Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-03-20
BARNUM In DISTRESS.
A Call upon Radical Congressme

A Call upon Radical Congressmen.
A cry of distress comes over to us from
Connecticut in behalf of P. I. Barnum,
and we do pity Barnum. The Philistines
are down upon him as they came down
upon Samson, when heaps upon heaps
he laid out a thousand of them with the
jawbone of an ass Barnum, with the
shoulder blade of the woely horse, is
doing the best he cam but he lacks the
strength of Samson, Moreover, his right
hand man, Tom Thumb, is abroad, and
cannot come to his rescue, because, we
suppose, of the death of that "blessed
baby" (By the way, can Mr.. Oakley
Hall give US any account of the fate or
manifest destiny of that "blessed baby "
of Bond street?) Barnum wants help.
Grizzly Burleigh," in his cause, has
proved fasco; General Logan, who
made flank movement into Connecti-
cut in support of his fellow soldier, Gen.
Hawley, on finding himself confronted
by Joyce Heth, made flank movement
out again. Who is there to mourn for
Logan p Not one. Governor Hahn,
of Louisiana, knows something about
alligators; but Feejee mermaids are not
in his line Greeley, who would run
lust once" the gauntlet of the first
Bull Run for a Fourierite phalanx,
shrinks with benevolent disgust from
Barnum' phalanx of owls and monkeys,
cats, rats and dogs, all in the same cage.
Is not this likewise clear case for Mr..
Bergh in the matter Of heartless cruelty
to animals2 Is not this thing a thou
sand times worse than dog fght2
1t has been suggested that if Barnum
would parade his caravan of monstrosi-
ties around his district " free gratis, for
nothing" he might get up hurrah and
do something among the yeomanry. But,
as when a member of our Board of Al
dermen is understood to be up to his
ears in job, he is said to be "on the
make" so Barnum is ION the make,
and free caravan wouldn't pay.
Whether we consider this political cam
paign of his an advertising dodge or a
movement for another book on humbugs,
there is money in it for Barnum, elected
or rejected. He objects to making con-
tributions to the party on the score of
patriotism but the republicans who sup
port him may make as many csntribu-
lions as they like " Heads win, tails
you lose" Woolly horse or California
jackass, just as you like, "You pays
your money and you takes your choice. ="
John Morrissey went into Congress
with rush, because he came down like
prince-sixty thousand dollars, they
say, down on the nail Whereat the
democracy rejoiced, and great was the
slaughter of the Amalekites, the wind
from Morrissey' 8 right hand clearing the
track also for Mr.. Brooks and Fernando
the first and last Bnt for lack of "der
monish" Barnum's chariot wheels drag
heavily, and for lack of speakers he is
losing ground. So now, in this diaiculty,
as in every other, we turn to Congress
for relief The present session, we
guess, will be closed in season to give
the members returning homeward a
chance for lit 10 Barnum in Connec-
ticut, to tighten this dead weight upon
Haw!ey. To this end General Ben But
Ter. With hie famous trick Of bottling
himself up, would be the very thing for
Barnum. Ashley, too, in Connecticut,
as the roaring sea lion against Andy
johnson, would REtonish the copper
heads. Mr. Raymond as tho What Is
ItY" would bother EN-; Long John
Wentworth as the Belgian giant would
scatter them; and in seeing old Thad
Stevens" they would see the white ele.
phant Of Congress in ali sis rlcry.
With some other members TO ill the
payis of the bearded woman, the fat
man of Bolbcy," the living skeleton,
the OK with three horns, the beast with
seven heads and ten horns, aud the
Niger turning white, aud with some
repenting one.legged rebel to show of
Sss;e Annals original wooden leg the
Rarnum pi%E Of operations in Connect
cut would be eo@p,eie spd Il would
sweep the field. BY tbe 6eaFa o ibc
propheti we like the scheme.
We sail npon the Republicans in Con.
gress to stand bT their new leader and
their new platform in Coqaactiert AT
ter the terrible revolution and stern ts1-
raj reign in England Of the Rurians
came the Jolly reaction under the harnum
scsrnm merry monarch" with his ha-
rem and his Black Crook diversions,
when religion and morality we're
"wbistied down the Eind, and bear
dances. bull baitings, showmen, free ooa-
ceris and the hangman woro the order
OF the day. We, too, have passed through
The ordeal Of a great revolution, and a
arsat reaction is upon US Il opens like
that Of EuElanf under Charles the Sec
ond. and for ttiis hs;l fellow well met
FOR funny tricks, Charley, ~ his day,
would have gone, with al the beauties oi
his court. to elecioneer Tor Barnum. 10
this direction the Republican party IS
nov drifting in Connecticut, and The
Radicals OF Congress, in going With the
tide Of reform, such as ? is- are called