The Portland daily press., 1872-05-20
THE PRESS.

CAMPAIGN SoNGs.-There is one tning al, az,
ficting presidential campaigns when VIII
never die. 1t was epidemic to fearful ex,
tent in 1910 and 1874 and it has resurrecteu
itself regularly every four years since, tnouSn
not to so lamentable an extent. ms year II
will prevail all over the country, anything
il to he Judged from early indications, and II
is much to be feared that there will follow in
its train the old evils of unnatural buoyancy,
fictitious happiness, sanguine expectation,
swelled hone. exaggerated faith, CONSEQUENT
iim-iams and final collapse. Need we saw
that we allude to the compaign sengp} There
are hundred of them in print thus early,
and the cry is still they come, notwithstand-
ing general protestation and prostration.
Here now is George Alfred Townsend, break
ing out with more chuckles and ripples than
body is laughing-and, by the way, ne Is
more correct than usuul in the assertion.
This is the first gush of Georges music:
IT'S Honest Horace Greeley
With his old white coat and stafl
The politicians laugh IN rear, a.
In ioy the people laugh
laugh comes Der the Paddy's face,
And Ger the negro's mouth,
And first, since all these bloody years
: Laughs, too, the wounded South.
1t is a melancholy fact that Doctor Greeley
doesn't carry staff, and whoever says he
does is a liar and villain: but this happy
troubadour goes on laughing and singing, and
advising others to laugh and sing, as if there
were no other duties in all this world, until
he reaches the final burst: .
Stand up and shout, We laughersl ,
The laughing sun comes out;
Together let the northern Yank
AMI Southern Johnny shout;
For Brown and Greeley break the night,
And lead the era in!
They'll teach us how to laugh aud farm
We'll teach them how to win!
And what does Doctor Greeley say? He
says that this is nonsense, for anybody who
thinks he can laugh and farm at one and the
same time doesn't know carrot from hoe
handle. There is song, however, In the
New York Sun which-may we be permitted
the usual expression in such cases (which is
a ripper. 1t is entitled "Tho Last Rebel
Yell;" not the one in Dixie a few years ago,
you know, but the latest yell, indicating q
resurrection in some remarkable manner Of
the lost caws. 1t is also felicitously entitled
"Whoo-hoop for Horacep' Whoo-hoop, we
suppose, is species of owl, though we are
puzzled to know what under heaven that
sagacious looking bird can have to do with
our old friend the doctor. This is the first
verse, and chorus:
I'm rale old Bob with one leg LEFT,
And I'm 'frad can't raise as loud yell
As when followed jackson through the Blue Ridge
Or stormed in the rims of Fort Hcu
But the old yell comes,
Though silent are tho drums;
Whoe-hoopi
(Gray column in the vanD
For the frst of the Yenks
Who, after We broke ranks,
Behaved like an Uncle and Mani
Military remembrances, involving gray col
umns, camp-fres, a passing view Of Stonewall
Jackson, etc. The tune the song is sung to
is Tramp, Tramp" which also calls up
touching facts in connection with the great
rebellion. "In my prison cell l sit''-Libby,
perhaps, or the more airy accommodations Of
Georgia. The song is coarse in some meas
ure, like the old rebel uniform; but it is
touching And the second verse is no less
noticeable, for it speaks with much affection
of the Uncle and the Man who did 'sfor
traitor sign"-a very fine thing to do un-
doubtedly: ar
We saw his white hat, like the color OF truce.
Stand up for old jeff and for traitor sign,
We saw how 1t brought him but spite and abuse
As he poured in our wounds oil and WINE.
But the good deeds tell
Once more the rebel yelli
Whoe-hoopi
(Gray column in the vanD
For the first of the Yanks
Who, after we broke ranks
Behaved like an Uncle and Man.
The song, or the rebel yell, or the WHO'D
hoop, closes as follows:
We don't know you folks in that frosty NORTH
The carpet-bagger Is still snoring on our hearth
Like the lizard on the old battle field
There is one we trust
Horace Greeley, the inst! t...
Whoe-hoop! = % f. " a...l
Gray column in the vanD
--,.- For the first Of the Yanke
Who, after we broke ranks,
Behaved like an Uncle aud Man!
Our vote Is our own; wen be cheated no morel
Gamble You in old parties whove nothing to iosei
Friend Horace the farmer! our Southland restore
And this last rebel yell be the sign Of the truce
And the old yell comes. s-7fr1.
Though silent be the drums: f..lr
Whoe-hoop! - =
Gray column in the vanD t
For the first of the Yanks -...| -E
Who after we broke ranks,
Behaved like an Uncle and Man. -s
We cannot say that Doctor Greeley has not
earned this touching tribute. He faithfully
did all he could for the boys in gray, and it is
meet that he have his reward. Let, then,
the rebel yell go on. Let the WHO'D hoop pro-
ceed.-ROchester Democrat. asf tl-F
Gina EnEpuruQ A vroxyar riua, A. a.