper. r— ~ C'oNFEDRiT X Roads, ) (Wlch is in the State uv Kentucky,) > ' Feb. 17, 1874. ) My little effort at reform in Ohio didn’t work jest ez I lied hoped, but I don’t despare uv gettin sutliin out uv it after all. Es we can’t make reform go, what is there for us? At the worst I perpose to make it earn roe a livin. lam in the reform biznis, and I shel push it ez a biznis. I hev determined to start a Reform noosepaper. The idee sprung full-fledged from my massive intelleck two weeks ago. When I determine upon a thing I go and do it, and so, two weeks ago, I ishood the prospecktus, and with it the Massedonian cry for help to all the rich Dimocrata I knowd or cood heer uv. I stated in my prospecktus (wich I wrote in Bascom’s) that the “ Cross Roads Reformer and Friend uv Purity" wood be devotid to reform in its broadest sense, public and privit. I deplored the Widespred corrupshen that bed pervadid and permeated all departments uv the public servis sencc that gileless patriot, A. Joltn--abn, vacated, .the . Preaidenshel cheer, ez well ez the laxity uv morals that pervadid all classes uv society, wich wuz the legitimate outgrowth uv'Radikieidees. I bed tiirowd myself into the breach, and wuz determined to do all in my power to check the flood uv fraud that wuz sweepin over the land, and wich bid fair to room the Republik. To the coz uv purity and reform I hed devotid all there wuz uv me. I stated distinctly that the “ Cross Roads Reformer and Friend uv Purity" hed but one panacea for all the evils the country is labrin under, namely, the bustinuv the Republikin party -and the puttin iS power uv the Dimocrisy. That is all there is uv it. This is the short road to politikle purity, and, by example, the promoter uv privit purity. We want to hev back in Congris that galaxy uv intcllecks that shone so resplendently doorin Bookannou’s Administrashen, and in the places uv trust and profit the patriots who rallied so gloriously around the crib presidid over by A. Johnson. Some uv em are dead, alas! but there are enuff uv em left to fi.l all the offises, and there ain’t any resk uv their declinin. I sent an appeal for aid to various leadin Dimocrata uv the country, and received responses wich show that in this enterprise I hev hit the precise idea that is needed. For instance, wrote me the follerin: I agree with yoo that the time* demand a vlggerons paper, which ehet oppose the corrupshens wich are sapptn the very foiiudOßhens uv our liberties. The crimes nv the Repuhlikeu party cry to lleavcu. Enclosed find cheque for fifty dollars. I wood send ymr tnore; bull heven’f realized on my Credit-Mobllier shares yet, and'me and Brother Ben find the lottery blzness dull sence the panic struck us. Trooly, Fernando Wood. His brother Ben wrote as follows: Enclosed find fifty dollars to aid In establishin The Cross Roads Reformer and friend of Purity* I wish I cood spare more, for es ever ther wuz a time when public and private purity needed bpostin. this is the time. We must combine to crush Republikinlsm and innoggerate a rain uv purity. I wood send more, but the fact Is policy scllin is dull, and faro-banks ain’t more than- pavin ci ; ponses. But sich ez my donashen intake ft. Trooly, Ben Wood. That noble patriot, John Morrisey, wrote me thus: I bid yon God fspeed in yoor noble 'enterprise. The time hez come for a vlggerous war agin the corrupshen that is sapptn the foundasbens uv Amsrikin liberty. I can’t send yoo eny more, for I hav hed a terrible run uv luck at two uv my faro banks, and the repeeters I had to pay at the last eleckshun drained me, but I hev hed yoo appirited to an offls under the Sheriff of Nuo York, and will hev it .arranged that yoor salary shel be sent yoo. Uv course .yoo will hev to be here on eleckshun days to vote in stch precincks ez are assigned yoo May yoor efforts at bringin our country up to its former standard uv virchoo be crowned with success. Hopefully. Jons Morhisey. Boss Tweed wrote tz follows: I write in bonds. Bat: oppressed e* I am by erooel persekooters I take a lively Interest In everything that looks to purity io offlshel matters. In my lonely cell on Blackwell's Island do I groan .for my country. I hev directed my son Richard to send yoo SSO to aid yoor paper Jest ez soon ez he kin collect it from the ongrateful contractors who refoozed to divide with me when I got into trouble, on contracts wich I give em when I wuz in power. But go on in yoor good work. Trooly, W. M. Tweid. Theletter I wrote to Harry- Genet wuz answered by a frend uv his, who remarked that Mr. Genet was abroad for his health, but that he shood forred it to him, and that Mr. ft. wood doubtless contribbit, ez he wuz. ez.he alius bed bin, a staunch friend of Reform. From the South the responsis were encoufagin, tbo uot profitable. From every one uv the glorious soljers uv the Confederacy come words uv cheer. They bid me go on and deel heavy blows

agm the monster Radicleism, and in support not only uv Reform, but uv our common country. • Four Veers more uv . Radicle rool wood be sumshenh they wuz every one uv cm convinst, to destroy the Government bequeathed us by oUr fathera, and wich hed bin made sacred by their blood. Aleck Stephens wrote me a letter approvin uv the design uv the paper that kivered eixty-eiglit pages of foolscap, but he didn’t enclose a dollar, wich wuz a lame and impotent conclooshen. One man from Alabama insisted that the motto uv the noo paper shood be, “Offlsis in rite hands and purity in Offis.” Tie offlsis, lie went on to remark, cood never, be in riteliands so long ez a disgustin nigger wuz Postmaster in Napoleoavftle, a place wich he wunst ok kepi ed under Johnson. He bcleeved in nonpartizanism, and the President ought to reassure the people by showin em that lie wvz not inflooenced by parlizan feel in*. Let the President remove his appintees and put Dimocrata in their places. Wjben he wuz removed and that nigger wuz put in his place, he, for the first time in his life, despaired uv the Republic. • I wuz astonished at the number uv responses I got from Republikins. They cum in by the bushel. Every one uv em hed lost all faith in a Republikin form uv Government —every one Uv em bleevgd that the Government bed fallen into bad hands, and consekently they despared uv the Republic. One pekooliarity uv this despare wuz, they all specified the date at wich they commenced desparin, ez for instance : “On the 13th uv July, 1873,1 felt that all wuz gone,” Or this: “On the 22d uv August, 1872, I felt that the sun uv Republikinism had set forever, onless a change cood be made.” I wuz at some pains to ascertane why things went to rooin on them pertikeler days, and I found that it wuz Jooly 13, 1873 f that the first hed been defected for renomenashin to Congress, and that on the 22d uv August, 1872, the second hed bin removed lrom a Collcctership, and the • others wuz in the same state uv health without excepshin. But it don’t do to inquire too pertikerierly. They beleeve the Government is in bad-hands and that is enuff for me. These men —and all nv this class, demand reform, but they didn’t Inclose no material aid. How do they spose the battle agin a corrupt Adminishtrashen is to be fought, es they don’t furnish ammunishen? "■■■■■—- I got in in donashens (and loans, wich is the same thing) about S6OO. The paper will be ishood next week. I hev paid Bascom S4O, and Deekin Pogram $25, on akkount, wich hez encouraged them. < Things look brighter for me. May my sky continyoo unclouded. Petroleum V. Nasby, Editor Cross Roads Reformer.