The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-12-14
Chapter on ..shells.o BY Gov. Wise.

Among those gentlemen who sent letters to
the recent National Democratic demonstration
in the city of n. York, was the Hon. Henry A.
Wise, OF Virginia. His letter is quite long,
being commentary upon the politics of the
day; but we extract from it that portion which
treats of ''ShellS," scientific handling of the
subject which cannot fail 10 amuse while il IN
structs also. Mr.. Wise SAYS:
''You must not wonder that your Democratic
friends in Virginia are often confused by names
and things in New York. We wish to see
united Democracy there or the old grounds of
Jefferson and Jackson. We hear of Hard, and
Soft, and Haf-ShelIs, and the ideas we form of
them can be best illustrated by subject ofnat-
ural history. We have in our waters gentle
men, a crustaceous animal called a crab-a sea
fish-with fins and claws at both ends, but can
run either end foremost. Poke at him this way
and he runs that, that wav and he runs this
He is remarkable, gentlemen, for his claw, and
bis she'll is hard, very hard-hard enough for
barnacles to grow upon his back-and it will
not separate or be detached from the inner cut
cle. In that state he is the Hard Grab proper.
At another time, catch him and crack his claw
when he is hard be sure to crack his claw,
gentemen-and you will find that though his
outer she'll is still very bard yet it will separate
and can be detached from the inner cutice OF
film over the muscles He is tken called the
'Peelrr,' peeling his shell. Later, catch him
and you need not crack his CLAW to see what he
Is, for his outer she'll is then opening at every
suture, and the crab is swelling out Of lis Hard
and taking upon itself its Soft she'll. in fiat
state be IS called Buster bursting bis SHE'LL
And as 'Preler' or Buster he is very fat, and
bait fit 10 catch the very 'monarchs of the
deep with. Later still, he has slipped out Of
his hard she'll, by sort of peristaIit motion, and
left it along the strand. and has become wholly
soft crab. In that state he is good bait too,
and IS preyed upon BY hard crabs and other fish
IS, and be is inert aud can hardly crawl out of
harms way.
Then, again, this same crab, gentlemen, be-
gins to harden from soft to hard again, as he had
before Soltened from hard to soft. Found in
this his second intermediate state, he has become
poor but more active, is not so good bait and,he
is called ;Buckram,' for that he is so like the
fabric OF that name, and his she'll is then flexible
like vellum. So that you see we have an idea
OF some Hards who are 'Peelrrs, tending TO Soft,
and of some Soits who are :Euckrams,' tending
to Harris. Aud there is such HARDENING to
Soft, and such Soltening to Hard that we can
not distinguish the politicians of New-York as
we do the crabs-sometimes by sight, sometimes
by touch, and sometimes by cracking their
claws. But this do say, that think I can
see you are Democrats; that can distinguish
you, unmistakably, by the platform of principle
you have put forth and l am anxious and ready
TO stand by and with and for any portion of the
Democracy of New-Ior who will unite on the
platform OF civil and religious liberty, as defined
by the Constitution and bills of rights Of our
State and Federal Governments, and as defrn-
drd by our State Soverpi9 mites and our Federal
Union. ! cannotsand will not unite with anv
Wlmot proviso, with any dark lantern, or with
any sumptuary law party"