The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1852-10-15
@THE COMBAT THICKENSp

ton The Wings Triumphant and in Ec-
stacies!- The Locos Dum6founded and Crest
fallen THE Democracy ioithOW Enihu-
siGm!-Forpdr@ Boys, Scott leads The Van!
Since our last publication day much has
transpired to render the canvass entertaining,
at least to the wings. At every step the
prospect brightens for the old hero, and in
every development defeat is most signally
indicated to the democracy and to their new
tangled champion.
Grand were the preparations for the great
Democratic Mass Meeting at Charleston
Large Show Bills were printed in glowing
capitals, and scattered throughout the length
and breadth Of twelve counties A large and
enthusiastic delegation was promised from
Knox and BlOunt, with streaming banners,
rolling balls, roaring cannons, and squeaking
fddles. The most brilliant talent of this
and other States was to be present. The
aTch-democrat of Tennessee, the overseer of
all overseers, was to be there, and n large
crowd would attend to see his smiling face,
or to witness the ebulitions of his sad
heart" To be sure East Tennessee vii come
out en- masse to hear the werld-renowned
high priest, the whiom indomitable hero of
Mount Pisgah, once more. But alas! men
are so often doomed to disappointment in this
ungrateful world of ours. And now, reader,
after all these notes of preparation, these
tocsins of alarm, these whistles of their
Rhoderic Dhus, would you,believe us when
we assure you that the whole thing was a
wretched failure, or in Eastman's more elias
sic language, complete miserable ".fz2le."
1t is no less astounding than true-and we
assure our friends abroad to rest easy-tO
sleep quietly upon their pillows that not
over fifteen hundred of the masses of the
aforesaid twelve counties assembled where
six thousand were expected. No enthusiasm
prevailed the speeches Of the eloquent gen.
tlemen fell on the crowd as upon cold mar
bic, meeting no response from bosoms which
in days of yOre were wont to warm into life
and to burn and glow at the signal Of their
leaders The name of Pierce had in it no
charm for the crowd, and there was none of
that eager rushing and those enthusiastic
shouts, which we have so often seen and
heard in this land of "IIiwassec and Ocoee
Democracy"
We were not present, but our friends ma
ny of them were, and all the accounts we
have heard both from wings and candid DEM
ocrats, confirm us in what we say. We ar
rive at our estimates of the numbers present
| from their accounts and from the crowds
that passed over the Railroad each way. a
friend of ours at Cleveland writes us, "the
cars containing the delegations from Georgia,
Hamilton and Bradley passed here with 100
persons"
But the most beautiful part of the whole
thing was the train that passed this place
bearing the immense delegations from Knox,
Blount, Roane, Monroe, and part of McMinn.
The ears reached here about noon, and we
maintain what we said in our last, (for we are
posted up by the Railroad receipts upon the
subject) that not $50 persons composed the
vast delegations from these five counties =
And in this count are included the big Ball."
the "Skinned Horse" the "Whig Pyramid"
the young Hickory Lancers," one drum,
two fddles, one OK, and a fellow with red
cravat around his neck. As the train rolled
up faint yell was raised from the cars with
the hope of reviving the dropping spirits of
the small squad who were here waiting in
dreadful suspcnse-but not a voice from the
platform answered the signal. The yelling
alluded to was mainly put forth by the afore-
said "young hickory lancers," which was n
ridiculous looking crowd from Knoxville,
consisting of just 81 Counting their hags)
holding in their hands a short hickory club
with strip of red cambria about foot long
tied on one end, with the significant words
upon it, young Hickory Lancers'' and a
Rooster. This company q reminded us ex-
actly of that memorable one which was COM
manded by Falstatf in times long gone by
the fellows whom that redoubtablc knight
had pressed, "with hearts in their bellies no
bigger than pins heads" consisting of San
clients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of
companies, that looked like Lazarus in the
painted cloth where the glutton's dogs licked
his sores; and such as indeed were never SOL
ders; the cankcrs of a calm world and long
pcace;"-"that you would think he had a
hundred and fifty tattered prodigals, lately
come from swne-keeping, from eating draft
and husks" -"as if he had unloaded oil the
gibbets and pressed the dead bodies" "No
eye hath seen such scarecrows." We do
not say that this was an eract description of
the "young hickory lancers," but we ioere
forcbly reminded when looking at them of
the pitiiul fellows which Falstaf said were
STOOD for powder" 'good enough to toss"