Litchfield enquirer., 1840-04-23
For TIE LrTcHrIK1.p ENQUIRER.
Race orer he Connection Course.

I
Awake thou, my Muse nor thy silence prOlOng,
Let thy notes all be joyous, all cheerful thy song;
I Sing the race OF two horses Of bottom and speed,
One the peoples own horse one of subreasry breed;
Sing too Of their riders, rare riders were they,
I Each one had his notions, his skill at the play:
Honest Bill they namd this, crafty John they cairo
One clean coor'd nag, t'other black as your hat.
! Sly Matty the fox seiz'd crafty Johns name,
| And glorious old Tip held honest Bills rein
Twas a fine April morn when they brought the nags
! And thousands were there their coming to shout.
Crafty John was enveop'd from crupper to bit,
With a richly wrought GOV ring-and what mt!
EMBOSSED on its folds were dominions and thrones,
! And the flags Of all nations excepting our own. fN
The bright shining crescent OF the Grand LUX was
| there, Bear.
Not despot on earth to whom slaves knee and cover,
But had there hi'roglyphcs his symbols OF power
! The stars of the Union blaze there all alone
| No kngly fantasies to add TO his weight,
! To excite the knaves wonder, or fools captvate.
Both the nags in fine spirits and confident mood,
Neck to neck side By side the nests starting P0s STOOD
Sly Matty in robes SO dazzling and bright,
Bespangled all oyer with silver and gold, To-
| His retnue too, 0 the half is untold; 49,,
And servants in livery and gaily drest slaves,
Some like princes eprobd, some in palmer costume
From dung-hill cocks feather to ostrch's plume
Old Tip was surrounded by Log Cabin guard, >,
Some were old Connentals with their faces all scand,
Some grey headed fathers, the boast OF the land
Lending dignifed grace 10 the true-hearted band,
| And thousands of honest Woodworking men too,
| CLUSTERED round the nag Billy and Tippecanoe; =,
Men preferring their bread & their country good hap
J To glory, gilt saw dust, or treasury pap.
| Now the bell rings to mount, the riders advance,
Old Tip looks complacent, sly Matty askancee
Hank, voice F.! clear the road-for the saddle make
IT'S the voice of Tom Benton, sly Matty's head
The saddle, by Jove, twas queer looking thing,
Like huge life preserver at each end Of string.
! This was the subtreasry, the crater itself, :.
| Where they lock from the people their l-gotten pell
Some said crafty Johnny could never sustain
Such weight, but would fail and be beaten again;
But the weight all fudge-'twas al in your eye
Bill Price and Sam Swartwout had clear'd with the
Leaving only enough just to rattle and jnk.
The space that wasle Benton fill d with his breath,
AS drowning man does when he's threaten d with
Though the thing look so large-yet the whole alto
Would scarcely outweigh buzzards tail feather.
They buckled it on, John prick d up his ears,
As proud as an ass with empty panniers .,
Sly Matty approach d." Knee down, crafty John. ~
Like camel he knet, and sly Maty got on.
Rise up, my good fellow, my trusty catspaN."
John rose and Mat look ID like three-tal'd Bashaw.
Quoth Ma.ty, "now bark, John mind-now-do you
You stumbled and alter'd and was beaten last year
Do you see my long spurs the shanks only are GOLD,
The rowels STEEL John-mark wel-you are told."
Old Tip wore no spurs; but held in his hand
The torn Constitution, and laws of the land
Scarce enough Of them left to be understood,
Yet he folded them up as we'll as he could;
And these were his saddle and twas thrown on arghf'
With the girh of the Union twas buckled on tight
With an unruffied brow, and hearty good will,
Looking cool as farmer just starting for mill.
Tip mounted his nag and thus ADDRESSED Bill:
No long exhortaton shall now stop to make,
The cause is the peoples their interests the stako
No matter to us if we're beat-none at all
I've my log cabin left, and you've warm stall
But the people expect the top notch Of our speed,
And truly, friend Bill, OF this there's great need.
I've spur, nor whip. the twig I've just broke
From the wide spreading boughs OF the old Charter
None other you need save your own honest prds,
The rEoPLE REMEMBER, be your speed and yourguide.
Both riders, now ready, rein'd out of the crowd,
| As they came alongside, each gracefully how'd
GOOD morning. my Tippy. quoth Mat. "this is kind,
Hope. by my soul, you'll not be far behind, }
TWould give me such pleasure to chat through the
But John is devil, YOU know in his wav.
He's so hard on the h and so cursedly fast,
That our CONTEMPLATION fear wont last
Old Tip nodded thank We, and said in reply,
Crafty John ready and ready was Biz,
But sly Matv lingerd his goblet to fill
His bright golden goblet (what democrat whim> i'd
Tom Benton now brought him. fld up to the brm.
| >,N W
much obg'd, but on cider TRY it again"
The starting hell sruck-Oldd, Tip oos'd the rein,
! And awav Billy flew over hill and DER plain.
The way he cear'd Hartford, the county and all,
Was cantion-just so he will do it next fall
The Middlesex border Bill reach'd in short space,
The roads were there rougher, and he slackened his
How strange the misfortune that happend TO John
He gallop'd It's true, but he could not get on.
He stepped fast enough, hut twas straight up & down,
| Like horse in the circus when rode bV clown
Some were sadly surprised. some said, never mind,
He'll soon take leap and leave Billy behind.
At length he cut dirt, like colt in a fright,
But twas sideways and railways and all ways but
With much ribulation they hustled him through,
And Middlesex reached, he prick up anew.
s M%sy ss6, this will d.
We're gaining-were up-neck to neck, side to side,
Now go my Johnny, or I'll strip off your hide"
Q the way the fre few-but Johnny ousped,
He enter'd New-Haven-stop, faith I'd forgot
His fore feet were there, hut his hind legs not
All Matty. ah Johnny what reverse in your fate,
ynst now yPn were leading at wonderful 1M rate
What spell has come over you? Why that up and
As IA ship fast aground. with her canvass all spread,
Rises up with the swell, hut moves not ahead;
Or knave on the readmLtho the wheel goes around,
Yet his own foolish self still holds the ground
Old Tip now came up, and pass'd short way ahead,
But saw Matty's trouble, and turn'd him. and said
"Whats the matter, dear Matty, come spur up your
Has Johnny the bots? till he's we'll shall wait ~
go to h-ll with your waiting, the state too If you
i choose,
A few wooden nutmegs is not much TO lose."
Honest Bill heard Mats blessing. & wheeling around,
Clear the counties remaining with at bound
Thus coyer'd with glory. and long before night.
Honest Bill and old TIP came IN nom the tight,
There was joy and glad shouting with tn old and the
And honest Rill's nraises and old Tins were sun0