Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-10-12
Il Photograph of the President.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.
"That's Grants race.track.n y

where out OF the sands OF New Jersey
that morning inthe down trip-jerked his
head over his left shoulder toward high
board fence to the righ. and then, stoop-
Ing little, spurted a stream of amber. or
tobacco juice, at the blinking eyes of a
little woody dog that had climbed upon
the platform and was smelling Us wei
come to Long Branch. After that. this
tall and angular citizen, who seemed to
be perfectly Mt home aud to know just
what he was talking about, took his car
pet bag by its two ears, swung it over his
shoulder. and again jerking his head
toward the tall board fence. started away
on the edge of the crowd toward the
hotel.
had gone to Long Branch almost
solely to see the President OF the Great
Repubic-the great man whom my peo-
pie had placed a the head of my country
Even the board fence, you see, under the
circumstances, had TO me great interest
| stopped, stood there, contemplated it,
and wondered if the coat of whitewash
Ing and the singular advertisements had
any possible significance. suppose |
had as well stood in the sands OF Ar ica
and lc ked in The face of the Sphynx
With my intense Imagination, which is n
curse. always picture men and scenes
so vivdly that, even after have seen
the real, the picture which had in my
mind stands out the clearer OF the two.
could now see the President perfectly
well in my mind, back there b,l ind The
high.board fence, horses, dogs. Shi'key
bottles and all.
And then had | not seen all thes" in
the glorious Tood.cuts OF the patriotic
and refined (?) prints of America always
durin. my years Of travel in stra "a
lands? Have not these energetic illus
tIated journals with noble desire TO
dignity their country in the eyes OF the
civilized world, sent their artistic wood
cuts into every bank and hotel OF the
continent? Have they not thus set up
the man whom the people have chosen to
stand at the head of the Great Republic,
before all the world during all the years
of my wandering, as a sort OF idlotic
adiunct to levee Of bull pups'
Why. then, could not see this second
fiddler who reveled and made merry
while the people groaned under accumu.
lated debts and disasters? ? There he was,
my minds eye: Nero with his ca,gut.
Caligula with his horse and other sena-
tors, sitting back there between his two
bulldogs on the high platform. with his
legs crossed, and chewing away in sort
of satisfied drunken cannibalism st the
corpse of cigar that had Just died from
the fumes OF whiskey
That is truly the picture which had OF
the President of the noblest and most
ennobling land upon earth, as | took my
way to the hotel and turned my head now
and then 10 take q look at Grants race
track"
wonder if it ever occurred to certain
disappointed and disaffected men that
right here in this connection lies one oil
the finest points OF honor in or outside oi
the books.
"The Queen. God bless herr" The
first time heard that expression and 'a"
the perfect and manly respect whic
those Britons paid 10 their country through
their sovereign, as they lifted the tirs
glass at dinner, was on the waters o.
Oregon, in q little British man OF war
wears and years ago. Yet l shal
never forget it. And whenever ant
wherever I see it-and that is whenever
and wherever | see true Englishmai
and gentleman Abroad. too, feel iik'
rising to my feet and saying "The Queen
God bless herl" for know that am il
good company. with quiet and brave AM
patriotic gentlemen, and men who woul'
not Tor the world, in my presence. 0
least. say one word against my countr.
or its representative.
To stick pin here and stop and tnin
q moment. do not believe one Can recal
a single great act or expression in the lit
of the Queen of England. In truth, sh
!. seems to me to have always been sor
of negative and helpless, though, m
, doubt. most kind. hearted and we'll dis
/ posed woman. But in all the girdle
, the earth you will not find one lady
: universally respected and beloved as she
| And all that love and respect means
? whole line OF battle ships. II is Nelso
and Wellington in one. 1t is Gibraltar
Il is one of the strongest towers in tn
British battlement.
Yet all this love and respect. out I
which comes this strength, is owing NJ
q so much to the simple virtues OF Ht
r Majesty, but to the manly, decent bearin
4 and respects of her subjects toward Ii
v common country.
@ l might urge a second reason for b.
y having with, at least, tolerable decent
Y toward the unfortunate man who ha
n pens to he set up as mark tor mud ball
!. whosoever he may be. And that reasC
a is-though fear this argument will n
4 be of much force or practical use
political Americs-that reason is, ss