The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-07-20
LITTLE GREAT MEN IN WASHING.


We copy, says the Cleveland (Ohio) Plain-
dealer, the following from an exchange paper,
which ID a true picture of the great men al home
who visit the capital Of the nation
Geeat men back in the country are little
men in Washington. They find ten thousand
other men as great as themselves. They lose
their indemnity, like q pea in barrel Of peas
They are drops in the wave of Senators, Rep
resentativcs, Governors, and illustrssimi, that
surge up and down the avenue. Our little great
man don't look for this, and he is disappointed
at every turn. He expects the landlord, when
he sees him, to salaam to the ground in adora-
ton. The landlord merely mods, a. he might
TO an osuer, and resumes his business. "1'll
take" says the little great man, ga parlor and
bed room in the second story" for he means to
sit in state and receive distinguished guests
"All full, is the answer, "now putting down
| cots in the garrett, you can have half one.
| And so our little great mantle omnipotent OF
a country or town-is driven to share the pre-
Curious fortunes cfa straw-tck, with another
great man, as Little as himself. This is the
precursor and type of his Washington expert.
encr. He visits the White Hosse, and send:
up his card "Here," he says pensively, "my
name is known" The servants returns SCAN
see you, he announces, .'too busy" When die
he say should call ?" asks the little great mar
family "Said nothing about it, is the reply
sab hum = and the little great man walks
away sucking the knob OF his umbrella, ant
sw airing condign vengeance on the President
"Punkville,' he mutters, "shall hear OF it.
The Departments next engross his attention
There at least he will be W. lcome. His paste
board overlures are here likewise spurned-
Finally, he obtains access to the Postmaste
General or the Secretary Of the Treasury, bu
he il one of an "undistinguishabe throng
There is no sitting down for an hour, chatterini
Familiarity over cigar, picking out snui
berth for himself, and conf ,rtably arranging
Punkvi!le affairs after his own heart. He is
nobody among nobodies, and, as he. has nothin
to say for himself, he concludes to retire
The little great man learns, fJr the first time
that he is ''no great shakes" at Washington
His ind gnation gradually GIBBS, as he sees te
thousand other little great men in the same fiji
He moderates his ambition. At first he repu
dated anything smaller than a foreign mission
} a consulship, or the head of bureau. He wi
now take clerkship, an agency, or any othe
little tr Ae of that sort. But, huniliating spec
tacle Even this is denied him
The little great man generally retires wit
others of his sort, at this crisis, and gets exceed
ingly drunk. horrible fascination still chain
him to the capital lie has vague expectatio
Of yet securing prize. He is only awakenc
from the pleasing delusion by the consciousness
OF diminished means. He must hurry home 9
+ be stranded high and dry on borrowles shore
He goes, and Punkville is treated the next 81
months TO TRADE on the President and Cabine
or, (Which is, perhaps, the better way) is mad
| to believe that their great man at home was
great man abroad, and ate, rode, slept, talke
and drank with the "powers that be-" on tn
, most intimate and confidential terms !; but Fl
, some mysterious reasons, that he don't choose
, explain, didn't get an Office for his own use
8 for any body's else.