Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-07-14
The Whig Grand RalIy''-Seur Scott
SORp and MOuldY Graham Bread.

we Teau ABOUT tnese Va III Tue WuiS
prints, boasting accounts about the "great
enthusiasm" which prevails in the ranks Of
whiggery at the present time on account of
the nominations Of their Baltimore Conven-
tion, and if we were TO credit their bloyiat-
ing stories, we should be inclined to think
that the grand scenes of 1910 were being
repeated, minus the "hard cider" "ginger
bread, ,""tow suits and log cabin buttons"
their place being supplied with ahasty soup"
*bran bread" and military trappings and
gew-gaws. The exhibition of this enthu.
siasm, however, is always made away off
here, or away off there, and adistanee lends
enchantment to the view
But last Saturday was the day set apart
for sre.kindling the fires of ls4oo in the
xbenighted region of Old Portage. On
that day were to be had veritable 3mani-
iestations" from the departed spirit'' Of
40. Accordingly every preparation was
made for sgrand rally" of whiggery.
Large and flaming handbills, printed on
red, green, and yellow paper, (the different
colors doubtless intended to represent the
various shades and differences of opinion in
that harmonious party,) were sent abroad
I into the country and stuck up in every high
way and by-way that their runners could
penetrate, announcing that Cyrus Prentiss,
Hon. Hiram Griswold, Hon. Danl. R. Til
den and Hon. Van R. Humphrey would
address the assembled multitude, and call
ing on all the people 10 turn out. The ban.
ners of the Cleveland wings were procured
with which to decorate our streets and sap
peal to the intelligence Of the people," The
services of an excellent Brass Band were OBJ
tanned to enliven the exercises. In fact,
every preparation was made for @grand
rally" of all the "live coons' in the county.
The day previous, bills were posted all
over town and sent into the country by be-
ing pasted on the hind end of carts and
Wagons in the streets, proclaiming that
Hon. D. R. Tilden, who played the part Of
John the Baptist Of whiggery, by going be.
fore to prepare the way, would address the
people a, the whig Club room that evening.
During the day, little scrawny, crooked,
skinned tamarac pole, fiji emblem Of
that party, was hauled on to the public
square and hole dug to receive it. Just
as night was drawing her curtains about
the earth, a few sleek coons crawled out Of
their hiding places and got about the pole
for the purpose of raising it, but upon try
ing their strength upon it they foundit mo'd
not bulge. Accordingly the bell was rung
for recruits, but no recruits came. They
finally agreed to suspend operations until
after Tilden's speech, when they would
make another desperate effort. Tilden let
| himself loose to an audience of some 40 or
so, third or more Of which were demo-
Gratis and free soilers, and after he had clos.
ed another effort was made to raise their
| skinned pole, but again they failed in that
effort, and abandoned it until morning,
some of them cursing the hour that that
pole was brought. and some Of them de-
claring they would have given five dollars
If i, never had been got.
At length the long looked-for morning
or the l0th-the dawn of that proud day
for whiggery-had arrived. Suspended
| from cord across our main public thoro'
fare were the wbig banners, proudly float
ing in the morning breeze, among them the
image OF Gen Scott, Absalom like, suspend
ed by the hair. That was, indeed. the
dawning Of a great day. All was life and
animation. A dozen wings might have
been seen running to and fro about the
streets, looking anxiously "away down east,
and away down south, away down west,
and away up north, !" for the incoming
crowds. About o'clock another Skinned
pole. somewhat straighter and smoother
than the FIRST. was brought upon the ground
and by sendiug off and getting the assist.