The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-19
mTHEY TELL ME AM A TORY,

MEssRs EDIToRs Willie on my way to Join
the late Wing Convention, in this town, hap
pened to call at the Post Office, where number
of protested stDemocrats" were discussing the
merits of their party, and the dement's ct ours.
Finding them hard at work, l thought it was
not. robbery to listen moment to the arguments
of the learned Thebans. A young man, sitting in
very CONSPICUOUS place among them, indiscrimin-
ateiy declared "the Wings of the present day
to be all Tories of the Hartford Convention and
blue light Federalist stamp" Not feeling any
humor to gainsay or intermeddle with their argu-
ments, 1 left this Democratic workshop envelop-
ed in blaze of Locofocoism, and went on my
way rejoicing, not much, though somewhat start
led at the horrid disclosures Just made. Having
arrived at the Town House, / took my seat
in a corner of the House, and was lost in con-
temptation of the glory Of the scene just passed
through, and the undeniable assertions there
made; when was aroused from my musings by
the ds:-styou have made choice of MIR
as your Chairman Looking up, beheld an
old man, feeble in body, CHS head silvered DER
with age" ascending the steps to the desks-
Some remarks were made by gentlemen present,
but at last one accidentally happened to touch
upon the subject SO ably debated at the Post Of
fee. At this the old man arose and said:-"Gen-
tlemen must tell you something about this mat
ter myself. When was boy, about IS years
old, | was called upon to do battle for my Coun-
try, to which my father assented, and willingly
made preparations to obey the call in the mean
time many of our neighbors protested against
this folly in my father and me, they were pleas
ed to term it; and one declared that if was HIS
son he would tie me to the bed post, if he could
not prevent me from going by any other means.
Notwithstanding, | obeyed the summons, and
went when duty called us and after the war
was over, and our government established, the
same men spoke in diminutiye terms of the war,
and were opposed to the government and their
sons al the present time, whose principles are
identified with the principles Of their fathers, are
as warm supporters OF the present Administra-
ton as Mr.. Van Buren, can boast of: and the de-
scendants of the man, sSho scolttd haze tied me
TO the bed post, tell ase I am a tory / can
assure you, Gentlemen, that my situation was
quite unenviable, (being exposed to danger, with
small paw, and poor fare) except the conscious
ness Observing my country. Wewent wherever
we were needed, till at length we were stationed
at Long Island south of the State of Connecti-
cut. where we endured most of the privations and
hardships that human life is liable to. will
tell YOU, Gentlemen, how we Jared while there.
We were obliged to lie on the ground, during
the rainy seasons of the year with nothing under
US, and scarcely anything over US; we often
found ourselves half covered with water in the
morning we had nothing but Indian bread to
eat, which we baked by burning the grass oil OF
the surface, and then spreading our cake upon
the ground and drawing Goals over it; which,
when baked, was SO hard that you might hare
fred it through an, inch board -! Now, Gen
tlemen, these same men, who thought had bet
ter stay at home around my fathers comfortable
HEARTH than to subject myself to those hardships,
tell me I am a tory. But l now assert, here be-
fore you all, that was Wing in 1776; have
been one ever since /; l am Wing now in 1883,
and al,cays mean to be one; l am determined to
die Wing; believing as L do, that the men,
who fought our battles in &c the days that tried
mems SOULS" are now, always have been, and
always will be the friends of our country"
These are the words, as near as my memory
serves me, of the man who was practical Wing
in 1776, and who is practical thorough going
! JEEEERSON