The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-08-11
Sinking His Own Shirt.

Sinking His Own Shirt.
General Frank Blair's recent letter, in
which he asks the Democratic nomina-
ton for President, is SO utterly des-
tructive of whatever remote chance he
may have had, that it reminds US Of an
incident related of the boyhood Of this
distinguished blunderer.
The Blairs were raised in Washington
City, and the boys then, as ever since,
had enlarged ideas of the consequence
of the 'sBlair family They were big,
strapping fellows and smaller chaps al
ways avoided them for the wantonness
with which they imposed on I'll ose too
weak to defend themselves.
Thirty or thirty-fve years ago, the
canal which now serves Washington City
as sewer was not the mud hole il has
become Of late years. 1t was a favorite
bathing place for boys, particularly the
smaller ones, who did not venture to go
to the river. On one of these occasions,
when Frank and one or two other of the
Blairs were present, . little fellow in ad
vance Of the others picked up shirt
from the pile of clothing and began to
dress. As the boy was very little one
the opportunity to show the power of
Blair was to good TO be lost; Frank
snatched the shirt from the child and
threw it overheard. The outcry at so
mean an act he answered with laughter,
for his big brothers stood by him The
shirt not sinking so fast as he wished,
he threw chunks of mud and stones
upon it, until the over fret GIFTED garment
went down. Frank laughed long and
loud; the little boy cried; whereupon
Frank, as punishment for not accept
ing as an honor the notice taken OF the
garment by the Blairs, threw additional
weights upon the already sunken shirt,
which would now almost need Q dred
ging machine to recover it,
BY this time all except the i6lairs had
dressed themselves, and the pile Of un-
CLAIMED clothes was reduced to those be-
longing to them and the lad selected as
a victim. The Blairs had enjoyed their
pastime, dancing in aboriginal costume,
but turned now to their own clothes.
One of their shirts was missing The
supposed victim had found his own gar
ment and escaped to a safe distance
Terrible was the profanity and wild the
wrath when the truth became apparent
hot 10. l.
shirt overheard and had sunk it irrecoy-
erably.
Frank Blair has attempted statesman
ship and generalship, and a variety of
other things, but, with characteristic
disregard Of the rights of others, and
reckless attempts to gain his own ends,
he usually winds up by sinking his own
shirt His recent letter, declaring that
the Democracy wants no President ex-
cept one who will declare the laws Of
Congress unconstitutional, and who,
putting himself at the head Of the army,
will by the sword, undo the work Of re-
construction, put to flight both houses
OF Congress, restore the rebels again at
the South, and recognize them and the
Northern Democrats alone as the Ameri
can Congress. He wants a President
who will promptly seize the Republican
vagabonds in Congress and in the
Southern State governments, and throw
them overheard, and who, if they do
not sink fast enough, will load them un
til they are ancored to predition. He
and his brother Montgomery hoped that
by initiating Brick Pomeroy and Dean
they would excite an enthusiasm in which
the greenbacks Of Pendleton, the bonds
of Seymour, the military record of Han
cock would be forgotten, and Frank
hailed as tie new leader of new rebel
lion. But the letter has been received
with contempt, either as the ranting Of q
knavish, or the vagary Of drunken
man. The little boy whose shirt he sunk
in the Washington canal is delegate to
the Tammany Convention, and he, at
least, will recall the incident we have
related, and laugh at Gen. Blair's blum
dering persistency in sinking the wrong
shirt Chicago Tribune.
A draft that is never protested in hot
weather-A draught of air.