The New York herald., 1869-05-03
VIII Sprague Turn Out Political Dor
Quix0teS


IF Sprague possess the elements of honest
purpose and determination, the clear compreS
hension of the necessities of the people, the
fearless courage to attack and expose corrup-
ton in whatever quarter it may reside, and
the high patriotism to look at all matters
pendent, in place of party, standpoint, then,
indeed, he can afford to snap his fingers at
mastiffs, puppy dogs, ours and canine snarlers
and growlers of all other degrees. The Rhode
Island internecine warfare will sound in his
ears but as the babble of country village,
nor the Falstaffian joker of Nevada need give
him any concern. But if he has only pro-
posed to himself the rifle of political Don
Quixote, with Pet Halstead, of Jersey, for his
Sancho Panza, the mishaps he is sure to meet
with by the way will throw into insignifcance
the numerous and never-ending disasters that
befell the errant Knight of La Mancha. The
people of Rhode Island are no doubt
in this condition of thought in reference
to their Senator that they cannot
tell whether he means to take, or
whether he has the capacitX to take, one of
the two courses thus supposititiously inferred.
All the hubbub about the First Rhode Island
regiment-a gallant regiment, no doubt. but
excessively thin-skinned-all the noise we
hear of Brown & Ives and Anthony would
be lost in the tumult of national applause if
Sprague, having the qualities we demand, had
also the judgment to guide their direction.
He already possesses the sympathies of the
young men of Rhode Island outside Of that
everlasting First regiment This is an excel
lent support to begin with, but it requires tact
to make it effective. The other side-the An
thony faction-have, as we are informed, only
the old timber of Rhode Island to depend upon.
Both sides have plenty of money; but one, it
appears, has just that trife more of enthusiasm
that often decides the fate Of battles. We want
to see little more of Sprague. We want to see
if he has really mounted a political Rosinante,
and, with visor down and lance at rest,
Island is in the same quandary and impatiently
awaits the next chapter in this eventful story.
HOW lie LOVES lHhM !-lue eultOr vi tue
Brandon (Ohio) Republican, commenting upon
a fabulous statement that Massachusetts, has
more paupers and drunken men than any other
three States in the Union, ventures to re-
mark :-"And you might have added more
spoon thieves, watch thieves, piano thieves,
United States Treasury thieves of every grade,
more political preachers, more reverend black
guards, more psalm-singing hypocrites, more
men in petticoats and women in pants, more
free-loveism, spiritualism and niggerism, more
vice and less virtue, more churches and less
religion, more politicians and fewer patriots,
more republicans and fewer friends Of the Afri-
can, more women with false teeth, false calves,
false eyes, false hair and false bosoms-more
children who never knew their fathers, and
more people who think they are no better than
negroes, than any five States in the Union"
That editor must have paid a recent visit to
New England and fallen in with bad charac-
ters. He talks as If he might have been Tilted
by some fair maid on Cape Cod. At any rate
he is certainly "prejudiced."