The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-08-04

| eratcly ana gravcly forward TO the vicinity
of the stand, and turning, permitted view
of his stately person, classic features, fault
less broadclotll, cut, doubtless, a Ia Madrid,
certainly worn that way At this particular
moment it was expected that the long pent
up enthusiasm would have broken forth,
greeting the first appearance of the conquer
ing Hero, with a shout that would have knock
ed the breath ont of the Republicans, it, in
deed, it didn't shake down the old Court
House; but for some reason, the shout didn't
come, the enthusiasm wasn't there; a solitary
rap tap of DR.. Woods cane and stamp
from Glaspy's foot, necessarily heavy, gave
the signal, bl t it was no go,-perhaps owing
to an oversight in ncglecting to concert more
imposing entrance under an escort fitting in
numbers and party responsibility, instead of
leaving the Great Man to find his way
through the storm under the solitary pilot
age of a Black Republican, who was reluct-
antly and as matter of humanity, pressed
into service, bling perhaps little shy of
being out in the dark alone with so terrible
fellow who was going to chaw up all the
Republicans in so sudden and remorseless
a manner; or, perhaps, they were awed into
silence by the imposing appearance Of their
beloved chief,-or, preadventure, they were
overcome by emotions of joy on having be-
fore them peculiar demonstration that their
hereditary chieftain had so mercifully escaped
from Spanish arms; or, still again, it is not
Improbable, that they were outstanding their
voices to give filter and louder applause
which the impending exhibition of rhetorical
and oratorical powers would provoke, at all
events, whatever may have been the reason,
the applause was not forth coming up to that
particular sta. Sof the proceedings, and the
Gen. was compelled, after joining Mr.. Kirk
wood in request that inasmuch as this was
Mr.. KS appointment, and he spoke only by
courtesy, the audience would remain to the
close, to proceed without applause or encour-
agement at once to the prescribed task of
skinning Kirkwood and annihilating the
Republicans.
But, We Gods and little fishes there never
was so sudden transition from the sublime
! to the ridiculous, and the wet habiliments
which those anxious and eXpectant Demo-
Gratis had worn in from the storm, were no
comparison to the saturation of the wet blan-
kct which so quickly fell upon them. Was
this Dodge, the vcritable Augustus Caesar,
whose sledge hammer logic and thoughts
that breathed and words that burned, were
to gather again the lost sheep Of the House
of Locofocoism, and to scatter to the four
winds the victorious ligions of Republicanism.
Alas, what a fall was there my countrymcn
Never did a great man appear so small; and
| it wasn't embarrassment either-that might
have provoked sympathy but it was sheer
incapacity, accompanied with the most dis
gushing vanity, arrogance, malice aud a
manner compounded of big Indian" and
| Bonbastes Furioso He strutted back and
forth on the stand, stamped the floor with
his heel, made the most uncouth gestures,
giving utterance the while to mess of dis
connected fustian and mixed up sentences,
one running into another and never coming
out, that would have disgraced a School
Boy. We have no hesitation in saying that
dozen ofour Democrats, not including the
smartcst, can make a better speech. The
only points recollcctable were that he had
come back to Iowa, and mi,uJile dictu, found
that things had mt stood still in the interim;
but the people of Iowa had proceeded to
build railroads, adopt new constitution, re-
move the Capitol, and form the Republican
party, and do sundry other things, in his
absence and without his consent. He had
a good dell to say about the great things he
would do if elected, leaving the impression
that he would take the control of public af-
fairs into his own hands, dispensing with
Legislative departments, Courts &C., as need
less membranes; he didn't like Grimes, of
his Town, pretty well, nor Harlan any better,
because they had stolen the affections of the
people, and one had got into His seat, and
the other into Jones' he thought the south
much abused, that it ought to be pacied,
and didn't wonder that they should want to
take their property to the Territories? Henry
Clay was pretty clever man after all, and
once shook hands with him had considera-
bic to say about agitation, fanaticsm, aboIi-
tionists, &C., and so went on for about half an
hour, when his ammunition manifestly began
give out, and he appealed to DR.. Wood in a
manner which every body understood to
mean, for Gods sake say time is up, but the
Doc was too obtuse to take the hint, and
gave him twenty minutes more. Gillaspy,
who had all this time been endeavOring to
allay his nervousness, now handed note
to the Gen. but he couldn't read it on ac-
count of obscure vision as he said, thought
there might be other topics to treat of, but
time was limited and sat down after expen-
ding just fifty minutes upon, we are free to
say, one of the poorest speeches that man,
big or little, ever perpetrated in Iowa.
Democrats present did not attempt to CON
ceal their chagrin and modification.