The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-11-06

Well, all 1 can say for myself is. that don't mean
to know any Hard Soft names, for any friends
who will unite with me in the mission o! the DE.
mocracy Ia proclaim and maintain the great Coo.
trine OF civil and religious liberty, and TO uphold
and enforce The Constitution 10 its sublime Prnci-
plies Of justice and equality
You must not wonder .hat your Democratic
friends in Virginia are often confused by names
and things IN New York. We wish to see a
tied d mocracy there the old grounds Of JEFF
f.rson and Jackson. We hear OF Hard, and Soft
and Hal! Shells, and the ideas form OF them
can be best illustrated by suhl"ct Of natural his
tory. We have in our waters, gentlemen, a cruS.
laceous animal called a crab-a fish, with fms
and claws ut both ends, and it run either end
foremost. Poke NJ him this way and he runs
rhat-tha, way and he runs this He is rcmar
kable, gentlemen, for his transformations. AT
tim" CHI HIM and crack his claw and his
shell is hard, very hard hari enough for harna-
cirs to grow up,n his back, and II wall nol srPar
ate or be detached from the inner cu'Icle. In that
state he is the II I'D Crab proper. At another
time, Catch him and crack his claw-wh"n he il
hard b" crack his claw, genllrmrn, and
you will find :har, though HIS outer shell - still
very hard, yet II will separate and can be detach-
ed from HE inner ou:ice film over the mus
cIrs. lie is then called the 'Perlrr, his she'll will
peel of from. without breaking the inner she'll
I.are5, oaich him. and you need not crack his claw
20 h,t h" is, tor his outer shell is then open
ing nj every sufurr, and the crab is swelling OUT
of lis Hard and taking upon itself its Soft Shell,
ln that state he is called q Buster bursting his
shell. And rs Peel = or Buster he is very Eat.
and haIr ~ catch The very 'monarchs OF The deep
with Later still. he las slipped gu. "I his hard
81, ii, by s'ri Of p"rstalic motion, and left 1t a.
long tine strand, uHd has bccome wholly a soft
crab. In that sale he is good bait too. and is
prry,d upon by hard crabs and other fishes aud
he ~ inert and can hardly crawl out OF harms
way. Then. ngnIn, This same crab, gentlemen.
begins To harden from soft to hard again. he
had before s0llrnrd from hard 10 soft. Found in
this his second Intermediate state, he has become
poor but more active, is not good Tor bait. and
he is called 'Buckram' for lha, he is like The
fabric Of that name. and his shell is then flexible
ike vtum So that you see we have an idea OF
some iIards no 'Peelers.' tending to Soft,
ard OF some Snis " no are Buck rams tending TO
Ilnrds. And there is such a Hardening to Soft
and such a Sohenine to Hard that cannot dis.
nguish The politicians of New York as we do the
crabs-snmetlmcs by sight, sometimes by touch,
and S"metiEIes by cracking their claws. But this
do say, that think can yOu ID mo-
Gratis that | oaD distinguish you, Enthusiastically,
by the platform Of principle you have put forth,
and | am anxious and ready to stand bv and with
and for any portion of the Democracy OF New
York who will unite the platform of civil and
reIigi ous liberty, defined by The Constitution
and bills Of rights OF our State and FEDERAL Gov.
ernmen;s and as defended by our State sovereign
ties and our Federal UEion. cannot and will
not unite with any WIlmot proviso, with any dark
lantern, with any summary law party
"And how is i, that New York is divided agains,
herself in this great cause, (which, down the tide
Of time. unborn ages yet will honor and admire 2
Cha ,hn ho ,Ao E
merce-she The city set upon hill, to waste her
strength, to exPend her substance, to dwarf her
influence, TO lower her dignity, TO eclipse the light
of her own fame and glory by distracting diVi.
sons, by disastrous discord, by confusion of her
friends and fusion OF her Toes. Rally and rescue!
Shall the spols separate us from each other and
from country? M! nor prncipaIlties,
powers. nor things present nor things 20 come
We will strike together, and strike home for our
God, our country and our Constitution
Yours, in the faith.
HENRY A. WISE.