Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-04-12
speech Of GEN. Riley,
P" Oh OCH' AsHHOys
In tho House Of Representatives Of Missouri,
February, 1861.


In the House Of Representatives of Missouri,
February, 1861.
After long and heated discussion
on the reference of bill amending the
charter Of the city of Carondelet to a
standing committee of the House,
Mr.. Riley obtained the floor and ad-
dressed the House
Mr.. Speaker: Everybody is pitch
ing into this matter like toad frogs in
to willow swamp, on lovely evening
in the balmy month of June, when the
mellow light of the full moon fills with
delicious food the thin, ETHEREAL at
mospheric air. Applause. Sir, l
want to put in a word, or perhaps q
word and half.
There seems to be disposition to
fight. say, if there is any fighting to
be done, come on with your corn cobs
and Lightning bugs! [Applause.] In
the language Of the ancient Roman,
"Oome one, come all, this rock shall fly
From its firm base, in pigs eye"
Now, there has been a great deal of
bombast here to-day. call it bonn
bast from "Alpha" to "Omega," g
don't understand the meaning of the
words thought Sir, the question to
refer, is great and magnificent ques-
ton. 1t is the all absorbing question
like sponge, sir-a large unmeas-
urable sponge, Of globe shape, in
small tumbler Of water--it sucks up
everything. Sir, l stand here with the
weapons l have designated, to defend
the rights Of St. Louis county, the
rights Of any other county-even the
county of Cedar itself. Laughter and
applause. Sir, the debate has assum-
ed latitudinosity. We have had q
little black jack buncombe, littlo two
bit buncombe, bombast buncombe,
bung-hole buncombe, and the devil and
his grandmother knows what other kind
Of buncombe. Laughter.
Why, sir, just give some Of 'em q
little Southern soap and little North
ern water, and quicker than a hound
pup can lick q skillet they will make
enough buncombe lather to wash the
golden flock that roams abroad the
azure meads of heaven. Cheers and
laughter. I allude to the starry firm
ament.
The Speaker. The gentleman is out
Of order. He must confne himself to
the question.
MIR. Riley. Just retain your linen,
if you please. I'll stick to the text as
close as pitch plaster to pine plank,
or lean pig to hot jam rock. Cries
Of ego on - ''you'll do."]
l want to say to these carbonerifer-
GUS gentlemen, these igneous individu-
ais, these decorating demonstrators,
pereginous volcanoes, come on with
your combustibles f! If you don't
we'll, I'll suck the gulf of Mexico thro'
a goose quill. Laughter and ap-
plause. Perhaps you think I am d.
minutive tubers and sparse in the mum
dane elevation. You may discover,
gentlemen, you are laboring under as
great misapprehension as though you
had incinderated your inner vestment.
In the language Of the noble bard,
81 was not born in a thoket
To be scared by a cricket"
Sir, we have lost our proper position.
Our proper position is to the zenith
and nadir-our heads to the one cur
heels to the other, at right argle with
the horizon, spanned by that azure arc
Of the lustrous armament, bright with
the corruscations of innumerabls con.
stellations, and proud as spreckled
stud morse on country court day.
[Cheers.
"But how have the mighty fallen"
in the language Of the poet Silver
smith. We have lost our proper posi-
ton. We have assumed sloshindicu-
lar or a chronological position. And
what is the cause Echo answers "bun-
combe," sir, "buncombe." The peo-
pie have been fed on buncombe, while
a lot Of spawned, ringboned, ham
strung, wirdgalled, swyneyed, split
hoofed, distempered, poll-eviled, pot
bellied politicians have had their noses
in the public crib until there amt fod-
der enoug h left to make Cruel for
sick grasshopper. [Chesrs and laugh
Sir, these hungry brats keep tug
ging at the public pap. They say,
''let down your milk, Sucky, or you'll
have split bag" Do they think they
can stuff such buncombe down our
craw? No, sir; you might as we'll try
to stuff butter in wild cat with hot
awl: [Continued laughter.] The thing
can't be did.
The public grind stone is a great in
stitution, sir-yes, sir, a great institu-
ton. One of the greatest perhaps that
ever rose, reigned or fell. But, sir,
there is too much private cutlery ground.
The thing won't pay. Occasionally
big axe is brought in to be fixed up,
ostensibly for the purpose Of hewing
down the gnarled trunks of error, and
out the brushwood of ignor-
ance and folly that obstruct the public
highway Of progress. The machine
whirls the axe is applied. The look
ers- on are enchanted with the brilliant
sparks elected. The tool is polished
keerly edged; and, while the public
stare in gaping expectancy of seeing
he road cleared, the implement is sly .
y taken off to improve the private acres :
# som" faithful friend nd of the people," !
Ill L IN fhn rosnlt Thn oha1.