or a glass of something stronger, or if he had not shaken hands with a friend, all this vexation might have been avoided.

Mr. Fink, being a corpulent man, arrived almost breathless, dragging a white trunk after him; and swaying his hat to and fro, roared out, in the extremity of his distress: Stop, capting! I am the legislative of Long-Island!' Whether through the influence of friendly feelings, or the apparition of a man with a white trunk, the captain, who was a Long-Island man, observed the signal. The bell tingled, the wheels stopped, then retrograded; the boat approached the wharf, Mr. Fink sprang on board, and grasping the captain's hand, with breathless gratitude, 'Capting,' said he 'I-I—I will go into the cabing.' This main difficulty being surmounted, when he had recovered breath, he congratulated himself that he was now in the fair way of his duty. He ate his supper with a good appetite, indulged in sundry conversations with some friends whom he found aft, and went to bed and to sleep, at an early hour. A little incident, however, occurred on the journey, which I will mention. Waking up in the middle of the night, he put his hand under his pillow, then passing it over his brow, as if to ascertain whether his present sensations were falsely suggested by dreams, suddenly flung himself out of his birth on the floor of the cabin, and set up a prodigious cry, Capting, capting! I'm robbed! I'm robbed!' This soon woke up the passengers, who one after another drew aside their curtains, surprised at seeing a man undressed and frantic, hopping about the floor. The good captain, hearing a tumult; and suspecting something wrong in his boat, was soon at hand; but he found it impossible to soothe Mr. Fink, who continued to cry out: Capting, capting! I'm robbed! I'm robbed!' Lights were soon brought, and search commenced, when the money was found wrapped up in a paper, untouched, upon the cabin floor. On this Mr. Fink, feeling greatly relieved, went to bed again, and slept until morning; and when he awoke, the boat was lying at the Albany wharf. That very day, he took his seat in the assembly, making no attempt at a speech, either at that time or any other. Our legislative bodies might be esteemed fortunate, if all their members were as cautious as he, not to waste the public time in verbiage. He simply said ay, or nay, when the votes were taken; and sometimes saying ay, when he should have said nay, and the contrary. He soon became acquainted with some of the members, with whom he could associate on the most familiar terms. He found some boatmen from the lakes and western waters. On the whole, he conducted himself very properly, and gained the affections of the sovereign people; so that when the last November elections came round, he boasted that he had gone ten years successively to the assembly, and could go ten more, if he liked, but he was getting to be a man in years, and wished to withdraw from public life. He therefore resigned his pretensions to another. That person was Mr. Silas Roe.

This gentleman, as I have already intimated, came into the field at a very critical moment. Time was, when the Fink party would have espoused his cause, heart and hand; and if a recent division had not occurred among them, his success could not have been doubtful. But civil strife is the bane of parties, as it is of governments. The staunch yeoman of Long-Island are seldom known to waver in their

allegiance. Through evil report, and good report, they adhere to the faith of their fathers, and with a well-meant, though often a mistaken policy, rejoice in the distinctive appellation of their political sects. But names are not the criteria of principles, being too often inscribed on false flags, and piratical, to deceive the ignorant and unwary. They are the means made use of by designing demagogues, who have shifted themselves to a very different platform from that occupied by the illustrious men whose names they have the hardihood to assume. Some of the Fink party now gave it as their opinion, that the present lamentable defection of the public credit was not ultimately owing to spekellation,' as they had been led to believe, but to the carryings-on' of this government. And whereas, when formerly so charged, they had been accustomed to say, 'Oh no, gin the devil his due; we guess' spekellation' had something to do with it,' they now adopted a different tone. Bob Kushow led off with these opinions. He had reached the solemn conviction, arrived at by some ingenious mental process, and instigated by the rumors of the day, of which he had got hold of the wrong end, that the government had given secret orders to its emissaries to buy up the Crow-hill estate, at an immense sacrifice,' that they might sell it off again in more prosperous times. He said that Uncle Sam had been carrying on a large stroke of late, but he was a leetle too much for him for that once; and he guessed it was high time for the people to say who should rule over them!'

