[ 6]This letter was originally addressed to the editor of an excellent little democratic weekly journal, who went carefully over it and substituted the word "patriotic" for "democratic," whenever the latter occurred:—thereby achieving the most perfect and astounding perversion of meaning on record!
[ 7]Four days after the date of this letter, Abraham Lincoln—the wise, the just, the merciful—fell beneath the dastard blow of an ignoble assassin! All that is beautiful and good in the world must mourn his irreparable loss; and I need not say how consoling it is to me in this dark hour to feel, that, in all my extravagances of nonsense, I have never penned one word concerning the Martyr-President that was not inspired by a sentiment of actual affection for his genial and guileless character. Thank God! his eternally-infamous murderer came of a line not native to my country!
O. C. K.
JUST PUBLISHED,
A VOLUME OF POEMS BY ORPHEUS C. KERR,
ENTITLED,
THE PALACE BEAUTIFUL,
AND OTHER POEMS.