Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-11-29
stump Eloauencc.

The following are extracts from an ad-
mirable specimen Of a kind of oratory
and literature, the fun of which is Who'll
ly OF American growth. 1t will yet be
the basis of vein OF national humor.-
The passages are from speech, given
in the Sunday Courier under the head
of California Correspondence" and
said TO have been delivered at San Fran
cisco, by "Governor Dorr," to ten thous-
and people:--
"fslio,c Republicans and fellow suf-
fcrers:-I an plain and modest man,
born at an early period of my existence
which great event occurred at home
one night while my mother was out-I
have struggled from the obscurily, to
which an unlucky star had doomed me,
till | have risen like a bright exhalation
IN the evening 10 the very summit of
human greatness and grandeur. Gen.
tlemen, | profess no principles--unfor-
tunately have none. On the unhappy
occasion of my birth, dismal and mel
ancholy man, clothed in the sober hues
of morning, snapped me away for an
other baby, and subsequently lost me a,
a rattle. Sad event! but who can con-
troll his fate? We are the creatures of
destiny-"there is divinity that shapes
our ends, rough hew them as we will"
Il was intended by nature for a great
statesman. Had lived in the days of
Hannibal, | should have beaten that great
chieftain in crossing the Alps; and it is a
dead certain thing that could have dis
tanced Cortez in crossing the Isthmus.
He never performed the feais did: he
never come up to Chagres river in
canoe, with deaf and dumb shombre,'
without red cent, or change of summer
apparel. But light heart and Thin
pair of brecches goes merrily through
the world
'.Sir, every man who has come here
is Columbus. He coiAes to discover
new diggings. | am Columbus!
was dead broke at home as Columbus
was, and | have come out here to strike
anew. But am not going TO the mines!
Oh, no. You don't catch me UP to my
waist in ice water, with juvenile pick
axe and an incipient crow-bar, laboring
under sun Of 100 deg. in the shade, to
dig out the filthy lucre. No, Sir! | am
not on that lay. hate labor--it was an
invention to vex mankind. | prefer an
Office, one that is lucrative and not la
borious; what you call sinecure. And
1T | cannot get one myself, | will go in
tor any man who will divide on the dead
level. and no split.
''Sr. where will you find a country
like this. Talk not OF the oriental gor-
geousness of eastern countries. Tell us
not Of the fairy scenes which poets, who
revel in the great warm bath of heavenly
imaglnations, paint, with golden pens,
on leaves of satin. The description of
this beautiful country should be written
with the golden wand of an angel dipped
in the softest rays of the sunbeam upon
the blushing and delicate surface of
rose-leaf. Excuse me, gentlemen, ex-
cept only the rainy season and the time
when the dust flies.
"We love our native land-we honor
her flag, and would not rob the Custom
House if we had fair show. But
Congress must not put on any airs, or
we will take charge of the Custom
House and POST Office, and make great
muss generally. These are my senu-
ments, gentlemen. If they don't admit
US into the Union, we will burst open
the Custom House and admit ali liquors
free of duty. And now, with parting
blessing upon the girls we left behind
us, and the boys who are coming after
US, we will adjourn to take private
drink"