The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-03-27
SPEECH OF GEN. RILEY,
IN THE HOUSE oP REPRESENTATIVES OF
MISSOURI, FEBRUARY 8, 1851.

IN THE HOUSE oP REPRESENTATIVES OF
MISSOURI, FEBRUARY 8, 1861.
After long and heated discussion on
the reference of bill amending the char
ter Of the city of Carondelet, to stand
| ing committee of the House,
MIR RILEY obtained the floor, and ad.
dressed the House: i estas
Mr.. SPEAKER: Everybody is pitch
ing into this matter like toad frogs into
willow swamp. on a lovely evening in the
oalmy month Of June, when the mellow
light of the full moon fills with delicious
food the thin, ETHEREAL atmospheric air.
(Applanse.) Sir, | want,to pa. in word.
or perhaps a word and half
! There seems to be disposition to
fight. / say, it there is any fighting to be
done, come on with your corn cobs aud
lightning bugs! (Appiause.) In The lam.
guage of the ancient Roman. ..,4..
.Come one, come all, this rock shall ly q
From its frm base, in pigs eye"
Now. there has been q great deal of
bombast here to day. | call it bombast
from Alpha. 10 Onega Ct don't under
aud the meaning of the words, though
Sir, the question TO refer. is u great and
magnificent question. II is the alI>db.
sorbing question-iike 3 sponge. si--a
large, measurabie sponge. of globe
shape, in small tumbler of water-i
sucks up everything Sir, stand here
with the weapons L have designated to
defend the rights of st Louis county.
the rights OF any other coau.y-eveu the
county of Cedar ITSELF (Laughter and
|applause) Sir, the debate has assumed
a lati' udinosity. We. hare mad q little
black jack buncombe. a little twobit bun,
combe, bombast buucombe, .bnng hole
ibuneombe. and the devil aud his graad
mother knows what other kind OF bun
eombe. Laughter.) ed aso~ -
Why, sir. jast give some Of 'em a little
Southern soap and little Northern wa
ter, and quicker than hound pup can
! lick skillet, they viii make enough bun
combe lather to wash the golden flock
!, that roams abroad the azure meads of
heaven. (Gheers and lrughter.) l al.
lude to the starry Grmamsnt. g
The SPEAKER. The gentleman is on,
: of order. He must con6ne himself ts
: the question.
t Mr. RILEY. Just retain your linen il
q you please. III stick to the question a.
close as q pitch plaster to, q, pine plank
or o lean pig to hot jamb rock. Cries
of Go on, you'll do.O
:. / want to say to these carboniferout
gentlemen, these igneous individuals
these detouaiiug demonstrators, these
5 perigneous volcanoes. come on with yon
G eombus,iblesl IF I don't -, we'll II
J suck the gulf of Mexico through COOS,
# quill. daughter and applause Per
haps you think I am diminutive tubers
> and sparse in the mundane elevation
: You may discover, gentlemen, yeu ar,
!. lsboring nnder as great misappreheasioI
e as though you had incinderated your in
5, ner vestment. In the language of tn
: noble bard,
81 was not born in thicket @
To os scared by cricket"
'el Sir, we have lost our proper position
II Our proper position is to the zenith an
d nadir--oar heads TO the one, our heels I
d the other, at right angle with the hori
a. zon, spapded by that azure arc of lustrou
armament bright with the corruscsliou
u of iunumerable consultations, and pr0u
q as a speckled stud horse on county coul
i. day. (Cheers.) o. issT1 9 a.
J. 1"But how have the smighty;fallen,
The language of the poet S.iversmirl
= We have lost our proper position w
ne have assumed a sloshindicular or dag,
IL noIogical position. And what is II
o.. cause? Echo answers 'Buucombs." 81
!. "buncombe.v The people have been +,
GA buncombe, while 3 lot of spavine
- ringboned, hamstrung. wind CALLED, sw
We nsyed,. spl.taoofed. disempsrsd. pa
er eviled, pot bsllied politicians have h,
he their noses in the public crib un
a there aiut fodder enough left to make
!. Cruel for a sick grass hopper. (Cnee
( and laughter esjdea aff 80 isiss s8i~,
mt Sir. these hungry bruts keep tuggil
to at the public pap. They say, Let do,
,re your milk, Suky, or yonfl have sp
:. bag" Do they thiak they can stuff su
- buncombe down our craw? No, q
c1 you might as well try 10 ssufs butter in
les wild cat with hot awl. (Conslnu
pi. laughter) The thing can't be did.
ia The public grindstone is a great ins
8 tuition, sir-yes, sir, great institutio
- one of the greatest, perhaps, that. ev
es- rose, reigned @or-fsll. But, sir, there
my too much private cutlery ground. 4
lie, thing won's pay. Occasionally o big q
is brought in to be.6xsd up, ossensit
for the parpose9of hewing down t
gnarled trunks of error and clearing 4
the brush wood of ignorance and I'd
that obstruct the, public highway of pre-
ress. The machine whirls; the axe is .
Piled The lockers. On are enchauted w
hat the brilliant sparks elected. The tool
ID polished; keenly edged, and. while
nt public stare in gaping expectancy of s