Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-02-16
Joshua b. Nfddings

Joshua sR. &Idd1ngS.
The Washington corEespohdent Of the
Cleveland Times gisess the fpllowing de-
scription of this individlnls S.
: This morning, for I'll first time, Ind
the opportunity ofhearSng sspptted joshua"
from the Yankee disiriek He is |. brain
less. shapeless mass OF Hasb and ones ar,
invaluable specimen Of ofnathral history.
His person bears nc. striking resemblance
to the genus homo. Standing erect in his
capacious ossshide viii measure.
six and.a huff 4set, aiid n III are f1eafs
ly as long as his entire erson. His pro-
bocis in breadth is unsparing, admirably a.
dapted to inhale the African oder. He has
a "Mediteranean mouth and an unbounded
stomach" The most powerful thing a.
bout him is his digestion; his talents appear
to be in his jaws, and from the fullness and
size of his face one would think that in
grinding they took double toll. Shakes
peare would say that his CUTS were in his
head and his brains in his belly-his head,
phrenologically indicated, shows him def
cient in moral and intellectual power; three
fourths of his brains, and opine the same
proportion of his thoughts,are householders
in his cerebellum. His manner of speak
ing has the merit of being original-his
gesticulation and manipulations are his
own; when excited, his legs alternately
bow in and out thereby suiting the action
to the word; at the conclusion of sentence
which he considers important, he rapidly
rushes a step or two forward, runs out his
tongue full length, then Immediately re-
tracts to his first position, amid the laugh
ter of the House; one half Of what he says
is lost in his own sputtering words and
spittle crowd out of his mouth simultane-
ously-the sound of his voice has an un-
earthly twang. ..u.
ellis voice in one dull, UNMARRIED sound,
Seems to break forth from caverns under ground,
From hollow chest, the low sepulehral note,
Unwilling heaves and struggles in his throat"
In the House he talks much and says lit
tle-the subject matter Of his speeches is
pilfered faom the writings of abolitionists.
His reasoning is illogical bungling, and
unworkmanlike. The kings English is
horribly mangled, while rolling off his
thick and rhaspy tongue. The liberation
of the tar-brained negro, is in his estina-
ton, the chief end Of man. One idea has
taken possession Of the roomy vacuum of
his mind, to the exclusion of all other ten
ants who might be willing in these bad times
to paw small rent for lodgings in its cob
webby cells, Notwithstanding crevices in
the floor and ceiling. The condition of
the sable hued daughters of the south rise
before him as the Weird sisters before
Macbeth; which perpetually modest, mysti-
fes, and masters him. While forcing his
smttiy and sickly spleen upon the house.
personal abuse is his s'shield, his panoply,
and his chariot of war; Like Caligula
towards the Romans, he wished the achites
had but one head, that he might sever it at
single blow-he would willingly make a
bridge of their heads and hearts whereupon
to walk to power. This monster "whom
nature cast in hidenus mould" the largest
ofliving bipeds that sleep and eat, who 'by
vilest means pursues the vilest ends;'' dead
to shame and every nice sense, who de-
scends to the lowest depths Of guile, has e.
nough Of daring blasphemy in his putrid
heart 10 appeal to his God for the purity Of
his motives. g.
His speech Of this morning was mot
ley spawn of ignorance and whim. He
dove deep into the plash his folly had made,
and brought up half the bottom of his head.
When he arose to address the speaker, his
thumbs were in the arm holes of his vest:
t'Slow rose form in majesty ofmud,
| Shaking the honors Of his sable brow"
He twists, he sports, he roars, 0 how
''great Caesar roars!" sighs, groans,twines
and tortures every limb-now he grins
and looks broad nonsense, he opens his
mouth and out flies tobacco saliva; another
effort he seizes hold Of his cloudy subject
with the venom and fury of dying viper.
He spoke about an hour, and established
many points of Ignorance; none of his re-
marks were in order, and none cared e.
nough about him or what be was saying, to
call him to order; he spoke till he emptied
himself, and then sat down. ~
In politics he claims to be a whig, but
the whig party in Congress disown him;
here he is, solitary and alone in his folly
most of the members refusing to asso-
ciote with him. To speak plainly and
truly he is distinguished public Ounce be
longing to no particular sect or party; fly
leaf in the books written by Garrison,
scratched over with the autographs Of boo.
by scholarship He is a lawyer and has
had quite an extensive lille practice, in
magistrates courts in the back and woody
townships Of Ashtabula. How the people
Of his district ever took i, into their heads
to send the Scream faced loon" to Congress
l am not able to divine. He will disgrace
any constituency,and much more the intel
ligent one ofthe Reserve, from which he
halls. 1t is rumored here that his refusing
to vote for Wint hrop, speaker, has pre-
pared him for the ebony embrace of the
third party. More anon.
A ASMILE.-Who can tell the value of &
smile; it costs the giver nothing, but it is be
yond price to the erring and relenting 9Th,
sad and cheerless--the lost and forsaken.-
{ It disarms malice -subdues temper-turn
hatred to love-revenge to kindness