Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1852-05-22
I1lVIE-II7I'
THE EARTHQUAKE In CONGRESS.

A Senator sat in his cushioned chair,
His head on its back and his feet in the air.
The true Senatorial attitude
Grave and serene was his honored mien,
No sleeker Senator was ever seen,
And he felt himself that he never had been
In greater state Of beatitude
He thought Of his good eight collars a day,
OF the six good years he had there to stay,
OF his mileage and countless "perquisites,"
His pickings and other Congressional sweets,
His lest great speech and his next good dinner,
And he thought to himself, GAS | am sinner,
This Washington CTy's a snug old town,
And mighty great man is Senator Brown!
The hour was one, and all was still,
When suddenly shook the Capitol Hill
Senators shook with fear as with cold,
The earthquake shattered the nerves Of the bold
And upset the wits Of the weaker;
Some called out "order!" and "silence!" some
While others were struck by agony dumb,
And sat, content to remain quite mum,
But mplorngy eyeing the Speaker.
Down on his knees dropped Senator b.,
Disturbed in his dream of felicity.
lie thought that his final hour had come;
That the earthquakes roll was the roll Of the
drum
To summon sinners, to strike them dprab,
And with terror dread sppal them,
For he hath very distinct idee,
Whether drum trumpet should be
The instruments to call them.
While looking horror of fears,
And expecting the walls about bis ears,
Before his mind, like flash appears
A vision of all his mispent years
A vision dim of phantoms grim
who had pressed their claims with prospects slim
OF getting redress--in the interim,
They died worn out with patience;
And now before his mind they swim,
Some shaking their private claims at him,
And some French Spoliations
Each with grin the Senator moeks,
Each ruined Congressional claimant,
And he thought, il | once get out Of this box,
I'll 60 in for their speedy payment!
But little he thought, poor Senator b.,
That he should e'er be permitted to see
The bright to-morrow's sun come,
And he trembled to think, so was he unnamed,
Ofhis one little speech for the good Of the land,
And his ninety-nine for Buncombe
He trembed as no one eer can tell,
As he tried to think if he had spent well
His loved eight dollars a day;
And he thought, with dread unspeakabe,
Ofthe little he'd done for principle,
And the vast amount forpay'
hiAtN Will HIS ltdib was Il Hlidlt bl ItHItlf
For he could not altogether forget
His greatness in the nation
But he somehow thought that there might be
found,
Even the world 10 which he was bound,
The.honor and pay Of his station
Still might he get his eight dollar fee,
And sill be honorable Mr.. b.,
And mileage too-now, who could tell
The journey was very long towel
But then the earth gave another shake,
And set poor B. in a terrible quake.
lie sank in a swoon, but the earth grew still,
And the Senators gathered in right good will
And stretched him out on the pallets
But by and by his senses got back,
And he woke to a speech of Senator Clack
And the noise ofthe Speakers mallet.
lie rubbed his eyes, and he rubbed his nose,
And an anxious glance around he throws,
On the floor and up at the ladies';
For be fancied he smelt both sulphur and smoke,
And wasn't quite sure that he hadn't awoke
To a morning session in IIades
He rose to his feet an altered man,
Home to his lodgings he almost ran,
And to Mrs Browne he wrote It's said,
The lovingest lerer she ever had read.