The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-02

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Abridgo your bonnie bayes

An boats this day"
The two services-Army and Nayy-are convent
eu gum elastic targets against which political pa
trotism may play its whole artillery for the amuse-
ment of the nation. They most anomalous ami
mate corporations to be active enduring,
omnpotent to the foe and omnipresen to danger and
yet must have neither stomach brans nor sensbili-
ties the worse they are fed the more devoted must
they be to the pubic good and as we are told
Fat paunches make lean pates,r
starvation in these services must be the source of
petaorIc patriotism although Legislative patriotism
proSerbially most lively when it is relieved by a
mess table rich in " virginny" hams, back S
and champ 'igne and walks with all the forttude of
Roman self-denial, in embroidered slippers over the
soft down of Wi ton carpets, and so it ought-talents
and public service, should lead to comfort but CON-
fort should not the scope of sympathy for fell
low servitors.
When news comes from the wild frontier of the
s'alpng knife Drained children, ravshed women de-
ISOLATED plantations, blazing farm houses, and yelling
savages of the border burnings and systematic de-
vastations Of civilized hostile neghbor, what
an enthusiastic rush to the countrys is seen
in the tapestried halls of legislation Then it is that
one wall echoes back to the other in windy speech
the great necessity and important services of our
''gallant little Army" our pride" and I" our boast
and 6 our glory'-and just then it occurs, that
though deer meat beans and coons plenty on the
frontiers and soft-she turtle and fish abundant In the
swamps and lagoons of Florida, it may not be an
unjust piece of extravaganza to keep the wives and
children OF those who are serving there out of the
A.
ed " dead" on the muster rolls, or come home to
change the border to a civil one against consta-
bes and Shit riffs, and to practice constant oblique
to the right and left of formidable array of gro
GERS, bakers, and apothecary's bills. Then, again,
there's our glorious little May" If foreign
power insults our flag, kidnaps seamen, frees the
niggers," and insinuates that We are DOT what we
" are cracked up to be,' what's the use of fighting
on shore about it, Dead and mutated bodies on the
land are nuisane; they are disgusting to every Boz
dy-and one or two days perspiration-extracting
speech per month, is better than shoulderng musket
during bloody camp ign, and costs the country very
little more. No, no-et all this foreign fighting be
done by ''ihe invincbe defenders of the stars and
Stripes" he glorious little Navy"-upon the
highway of nat ons," where the roaring of Paix-
country pay roll, can only be heard by those too
much inter sted in The game to be scared by the
noise, and then, presently the whole wreck, the
living, dying, and dead, the blue wave rolls as smooth,
clear and unfathoma lie, as politicians equanmity,
and as reacherously appears to smile over the fai-
lure Of that support which but few moments be-
fore promised safely to yield In such times and
thr ate ngs these the Navy worth some consider
alton; but
When wars deadly blast was blown,
And genie peace returning"
these shuttlecock services are admirable convenen-
TO show our adherence of extravaganza and to
prove disnterested zeal for retrenchment and econ
omy They have had all the honor and glory, and it
is presumption in them to expect pay. Pay pay
contemplate it ought to be above soldiers or
sailors considerations Mercenary devils are they
not satisfied with the they have rendered but
must be talking about dollars and cents9 If they
have been for years away from the comforts of home
and the dear ties Of kindred it's their business and
what they used to and it is very silly in them to
have any feeling upon the subject Surely they ought
to be grateful for getting home at all it is
Portable than marching upon weeks trail through
Florida swamps and lurking rifles, with their provi-
sions, clothes and bedding all strapped upon their
backs it is much better even than sitting in a wea-
Their worn tent, through which pan of burn.
ing palmetto roots is dIffusing thick smoke tc
moderate the musquto infuence-the thickest
smoke like the chimney corner of farm fire
place being the place of greatest comfort. 1t
is comfortable to sit there, and mediate upon the
best mode-poson, pistol, or the halter-of I" shut
off tbi al
many have adopted,) or if more socially disposed
you give tin plate dinner to your tow-trowsers
compariots, upon rusty mddlng and dish of boiled
purselane, gathered from the surrounding sand and
at night you may bunk yourself in the driest place
where all is soaking wet. Then, if pestilence, with
aching head, blood-shot eyes, parched tongue a
burning and goldcolored skin, lays any of these un-
reasonable wretches prosrate his friends are saved
the trouble and expense of taking care of him, and
the camp is cheap place to die in. AS he lays un
der the influence of disease he may indulge vision.
of protected chamber, remedies, and cool drinks
administered with the soothings that affection alone
can prompt; and contrast such recollections with
the forced attendance of rugged camp attendant
but, fortunately, it's short spell, and there is
some consolation in the delusions of approaching
death, when he smiles upon, and reaches out his
hand to caress the children at his bedside, and as
his eyes fix and features stifen in DEATH fancies it
was his wife who last spoke to him. Five gallant
fellows have we safe at the mess-table with, and
few weeks afterwards, fortunate convaescent my
SELF walked out to where they lay, side by side
under fresh oblong hillocks, without any monumen-
tai marble"
Equal reason has the other service to congratulate
itself upon the opportunities of enjoying fe by its
contrasts with the advantage that its dangers and ex-
posures vary but little in peace or war. Living for
years in the dark and narrow apartments of crnmd