Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-10-21
The Victim Of Politics.

refer Dfush the victim OF politics, seated
upon the curb. with his feet across the gut
ter placed his elbog on a stepping stone, and
like Juliet on the balcony, leaned upon his
hand-a hand that wonld, Perhaps. have
been the better for a covering, though none
would have been rash enough to volunteer
to be a glove upon it. He.was in a dilapi.
dated condition out at elbows, out at knees,
OF pocket, out of Office, out of spirits,
and out in the street an . out and outer In
every respect, and as 0ltre a mortal as ever
the eye of man did rest upon. For some
time Mr.. Brush's reflections had been silent.
following Hamlet's advice, he gave them
g understanding, hut no tongue Z and he
Iteyed himself - intervals BY spittinc for
. fht61fBe ge1n6f. At fength, suffer
Phg 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, hav'nt done anything of the kind, be-
cause none on EN- ever wanted to borrow
nothing Of me and I never see a prince or
a king-but one or two, and they had been
rotated out of ofice-to borrow nothing of
them. Princes! pooh! Put not your trust
in politlcianers-them's my sentiments.-
You might just as we'll try to hold an eel,
for I've tried both, and | know. Put not
your trust in politicianers, or you'll get a
hyst.
"Ten years ago, it came into my head that
things weren't going on right; so l pretty
nearly gave myself up tee-totally to the good
Of the Republic, and left the ship to look out
for itself. | was brimful of patriotism, and
SO uneasy in my mind for the salvation of
freedom couldn't work. | tried to guess
which side was going to win, and I stuck to
1t like wax; sometimes [ was acne side,
some times | was a-tother, and sometimes /
straddled till the election was over. and came
up jist in time to jine the hurrah. 1t was
good L was after and what good could / do
if l wasn't on the Elected side? But after
all, it was never a bit of use. Whenever the
battle was over, no matter what side was
sharing out the loaves and fishes, and |
stepped up, I'll be hanged if they did'n
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 amt capable Capable
what's the reason I amt capable? Pve got
as extensive a throat as any of 'em, and ]
could swallow the loaves and fishes without
choking, if each loaf was as big as a grind
stone, and each fish as big as a sturgeon
NAfS ASSSA q cbLlS anu III dIOI1O lOl
that. Then, another time when | called
{ | want some spoils, says l; a small buck
ct full of spoils. Whichever side gets in
shares the spoils, don't they?' So they frs
grinned, and then they ups and tells me tina
virtue like mine was its own reward, ant
that spoils might spoil me. But it was ~
spoils that spoilt me, and no loaf and fsI
that starved me. I'm split because [ could'n
get seither.
"Put not your trust in politicianers I sa,
it again. Both sides used me jist alike
Here Pve been serving my country, more 0
less, these ten years, like a patriot-goin,
to town meetings, hurraing my daylight
out, and getting as blue as blazes-blockini
the windows, getting licked fifty times, an,
having more black eyes and bloody nose
than you could shake a stick at, all for tn
common good, and for the purity of our le
gal rights and all for what? Why, fo
nix. If any good has come of it, the coun
try has put it in her own pocket, and swir
died me out of my earnings. / can't get n
Office! Republics is ungrateful! 1t WASH.
reward | was after. Iscorns the base insin
walton. | only wanted to be took care 0
and have nothing to do but to take care G
the public; and Pve only got half-nothin
to do! Being took care of was the mai
thing. Republics is ungrateful! Pm bla
ted if they amt. This is the way old sol,
iers are served! Well, we'll live and lear
live and learn The worlds not what
man takes it for before he finds it out
Whiskers grows sooner than what experien,
does. Genus and patriotism amt got !
chance-an't got nary look