6

It was to counterbalance the dangerous tendency of such men, and of such principles, that the Fink party came early into the field, at the present contest. They were fully organized, and had fixed upon 'eternal vigilance' as their motto. Already they assumed a bold, confident air, to inspire their friends with courage, and to strike consternation into their enemies. While they resolved themselves into one vigilance committee, they appointed select vigilance committees in each township, to pry into all places where voters might effect a lodgment, to find out who were 'right,' and to convert those who were wrong. To this end, they were to distribute Mr. Humbug's speeches, delivered in the senate chamber, on the financial affairs of the country, which had been very serviceable in opening the eyes of the people. But if there were any perverse men and wrong-headed, on whom neither persuasion, nor argument, nor the committee on drams,' could produce any effect, they were then to be delivered over to the tormentors, to be dealt with as it seemed good. At the same time, while pursuing this virtuous line of conduct, they were zealous in circulating such reports as would place the claims of the opposing candidate in their proper light.

'He is opposed to the interests of the poor man,' said they; 'he is for selling the town lands, where the poor man feeds his cow!' 'He promised Bill Mills a five dollar bill, if he would vote for him, and wants to buy our votes for money!'

'He was in favor of a chaplain in the last legislature, and would spend the people's money for priestcraft!

'He drinks champagne wines, when the 'bone and sinners' can't get nothing better than small beer!'

He wears a wig!'

Then, again, the feelings of particular classes were appealed to: Butchers! will you vote for a man who has charged you with nefariously raising the price of beef?'

'Cobblers! will you vote for one who invariably speaks of shoeleather with disgust, and who discharged Mr. Waxend from his employ?'

Tinkers! will you give your support to one who has spoken despitefully of your whole fraternity, and who was heard to say, in the presence of witnesses, that HE WOULD NOT BE A TINKER!!!

'Irishmen! can you repose any confidence in a man who was on a jury which brought in a verdict of 'guilty' against Paddy O'Cork, for committing a diabolical murder, in consequence of which he was hanged by the neck until he was dead?'

Such disinterested appeals could not be without their effect. But a meeting was held, on the eve of the election, at the head-quarters of the Fink party, which augured well for their cause. All were in high spirits, and the utmost unanimity prevailed. First of all, a shrill fife and a drum performed an inspiriting march, called 'Hail Columbia,' after which Mr. Bang was enthusiastically called for, and rose in obedience to the meeting. 'Gentlemen,' began the orator, dallying, in mild courtesy, with the first syllable. Now the question suddenly arises, how he had the hardihood to make use of the word gentlemen, in such an assembly as that before him; here a 'shocking bad hat,' there half a shirt, and tattered breeches; when he must have known that titles were offensive.

'Oh—ah! that is all very true; but then there is something in the very sound of gentle-men,' which is musical, conciliating, delightful; and although, when applied to a vagabond, in his individual capacity, it possesses a sharp irony, yet when many of them are snugly packed together in a room, and become merged in the sovereign people, each one silently appropriates the term, and becomes filled with exuberant gratification.

But there was a better reason than all this. I speak it sub rosa, but when the orator was called on, he had actually nothing to say; and when that is the case, and one can linger a little on the word 'gentle-men,' it gives him an opportunity to look ahead, to see if any thing can be collected from a country where all is barrenness. 'Gentlemen,' said he, pausing, and compressing his lips; the assembly held in their most sweet breaths,' and a great stillness ensued, insomuch that you might have heard a pin drop; it is the remark of an abler individual than I am; of one who is now in his grave; of a Franklin'

A Franklin!' screamed an old codger, in a nervous extacy of delight, as he dashed his cane upon the floor. A stamping of heels followed, in which the quotation was completely lost.

'I might also cite the opinion of a Jefferson

Here the cheering lasted for several minutes, which was so loud that the reporter could not take down the remarks of Mr. Bang. 'But for what purpose, my fellow citizens, have these great men lived in

the vanished days of the by-gone past? Why have they toiled, and labored, and worked, and wrote? And why, my fellow citizens, have our revolutionary fathers shed their blood, if the principles of ninety-eight, and our liberties I say our liberties are to be taken

away, trodden under foot, and wrested out of our hands!'

Mr. Bang here called for a glass of water, and having wiped his mouth, and passed his hand over his brow, proceeded: Gentle-men, who are those that would enslave you, that would drive you into bondage, that would rob you of your rights? Who are they? Aristocrats! They would fain ride in their carriages; they would fain trample you down. Gentle-men, I know that I speak the sense of this meeting, when I say, we do n't want no kings to rule over the sovereign people; we don't want no aristocrats; we do n't want no silk-stocking men; we do n't want no bank men! (Tremendous cheering, in the midst of which several of the anti-Fink party walked out, finding the waters too hot for them.) Gentle-men, I will say one word, and one only, on the subject of banks. You all know what a bank is; a great monied institution; a monopoly ster; spreading destruction, and ruin, and consternation, in its path. Ours is a agricultural people. We don't want no banks; we don't want no paper-money; we don't want no rags!' (Great Applause!)

