Note about my previous post: That song ("The Democratic Rally") referred to the 1864 election and to Democratic candidate George McClellan ("Mac" in the song).

Below is a song intended to be a chilling warning to the white man. I'll precede it with a warning of my own: the "n" word is rampant in this song. As Susan said above, if we consider it in the historical context of pro-slavery propaganda, it's useful to observe just how rampant and ugly the racial bigotry and hatred really was (today's tendency to edit for the sake of political correctness and sensitivity can make us forget this sometimes!). Read on with nerves steeled! Since the song is written in a fakey dialect, I presume that it was sung by a white minstrel in black-face, which only adds to the bizarre irony of this particular pro-slavery song...


DE NIGGER ON DE FENCE.

Air: All round my hat.

Now, listen to me, white folks, de truth I'm going to tell you;
Dat the white man isn't nowhere now, it's plain to men of sense;
For, it's nigger in de Senate-house, and nigger in de White-house,
And nigger in de Custom-house, and nigger on de fence.

Some time ago, when Congress met, dey spoke about de nation;
Dey made de acts, dey passed de bills, de laws dey did dispense;
And, speaking of THE PEOPLE, dey always meant de white folks:
But now in every speech dev make, de nigger's on de fence.

Dere's Vendell Philips, Sumner, Horace Greeley, Henry Beecher,
All worshipping de nigger: 'fellow feeling's deir pretences;
But dey never stop to think if dey can benefit de white man,
Dey preach and pray and talk about de nigger on de fence.

Now, just take up de TRIBUNE, and lots of oder papers,
And all the news you 'spect to read, you'll see how dey condense;
It's all about de slavery and abolition questions;
For, de idol dat dey worship is de nigger on de fence.

Dey try to prove de nigger am superior to de white man,
And, though dey find dat he is strong, it gives dem no offence;
For, if dey only had deir way, de Mokes should rule de nation.
And deir Candidate for President be: de nigger on de fence

Now, dere's but one way to end de war, and save dis glorious Union,
To spare de lives of thousands, and stop de great expense:
Stand by the Constitution: no more of abolition:
And darn de man dat meddles wid de nigger on de fence'.

"...On The Fence" from American Memory site