Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-03-27
p Oct R Y.
THE FIGHT OVER THE BODY OF
KEITT.
IA FRAGMENT FROM THE GREAT AMERICAN EPIC,
THE wAsIISGToNIAN.)

"a FRAGMENT FROM THE GREAT AMERICAS rric
THE wAsIISGroNrAN)
From Punch.
Sing Q goddess, the wrath, the onOmOLlc dander of
Ket of South Carolina, the clear grit, the tall, the
| oudauntcd--
Him that hath wopped his own niggers till Northern
ers all unto keitt
Seem but niggers to wop, and hills of the smallest
potatoes.
Late aud long was the fight OH the Constitution of
kansas
Daylight passed into dusk, and dusk into lighting Of
Still Oh the floor of the house the heroes unwearied
were fighting
Dry grew paates and tongues with excitement and
Plugs were becoming exhausted, and Representatives
also,
| Who led on to the war the anti-Lecomponite pha-
anx2
Grow, hitting straight from the shoulder the Penn
sylvania Slnsher;
Him followed Hickman aud Potter the wiry from
woody Wisconsin;
washburnc stood with his Observation-Disclosures stood
with Elihu;
Broad Illinois sent the one and woody Wisconsin the
other.
Mott came mild as new milk, with gray hairs under
his broad brm,
Leaving the first chop location and water privilege
near il,
Held by his fathers of old on the wowfringed banks
of Ohio.
Wra'hy Covodc, too, saw, and Montgomery ready
for mischief
Who against these to the floor led the Lecompon-
lite legionsy
Keitt of South Carolina, the clear grit the tall the
ond ,untcd-
Keitt and Reuben Davis, the ra'a hoss of wild Mis-
sissippi;
Barksdale, wearer of wigs, and Craige from North
Carolina;
Craige aud scorny Mcqueen, and Owen, and Love
These Mississippi to the war, "es junct in uno"
Long had ragged the warfare of words; it was four in
the morning;
Whiting and cxpectoraton and liquorn' all were ex-
huusted,
When Keitt, tired of talk, bespake Reu. Davis, 40
Reuben,
Grows tarraton blackguard, and I've concluded to
clinch him."
This said, up to his feet he sprang, and oosnng his
choker,
Strengthened himself for grip, bar-huntcr down
in Arkansas
Squares to 60 in at the bar, when the dangerous
mint is cornered.
Come out, Crow, he cried you Black Republican
puppy,
Come ON the floor like man. aud darn my eyes, but
I'll show Nou-"
Him answered straight-htting Grow, "Waal now,
| calkilae. kc.ti,
No nigGer-lrver shall leave his plantation in South
Carolina,
Here to crack hi, cow-hde round this childs ears, if
| he knows it,
Scarce had he spoke when the hand, the chiyalrous
five fingers of keit;
Cuched at his throa'-had they closed the speeches
of Grow had been ended
Never from n stump had he stirred up the free
and enlightened
| But though smart kcitts mauleys, the maueys Of
Grow were still smarter;
Straight from the shoulder he .hot-not Owen Swift
| or Ned Adams
Ever put in his right with delicate feeling of dis
| tance.
As drops hammer anvil, so dropped Grows right
| into kett
Just where the iuguar runs to the point at which
keitt tes his drop-knot-
Prone Ike log sank keitt, his dollars ratified about
Forth spranG his friends DER the body; frs Barks-
dale, waying-wig- -wearer,
Craige and Mcqueen and Davis, ra'al hoss Of wild
Mississippi;
Fiercely they gathered round Grow, catawampously
NJ - 10 che 'vthm;
But without Potter they reckoned, the wiry from
| woody Wisconsin,
He striking out right and left, like a catamouu var
mint and vicious,
Dashed to the rescue and with him the washburnes,
Cadwaader, Elihu;
Slick into Barksdales brcad-basket walked Potter's
| one, two-hard and heavy;
Barksdale fetched wind in 'ttrce dropped Grow and
let out at Elihu.
Then like fountain had flowed the claret Of Wash
burne the elder,
But for Cadwaaders care-C Cadwallader guard of his
| brother,
Clutching at Barksdae's mob into Chancery soon
would have drawn II.
Well was it then for Barksdac, the wig that waved
| over his iorehead:
OF in Cadwalader's hands it came, and, the wearer
| releasing,
Left to the conqueror nauGht but the scalp of his bald
| headed fOeman.
Meanwhile hither and thither, dove the waters OF
| trouble,
Moved Mott, mild as milk, with his gray hair un-
| der his broad-brim,
Preaching peace 10 deaf ears, and getting considerably
| damaged.
Cautious Covode in the rear dubious what it might
| come to,
Brandished n stone-ware spittoon 'ganst whoever
| might seem to deserve it
Little it mattered to him whether Pro or Anti-Ie-
| compton,
So but he found in the Hall foeman worthy his
weapon!
SO ragged this battle of men, till into the thick of the
melee,
Like to the herads of old, stepped the Sergent-at-
Arms and the Speaker