Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-16

Or peevish, or melancholy about. Yet,
every few years, we look back and are ahT
surd enough to talk about the happy times
once enjoyed, and bemoan the present. |
Nonsense Who was ever happy for a
whole week together; or if he was, when
did he ever find it out until long time af-
forwards? Talk about " happness +" or
"blss' to all your acquaintances, and nine
out of ten will prefer to converse about
something where they can use words of
which they better understand the meaning.
Where happiness is enjoyed, it is almost
invariably a shadow cast back from the flu
ture. The present realities are very rarely
appreciated. To most persons the "good
time is always "coming'-it never comes!
But of all the absurd doings in "Vanity
Fair" the very climax is arrived at By our
President, when he intimates the feasibility
and propriety of river and harbor improve
ments by the States. Let us look at the
mater little. Here are the slower Rap
ids,' in the Mississippi, river navlgable
for two thousand miles, and washing the
borders of nine States, every one Of them
interested in the removal Of the Instructions
near Keokuk. Which of these States is to
make the improvement or will they unite
in kind Of confcderacy to improve the
navigation of national river? How are
they to regulate the laying of taxes on them
themselves for such a purpose? Will they
ever, or can they ever possibly accomplish
such an undertaking.? Can or will one
State do the work !? Does not the same
reasoning apply to the removal of snags or
any other distractions in the Mississippi,
world is the General Government for, if it
cannot perform such work as is necessary
for the welfare of more than one State, and
which no other earthly power can accom-
plish Works beneGting one State only,
we confess have no nationality; but there
are internal Improvements within the limits
Of the States which demand the attention of
the General Government, as well as those
in the Territories.
Grants of land within new, and conse-
quently poor States, for railroads, are due
to such States, as highly preferable to the
General Government holding so much land
within their borders, and thus causing it
to lie useless. But Mr.. Pierce thinks that
Uncle Sam is to look upon himself as an
avaricious land holder, who ought not by
any means to give up an acre of public
land, unless confident beforehand, of real-
zing handsome speculation.
| The President talks huently about a Pa
cifc Railroad, but if he has any settled
opinions on the subject, they do not appear
in the Message. Perhaps it was from this
portion that the befogged editors of the
Enquirer and Burlington Gazette thought
that the thieving lightning of the telegraph
| wires, had extracted the " sense
Lately there have been some other queer
doings in that portion of ''Vanity Fair"
held in Washington, which must strike every
person as peculiarly marking with folly the
present administration. The President was
borne into power on the shoulders of every
faction. He was nominated by a trick,
elected by a stragem; voted for blindly.
lie was placed in a difficult position, of
course. Flocking around him were strutting
pea-cocks, squealing pigs, gobbling turkeys,
yelping whelps, and q representative Of
every known species in the political world
and all to be fed out of the same basket of
provisions. No wonder if the puzzled Presi
dent scratched his head. To fern Cabi-
net he picked up a Dsunionist in Mississip
p, renegade Wing In Massachusetts,
Freesoiler in New York, and as nearly as
possible, representative of each faction.
They could not all agree with the President
in politics, but they could about accepting
Office.
| Next, to crafty the Freesoilers, Bronson
was Licsed out of Office in New York; then
to crafty the National Democracy, the
Hards in Massachusetts were formally in
structed that the President will have no tn
ing to do with Freesoilers, and will oppose
all coalitions with them. But the admins
tration was overwhelmingly defeated in New
York, and then the Cabinet instructed their
organ, the Union, to promulgate the doc
trine that the Compromise Of 1850 is to be
abandoned, disregarded, and not any longer
advocated by the Democracy. But this mani
| festo raised another excitement in the wig
wan, and now the President in his Mes
sage returns thanks for the Compromi Sc,
and is happy that it became law. What
is this dreadfully beset, beleaguered, and
wonderfully confused Administration trying
to do? The Union sees the party's failing
| destiny in the future, and goes down on its
knees to the once insulted, but now yictori-
Gus Hards, Of New York. 1t entreats them
to be quiet, and support the Administra
ton, or the whole party will fall to pieces,
and the Wings will go into power next
election. And so they will. The unright-
eous prayers of that old Lofoco sinner, the
Union, will avail nothing.
Among the funniest articles exhibited in
the Democratic quarter of 'sVanity Fair"
Just now, are the curses showered upon the
telegraph by the Democratic papers. The
Enquirer is sure President Pierce never said
such stupid things, and it is all the doing of