Fer a coat thet sets wal here in ole Massachusetts, Wen it gits on to Washinton, somehow askew sets. Resolves, do you say, o' the Springfield Convention ? Thet's percisely the pint I was goin' to mention; Resolves air a thing we most gen'ally keep ill, They're a cheap kind o' dust fer the eyes o' the people; A parcel o' delligits jest get together An' chat fer a spell o' the crops an' the weather, Thet President Polk's holl perceedins air very tory; Thet the war is a damned war, an' them thet enlist in it Should hev a cravat with a dreffle tight twist in it; Thet the war is a war fer the spreadin' o' slavery; Thet our army desarves our best thanks fer their bravery; Thet we're the original friends o' the nation, Ez fer Mexico, t'aint no great glory to lick it, But 'twould be a darned shame to go pullin' o' triggers To extend the aree of abusin' the niggers." So they march in percessions, an' git up hooraws, An' tramp thru the mud fer the good o' the cause, An' think they're a kind o' fulfillin' the prophecies, Wen they're on'y jest changin' the holders of offices; Ware A sot afore, B is comf'tably seated, One humbug's victor'ous, an' t'other defeated, taxes. Now, to keep unimpaired all these glorious feeturs I say thet a party with great aims like these I'm willin' a man should go tollable strong Coz then he'll be kickin' the people's own shins; done Jest simply by stickin' together like fun ; Thet no one on airth aint responsible for; They talk agin tayriffs, but act fer a high one, Half o' whom they've persuaded, by way of a joke, Thet Washinton's mantelpiece fell upon Polk. Now all o' these blessin's the Wigs might enjoy, Ef they'd gumption enough the right means to imploy; * Fer the silver spoon born in Dermocracy's mouth Is a kind of a scringe thet they hev to the South; Their masters can cuss 'em an' kick 'em an' wale 'em, An' they notice it less 'an the ass did to Balaam; In this way they screw into second-rate offices Wich the slaveholder thinks 'ould substract too much off his ease; The file-leaders, I mean, du, fer they, by their wiles, Unlike the old viper, grow fat on their files. Wal, the Wigs hev been tryin' to grab all this prey frum 'em An' to hook this nice spoon o' good fortin' away frum 'em, An' they might ha' succeeded, ez likely ez not, * That was a pithy saying of Persius, and fits our politicians without a wrinkle,-Magister artis, ingeniique largitor venter. -H. W. Ef it warn't thet, wile all faithful Wigs were their knees on, Some stuffy old codger would holler out,—® "Treason! You must keep a sharp eye on a dog thet hez bit you once, An' I aint agoin' to cheat my constitoounts," Wen every fool knows thet a man represents Not the fellers thet sent him, but them on the fence; Impartially ready to jump either side An' make the fust use of a turn o' the tide,- Constitoounts air hendy to help a man in, But arterwards don't weigh the heft of a pin. on't Thet hev any consarn in't, an' thet is the end on't. Now here wuz New England ahevin' the honor Of a chance at the Speakership showered upon her; Do you say, ,—“" She don't want no more Speakers, but fewer; She's hed plenty o' them, wut she wants is a doer"? Fer the matter o' thet, it's notorous in town Thet her own representatives du her quite brown. But thet's nothin' to du with it; wut right hed Palfrey To mix himself up with fanatical small fry? Warn't we gittin' on prime with our hot an' cold blowin', Acondemnin' the war wilst we kep' it agoin'? We'd assumed with gret skill a commandin' posi tion, On this side or thet, no one couldn't tell wich one, So, wutever side wipped, we'd a chance at the plunder An' could sue fer infringin' our paytented thunder; Besides, ef we did, 'twas our business alone, Wy, these chaps frum the North, with back-bones to’em, darn em, 'Ould be wuth more 'an Gennle Tom Thumb is to Barnum; Ther's enough thet to office on this very plan grow, By exhibitin' how very small a man can grow; An' these few exceptions air loosus naytury It's no use to open the door o' success, Ef a member can bolt so fer nothin' or less; |