The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-19
AN ANECpoTE-IN POINT

Extract from an able speech of Mr.. Unde,
wood, Jan. l6, 1898, on a motion for a
Inquiry into the late Delalcations of Publ
Officers.
The conduct Of the late and present ADM
nlstrations in respect TO Watkins, and the hos
oil defaulters who have subsequently disgrace,
the country, reminds me Of an occurrence j,
the Tar West. will tell the story, but con
ceal the names of the parties. Pity shields
them from presentation to public scorn. Al
old man who was perpetually extoling his owl
virtues, and decrying those Of other people
and who was above all "concealment," ae
cordlng to his repeated avowals, was passing
on his way home, after running down the no,
blest buck 10 the forest, by a little cornfield Of
q neIghbor, remotely situated from the dwell.
ing house. His son and his dogs were along
much fatigued by the recent chase. The old
man discovered in the field single hog-a
runt- engaged in breaking down the stalks
and eating the corn. He immediately swore
by the Eternal, that he never could witness
sach sight without feeling the strongest in
dYnatIon against the guilty brute, and he in
snntly ordered his son to set the dogs on. de-
caring at the moment that if they tore him to
Peces II would be a good thing, inasmuch as
D such means the neighborhood might get
char Of a bad breed Of hogs. The boy obeyed,
ad the dogs reluctantly engaged in the less
Dble work, and being the more furious and
syage IN consequence of fatigue, mangled the
aimal until his life was in danger. The
yu'n'not wholly destitute Of compassion even
WARDS hog, at length seized and threw him
ger the fence, and called off the dogs. The
% man said It was useless to 90 round the
nee TO stop the holes, as he was certain the
sson would efiectually teach the hog never
enter there again. SO they went on home
sthout repairing the fence, taking care, how
ger, to pass by the owner of the field to let
IN know how kind and neighborly they had
ten in turning the hog out
Not long afterwards the old man, his son
10 the dogs were going by the same field,
40 IN it, instead of one, they discovered
late gang Of hogs, of all sizes, yariously en-
gafd. Some were breaking down the stalks
AM cracking the corn with yoracious appe-
ute; some apparently surfeited, were moping
at he heels of those stimulated by hunger
nta soodly number had husks and fodder in
ner months, some irisking and others de.
lbeately marching to the PANELS ofthe fence,
tier to make themselves pleasant beds with
tie spoils." As the old man saw what was I
pini on at distance, he said to his SON.
'Nov, my boy, our dogs shall have sport"
ldeei the prospect Of general uproar, some
flirting, and the COMMENCEMENT OF shouting,
ydping and squaling, IN a neighbours corn
hdd,was a scene by no means disagreeable |
to the old mans taste. He therefore mount
ed the fence with alacrity, Intending to post
himself and witness the f~~'e "r 40 sou anu
the dogs, while sitting on rail-" But he
no SCORER straddled the rider, than his aspect
suddedy changed. He turned to his son,
and climbing up behind him, and said, 'Why
hose are my hogsr' The boy gazed in ST.
hre a moment, and then with an arch look
rened, GAS live, tits true but l reckon,
tho must dog them little" The old man
toe "sober second thought" and, after
minte's gaze, he said, " Perhaps, my son, it
void have been better for the owner Of the
corr if we had stopped the holes the other
day We broke down good deal Of corn,
anddd mischief in getting out single runt
witt. dogs, and we shall not leave stalk
staining if we serve all my gang in that way.
kpw, too, your nanny will not like it for
haze often heard her say she could not bear
to lake souse out of hogs ears that had
bee torn by dogs. | will therefore take the
dog of, and leave you to tole or drive the
hog out as peaccably as you can" The boy
verured to ask, "What viii the owner of the
corsthnk, if he finds out that we do not treat
owhogs like those of other people 7" The
old nan put his forefnger upon his lip, gave
his on a significant look, and departed with
the dogs in silence But, unfortunately for
his rputation, he had not more than got out
of sight of the field, when he met the owner
on hi: way to it. Their conversation was
yery bief, as the old man said he was in
hurry. His son was found in the field tolling
and coasing the hogs to gap. The circum-
stancessere so plain that the owner OF the
corn ev,r after told the story l have related
and no jne doubted its truth.