To me, this wuz the proudest moment uv my life; not that there wuz
anything partikilerly inspiritin in the scene afore me, for there
wuzzent. Orr, from South Caroliny, looked partikilerly ashamed of
hisself, ez though he wuz going thro a highly nessary, but extremely
disgustin, ceremony, and wuz determined to keep up a stiff upper lip
over it; and Couch looked up to Orr, ez though he wuz afeerd uv him, and
ez though he felt flattered by Orr's condecension in walkin at all with
sich a umble individjooal. But, to my eyes, the scene wuz significant. I
looked into the fucher, and wat did I see, ez them two men--one sneekin,
and tother ashamed uv hisself--walked up that aisle? Wat did I see? I
saw the Democrisy restored to its normal condishun. I saw the reunion uv
the two wings. In fact, I saw the entire Dimokratic bird reunited. The
North, one wing, and the weakest; Kentucky, the beak, sharp, hungry, and
rapacious; South-west, the strong, active wing; Virginny, the legs and
claws; Ohio, the heart; Pennsylvania, the stomach; South Caroliny, the
tail feathers; and Noo Jersey, the balance of the bird,--I saw these
parts, for five years dissevered, come together, holdin nigger in one
claw, and Post Offises in the other, sayin, "Take em both together; they
go in lots." I saw the old Union--the bold, shivelrous Southner a
guidin, controllin, and directin the machine, and assoomin to hisself
the places uv honor, and the Dimokrat uv the North follerin, like a
puppy dog, at his heels, takin sich fat things ez he cood snap up; the
Southerner ashamed uv his associations, but forced to yoose em; the
Northerner uncomfortable in his presence, but tied to him by
self-interest.
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