-a mon

It is very much to be regretted, that for want of room, it is impossible to present the reader with the whole of Mr. Bang's remarks: Gentle-men,' said he, in conclusion, I can but exhort you to be at your posts to-morrow. To-morrow, the fate of this country, and the glorious principles of ninety-eight, may be decided. Let us go forth, shoulder to shoulder, and remember that, united, we stand, divided, we fall. Let us go forth to conquer or die; and let our watchword be, 'The country, the whole country, and nothing but the country.'

Having come to this euphonious conclusion, Mr. Bang would have sat down, had not a shrill voice incontinently cried out, from the extremity of the crowded room, Good, Bang! Go ahead!' The approving words met the orator's ear, just as he was sitting down. He gradually returned to his upright position, stretched out his hand, took a glass of water, wiped his lips, and looked around: Gentlemen,' continued he, smiling with much amiability, I could say more, but I shall encroach too much upon your time and patience, gentlemen; and I ought in justice to remark, that there are other speakers yet to come.'

'Go on! go on! go on! go on!' was echoed from all quarters, and Mr. Bang did go on, and finished what was called 'an able and eloquent speech.'

The next day dawned, big with momentous interests. The Fink party came out nobly; but the enemy came out likewise, in greater numbers than they had ever come before. All business was suspended, and the polls presented an animated spectacle. Many of the young farmers drove four-in-hand on that day, and some pugilistic encounters came off. On the last day of the election, the votes were as yet nearly equal, and the result hung in suspense. Wild Harry, a noted champion of the Fink party, drew his friend Bill Cork aside,

and told him, in a whisper, that he had overheard one of the enemy describe the exact position of a voter, who was then lying desperately drunk, in a field on the edge of a certain brook. Every one counts,' said he, and we'd best go and nab him to-once.' To this Bill Cork assented. So, taking a horse and wagon, which was on the ground for the express purpose of bringing voters to the polls, they drove most furiously to the place specified. They found no difficulty in discovering the situation of the voter. He was lying beneath a willow, where a water-wheel threw upon him a shower of spray, his head on a sod, his feet in a brook, and snoozing away in a deep trance.

Ikey Solomons!' shouted Bill Cork, in a voice of thunder, bending over, and violently shaking him by the shoulders; but no response came from Ikey, whose meditations were de profundis.' 'Ikey Solomons!' roared Wild Harry, giving him a grievous punch in the

ribs.

'Ugh!' was the response, in a tone something between a grunt and a growl.

A consultation was now held. It was evident that he could not help himself, nor cooperate in the least with those who helped him. He was more overcome than they thought he was, and they said‘If they had 'a known he was so damned drunk, they would n't 'a come arter him.' As it was, they were sorry to be engaged on a Tom fool's errand, and vexed that a willing man should be deprived of the elective franchise, for the want of a little assistance. They stood hesitating.

'Lift him up!' said Wild Harry, suddenly. Bill Cork obeyed the summons, and taking him up by the heels and the head, they lifted him over the fence, and laid him in the wagon, being resolved that they would take him to the polls, and do the best they could with him.' His hat fell off in the process, and a blue rum-bottle tumbled out of his pocket on the grass. Not a drop was visible in the bottom of it, when held up before the sun.

Ah! the critter!' said Wild Harry; 'he's drink'd it clean dry.' So saying, and having smelt and re-corked it, he tossed it into the brook. It rose up buoyant, and floated down stream.

The road over which they were to pass, was stony, abounding in deep ruts, to say nothing of occasional stumps; and fondly indulging the hope that the jolting would fetch him to, a little,' they laid on the lash, and beguiling the way with various conversation, drove up in good style before the inn. The arrival was hailed with an ejaculatory yell.

What's the matter now?' shouted the crowd.

'Lift out!' said Wild Harry.

'He is n't fetched to, at all,' said Bill Cork.

'Lay hold!' thundered the former; and without any delay, they seized him by the arms, and hurried him, unresisting, into the solemn presence of the inspectors of elections.

Here's a man that wants to vote!' said they, in a breath.

The inspectors looked at each other with mock solemnity. It is impossible to describe the harmless, diluted twinkle of Ikey Solomon's blue eyes. His countenance was phlegmatically calm, utterly devoid of any expression, and his nose was very, very red. Ever