Southern telegraph., 1838-08-15
TIE RING TAIL PANTHER


The Legislature of Missouri, like many
other parliamentary bodies, was once an
moved with member of singular habl's aud
eccentric character lie was rIde wopds-
man, and having his NATIVITY cast on the
frontiers, he moved forward, keeping pace
always with the pioneers ;and It wasno griei
to him TO be few leagues in advance of
the sch0olmaster. The a pha bet once over
took him, but no sooner were the Roman
characters imprint ed on his memory than he
fed from pedagogue restraints, esteemng
himself happy in thus briefly becoming
man Of letters. This limited education was
useful to him in after life, when he became
representative Of the people, for he ac-
qured the art ofputing as many letters to-
gether as would pass, in crowd, for his
name. Like most great men of the Roman
Republic, he acquired pranomen, and he
choose one indicative If his location e. pur'
suits. Ring Tail Panther was the name
to which he answered with equal pride and
pleasure This illustrious pioneer has al
ready had place assigned hun in The an
nails of the west; but top much is rarely writ
ten Of any man whose genius elevates him
above the common mass Of beings by whom
| he is surrounded.
Al what particular period Ring Tail Pdn-
ther migrated to Missouri, it is not known.
His earliest achievement, and that which
placed him in the line Of preiermcni, WAS
the butchery of a small party OF unohendIng
Indians. His official report Of The babe
was as liconic rs Cesars "reRi, pidi rici !"
and in these words: "Ikoch'd, killed,
scaped." His habitation, where d nes.ie
kindness and hospitality were cherished, was
a block house, rudely constructed by his
quadruped Panther, he was carnivcrous, and
fed generally on venison. His drink was
blue ruin and Still-bmnt green. To the in
huence of these slimulens and The lack OF
education, all the evils of a mis- spent life
are justly attributable, for he was naturally
kind and benevolent
When Missouri passed from a Territorial
to State government, the people among
whom Ring Tail Panther resided, made him
Il representative in the General Assembly
to assist in enactng for them code of laws
Trad ion will not be sufficiently clear in lis
details, half century hence to determine
from what written models he deduced his
legislative knowledge; but some crude no
tions Of the twelve tables led him to believe
, it Just, that San eye for an eye" should ht
exacted, and lived up to the maxim, literal
", in his practice, for he boasted having di
,bo1 oGo
gan of vision, and he likewise bit off on,
, finger, two ears, and Roman nose, in ih
: course Of his single combats.
} AS it may be readily supposed, certain
$ passages in his labors as Legislator were no
| as easy surmounted as spoken of. Rim
| Tail Panther was, however, discreet enougl
to attach himself TO member of good &C
qurements, who cheerfully wrote his bill
and resolutions whenever he came forwarr
/ as a pioneer in aw-making Atan earl
+ stage of the session of the General Assem-
4 bly, this member arose, and when the speak
er had remarked:
: "The gentleman from Fishing River,
h Ring Tail Panther proceeded to say
Il "Mr. Speaker, there are heap of differ
p ence among men; some are born rich, som
y get rich by cheating, and some are jlst na
J, turally poor all the days of their lives. Til
! is as unjust, sir, as bIeating up doe 10 max
= an orfn Of her poor lIlte fawns in tn
e spots. A right ra-al rich man would feel
f; heap easier with less money. But, such
v the catankerous Character Of one of thes
/ ding'd old arIstocracies, that the more h
d piles up the more he homes 'arter money
o Mr. Speaker, rich man is like Panther
:. and know something about the varmin
e When he gets in the long range whar tn
l. sweet mast are gooch, he will kill half dc
IS zen sbotes in night, when one pig woul
a do him for supper and breakfast. They ar
d uncommon greedy, if they ar'nt wish
e may be shot with big bore rifle gun. The
1t are as destructive on poor people as gan
e of wood-colts what breaks into corn-fiel
= in roasting-e ear time. They crack kall befor
them like horse loose in cane break.
poor man stands no more chance in scu
4 fle with ra-al rich man than short taile
:, horse in fly time, or an inexperienced dc
:, in bar hunt. Now, Mr.. Speaker, thar
heap more poor men than rich ones, an
in this we have smartly the majority. L
IN YOU think, a gang of wolves, when hey co
Re ner an old buck, won't pull him down! he
ig will do that thing reckon! When rig
sort of hunter trees fat old bear, he WI
as do his house work, no mistake! we hay
ny the rich men cornered now, in 4 sorta qua
dairy like, and move, Mr.. Speaker, tha' y
as row them up Salt River. am for lakif
lst the divide and keepin it. 1t ar faci, ans
nut know it, that we can't jist take money fro
one man, and give it to another, that won
N. be unpopulous and unlawful; but we C
70 take 'em slantendicuar, and the way y
- can exonerate 'em would be pretty exPe'
" tious. move. Mr.. Speaker, that we ena