The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-08-30

! Besides, when Bull is called upon to make
an ass of himself on such occasions, he
seems for the most part 10 have due ai,-
probation Of the fact, while Jonathan's im-
perturbabilty and apparent good faith are
quite sublime. The things that we have
been compelled to hear Of that "Star-span-
gled hammer !'-and all as if they were spo-
ken i'm real earnest, and meant 10 be so un-
derstood. We look back upon those side
reuding moments with a kind of Lucretian
pleasure, and indemnify ourselves for past
constraint by hearty guffaw. All this
magniloquence and bad taste, however, Is
ineligible enough. Ii springs partly from
want of discipline i'll their society, and part
jly from the absence of those studies which
purify the taste, enlighten the Judgment,
and make even dizziness respectable. Amer
| lean audiences are not eritical-not merely
because they are not learned, but because
they all take it in turns TO be orators, as
they do TO be colonies of militia and justices
of the peace. Thus they learn TO bear each
others burdens, and Dizziness is fully JUS
tilted Of her children. In country where
all men, at least 10 theory, are equal, aud
where every man does in fact exercise
certain influence on public affairs, 1t Is not
surprising that a large number Of persons
should possess certain facility of public
speaking, which even in England is far
from universal, and is elsewhere possessed
by very few. No man in the United States
is deferred from Altering his views upon
matters of state, by the feeling that neither
his education nor his position Justify his IN
reference. 1t is difficult in England to re-
alize the practical equality which obtains as
Il fundamental principle IN the Republic.
There every man feels himself to be, and
in fact is, or at least may be, potential
unit in the community. AS man he Is
jctiZen-as a citizen, sovereign, whose
caprices are to be humored, and whose dis
pleasure is to be deprecated. Judge Pebble,
/ for instance, from the backwoods, Is not
perhaps as eloquent as Webster, nor as
subtle rs Calhoun, but he has just as good
right to be heard when he goes up to Con-
gress for all that. Is he not accounted an
exemplary citizen ''and pretty tall laiker"
/ in bis own nei ghbourhood, and where on
.sthe universal arth" would you find more
enlig htened public opinion? 1t would never
do to put Peddle down; that would be te-e-
majestic against his continents, the sover-
ei.n people who dwell in Babylon, which
is in the county of Lafayette, on the banks
of the Chattawichee. Thus, endorsed,
Peddle soon lays aside his native bashtul-
ness, and makes the walls of Congress echo
to that bewitching eloGuence which hereto
| fore Gaptivated the Baby lonish mind. He
was "raised lettle too far to the west Of
shutdown" to be snubbed by Down-easters,
any how; he's cock of the woods, he is;
an 'etarnal screamer," sand that's fact"
with "A bowie knife under his wastcoat,
and patent revolver in his coat pocket,
both very much at the service Of any gentle
men who may dispute his claims to popular
or personal consideration.
TO meet the case Of these volcanic States
men,
s'Aw'd by no shame, by no respect control1d,"
and in order that the noble army of ounces
| "a potent majority, Of course) may have no
reason to complain that the principles Of
equality are Violated in their persons, The
House Of Representatives has adopted
regulation, commonly called "the one
hour rule" Upon this principle, whenever
a question of great interest comes up, each
member is allotted one hour by the Speak
er's watch--as much less as he pIeases, but
no more on any consideration. Of course
it occasionally happens that man who has
something to say, is not able to say it efiec-
lively within the hour; but then, for one
such, there are at least dozen who would
otherwise talk for week without saying
apything at all. Upon the whole, therefore,
this same one hour rule is deserving of all
Eraise-the time of the country is saved by
il, the sufierings of the more sensible mem
bers are abbr eviated, while the ounces, to-
do them justice, make the most of their
that the peace of the world may be owing
to il? For as there are $50 representatives,
we should have had, but for it., Just as many
mastery demonstrators Of the title of the
Republcto the whole of Oregon-apd some
thing more. In such a cause, they would
make nothing of beginning with the crea-
ton of tie world, and ending with the last
protocol of Mr.. Buchanan! Decidedly, but
for s'the one hour rnle" we Britishers would
have been ''everastngly used up--and no
two ways about it," Poor old. Adams did
actually begin his Oregon speech with
the first chapter of Genesis. The title
deeds of the Republic, he said, were to be
found in the words, "Be fruitful and multi
ply ana repienish the earth!' Happily, the
hammer of Inc Speaker put down the veu-
cradle antedeluvlan, before he got to the
end of the chapter.
=. the Senate, on the other hand, which
!, numerous and somewhat more Sc
isc, hoJv ;,eiogs. still go on IN the old fash
;,n.,d ,,y =, are, when member has
once caught the Sp.. "ker's eye, his fortune
-, -. - laps foi the week.
Accordingly, he takes things S'sy rom .ne
very frst-kicks his spitioon to a I e''e"'I 81
angle, offers a lIbation of cold water - MS
paiched entrails, and begins. When Ut,
leaves off, is another matter altogether
but no, generally Till he has gone through
the round of human knowledge, explored
the past, touched lightly upon the present,
aud cast piercing glance upon the darkness
Iof the future. Soon after three, the Senate
adjouras tor dinner, and the orator of the
day goes to his pudding with the rest, happy
in the reflection that he has done his duty
10y his country, aud will do it again on the
morrow. We have somewhere read of
paradise of fools. Undoubtedly Congress
l.