Boot Copyriglit]^?. CDEffilGHT DEPOSIT. / PENN'S PLEA FOR eAMERON HI /3 THE FIRST PROPRIETOR'S REASONS FOR SUPPORTING GENERAL BEAVER, AS COMMUNICATED THROUGH /■ / LOUIS BELROSE, JR. Copyright, i88a, by Louis Belros'5. Jr. My life was often weary, but the grave Gives me good rest. Of all that I could do For peace of hands and hearts and ease of all, The wage was only man's ingratitude. Therefore, I keep the grave. A hundred years Are gone from my last coming, and the same Thence to that time when all my fairest hopes Brought me to this fair land. Two hundred years ; And full of wondrous changes War, the curse That curseth those who win with those who lose, Had made a nation of our settlements When last I came. And then that act was fresh Which took from mine the rights proprietary Got with their blood from me. But while I grieved, The power of the name of Liberty Fell as of old upon me, and recalled These words, writ large for mine own governance, Ere I set sail from England, *' I'll not leave Myself or my successors any means Of doing mischief, so that one man's will Never may hinder an whole country's good." I said within myself, the land has grown So far beyond the need of tutelage, That heirs of mine though rightful lords therein, Might now delay the fair accomplishment. So thinking, turned and went and slept again. How little is the wit of little man ! The passions of the sire when tricked anew With small device of merest travesty Seem in his children changed. My wisdom, too, Has turned to folly. Those I took when last Among you here for men of so great worth As neither brooked nor needed hinderance I find as you best know. 'Twas scandal then, Even to name the word proprietor, And now your whole State lives it. Little men 1 'Twas I, the fool, a hundred years ago, Who thought you grown beyond our tutelage. More fool but much less knave for thinking it. Yea, truly, now I know that some were born To rule and some to serve. The dreams of youth, The dreams I fondly carried to my grave. Are made of mist and nothing. Liberty Is but the catchword of a demagogue, PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. That slaves may mouth and serve contentedly. Yes, you did well ; one head to many hands Makes the work smooth, and then the head you chose Came with a heart for ruling fatherly. 'Tis true my children's children might have held In stricter right of law, but barring this And that most natural leaning all men have Toward their own flesh, I grant no choice of all Could please me half so well. For who more fit By right ef gentle ways and peacefulness To take the chair of Onas* than the man Called Kickapoo, and for his kindness, chief Of Winnebagoes ? O'er the western wild, Fled from their ancient haunts, the red men still Remember Onas, and their tongues will praiie No name with his excepting Kickapoo. Is it then well your children here should rest In ignorance of what the savage makes A fireside tale in distant Oregon ? I know you plead your ruler's modesty And how lest some should think him vain, he buys And burns the printed story, but is this A reason ? Tell it forth in every school From every p.ulpit, every housetop ! aye, And do his will a gentle violence That all may know the worth of Cameron. How many pages written fair as this Have you for youth's instruction ? I have turned Leaf after leaf of all man's history And find none other like it. No, not one So filled with soul exalting charity. As when the sun through clouds of orient pearl Springs forth refulgent from the glorious east In pride of noonday splendor, so the fame Burst on the world of Simon Cameron I Ah, tell the tale again that all may know. 'Twas eighteen hundred years and thirty-eight Since Christ our Saviour came, and but a year After the famous panic> which had left Disorder in the land, and trade was dulL But not so Simon, for his youth had learned How wary men may oft with most success Fish for the Lord in waters troublesome. All day, for he it was that kept the gold In that now famous ban-k of Middletown, *Indian word meaning a pen. 4 PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. He toiled assiduous, but when even came, Strolling by Susquehanna, drank the wind From hills of Harrisburg, our capital. And dreamt the stream another Pactolus ; Dreamt that the golden sands were turned to gold, And he cashier of all Humanity. So, as he wandered fearing God, there came A messenger, O Providence, thy ways ! Bidding make haste and gird his loins and go Still westward to the Prairie of the Dog, Near where Wisconsm meets the greater stream Called Mississippi, for the government By pledge of treaty sent the quarter-breeds And half-breeds of the Winnebagoes there An hundred thousand dollars and as much, Less ten, to pay all justly reckoned debts Of these same Indians. Simon fell in prayer. Yearning with all