Slave-Holder's Parody
Dublin Core
Title
Slave-Holder's Parody
Description
The following Parody was written by a gentleman who formerly resided at the South.
Come, saints and sinners, hear me tell,
How pious priests whip Jack and Nell
And women buy, and children sell,
And preach all sinners down to hell,
They'll bleat and ba, don[?] like goats,
Gorge down black sheep and strain at motes,
Array their backs in fine black coats.
And seize their negroes by their throats,
They'll church you if you sip a dram,
And damn you if you steal a Lamb,
Yet rob old Tony, Dull and Sam,
Of human rights and bread and ham,
They'll talk of heaven and Christ's reward.
And bind his image with a cord,
And scold and swing and lash abhorr'd,
And sell their brother in the Lord,
They'll read and sing a sacred song,
And make a prayer both loud and long,
And teach the right, and do the wrong,
Hailing the brother, sister throng,
We wonder how such saints can sing,
Or praise the Lord upon the wing,
Who roar and scold and whip and sting,
And to their slaves and mammon cling,
They'll raise tobacco, corn and rye,
And drive and thieve and cheat and lie,
And lay up treasures in the sky,
By making switch and cowskin fly,
They'll crack old Tony on the skull,
And preach and roar like bashaw-bull,
Or braying ass, of mischief full,
Then seize old Jacob by the wool,
A roaring, ranting, sleek man-thief,
Who lived on mutton, veal and beef,
And never could afford relief,
To needy sable sons of grief,
Love not the world, the preacher said,
And winked his eye and shook his head,
He seized on Tom and Dick and Ned,
Cut short their meat and clothes and bread,
Another preacher whining spoke,
Of one whose heart for sinners broke,
He tied old Nancy to an oak,
And drew the blood at every stroke,
Two others op'ed their iron jaws,
And waved their children-stealing paws,
There sat their children in gew-gaws—
By stinting negroes back and maws,
All good from Jack another takes,
And entertains their flirts and rakes,
Who dress as sleek as glossy snakes,
And cram their mouths with sweeten'd cakes,
Come, saints and sinners, hear me tell,
How pious priests whip Jack and Nell
And women buy, and children sell,
And preach all sinners down to hell,
And sing of heavenly union.
They'll bleat and ba, don[?] like goats,
Gorge down black sheep and strain at motes,
Array their backs in fine black coats.
And seize their negroes by their throats,
And choke for heavenly union.
They'll church you if you sip a dram,
And damn you if you steal a Lamb,
Yet rob old Tony, Dull and Sam,
Of human rights and bread and ham,
Kidnapper's heavenly union.
They'll talk of heaven and Christ's reward.
And bind his image with a cord,
And scold and swing and lash abhorr'd,
And sell their brother in the Lord,
To hand-cuff heavenly union.
They'll read and sing a sacred song,
And make a prayer both loud and long,
And teach the right, and do the wrong,
Hailing the brother, sister throng,
With words of heavenly union.
We wonder how such saints can sing,
Or praise the Lord upon the wing,
Who roar and scold and whip and sting,
And to their slaves and mammon cling,
In guilty conscince's union.
They'll raise tobacco, corn and rye,
And drive and thieve and cheat and lie,
And lay up treasures in the sky,
By making switch and cowskin fly,
In hope of heavenly union.
They'll crack old Tony on the skull,
And preach and roar like bashaw-bull,
Or braying ass, of mischief full,
Then seize old Jacob by the wool,
And pull for heavenly union.
A roaring, ranting, sleek man-thief,
Who lived on mutton, veal and beef,
And never could afford relief,
To needy sable sons of grief,
Was big with heavenly union.
Love not the world, the preacher said,
And winked his eye and shook his head,
He seized on Tom and Dick and Ned,
Cut short their meat and clothes and bread,
Yet still loved heavenly union.
Another preacher whining spoke,
Of one whose heart for sinners broke,
He tied old Nancy to an oak,
And drew the blood at every stroke,
And prayed for heavenly union.
Two others op'ed their iron jaws,
And waved their children-stealing paws,
There sat their children in gew-gaws—
By stinting negroes back and maws,
They keep up heavenly union.
All good from Jack another takes,
And entertains their flirts and rakes,
Who dress as sleek as glossy snakes,
And cram their mouths with sweeten'd cakes,
And this goes down for union.
Creator
a gentleman who formerly resided at the South
Source
1:9, p. 4
Date
9.28.1861
Collection
Citation
a gentleman who formerly resided at the South, “Slave-Holder's Parody,” Periodical Poets, accessed July 27, 2024, https://periodicalpoets.com/items/show/727.
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