, 1877-05-16
W0E4 0P A HUM0RTET

IAEt EAApkNiCh 1ouH1+AdS tla6 ucCn Q7oftAkEn
with deep grief In consequence Of lecture ho
delivered recently ut Baltimore. Uo meant only
to DO humorous, and, choosing for hIa subject
Washington society, liz pictured It as ho sup
poacd It TO exist, With hero and there few en-.
bclllstments demanded by tho occasion. liz
said that Washington was not u good city; that
It's churches woro some 1tstanca from the spot
to which their spires pointed that 1t had bad
beginning, and had nevcr produced any states
man or philanthropfst; thatlt aided with treason
agninst loyalty, and WAS for long tlmo tho
Headquarters Of slavory; that drinking and
gambling were prevalent under tho domo Of
tho Cnpltol. and tho place filled With
'potsonoua wccds' and scrpcnts"; that
tho Washlngtohians wcro Lazy; that thcy
wear their hats oycr their eyes In "a sombre,
Sinister fashlon''; that they havo strong no.
gro pronunciation, and that many OF them aro
ugly and diseontcntcd. Now, wo who know
tho peculiar vein Of humor in which Mr. Doua-
Lass often lndulEcs, understand that part Of his
remarks concerning Washington aud tho people
thereof were true, and tho other part ouiy airy
ptcasantrlcs thrown of by him ia \ 1ocular
way. uo did not reaaly bclicyc, for instance.
that tho Capital was allcd with "poisono,,s
weeds" and sacrpcnts y: this WIS merely q
aottoncd allusfou to tho tobacco aud rum wl,ich
arc 90 freely consumed IN tho neIghborhood Of
tho halls OF legislation. Whoa ho spokc, too ;
OF virginia "a 1the 0randmothcr NJ stotos ), ~.
meant oulY 10 nav rcverencn In h.r r.,na,t..
bio dignity and historic GRANDEUR. INT thc.,
utternnces are differently rnuardcd IN Wash.
lMcton. Tho old families and tho "swcll.hcadst
there seem to bo utterly destitute Of the sense
OF l,umor. They declare that Mr.. DOUGLASS
las nsultcd them; they want to hold iud!gna-
tton-mcctfngs about tho matter, and to haYo
heavy mcn-n Dcmocrat--nronoaea to wtthnrn,
hts namc from Tho bond of thc Marsha, w.
hone the srtstocrstfc penttrmen ~ W., ,,no.,n
ylll think better of the matter. Thcv m t,s,to.
afford TO sustain personal ai7ront than IN H..
courage tho growth Of American hu,nor. md Nr
DouolAss las himself been eood cno,,oh ~
publsh a card In which bo ornintn.. kindiv hn,1
lfm]y, lust how funny ho intended to h~
Il IL clear. moreover. Tint ho W.. III
sptno measure victim, of c,rr,,nst.nccF
Ilo lad to use strong Language 9. or hi. lccture
would not hayc been listened to. WIN c.rcs In
thcso days Ia hear a sifnnle ami unndorncd IN.
folding OF tho truth And v}o--fn Haltlmoro
part!cularly-would patiently endure a eulooy
Of Washington. nciuhborInr cjty and a nrns.
ucsous rival Ms, DouoLiss VA only foi,ow.
Ing in the footsteps of tlustr,ous nretieccssofa
in tho ,octtiro.neld: and, il ho can be naraooel
for delivering a lecture At all ho might u, h.
forgiven ths mo.t farrnnt cr,or* ~ s,.t.r,.ns
in tho intcrcst OF natiye Aucrican hnr,o.
Yhat Ia ths rcn,,tatlon nf o,c civ ,tt., ~ -.
comnarcd Win }ho acvcfonmcnt ~ ,hn 90 ~
so,,r,c. of TIM n,fion, S
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neonia tb,rs III. .,.,,.s.ta. ~ "... ~ 'uo
r-or,ro,n,,.n, .nI .aae',.st,,st. ',,.".,''
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