If this sweeping charge be true, what an encomium it is
upon the Dalhousies, the Gosfords, the Durhams, Sydenhams, Metcalfs,
and Elgins, that they were chosen because suitable men could not be
found if not supported by party. All that can be said for a minister
who talks such stuff, is that a man who knows so little of London as
to be unable to find the shortest way home, may easily lose himself in
the wilds of Canada.
Now we licked the British when we had only three millions of people
including niggers, who are about as much use in a war as crows that
feed on the slain, but don't help to kill 'em. We have "run up" an
empire, as we say of a "wooden house," or as the gall who was asked
where she was raised, said "She warn't raised, she growed up." We have
shot up into manhood afore our beards grew, and have made a nation
that ain't afeard of all creation. Where will you find a nation like
ours? Answer me that question, but don't reply as an Irishman does by
repeating it,--"Is it where I will find one, your Honour?"
Minister used to talk of some old chap, that killed a dragon and
planted his teeth, and armed men sprung up. As soon as we whipped the
British we sowed their teeth, and full-grown coons growed right out of
the earth. Lord bless you, we have fellows like Crocket, that would
sneeze a man-of-war right out of the water.
We have a right to brag, in fact it ain't braggin', its talking
history, and cramming statistics down a fellow's throat, and if he
wants tables to set down to, and study them, there's the old chairs of
the governors of the thirteen united universal worlds of the old
States, besides the rough ones of the new States to sit on, and
canvas-back ducks, blue-point oysters, and, as Sorrow says, "hogs and
dogs," for soup and pies, for refreshment from labour, as Freemasons
say.
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