The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-10-01
PAYABLE IN ADVANCE,
THE VICTIM OF POLITICS.

Peter Brush, the victim Of politics, seated
upon the curb, will, his feet across the gut
ter, placed his elbow on stepping stone.
and, like Juliet on the balcony, leaned his
head upon his hanl-a hand that would
perhaps have Leen the better for n conver.
ing, though none would have been rash
enough to volunteer to be gove upon it.
l1o was in dlapidatcd condition-out at
! elbows, oat at knees, out Of pocket, out of
office, out OF spirits, and out in the street;
an "out and outer" in every respect, and
as outre mortal as ever tho eye of man
did rest upon. For some time Mr.. Bruslls
reflections had been silent. Following
iianlcts advice, "hc gave them m under
standing, but no tongue" and he relieved
himself at intervals by splitting forlornly
into the kennel. At length, suffering hi.
locked hands TO fall between his knees,
and hcaying deep sigh, he spoke:
GA long time ago, my ina used to put
on her spccks and say, Peter, my sou, put
not your trust in princes and from that
day to this, haven't donc anything Of the
kind, because none OH 'cm ever wanted TO
borrow nothing Of me; and I never see
prince or a kng-but one or two, and they
had been rotated out Of ofiice-to borrow
nothing of them. Princes! pooh. Put
not your trust in poi,icianers- my
sentiments. You might just rs we'll try tc.
hold an eel, for I've tried both, and know.
Put no, your trust in poli:icianc.s, or you!l
get hyst,
"Ien years ago it came ut, my head
that things wercn,! going on light so I
pretty nearly gave myself up tee totally to
the good of the Republic, and left the ship to
look out for itself. WAS Lrinful Of patri-
otism, and so uneasy in my mind for the
salvation Of freedom l couldn't work.
tried to guess which side was going to win.
and l stuck TO it like wax sometimes was
one side, sometimes | was a'tother, and
sometimes l straddled till the election was
over, and came up jist in time TO jine tho
hurrah. 1t was good was after; and
what good could do if wasn't on the
'lected side? But, after all, it was never a
bit ofuse. Whenever. TIE battle WIS over.
no matter what side was sharing out the
loayes and the fishes, and stepped up. I'll
be hanged if they didn't cram all they
could into their own mouths put their arms
over some, and grab at the rest with their
paws, and say: Go away, white man,
you ant capable Capable what's tho
reason ant capable? I've got rs extensive
throat as any of 'cm, and could swallow
the loavcs and fishes without choking, If
each loaf was as big as grind stone and
each fish as big as sturgeon. Give Peter
Il chance, and leave him alone for that.
Then, another time when called, Il want
some spoils, says l; a small bucketful of
spoils. Whichever side gets in, shares the
spoiis, don't thcy?' So they first grinned,
and then they ups and tells me that virture
like mine was its own reward, and that
spoils might spoil me. But it was no
spois that spoit me, and no loaf and fish
that starved me. I'm split because couldn't
get either.
"Put not your trust in politicianers; /
say it again. Both sides used me jist alike.
Here I've been serving my country, more
or less, these ten years, like patriot
going to town meetings, hurraing my day
lights out, and getting rs blue as blazesSS
blocking the windows, getting licked fifty
times, and having more black eyes and
bloody noses than you could shake stick
at, all for the common good, and for the
purity of our legal rights and all for whatf
Why for nix. Ifauy good has como of it, tho
country has put it in her own pocket, and
swlndcd me out Of my arnings. can't
get no office! Republics is ungrateful!
1t wasn't reward was after. I scorns the
base insinvation. I only wanted to be
took care OF, and have nothing to do but to
take care of the public; and I've only got
half-notling to do! Being took care of
was the main thing. Republics is migrate
ful! I am blasted, if they amt. This is
the way old aoldiers are surved! Well,
well live and learn-live and Learnt The
worlds not what man takes it for before
he finds it out. Whiskers grows sooner
than what experience does. Genus and
patriotism ant got no chance-an't got
nary look"
There is great demand for kind Of
plaster paper, says our city correspondent,