Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-12
" BRICK" POMEROY ON JOHN
MORRISSEY.

Ifthere is an argument lacking to prove
the utter decentralization of New York
politicians, it is supplied by the election
of John Morrissey, the ex-pugilist, and
wealthy faro dealer, to Congress from the
Commercial Metropolis of the Western
world. What he has ever done to be thus
chosen is more than we know of. AS a
prize-fghter he won q worldwide notori-
ETY.. AS a gambler he has gained for
tunes and lives to enjoy them, and why
his friends should now seek to disgrace
him by an election to Rump Congress,
is more than we can tell.
The Radical papers are making great
ado over his election by a majority of
thousands. Let us see little.
Who and what is Morrssey?
He is stout, good-looking Irishman,
of about forty-fve He weighs about one
hundred and eighty-fve pounds. He has
good head, clear brain, deep, earn
est, fearless brown black eye; he speaks
slow and earnestly he is about five feet
eleven inches high, broad shouldered,
deep chested, strong of muscle; his hair
is a beautiful glossy black, slightly wavy,
worn reasonably long, and hecked with
few gray sentinels; his beard and
moustache are worn full he dresses in
faullless black broadcloth, wears single
diamond bosom.pin worth five thousand
dollars, a large signet ring, and large
sleeve buttons, studded with diamonds !;
he is wealthy; he is liberal to the poor,
giving thousands of dollars yearly to
objects of charity; he pays hundred
cents on the dollar for all he owes; he
champions the poor and defenseless; he
moves in the best society of New York /;
he is a clear headed business man, with
broad, liberal, national views.
He was poor, ignorant boy; brought
up much as are preachers sons, to all
manner of devilment, and a credit to
nobody. He has risen from the lowest
rounds-he came up from the lowest
walk of life, through ignorance and bad
education, to the position he occupies
He is not brawler-not a saloon loafer
mot drunkard-not robber-not a
thief-not murderer-not a hypocrite
mot Union hater-not a despiser of
the people and an obsequious snob who
bends the knee to the Puritan bondoc-
racy of New England and its morbid
Christianity.
John Morrissey is gentleman who
minds his own business, and is thou
sand times more respectable than nine
tenths of the ministers Of the Gospel of
this country or their ranting followers.
He was a poor man-so was Abe Lin
coin. Morrissey was a mechanic-Lin-
coin was a rail splitter. Morrissey talks,
acts, appears like a gentleman of sense.
Lincoln told smutiy stories, stitched
hogs eyelids together to blind them so
he could drive them-poked his knuckIes
into peoples ribs, and gnffawed at his
own smartness. s..a..-r u N
Morrissey owns faro banks, and sits
behind the table to deal the cards for
others to bet on. We do not see that it
is worse to sit behind his table than for
Thad Stevens, Dick Yates, Tim o. Howe,
and other leading Republicans to sit be-
fore it and bet on the cards as Morrissey
deals them out k1 y,.A
He had prize match with Heenan,
once, but when the contest was over, he
shook hands with his opponent, and each
forgot the bloody past and became
friends, and the two united make strong
team. The example Of Morrissey would
be good one for Radicals to follow.
He never stole spoons, watches, and
diamond jewelry for his wife as Ben.
Butler has. When he fought with
Heenan he did not pick his pockets, or
insult his sister or mother as the Brute
Butler insulted the women Of the South
who were robbed by his orders and raw.
ished by negroes and drunken whites
with his consent, in retaliation for their
expressing their disgust at his venal-
tiles. .-... .-.a.... re..,.
aud others Of the God aud Morality
thieves.
He never allowed men to be murder
ed, slaughtered and captured, as Banks
did Northern men on Red river, IN has
crusade for cotton and niggers
He is not rotten With that most foul,
nasty, sinking, and body-destroying
disease which is the penalty for indnlg-.
ing in licentiousness, as is Morton, oil
Indiana
He is not gutter drunkard, as is Dick
Yates, Of Illinois,
He is not a ranting, canting, blasphe'
nous, hell-deserving tenement OF hate,
Ignorance, selfshness and hypocrisy, as
Is Brownlow, Of Tennessee.
When in fight he never went out of
a back door, Ike peas from a tin scoop,
with his shirt futlering in the breeze, a
Ia Washburn at Memphis.
81 ~. -