The mountain Democrat., 1864-10-29
/" Sweeping HOrses."


PRIvArE SOLDIER.
swapping AOrssS."
Jokes, when used as arguments, are Of.
ten double edged tools, cutting both ways,
and sometimes cutting the hand that uses
them considerably deeper than the hand
against which they are used. To this
rule Mr.. Lincoln's jokes, even in his own
practiced hand, form no exception, as ex-
empi6ed in many instances that will
readily occur to the reader. We will
mention one.
When a deputation Of Republicans for.
maIly apprised Mr.. Lincoln OF his nomi.
nation by the Baltimore Convention, be
signifed his qualification at the choice,
and proceeded to vindicate it by telling
the familiar story Of the Dutchman who
refused to swap horses while crossing q
stream. "a Dutchman." so runs the
story, undertook to swim a mare and
colt across a stream, and. not being a
swimmer himself, he took hold of the
colts tail, and the trio started to make
the passage. The colt, weak and imu,a.
ture, began to give out about the middle
Of the stream, and man on the opposite
bank shouted to the Dutchman to let 90
Of the colt aud seize the mares tail, or be
would be lost. Looking anxiously around
him, and seeing the mares tail beyond
his reach at the moment, he tightened his
grasp on the caudal extremity Of the colt,
exclaiming to his neighbor, %, mine Got,
dis is no time for swapping horses!' The
result was that both the colt and the
Dutchman we're soon after drowned."-
This is the story and Mr.. Lincoln tells it
to illustrate the Importance, if not the
necessity, of continuing him in the Pres
dency. The story is, indeed, one Of his
tavorite arguments in support of his re
election in November. But it is manifest,
at the second glance If not at the first,
that he has quite mistaken the moral,
which, inasmuch as according to the ra.
tional application, the rebellion is tho
stream, he the colt, the Union the Dutch.
man, and the conservative candidate the
mare, is obvious that the Union must lei
60 Of him, and take hold of the conserva.
tive candidate, or be lost for its folly, as
the Dutchman was for his. The story is
really illustrative Of obstinacy. The say
ing This is no time for swapping horses,
is reflection upon blind pertinacity, no
t a commentator of intelligent prudence
, It teaches, under the garb of irony, tn,
folly CT stubbornIy holding on to the tai
Of the wrong horse. Such is the true anG
! obvious moral. Let the people consider
it.
Four years ago, we came TO the stream
of the rebellion, and plunged into it with
both hands fast to the tail of the Repub.
lican colt, that, weak and immature like
his exemplar in the story, soon began to
J show signs Of giving out, and that is now
scarcely able to keep his head above va
ter, while the noble mare of conservatism
J is swimming by bis side with glorious en-
ergy unimpaired. Men on the banks, ,anG
, friends everywhere, are shouting to US tc
!: let 60 Of the tail Of the sinking colt, and
seize that Of the buoyant and vigorous
mare, or we will be lost. Shall we, profit
ing by the fate Of the obstinate Dutch.
man in the story, heed the warning, and
live? or shall we disregard it and perish !
} The illustration is so good that it will
bear thinking Of The constitutional rein
is tolerably strong, but some horses have
/ hard mouths and some know how to take
, the bit in their teeth. He must be man
J Of rare recklessness who thinks it safer tc
trust horse Of that description rather
than one who can be guided in the very
crossing is broad one. We never cross
ed it before. But those who have crossed
very much such streams, or who have
read and grown wise by reading and
studying the experience of men in all
ages who have crossed streams of this
kind, gave us directions how to cross
them safely. They left us written laws,
described the ford, telling us where the
deep water lay, where the safe path to
the peaceful shores beyond. On one side
is tyranny, on the other side anarchy, on
either side destruction. Our colt has
plunged first on one side, then on the 9th.
er. He refuses to obey the rein. lie
will not keep in the path of safety. Eve.
ry new plunge is more fearful than the
last. Looking around for safety, we see
severel good, stout serviceable animals,
themselves keeping the right path, and ii
We want them we can use them to carry
US over Shall we trust the colt and be
lost9 or shall we swap?
We may now safely leave our readers
to judge whether this double.edged Joke,
in Mr.. Lincoln's hands, more deeply cuts
the user, or those against whom it is
used may, whether it cuts anybody but
the user. Rosalind says:
jest's prosperity lies in the ear
or him that hears It.
Rosalind is doubtless right but we very
much question if this jest will meet with
prosperity in any ear Of the human longi-
tude-[ Louisville journal.
LINCOLN is discoursging enlistments by
refusing to exchange prisoners. There
are 10000 Union soldiers in the Southern
prisons. and Lincoln seems determined
that they shall remain there forever
They have sent piteous appeal to him
for their exchange, but his stony heart
refuses their request. The friends and
relatives Of these soldiers know that there
is no hope Of their ever being restored Ia
them, unless Lincoln IL beaten and Nc
ClelDan is elected. The latter would ion.
mediately order q general exchange.
/ Cincinnati Enquirer.