true men, so once i yearned, To lift the savage out of heathen ways Up to the path of Christian righteousness, He thanked the Lord for opportunity. Traders with blunted conscience dulled by trade Sold the poor wretches rum, and villanous. That stole their wits from Christ. So, thought he, now If I by deft abstraction of the means Whereby this rum is had should make the same A thing unhav0able, the cause thereby Were much advanced. But here needs cautiousness. For evil men think evil and might say " Lo, Simon keeps the ^Id for love of it I " And he with meekness that becomes the wise Questioned his single power and made choice Of one deep-learned in the law, that so Nothing should turn amiss. Then went his way. And meditation went along with him., And that deep-learned man who knew the law. And, seeing times were changed, they heeded not Saint Luke, the traveller's guide, but took with them A goodly store of notes, all crisp and fresh. From that now famous bank of Middletown. Yet Simon, that the word might be fulfilled. Took but one coat and ever after found That one sufficed when turned judiciously. And lo, his heart went out to those wild men As now he stood among them ; only he Between their sodden souls and burning hell. He felt the strength of righteous purposes, And swore to brave man's utmost calumny. PENN'S P-LEA FOR CAMERON. Then fell he straight to work. The wily one Deep-learned in the law, whom he had brought Had seen the catiff traders and made known How he it was who best could plead their cause. Then Simon sat in judgment, dealing forth Certificates with skill intuitive For ninety thousand dollars, Indian debts. But here was small per cent, for these were white ; And little gain for Christ accordingly. But now of wider fields and profits clear, Sing, heavenly muse. O'erruling Providence Delayed the gold's arrival wherewithal The wicked major who disbursed the same, One Hitchcock, later major-general, Polluted savage souls, and this gave time For that deep-learned man who knew the law To spread among the half and quarter breeds. About an hundred, noise that naught would come Or little, and 'twere well to sell their claims. And eighteen hundred dollars sold for four. In good, crisp, fresh bank notes of Middletown. Then Simon sat in judgment, and allowed These claims, and gave certificates in all To ninety-two, of whom thirteen received In their own name or children's, nineteen more Held as trustees, while sixty were "in fact," Attorneys, and thereby suspends a tale. But Simon simply signed certificates. Though sixty thousand dollars had been snatched. So rumor said, from Satan's clutches vile, Without the Major of the regulars All was for naught, for he it was that paid. But when were arms the school of innocence ? What hope that he would hold the gift of grace To cull desert from strange appearances ? Alas, the villain raised the hue and cry. Hurling, "stop thief,'' till those at Washington Hurled in return, " stop thief," and he that ruled The War Department, Joel Poinsett named, Undid the work of Simon, swearing loud His ways were crooked, and no thing should stand. Then fain was he that knew the law to go And gather up those notes still crisp and fresh, That but for this mishap had nevermore Seen Middletown. And new men came, and lo, The Major honored their certificates. Paying out gold till Satan grimed again. 6 . PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. Alas, how frequent fail the fairest schemes ! What deeds are done we know, but what remain Locked in the pregnant womb of fair intent No man can tell ; but these are worthiest. The very savage, cause of all his woe, Mocked and maligned and cursed, ignoring yet The deed's true inwardness. But Simon bore The weight of blame with, Christian fortitude. Not slinking from the world, a mangy cur That seeks some hole to die, as other men Needs must have done, but full of nimxbleness, Feeling his time not far. And made a vow To sink himself in deepest obloquy, Rather than fail in righteous purposes. States have their own and special providence. When those who get from fortune time to learn, Make greed their only god, and worship it, Or build a column out of vanity, Whereon to pass their lives and contemplate Their own sweet mystic sign umbilical, New men, who else had wallowed in the mire, Spring forth and take their places, governing By right divine of man's stupidity. Such, learning ail the deed's significance, Whereby great Simon sought the savage good, And seeing how much he was hke myself, Your state's original proprietor, Bethought them here was one to take my place, And make the people laws and govern them. Then he, because he dwelt in righteousness, Refused them not, but took the charge now borne Through thick and thin for well nigh forty year; Accepting, but for Christ, unwillingly. And so it came to