The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-29
Pretty Speeches.

meditation, to say the right thing is an
enviable gift still, and may be made a
wonderful instrument of Cancellation
disqualification. The worst of it is that
persons possessing the power of repartee
are 9s,ot to make a hostile rather than an
amicable use of it; and, indeed, most of
us cOyet it rather as whip to sting with
than a feather to tickle. Caustic
speeches are sure to draw, and the most
amiable people, who would not them
selves hurt their friends feelings on any
account, chuckle over them as much as
others. Therefore they are continually
chronicied, but pretty speeches lack the
same pungency, and are passed by as in
sipid; yet l think there is fine SAVIOR
about one or two that | remember-that
said by George the fourth to the officer
of marines, for example. 1t may be IA
miliar to you, but will really bear repe-
tition. There was an empty bottle on the
table, and the king told the servant to
"take away that marine" A guest sit
ting next to the king whispered in his
ear that an officer present belonged to
that branch of the service. George the
fourth ascertained his name, and then,
addressing him aloud, asked if he knew
why an empty bottle was called ma
rine. "No, your majesty" replied the
officer. Because" said the king, cit
has done its duty, and is ready to do it
again" Which was a neat way of get
ting out of 4 rather awkward phrase as
one can well imagine. Ladies, however,
are the fair and proper recipients OF
pretty speeches, and the man who gets
them is a sort of poacher. The Due de
Nivernois made an ingenious one to
Madame du Barri. who was endeavoring
to persuade him to withdraw his Opposi-
tion to some measure she had set her
heart on. 1T is DO use, Monsieur lie
Due" she said, "yOu are only injuring
your influence, for the king has made up
his mind, and | have myself heard him
say that he will never change" "Ah
madame, he was looking at you" replied
the duke. Could any but a Frenchman
have ever conveyed determined resistance
in so polite form? There was an inge-
NOUS amount of devotion implied in the
remark of a tove-sick millionaire, when
the object of his affections becam cecstatic
over the beauty of the evening star
ooh, do not, do not praise it like that! :!
he cried, ~ annot get it for you" 1t Is
no wonder that Tom Moore was ever
such a general tavorite, if he often said
such charming little things as he wrote.
I think the very prettiest, quaintest qulp
ever penned is in one of his love songs.
The lover can not deny that he has paid
to others homage before he saw the pre-
sent object of his affections; in fact, he
learned Iip-service very early.
'"fhat lesson of sweet and enraptured lore
I have npypr fOrpOt I'll allow:
| have had By r0tc very often before,
But never by heart until now"
Irishmen generally do manage to say
prettier things than others can. They
have a certain confidence or assurance
which enables them to blurt out what
ever comes uppermOst in his mind; that
is why they make bulls. A man who IS
always shooting must miss sometimes.
The more cautious Englishman or Scotch
man escapes the biunders, but scores
fewer hits, and does not often marry an
heiress, | Cds8eIPs Idgdz1n6
The Future of Agriculture in the South
1t has always been argued that the
supply of cotton could never exceed the
demand. That its cheapness would al
ways force it into various fabrics as
substitute for wool, flax, and silk, and IN
this way the demand would always be IN
excess of the supply. The logic OF
events is rapidly driving us to the con-
victiOn that we have been laborIng I'M
der a delusion. 1t is manifest that the
cotton supply is pressing closely upon
the demand or that the cheapness OF the
article will no longer force its use III va
rious manufactures as substitute Tor
flax, wool, or silk. The declaration
comes from spinners abroad and at home
that cotton goods cannot be manutac-
tured at present prices without ruin to the
manufacturer. and that some cheaper
process of manufacture must be resorted
to. or the raw material must 90 down.
Here is a direct issue made between cap
ital and labor, and we have to meet 1t
squarely.
Improved machinery and reduced
wages (and without, of course, cheaper
breadstuffs), or cheaper cotton. Any
planter who has enjoyed the experience
of cotton planting with the freedmen,
since the war, must have come to the
conclusion that cotton cannot be pro-
duced without loss for less than fifteen
cents, and he must be very sangu1ne
individual if he believes times will ever
grow better under our present govern
ment.
From all parts of the country we hear
of the stoppage of mills, lock outs,
strikes, and dissatisfaction with the
state of things, of the g 'stagnatlon III all
kinds of productive business, the Paraly-
sis of industries, the distresses OF those
desirous to labor with their hands for
the support of their families, etc We
see in every southern newspaper that
there has been a "steady decline OF the
southern people in the condition OF pc
cuniary exhaustion since the war, winch
renders it not only proper, but vitally
necessary, that we should look carefully
into nnr sv. tam Of household economy"