Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 1.
Frank Moore, Ed.

The other “Abou-Ben-Adhem.” --The following ingenious and witty parody of a poem universally known, is from a feminine pen. The tart and somewhat malicious allusions to “Rye” refer, we suppose, to President Buchanan's letter to some Western friends, acknowledging, with thanks, the receipt of some excellent rye whiskey:

James B-Uchanan, may his tribe decrease,
Awoke one night from a strange dream of peace,
And saw, within the curtains of his bed,
Making his t'other eye to squint with dread--
Old Jackson, writing in a book of gold.
Exceeding Rye had made Buchanan bold,
And to the stern Ex-President he said:
“Wha — what writ'st thou?” The spirit shook his head,
The while he answered, with the voice of old:
“The names of those who ne'er their country sold!”
And is mine one? asked J. B. “Vary!” cried
The General, with a frown. Buchanan sighed,
And groaned, and turned himself upon his bed,
And took another “nip” of “rye,” then said:
“Well, ere thou lay thy record on the shelf,
Write me at least as one who sold himself!
‘Demoes ’ and ‘ Rye’ so long my spirits were,
That when the ‘Crisis’ came — I wasn't there!”
The General wrote, and vanished; the next night
He came again, in more appalling plight,
And showed those names that all true men detest,
And lo! Buchanan's name led all the rest!