Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-11-06

The Buzzard i;
NOT THE RAVEN a GOOD THING.

| The Buzzard;
| NOT THE RAvEN-A GOOD THING.
| The local of the St. Louis Republican Doug
las,) has the following excellent parody o
The Raven" applied to the political affairs o
the day:
We received the other day startling story
through the spiritual telegraph. We think it hs
some resemblance to ''The Raven" by Poe, ant
indeed it appears to have been only slightly al
tered from that production.
Once ESQ the story ran oD) pOndered President
Buchanan over many mean and narrow mis-
deed Of days before. While he nodded, nearly
mapping, suddenly there came tapping, as Of
some one gently rapping-rapping at his cham
Der door. "'Tis come applicant" he muttered
"who wants his bread-toast buttered-only this,
and nothing more" But the silken, sad, uncer-
tain rustling of each damask curtain thrilled
him, filled him with fantastic horrors, often felt
before; so that now, to stop the beating of his
heart, he sat repeating, ''Tis some applicant en-
treating entrance at my chamber door-this it
is, and nothing more"
Presently his soul grew stronger; hesitating
then no longer-"Sir," said he, Il beg your
pardon-your forgiveness implore, but the fact
is, was mapping some new policy for trapping
this Douglas, who is sapping all our energy and
Then he opened wide the door. Deep into the
darkness peering long he stood there trembling,
fearing, doubling, dreaming dreams no President
did ever dream before. But the silence was
uubroken, and the stiffness gave no token, and
the only thing there spoken was the whispered
words, "All o'er!" This he whispered, and an
echo murmured, Baltimore merely this, and
nothing more. 5
Back into his chamber turning, all his soul
within him burning, soon again he heard tap
ping, somewhat louder than before. ''Surely,"
said he, s'surely that's something at my window
sats-let me see if 1t is rats, or the mystery ex-
plore; tits the wind, and nothing more." Open
then he flung the shutter, with many firt and
futter, in there stepped an ugly buzzard of the
sinful days of yore. A low obeisance made be,
not minute stopped or stayed he, but with
mein of lord or lady, perched above the cham
Der door, perched upon a bust of Dallas, just
above his chamber door, perched and sat, and
nothing more. And the buzzard sitting lonely
on that plaster bust; spoke only that one word,
as If his soul in that word he did OutpOre.
Nothing further then he uttered, not feather
then he fluttered, till Buchanan, signing, NUT
tered, ''Other schemes were dashed before;
Honest Abe will now be beaten as be even was
before" Then the bird Baltimore"
Slalt tied at the stiffness broken by the reply
SO aptly spoken, doubtless" said he, "what it
utters is its only stock and store, caught by
some unhappy fancy, with strange signitcancy
or caught, perhaps, from Yancey-till his
songs one burden bore, the dirges of whose hope
that melancholy burden bore, of Baltimore"
Buchanan sat guessing, but no syllable ex-
pressing to the fowl, whose fiery eyes now
burned in his bosom's core; but he sat and
rocked, diviniDg, with his stitf-neck then recin-
ing on the cushions velvet lining that the gas
light gloating DER, viewing crookedly the lining,
with the gas-ght floating o'er) he shall press,
ali nevermore! Then he thought the air grew
thicker, and he ordered up some liquor, brought
by lacqueys whose soft footballs scarcely touched
the Brussels floor. ''Oould not" he cried, s'my
plant tools break down this bold, defiant, IN
yielding Little Giant, whom the 'plebs' almost
adore9" Quoth the buzzard-''Nary time.'-
prophet! prophet" said he, "what fate,
with many plotter, | have failed to crush this
squatter, and pierce him to the core"
otis beyond my comprehension that this
curs'd non-intervention should win at the Con-
vention of the people that was held at Ralti-
more" The buzzard echoed, "Baltimore"-
prophet" said he, "thing of evil I'll send
Douglas to the devil-to Charon's steam power
ferry or the dread Plutonlan shore, though
bring to her ruin yon fabric of the Union, SO
there'll be no more communion of the States
forever more; but is there balm in Gilead for
me, | must implore?" Qucth the buzzard-
'Never more -
''Be that our sign of parting" shrieked the
President, upstarting. "Since it seems nothing
can my character restore, leave token of the
sorrow you nave spoken-leave my bitterness
unbroken-aut the bust above my door-take
your bill from out my heart and take your form
from off my door," Quoth the buzzard-"Bal-
timore."
And the buzzard, never fitting still is sitting,
on the plaster bust of Dallas, just above the
chamber door; and his eyes have all the seem
ing of a demons that is dreaming, and the gas
light DER him streaming throws his shadow DER
the ioor-and his soul from out that shadow
that is floating on the floor, mutters, "Balti-
more !"
The PATRIoT's INQUIRY.-At the present mo-
ment the earnest inquiry of every true patriot is,
which of all the candidates now before the peo-
pie is best calculated by bis present attitude and
by his past ACTS, to allay the unnatural fever of
the country, and to bring peace and prosperity
ont of sectional atrfa2 IF the nuoctinn loft tn