Mr. William Condor had a similar interview with Tom, and Mr. Ele took a
friendly glass with Ned. And other Mr. Slugbys, and Condors, and Eles,
had little interviews with other red-faced, trip-hammer-fisted Jims,
Toms, and Neds. These healths being duly drunk, the placards were posted.
They were headed with the inspiring words "Liberty and Equality," with
cuts of symbolic temples and ships and lifted arms with hammers, and
summoned the legal voters to assemble in primary meetings and elect
delegates to a convention to nominate a representative. The Hon. Mr.
Bodley's letter of resignation was subjoined:
"FELLOW-CITIZENS,--Deeply grateful for the honorable trust you have so
long confided to me, nothing but the imperative duty of attending to my
private affairs, seriously injured by my public occupations, would induce
me to resign it into your hands. But while his country may demand much of
every patriot, there is a point, which every honest man feels, at which
he may retire. I should be deeply grieved to take this step did I not
know how many abler representatives you can find in the ranks of that
constituency of which any man may be proud. I leave the halls of
legislation at a moment when our party is consolidated, when its promise
for the future was never more brilliant, and when peace and prosperity
seem to have taken up their permanent abode in our happy country, whose
triumphant experiment of popular institutions makes every despot shake
upon his throne. Gentlemen, in bidding you farewell I can only say that,
should the torch of the political incendiary ever be applied to the
sublime fabric of our system, and those institutions which were laid in
our father's struggles and cemented with their blood, should totter
and crumble, I, for one, will be found going down with the ship, and
waving the glorious flag of our country above the smouldering ruins of
that moral night.
"I am, fellow-citizens, your obliged, faithful, and humble servant,
WATKINS BODLEY."
In pursuance of the call the meetings were held. Jim, Tom, and Ned were
early on the ground in their respective districts, with about thirty
chosen friends. In Jim's district Mr. Gasserly was elected chairman,
and Messrs. Musher and Slugby delegates to the Convention. Mr. Slugby,
who was present when the result was announced, said that it was
extremely inconvenient for him to go, but that he held it to be the
duty of every man to march at the call of the party. His private affairs
would undoubtedly suffer, but he held that every man's private interest
must give way to the good of his party. He could say the same thing
for his friend, Mr. Musher, who was not present. But he should say to
Musher--Musher, the people want us to go, and go we must. With the most
respectful gratitude he accepted the appointment for himself and Musher.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account