Washington sentinel., 1853-11-09
.FALsE AS pIcER,s oATHs.y

/
We have read speech recently made by
John Van Buren in New York city, the same
one, we presume, which the Psmsyloapias de.
signates as 1running sore of scandal," during
the delivery of which that convenient politician
proposed "three cheers for Gen. Cassr' We
cannot but believe, from our impression of Mr..
Van Buren's easy political virtue, that the sue
cessful embarrassment Of a measure involving
great principle--fo instance, the annexation
Of Texas, the election of democratic Presi-
dent like Gen. Cass, the passage of laws de-
signed to keep this Union intact ct--would be by
him regarded IA good joke II strikes us,
also, that this proposition Of his, to cheer Gen.
Cass, was an act either Of grossly immoral
shamelessness or n severe irony, intended to
cast insult upon Gen. Cass and his friends.
When we finished the reading of this speech Of
scandal and loose sentiment, we could not re-
sist the exclamation of line from Horace,
which we render in plain English:
g Go seek astyaage, 10 5eiiere Thy lies r
Upon this point we publish the following ad-
mirable anecdote, illustrative Of the position
now occupied by Mr.. John Van Buren,, from
valued correspondent in Fauquier county, Vir-
ginia. ,e M
FAUoUIER County, Va, Nov.7, 1853.
TO the Editors Of the Sentinel:
Feeling an earnest sympathy with the hdrds,
III the contest now waging in the State OF New
York, l have not been an inattentive observer
of passing events. .sa
The course of John Van Buren has presented
vividly to my mind an aneodote, the facts Of
which occurred in a Virginia county court, not
many years SINCE There was, in that old State,
amongst many other distinguished men, one
yclept, 1Crao Horton" known, in many of the
tide-water and Piedmont counties, as an ac-
complished "s,ceat player that being the game
by which "Crabn lived and supported his fami-
ly. Crab had exhibited his game in the town
of Fredericksburg. The grand jury indicted
him for a violation Of the statute against I'M;
lawful gaming That statute prohibited games
by name, such as faro, e. O., Q. s. A., and all
other games decidedly Jarorable TO the eriibitor.
Upon the trial, the question was raised, whe-l
ther, or not, Crabs game Of snedt was within
the general prohibition, the game not being
named in the statute; and, if prohibited, in
cluded in the general description Of games de-
cideclly .tarorable to the exhibitor. Learned
counsel for the State and the accused entered
into a trial by figures, and calculated to ascer-
tain the fact One calculation showed the game
to be favorable to the better, another to the er-
hibitor, and another proved it to be perfectly
far. In this state of doubt and uncertainty in
relation to matter of crime, the court, leaning
to the side Of mercy, decided that if "Crdbp
would put himself upon platform that is to
say, if he would pledge his irord of honor that
he would not exhibit "stceat" in Fredericks-
burg again, the Indictment should be dismissed.
Crabs counsel communicated the terms to him,
which he readily accepted, and came into court
to put himself upon the platform and give the
required pledge. He delivered himself as fol-
lows:
"Gentlemen, Of the court: pledge my word
Of honor, as gentleman, that will never again
exhibit my game in Fredericksburg, By Cod"
and struck with the righteousness Of the whole
scene, he could not hold in until he cleared the
courthouse door, but involuntarily broke out
into into the most sonorous hawll haw!! hawll
hawl! ha-w!! And in less than one hour
Crab was exhibiting the biggest game of sweat
ever played in Fredericksburg.
The application ! leave you to make. My
own conclusion is, that i win never trust
"s,ceat players word that he will never exhibit
his game again fhe can make any thing by
it, he is sure to forfeit his pledge of honor the
security is worthless.
Very truly, your friend. m @