The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-10-31

under the sun !" Progression is not con-
fined to Utilities alone there is progress,
also, in Slams. 1t is curious to observe the
degrees of ingenuity employed in many de-
p,rtm ,nts of Hambag. Ole of these we
propose to notice. tu-i
All through the past it has been custom
airy to reward patriotism, valor, virtue with
valuable mementos of popular appreciation.
In the old world, orders, degrees, dignities,
were created by sovereigns in part for this
purpose. In our own land, many Of the
great ones have been the recipients Of tes-
timOnials which have been fairly earned, and
worthily bestowed. And there is an ex-
cceding fitness in the decd-hOaOrable alike
to the donors and recipients. JACKSON,
CLAY, WEBSTER, CALHOUN, ana Others, ear
licr than they, whose type Of character was
of the heroic, have left behind to their fam
lilies valuable memorials testifying not only
of the good deeds done in the body" but
of the intelligence and virtue of the people
who coald at once appreciate and reward
them. There was once some disccrniblc
utility in public presentations. They were
originally grateful offerings, fresh and free
from the popular heart, and laid at the feet
Of acknowledged genius and worth. AS
such they were proper indictments to good
deeds, and thns positive aids to virtue But
this, like almost every good, genial idea, has
fallen under the ban of Humbug Public
presentations became source Of prominence
before the public, and vain men, who had
ambition to be spoken of in the public prints,
in conncxion with some imaginary virtue !;
anil weak men, who had no inherent force of
character to command public attention, but
who did possess money sufficient to purchase
a silver salver, or a gold watch, or jew
eled snuffbox, gave eclat to such purchase,
by having it come to them through the
forms Of presentation, duly inscribed with
the names of a crowd of men who
were glad to embrace the opportunity Of
good dinner, fanked with good wine, at
no other expense than short compliment
airy speech.
We were present at one Of these sham
presentations, which traasp;rcd in an East
ern city year ago. A member of the
Newly ork Legislature, who had the misfor
tune TO be Ounce, and the good luck to be
wealthy. and the vanity to desire public nren
ton in the papers, purchased an elegant ser
vice of plate, ordered an expensive supper,
Toasted some hundred men, was presented
in fulsome speech with his own property
after tho must approved method in such
cases made and provided, and gained a no
roriety and consequence thereby, which, with
the help of judicious use Of money in 9th
er directions, it is confidently expected vii
some day make him member of Congress
1t was very farcical, disgusting perform
ance, to few who were initiated into the
secret, but it had its effect upon the mass o.
COMMANDERS, and will probably tell upon thu
polls at the proper time.
/ Analogous to these sham presentations
are Public Dinners, Complimentary Suppcrs
and the like. We look upon them all will
we'll grounded suspicion. They are nine on
of every ten, contemplate shams, got up TO
the purpose of bolstering up some rascal, o
sublmating some Ounce. But beyond al
these, in their farcical phases, are sham inv
tations to suppers never intended to be cooked
served, or eaten. This is the most pusi
animous sham with which we are acquaiDt
ed. Its only Office is to create an occas(o
for publicly putting and beslavering the shan
guest with the fulsomeness of sham praise, fo
the purpose of giving him sham positio
before his own people, or a sham reputatio
abroad.
The late invitation to the Hon. H. NJ
RICE, extended by the trio of worthless, W
named yesterday, belonged to this last elias
of pigmy shams. Yet the invitation wa
duly paraded in the columns of the Democrc
and Mnnesotian, as an endorsement by tn
, people of Minnesota of their Delegate whol
they repudiated three weeks ago, at til
polls. 1t was very puny sham, quite I'll
smallest within the range of our ife's Obse
vation.
st. Anthony Election.