The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-10-03
= Concerning beII.-and THE Eel.


and declare, with great TRUTH that, in these
latter days, when every tenth man you meet
habitualy carries in his pocket little bell
which he is continually tinklipg, in season
and out of season, that bells, in the bands o.
such persons, have become nuisances, which
ought speedily TO be abated; but, inasmuch
as all these instruments of chatter will UNI
doubtedly be mufflcd carly in the next ensu
ing month, aud since the ringing Of the bell.
appears to afford something of amusement to
the overgrown and sometimes venerable boys
who WELD them, and who, like the smaller
children, are easily enough
"Pleused with rattle, tckled with straw
we think il would be unkind and harsh as
tending too greatly to diminish the sum Of
human happiness, percmptorily to silence
this epidemic Naturalization. 1t is only
for few days. and, therefore, stopping our
ears as best we may, let us endure the present
uproar with philosophic calmness.
In itself, the sound of bell is as mean
ingless as any other sound in nature. Except
that it is more musical, it might as well have
been produced by the descent of hammer
upon block. But, through the law of asso-
citation, even bells may become eloquent.
The single funeral stroke, repeated at long
intervals; the fre-bcll, startling the jewellers
in city with IFS alarm; the marriage bell,
ringing joyously out; the merry Christmas
chime, and the solemn call to the house Of
prayer all these affect us differently, because
each different mode Of ringing has acquired
conventional meaning, which presents it.
self to the mind of the listener at once, and
cxcites the peculiar feeling which all, who
comprehend that meaning, involnntarily OK
pcrence, in greater or less degree. Aside,
however, from meanings thus suggested, none
others can be found in the brazcn uttcrances
of bells, which arc but empty sounds, and
nothing more.
This leads us to observe, that, in our opin-
ion, there is peculiar fitness Of things in
the prevailing use of bells by those who con-
stitute the bell-ringirg party of the present
day. The unmcaning tinkling of their little
bells are felicitous illustrations of that gene
raj absence Of meaning which pervades the
verbose speeches of their candidate for the
Presidency, rs well rs the no-meaning of
those catch-words The Union, the Consti-
tuition, and the enforcement Of the Laws"
which thcyfunnily call their platform" Mr..
Bell is evidently one of those who believe
that Language was given to man, the better
to enable him to conceal his thoughts"
Senator Davis, last week, when he spoke in
Oxford, portrayed, with few vivid and
graphic touches, the non communication
which so distinguishes Mr.. Bell. 81 have
known Mr. Bell" said the Senator, ''to speak
for two days, and, at the end Of that time, no
listener could tell which side Of the question
under debate he was in favor Of have
heard him speak for three days, and, up TO
thC last ihOhiSiiij DStH WIZ HSCiN ohtfNu III
the Senate as to the way lac would vote, but
no takers could be found, although "the
choice of sides" was conceded to those to
whom the bets were offered" We have, at
times, with great and patient labor, plodded
through some Of the almost interminable
reported speeches of Mr.. Bell. We cannot
say that our tolls were adequately recon-
pensed by any great addition TO our knowl-
edge touching the views Of Mr.. Bell upon
the subjects which he protested to discuss.
1t rather seemed TO us that what Bassanio
said of Gratiano, in "The Merchant of We
NICE" would not inaptly apply to Mr.. Bell
and his speeches: 'Gratiano speaks an inii-
mite deal of nothing, more than any man in
all Venice. His reasons are as two grains
of wheat hidden IN two bushels of chaff: you
shall seek all day ere YOU find them; and
when you have them, they are not worth the
search" Mr.. Bell has manifestly had his eve
upon "the White House for a long time
and, like the sick man, who, not knowing
into whose hands he might eventually Gall,
commenced praying, "good Lord good
Devil" he has endeayored, Systematically,
for thirty years past, so to trim his political
sails, that every breeze, no matter from what
point of the compass it should blow,
how suddenly it should veer about, MIG y
wait him onward to the haven of his hopes.
But even Mr.. Bell himself appears at last to
have lost confidence in his own powers Of
mystifcation. Having labOred, during the
whole of his political life, under "a diarrh9a
Of words" that buried his meaning utterly
out Of sight, he no sooner obtains nominal
ton for the Presidency than he suddenly be-
comes as acostive" as he had previously
been lOose;" and not a word has since
proceeded from him, even under the infu-
'ence Of letters Of the most highly cathartic
character. lie Is afraid to let a syllable es-
cape him, lest despite Of all his skin in the
articles Of co1cealnent, some ray Of light
should be thrown upon The uncertainties Of