The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-04-05
Colored Recognition.

| l,lN. lie says
Now that Fred. Douglass is fairly in
stalled in fat office. one Langston, who
| has all Frcd's noise without his eloQuencc,
| is being pushed for the Agricultural Blu
rcau-that National pumpkin and squash
| conservatory that is merely q roost for
| a strange agricultural production who
| knows nothing about agriculture; and
| looked at from this point OF view, Lang
| ston is the fittest man in the country for
| the place. LangStOn knows less about
| agriculture than he does about any other
subject and when one gets down to that
| it reduces Homeopathy to the impercep-
tible.
As for this agricultural concern. it is a
| thing of fungus growth from the confused
heads of ignorant law makers. Because
agriculture is the foundation of our ma
tional prosperity, it was thought necessa-
~ to give it recognition at Washington.
| | use the word Thought in the foregoing
| sentence from lack of words necessary to
explain my meaning. The fact is, it was
| lack OF thought that caused the SOlOns
| not to see that all agriculture with rs need
| ed was to be let alone. II it could escape
| the robbery that comes in the shape OF
| bounties to certain interests, mscaled
protection, that augments the cost OF all
| the farmer has to purchase, especially in
| the shape Of iron, it would be doing we'll
| enough. and could we'll spare this Bureau.
| The concern is popular with members OF
| Congress for its reports made up OF essays
on bugs, statistical publications that no
| one can rely on, and for its supply of seed,
all OF which, gotten up At public expense,
are furnished Congressman as means to
| electoneer upon.
| Then it is q nest for dependents said
! Congressman fetch to Washington. who
have to be provided for by the Govern
ment. Over on the Island, as ii il; called,
| between the Smithsonian Abbey OF,
| since the women have been taken in such
| large numbers. the Convent -;tnd that
broken shaft to the memory OF the i'm
mortal George W.. stands a huge square
building of brick OF that style Of archltec
| tme known West as the Conestoga stall
| lion To any one possessed Of architec-
| tural or any other taste it is enough to
cause howls of anguish. From the day of
| its founder, Isaac NeWtOn-knoWn as Sir
| Isaac, the heaviest old ignorant blowhard8
| that ever burden the lean earth with I'm
| necessary adipose, to the pumpkin head
ed son OF Pennsylvania, its present occu
| pant, the Agricultural Bureau has been
| controlled by not only men who knew
nothing OF agriculture that, OF course
| but by creatures possessed of an aggrcS-
| siye ignorance in the way OF taste that
| makes the surroundings something 10 pro
| duce subsequent nightmare.
This place is the only one At tie Ma
tionl Capital thar affords lodgings to
the incumbent and his family. All the
| upper part Of the building is devoted to
roost, furnished by the Government, while
the Attorneys, doubtless purchased from
| the Contingent Fund, Craze upon the
| Government grass; and il the concern
| We're well looked into have no doubt
| that ii would be found that the cook,
coachman, scrubbcr and chambermaid
| We're ali messengers, paid for OH Of the
| Treasury While the carriage that carts
the family about town and the horses that
| pull the same are paid Tor in the same
easy and charming manner. If these are
not the abuses Of the national pumpkin
| and squash conservatory ii differs from
| all the other departments Of Washington
| OF course this warm, soft place is re-
| garded with longing eyes by IL large num-
| Der Of needy outsiders. and among others,
| Professor John NJ. Langston.
Professor John is a likely mulattu, of
| about forty-five or fifty years of age. He
| was born slave in Virginia, and. as he
was not only enamel patcd 10y the will Of
his master, but subsequently educated in
Ohio, | am told, by means left with the
emancipation, he probably has Caucasian
blood in his veins Of the proud old Com
monWeath. From twenty one until to-
| day he has been a hungry, persistent and
| man, there is not enough in him to justify
his election to be dogpeltcr OF fence
viewer OF township. But as sunly old
Sam johnson said of The parrot, 1T is
not that she talks well, but that she talks
at all, Madam, that is amazing" so we
say OF the citizen Of African descent.
Professor John is us full Of conceit as he
is ignorant-no uncommon combination
and his flow Of words is perfectly as
founding. heard him once deliver Il
stump speech that made Conkling hide
his diminished head. The eloquent New
York Senator can throw wider denscr
fog bank of words about an idea than
any man living, but Langston can build
his tog-banl1 about nothing.
Ii does not seem To strike these cen
tlemen that to reward q man on account
OF his color Is as false i'll principle as to
enslaNe him for the same reason, and TO
give an office to such Il condensed essence
of animated maSma as John l.moston
because he is OF African descent is to
Justify the basis OF African slavery. Fred
Douglass IS really a man Of genius. and
as such is remarkable without regard To
color OF previous condition Of servitltlp.
But John NJ. is not of this sort