FEINBERG/WHITMAN   LITERARY FILE Prose "I Am a Born Democrat" (Before-1855).   A.MS.draft.
Box 31 Folder 22Lofty sirs! You are very select and very [or]
and will have reserved seats in the ninetieth heaven
no doubt and recognize only the best dressed and most polite angels,
whose names are on
silver door plates, -- and gas at night in the parlors --
As for me I am a [born] [Democrat] --
I take my place by
right among the [ind???] or sweaty classes
among [?te?t] in their
[shift] [sleeves], -- the sunburnt, the unshaved, the
huge [p???]. You are proud
of your books, your style, your bland
speech and possessed ease in society. You
[reprch] with words of pert scorn all [intrigues] and all vagaries of
reformers and innovaters. How those n*****s smell!
How dare that Paddy ride the same omnibus
with me? -- What are we coming to that an [????er]
or workman of a [??ow]
has finer health and
cleaner shaped limbs than I, who do business
in my own office or store? -- And these
new crazy loafers with their 'ologies and their
'isms -- who can tell what the poor devils mean?
Likely they do not know themselves. --
[*8*]
Before 1855.  I Am a Born Democrat: notes. A.MS. (1p. 20 1/2 x 22 1/2 
cm.)
Written in pencil on one side of a [sheet] leaf of a ruled paper torn from a notebook, with 
many corrections and changes. About 250 words: 'Lofty sirs! you 
are very select and very or / ? / and will have reserved seats
in the ninetieth heaven no doubt and more among recognize only the best 
dressed and most polite angels, were dressed, and with real spirits and whose names are on silver door
plates, and with folding sliding doors between -- /have/ gas at night in the parlors, -- (As for me I am a 
born [leafer] democrat. I assume this day, the whole [????? ] of all-- I take my place by night among the sudorous 
or sweaty [men] classes, who here know not whether among [the boys] men in their shirt
sleeves--the sunburnt, the unshaven, the huge paws.) --Ay You are
proud of your books, your style, your bland and speech and possessed
ease in society. --You scorch with words of pert scorch upon the  all intru?ers 
and all vagaries of reformers and innovaters.--How those
niggers smell! -How dare that Paddy ride in the same omnibus with 
me? --What are we coming to, that an [ostler] driver or [common dock]
/over/8A

workman of a scow [is a handsomer man with] has [better] finer health 
and cleaner shaped limbs than I, who do business in my own office
or store?--And these new radicals [and wild new fangled] crazy 
loafers with their 'ologies and their 'isms--who can tell what 
the poor devils mean?  Likely they do not know themselves!--'