The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-12-05
THE DAY BOOK.
MONDAY EVENING, DEC. 8.
SPEECH OF OLD STEVE.
DELIVERED AT ALEXANDRIA, FLA :, ON
THE 4TH DAY OF SEPT. 1879.

SPEECH OF OLD SIEVE.
DELIVERED AT ALEXANDRIA, FLA, ON
THE 4TH DAY OF SEPT, 1859.
GENTLEMEN AND TELLER CITIZENS -
am long ways from home, rope bri-
die, meal bag for saddle, to ask you to
send me to the Legislator. Teller citi-
zens you all know cold Steve" Where
was the corn shuckin' or log rollin'
where I wasn't there? Where was there
cow in hog hole, Or hog in a crack,
that l didn't get 'em out? Where was
"old Steve when the Injuns was tearin'
the hair off'n the heads of your wives and
children, and maxim fiddle bows of it?
Wadiu' through the cypress up to my
mouth in the saw grass, mud and tadpoles
shoutin' at the red devils in the language
Of General jackson, "siek transit gloria
mundi !" Boys you know me, cause
your grandaddys did before you l was
born and suckered among you. l was
here when the spanish tuck down their
flag; was here when old jackson give the
lnjins particular fits, and treated him to
as good glass of whiskey and stricknine
as any man ever drunk. And when old
Tom Jefferson sent for me to 60 to Wash
ington, was still here, with fifteen chill
dren and as good boss as any man ever
lid, only she was blind and had the bel
lus's. Yes, Teller citizens, I've inherited
the Office, and l knows you're gwine
to give it to me. Feller citizens, I'm
none of your grammar men, and knows
nothin' of your law brakin' words, but
edication dusn't make the man, because
'tisn't what Washington sed in his fare
we'll address, cad callingdum bona de-
functi p
Kin yew beat that7 Wasn't he right,
and amt that my hand? Feller citizens,
JEST put me in the Legistur ef you want
10 see whole team. I'll turn Columby
upside down, bust up the railroud sys-
TEN, turn the Gulf of Mexico inter the
Suwanee river, and build bridge to the
city of New Orleans-that's me, that's
"old Steve" up to the back bone. lie
sis non capt. hortcultulorem, rebis," as
Lord Coke sed when he lived at the cross
roads. Yes, Teller citizesd, I'm whole
team, Vaughn, driver:and all, and when
yew send me to Tallyhassa, eff you don't
divide Columby, I'll bring the darned
place down here, and make gin house
out'n it. And now, Teller citizens. I've
explained my pints, and yer know what
I'm at, I'm in for splitting up Columby,
tor in little while the place'll be SO big
yew can't find yer way home. I'll have
the Court house at my place, and III
be the JUDGE hain't lawyer, but
then I've hearn 'em talk in Court, an
when you want to settle pint come to
me an won't:charge you nary red, for
as Blackstone says in his Commissaries;
'Cujus ad solumjus tenarum plexit ad &C.
lum." Amt I sum? And now, Teller
citizens, give me yer votes, for blame
my buttons, eff 1 hahn t the man we've
bin lookin' fur all the time! Lect me
and when I gifts to be Governor III give
you some of the best old rye in the coun-
try. All you've got: to do is to come
to the polls, put your tickets in the
box, and like the American Eagle,
which rsooted on the head of Queen Vic
tory, we'll spread our wings and shout
to the balmy breezes, "multum in parvo,
facit perse |"