Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-09-30
The Disappointed Politician.


erlcan newspaper literature, muci
more current Years ago than now
which, i'll its inception in the 'Char
coal Sketches Of the late Joseph c
Neal, of Philadelphia, was extremely
f amuslng-l mean the detailed picture
OF hard cases found by the city watch
men at night, and brought before tn,
City Council in the morning, as Dog
berry says, to 'be examinationed:
Take single passage in the life O
'Peter Brush the victim of politics
Seated upon the curb, with his feel
across the gutter, he placed his elbow
OH a stepping stone, and like Juliet on
the balcony, leaned his head upon his
hand-a hand that would perhaps
have been the better of a covering,
though none wonld be rash enough
to volunteer to put glove upon it.
He was in a dilapidated condition-out
at elbows, out at knees, out at pocket,
out OF office, out Of spirits, and out in
the street an 'ont and outer in every
respect, and as outre a mortal as ever
the eve of man did rest upon. For
some time, Mr.. Brushs reflections had
been silent. Following HamIet's ads
vice, he gave them an understanding
but no tongue; and he relieved him<
self at intervals by splitting forlornlv
INTO the kennel. At length, suffering
his locked hands TO fall between his
knees, and heaving a deep sigh, he
spoke;
A long time ago, my ma used to put
on her specks and say Peter, my son,
put not your trust in princes ? and
from that day to this | haven't done
anything of the kind, because none
on 'em wanted to borrow nothing of
me; and ! never see prince or
klng-but one or two, and they had
been rotated out of ofice-to borrow
OF them. Princes /! pooh +
Put not your trust in politicianers |
them's my sentiments. You might
ust as we'll try to hold an eel by the
:all. | don't care which side they're
IN, for I've tried both an | now. Put |
1ot your trust in poIiticianers or you'll
get hyst.
Ten years ago it came into my head
hat things wern't going on right;
% | pretty nearly gave myself up tee
otaIly TO the good of the republic, and
eft the shop to look out for itself.
vas brimful of patriotism, and so un.
asy in my mind for the salvation of
reedom l couldn't work. | tried to
,uess which side was going to win,
nd stuck to it like wax; sometimes |,
was a one side, sometimes | was a
other, and sometimes | straddIed till ;
he election was over, and came up iist +
4 time TO jine the hurrah. 1t was
God Twas after; and what good could j
do If | wasn't on the 'lected side q
Int, after all, it was never a bit ofu~e.
Whenever the battle was over, no mat
IF what side was sharing out the =
'aves and fishes, and stepped up, I'll v
e hanged if they didn't cram all they Il
DuId into their own mouths, put their :
rms over some, and grab at all the f
9st with their paws, and say; Go d
way white man, you amt capable s
apable ! What's the reason ] amt St
apable? I've got as extensive It
lroat as any of 'em, and | could "
vallow the loaves and fishes without o
loking, if each loaf was as big as a :
and each fish as big as a .a m
urgeon. Give Peter a chance, and ', "
ave him alone forthat. Then anoth- -
time when / called: 4 want th
me spoils, says l; "a small to
Icket full of spoiIs. Whichever side al
is in shares the spoils, don't they ? be
} they first grinned, and then they su
IS and tells me that virtue like mine tie
as IFS own reward, and that spolls th
ght spoil me. But it was no spoils at
at spoilt me, and no loaf and fish he
at starved me I'm split because | n
uldn't get either. Put not your M
lst in poIiticianers, | say it again. ~ ~
'th sides used me jist alike. Here ~ n,
e been serving my country, more ID ID
less, these ten years, like a patriot -
ing to town meetings, hurraing my
ylights out, getting as blue as blazes ar,
'cking the windows, getting licked wi
y times, and having more black pa
IS and bloody noses than you could ch
Ike a stick at, all for the common wo
ID, and for the purity of our illegal &c
hts; and all for what? Why, for
:. If any good has come out Of it,
country hiss put it into her own lar