New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-18
THE FTTrRy or TIE pRoDIG4L.

There has been great rejoicing in the house
hold Of Uncle Sam over the return OF the
Prodical Son, who insisted upon taking The
portion of the paternal goods that fell To him,
apl going off into another land, where he
wasted his substance in attempting to set up a
country OF his own. 1t was about the time of
the Centennial celebration that this tattered
and famished pcnitent was deserted com
ing home He was in pitiaDle plight.
While the hired servants Of his father
were making themselves comfortable in their
consulsaips and post-Oilices, reading the news
papers and talking politics, he had watched
them with hungry eyes, and III bitterness OF
spirit recalled The good old times. In those
fortunate and careless days the cork was al
ways out of The bottle, and when the Southern
gentleman was hard up, he could 30 to Wash
ingt0n and demand an Office, or at least sell
likely fcld-hand or an ancestral house-scrvant
But now there was a famine in the land the
vhskey was all out and the niggers were all
gone. He had to go home or sarye.
The head OF the family saw him afar Oft,
and ran out to meet him. The prOdigal was
supplied at once with new boots and a hot
dinner. He was taken into Congress. He had
the pick OF some of the best Offices. The
whole community was invited 10 rejoice over
his return, to shake hands with him, to pet
him, and to celebrate the era OF reconciliation.
1t is very much to the credit Of the peo-
pie that they joined in these fe!iclta-
tons with great heaitiness. As general
thing. they did not complain that there
was altogether too much fuss over this ragged
reprobatc, who only came home because he
could not help himself; they gave him gem
erOus welcome; they were quite elatcd when
they saw him taking lis old place at the table;
they chose to forget that he had cost them, by
his four years Of riOt0us living, a sum of three
or four thousand millions; aud TO tell the
truth he seemed entirely ready to FORGE it too.
Indeed, he is forgetting altogether too much.
Fer before he has been six months mt home
he is hectOring all the rest Of the household.
beating the servants, smashing the crockery,
and threatening to turn everybody out of
doors. lie has insultcd and abused the credi
tors of the family, and tried TO pick quarrel
with the neiRhbors. He has declared that the
debts contracted in consequence of his miscon-
duct and extravaganza shall not he paid, but
the honor and prosperity Of tho house shall be
sacrificed to his temporary convenience. Having
wasted half the property, he proposes to break
open the domestic tIeasure-chcst take all that
remains, and go back to his riOtOus cOmpan-
ions. When somebody demonstrates with him,
he replies, in the words Of Senator Lamar.
81 have been insulted by this Governments:
" its credit and honor are nothing 70 me-" II
would have been bad enough if the returned
prodigal had only INDUCED in a fresh course
of gambling, Drunkenness and harotry but
nothing will suit him except the pillage and
complete ruin OF the home which has re-
opened its hospitablc doors to him after he
has once robbed and abandoned it. Forgive
ness awakcns in him no gratitude. Magna1-
unity impels him only to iusoence. Kindness
he mistakes for cowardico, and rewards with
outrage.
Imagine the Prodigal Son Of the Scriptures
going back to his tipsy companions after he
had eaten the fatted calf, and telling them,
while the odOr Of stuffed veal still haunted
his breath, that he only went home because
he was hungry, but the old mans conduct was
most abomiuablc and now that he had re-
| ffcshed himself he meant to assert his rights.
! That is about what the Hon. Mr.. Butler,
of South Carolina, has just done. No sooner
had he been admitted TO the Senate than
he went TO Columbia, and in public speech
! gave a passionate account Of the way in which
he had been put upon at Washington. Il