The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-08-13
HuMBUG AND 1coNocLAsM.

Famous is Massachusetts in rearing
idols. and famous is Massachusetts in
smashing them. Daniel Webster, once
upon time, was her great divinity
but he lived long enough to prove the
ngratitudc of the Frog pondans, and
behold, in prophetic visions, the future
radiance Of Beast Butler. We had
thought, however, that certain of her so
called ancient worthies had escaped the
common doom; that they were really
past all efforts of depreciation that
they were of such genuine greatness
that even the sharp and cnvious teeth of
Time, or Wendell Phillips, wonld gnash
their monumental fame in futile crncll-
ings. For example who has been more
esteemed than John Hancock? Who
more brilliantly Illuminated as mo
mortal example for Massachusetts youth!
No one indeed that Yankee land contains
in the rcliqnares of mental bone dust
But here comes Lewis Tappan, a noted
number one mackcrcl in pantaloons, and
thus tears away the mask from the
hitherto venerable John Hancock:
'.No man has probably been more
overratcd than John Hancock. He was
rich, lived ostentatiously, and was very
generous, but he was vain and unscru-
pulous. Almost rybody who traded
with him was obliged to sue him. My
father told me that one could seldom
pass the court house in Boston, during
his time. without hearing the crier of
the court proclaim from the doorsteps,
Ills Excelleacy John Hancock come in
to court and make answer to A. b., or
YOU will be defaulted.' He would pre-
sent to a clergyman, for example, on
election day, suit of clothes, and the
tailor would have to sue the Governor
for paymcnt-anls so in numerous other
instances. His widow, Madame Scott,
who married Capt. Scott, master of one
of Gov. IIaneeek's London packets, told
me in my youth, that on one occasion,
the Governor invited the whole Senate
of Massachusetts to breakfast with him
without giving her any notice. She
; said, 'Wc have no milk for the coffee of
so many persons and he replied, Send
: the servant out to milk the cows on the
common 1t was the custom then for
the inhabitants to send their cows to
crop the grass on the public common"
; Behold in this revelation, how terri
5 bly a Revolutionary hypocrite has typi-
: fed the old times and the new of Massa-
chusetts! Instead, however, of pre-
f tending to execrate this John Hancock,
he should be held up by Lewis Tappan
{ as the very demigod of Massachusetts
| policy. "AIilking the COWS on the COM
: mon,n is the Puritan motto and practice
to this day, especially when the Gov
eminent COW, with her lactiferous teats,
chances to stray III that direction. John
5 Hancock shall be forever perpetuatcd
t as tho father of the Trooly Loil. His
5 descendants have improved upon him,
: but he has the merit of an original dis
, covery. lie took snap-judgment on his
! neighbors' cows and tilIed his milk Jug.
: Iley compel The national kline to pasture
on Boston Common and then belabor
| them because the yield Of the cows is
! not equal to the rapacity of the drivers.
The Hancock method is still triumphant;
: but the day is not distant when there
/ viii be presented to Massachusetts big
, milk bill, which shall curdle the blood of
r her most thoroughly vaccinated sons.
4 4 p . ~.