The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-03
VOL. X.

braska resolutions, that Clark, Tappan, or some
of them, would be sure to bring up, some time
along in the session. They knew far subtler
things; so that, while such large numbers oil
men, all over the State, who were ardent poll
ticians, were sitting uneasily, walking unea
silly, were chewing more tobacco than ever,
splitting more than ever, were shifting their
hands from beneath their coatskirts to the arm
hole of their wais:coats, and narrowing their
eyes to look afar off, they kept themselves in
repose, as if they were three autocrats. Sim
ply because they knew. They made no foolish
boasts and displays even of what and how
much they knew. 1t isn't knowledge like
theirs that does the boasting and the clamor-
ing and especially it isn't wisdom like theirs
They knew what Morrison would do, and
what Kittredge; Tor, at least, SO people fancied
from their "oracular silence;') whether the
Free Soil party would undertake to snap them
up-whether they would be snapped up; as
we'll as what chance Wells would have with the
entire Coalition, and more too, and Clark at
their head, against him.
They somehow knew Know Nothingism from
the beginning. and = let it utterly alone. A
great many others Of their party, who were
really good men, took it up at first, to subsist
upon It little, to thrive by it if they could
soon dropping it, though, as they would hot
potato. These said they dropped it because it
was not fit to be held, it was so worthless con-
Germ while the other parties said it was be-
cause they, the Wings and Free-Soilers, scram-
bled. and got it away from them. Our three
friends knew which was right, though. And
one thing is certain-they had no taunts and
large accusations against the parties or the
men that had in the end closed SO snugly with
the Know Nothings, to work with them, to help
them, and in their turn, to be helped by them.
One thing they said, however, land many a
Free Soiler said the same with sober face,
as if he felt it,) otis bad for them things Ia
king such a turn ; for it puts the great legiti-
mate question of the day half out of sight. So
that it isn't, on all hands, as it ought to be
" Freedom or Slavery"-a grand question, by
the way, for any party, for any man, to propose,
to keep steadily proposing, whatever mistakes
they or he may sometimes make IN attempts
at a practical solution. But it is" Here
Look what shall we do to upset all the old
mysteries and mummeries OF Rome? What
to smash the Administration? And not, In
reality with half of those that clamor, because
the Administration is pro.Nebraska; not be.
cause it is really felt to be a religious obliga-
TO give the Pope of Rome some such thump
on his head, to keep him from swallowing the
whole United States at a gulp; but, in reality,
with large numbers of them, that is because
Young America likes to be smashing things.
And, besides, Young America wants clear
path to heaps of money" and to place wants
nobody in it before them, to impede them for
Young America is in a tremendous hurry, al
ways tremendous; can't stop for anything
not even to chew their dinners, and so they
swallow them, cucumbers and all, whole; not
even for the venerable and the way.worn to
move out of their way, and so they rudely jostle
them; not for the odd Irish," so they " set
them going" not for the old office holders,
{" Fogies," Young America calls them,) to
come down, ain the fullness of times" from
their places so, see the Administrative forces
scatter" This is a pet word of Young Amer
lea" SCATTER!"l See Congress, the State
Legislatures, on the right and On the left, see
half the forces and policies of the nation, nice
ly made over and patted down, in few months!
See that?
Our three friends, it must be confessed, did
now and then hold their breaths, did row and
then feel considerably stunned, while they
stood still to see in what unprecedented fash
ion things went on. They knew well enough
that our smartest of all smart little Granite
States had already put on her over-shoes and
gathered up her skirts, to follow her sisters.
But they strove to comfort themselves by look
ing to what was beyond. So they said to them
selves, to each other and to all who came near
them, fretting and catching hold of their locks,
"We will wait. This is what we have got to
do--wait year or two. We may as well wait
quietly"
Some there were who still kept hold of their
hair, taking crazy steps; and after all the phllo
sophical suasion, tdrrsd on their heels, Mt last,
to go away, saying, "Ah, the d--ll" Others
accepted the reasonings, but were inwardly sick
at heart, so that they went away with slow
steps and eyes on the ground, heavily ponder
ing