The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-08-04

ings
have been now as you know nearly half
a century in the public service--u considera-
bic portion Of that time | have been stationed
away on the outposts Of the Union, where three
classes of people meet-one class who wear
their Eshirts inside their Observation-Disclosures
who wear their shirts outside their waistband
and another who don't ear any shirt at all,
thus | have had the management Of the civil
ized-the half civilized-and the savages,-
and the only rules, for my guide have been
calt'd on to find in the Bible-the Constitution
and the La ws Of Congress regulating the
Army and Indian tribes, (and for amusement
looking occasionally into Escp's fables,) All d
by studying all these carefully and atteitlvely
| believe | may say | have done equal JUS
tice to all parties. In all this time we have
had but one constitution, but as far as | could
judge from the newspapers that would some
times reach me, we have had ever so many pol
itical parties-so many in fact that | have lost
the run of them. So / concluded it was best
luL NV W oNiIh W tilV GONStltutOH9 10 hHV oAA
est guide or as you rightly say a light house
that has all its bearings and distances we'll
laid down on the chart,-and let the "Aash-
ers'' and 8 revolving Lights serve those who
know them better than | do. | have learnt
too, Capt Jumper, in my day and long service
that good men and bad men are apt to be found
in all parties-just as | have found some savA
ages mix'd up among civilized men, and a
good many folks among savages who have as
good principles after a little instruction as
some who wear long tail coats. So think
the safest course is to Judge folks by their con-
duct and those who love justice and the Con-
"stitution best are the safest men to rely on
Now that is pretty much all | have got to say
about party, and | would only add that no par
ty will ever find men Of their number who
don't square their conduct by the constitution
not as this man or that man claims to un-
a derstand it, but as congress (the whole Peo-
ple) understand it, and as it was understood
i, BY those who made it-and when | hear a
man say there is a doubt about this or that
point, | generally find that many would be
better pleased if there were no Constitution at
a all. Please mark that down in your Log
Book, Capt. Jumper for reference.
When | was told by a great many Of our
/, rellow-citizens that they wanted me to allow
q my name 10 be put forward by them Tor lhe
highest Office, and l assured them that | hat
: always been and sill was willing to serve ms
e country, the same folks wanted to know j
f | would not agree to serve them a little bette
. than | would serve some of their ncighbor5 i
Y | became President. Others wanted to kno"
t what party | belonged to,-and some went 50
Q far as to say if ! did not agree TO go with thcl
/. party and turn politician they would all vote
n against me. ...U..
c Now Capt. Jumper, let US look into this mat
tor, and see what would have been tho resul
,f # ! had been a politician, a real out and ou
marty man. At the battle OF Buena Vista
d had under my command a small but gallan
little army, about one fifth in number to th'
enemy pouring down upon us-my little army
had in its ranks men perhaps OF all parties
wings, locofocos, abolitionists, barnburners
old hunkers, and all the other parties who's
names | cannot we'll remember. Now sup
pose | had been a party man and said to my
party " come boys follow me and let our part
alone have all the honor and all the sPoils q
victory,-and you who don't belong to m
a party, stay in camp and play kettle tender
Il can't trust you for you don't belong to tn
o right party. What do you think Capt Jun
e per would have have become OF US and gu
at aao2 Folks don't know what they are talkin
al about when they ask me what party bolon
to to, and if they want to know how il is that
t. am not party politician, let them see what
u have seen, and what Gen. Scott has seer
IS and what every officer and man has seem
is when the time of trial had come, and the enc
nv was TO be licked. Such are the times an
o. such are the scenes that knock all palry part
" notions out Of q man if he ever had any, an
It. then he leanrs a lesson he can't we'll forget, an
lie he mnst be Almighty mean man, | reckon, II h
10 shoald ever after become so far ungratetul q
d to forget when a pinch comes, our nag'o
l. country, and every thing dear 70 US, look to tn
equal efforts ofall parties; and that it wa
" to such efforts we owe our success OF Pal
4 Alto, Resuca dc la Palma, Monterey, Buen
le Vista, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo. Churubuscc
te Contreras, Chapultepec-and finally to an hon
as orable peace. If any one supPoscs these bal
IL ties were won by any particular parity 1t is
sure sign he was not present and did not SCI
as he might, If he had been there, men OF a
IN parties standing shoulder TO shoulder, with on
heart and one object-looking to and hghtin
nnder one aag-one conslitution-and for on
country.
y In such a school, Captain Jumper, a man
not apt to learn as much ofparty az be is mad
to forget about all parties; and ifhe lives thrc
such a schooling, and is a right hearted man
YOU will find he has buried all his political par