Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-12
TROUBLE IN THE NURSERY.

CHILDREN Of a tender age often give a great deal
OF trouble to those who have charge Of them BY
asking for everything they see. Age has its pas.
sion for toys as we'll as the earlier childhood. The
good lady at Washington. Mr.. Buchanan's nurse,
whom we call Congress, is as much pestered by
the frequent demands Of her playful charge as
ever was a fond parent by the opportunities Of a
young prattler at bis 6roside. The other day
James asked Congress for the key of the treasury;
he wanted to take out thirty millions Of dollars TO
play with at negotiations with Spain-only thirty
millions. While the kind creature was delRera.
ting whether she should trus, him with the mon.
ey, or whether she would endeavor to pacify him
by attempting to persuade him that he might lose
the key and drop the coins into holes and cbinks
of the nursery f11r, which is terribly out Of re,
pair, she is startled by q new demand.
James now calls for the army and navy. Be.
talions and fleets to play with. Only yesterday be
sent the old lady n very pretty letter-so bis.
friends call (which we print elsewhere, announ.
cling his wish to play at war with Mexico, Nicara,
qua and New Grenada, and asking for ships of
war and regiments Of soldiers. lie is seized with
he military spirit; his taste is now for swords and
baycnets; he cries for big guns and cooked hats.
What should be done in such a CASE The
The more Congress seems disposed to grant, the
moro is asked. If Congress had said ct once,
steadily and firmly, mo, James, the thirty mill.
ions are net for such az you you mould fool
away the money if you had it" it is not likely that
this still more extravngant demand would have
been made. The old nurse will find herself obi.
- Cl. -I
plainly to her charge that, even If she we're dis
posed to part with her control of the army and
navy, she could not trust them to his little hands,
and no must not think Of it. She might remind
him of the pretty ryhme, which he no doubt re,
members, that
Children and fools
Should never NEEDLE with edge tools;
aud assure him that if he had the army and navy
to play with, he'would most certainly cut his own
precious self, and there would be no knowing
where he might cut besides.
1t is remarkable that Mr. Buchanan should find
the legal and constitutional limits of his Office toe
narrow for him, and should plague Congress with
solicitations for the Dictatorship. Other Presi.
dents before him have found their legitimate pow
es sufficient for the protection of the citizens of
the Uaited States. Who is this man that comes
forward to demand powers which his predecessors,
accomplishing some of the ablest men in the country,
never thought necessary?
"ELe is a weak man" will be answered by some,
and we have heard the remark made by friends Of
the Administration, "You may give him the power
without scruple, he will DO afraid 20 use it, such
is his constitutional timidity and irresolution."
The reply to thi, is, that these powers which
may be abused should be as carefully withhe d
from weak as from bad men. Weak men in public
station are proverbially dangerous. The same fee
bleness of will and want Of courage which keep
them from acting in cases when they ought to act
will! often, by q natural reaction, or through yield
ing to the influence Of those who surround them,
make them in other cases rash and presumptuous'
Weak men are the chosen tools Of bad men. If
Congress should give Mr.. Buchanan the power Tor
which he now asks, it will commit one of the gros-
sest follies OF which that body has been guilty
since 1t had an existence.-Ere Post.