pass in Forty-five That all the people, though they knew it not. Needed his presence sore at Washington. Whereof he mindful sought a way, and found A void was in the place of senator ; An aching void that he himself must fill. But when was Simon found irresolute '^. Another, Woodward named, a Democrat, Held of that side the pledge, and seemed secure. But Simon, also then a Democrat, Changing with acrobatic promptitude, Marshalled his new made friends, and bade them hope. But these were not enough, and how to gain The needful few was passman's fathoming. So Simon fell in prayer, and as he prayed FENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. Upon the shining banks of Pactolus (So named he Susquehanna, roUing gold) A miracle was wrought to comfort him. The setting sun stood still, and on the disk An eagle, mighty, bearing peace and war, Appeared refulgent, with the glorious words Of In hoc signo vinces; whereupon He rose and conquered. And from that day forth His speech was silver and his silence gold. But many marveled how the thing was done. Then first for this was urgent, seeing some Mistook the signs that pointed thitherward, ■ He strengthened, my omission warning him. The title of his rights proprietary. But those the Lord lifts up he sometimes leaves A season to themselves wherein to find How little but for Him, is all their skill. Thus when his time was out as senator, In Forty-nine, although he turned again To those his former friends, the Democrats, But few would listen, many passing by. And thus the man he praised for governor, A Democrat, went down in Fifty-four. And thus a few weeks later, though he changed And took the stronger side, the Know Nothing, This very man, named Bigier, worsted him At Harrisburg, and went as senator. Wherein was sore distress, for Simon held The plighted promise of the stronger side. But some who loved him not, a score and eight, Rebelled, and wrote down words accusing him Of "public plunder, private bribery," And such like scandalous iniquities, Swearing the caucus bought. Then Simon knew The Lord was gone ; so straightway fell in prayer. And lo ! the setting sun once more stood still. And grew, and grew, and grew, and thereupon An eagle, mighty, bearing peace and war, That grew and grew and grew, and those same words Were In hoc signo vinces. Whereupon He rose and conquered. Soon, 'twas Fifty-seven, The wise men met again at Harrisburg In consultation, seeking one to serve As senator, and lo the balance hung Even except for two or three who leant Away from Simon toward the Democrat : (For Simon sniffed the wind Republican.) Therefore remembering that o ith he'd made 8 PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. To sink himself in deepest obloquy. Rather than fail in righteous purposes, He took upon himself some seeming wrong, And bought Lebo, Maneer and Wagonseller, Three Democrats. . But soon the curse of war, That curseth those who win with those who lose, Fell hot upon the land, and men grew wild, Which wrung the soul of Simon. Fearing God, He hated violence, and Heaven made This hate a blesssng, for when Lincoln came To govern you he found a bargain struck Between his friends and Simon, whereby he For service in convention took the place Of Secretary, choosing that of War. And all the North uprose and all the South, Till hope of peace went out,' for men were wild. And priests before their altars cried out '^ war ;" And maids and matrons, even little babes That watched their mothers' lips, cried out for war ; Till greed of gold gave place to greed of blood. And common thieves grew honest for an hour. While each one brought his life a sacrifice. Then Simon strove to make the best of it. Seeing no human power could quell the rage That drove men headlong to the field of death. His tenderness devised a stratagem (For nature's self had named him general) Whereby to pluck the sting of enmity. From Providence 'twas his to feed and clothe And arm the Northern hosts, wherein there lay Vast opportunity, for all was bare. And thus thought Simon, — If I give them means, How great the sum of slaughter ! Myriads Must fall unshriven, while the gates of hell Stand wide agape ; and I their murderer ! So thought, and swore an oath it should not be. Then, knowing well the peril should he trust Those bestial officers, the regular, He set them far aside and called his friends Most confidential, bidding them go buy All things an army needs, but have a care That none be deadly, neither fit for use. And also charged them pay the double price Lest Lincoln scent the ruse and ail be lost. Then each man went his way ; but soon returned With all things needful : shoes with paper soles. And martial costumes all the woof whereof PENN'S FLEA FOR CAMERON. Was felt and glue, and all the warp whereof Was felt and glue ; and blankets that were seen At even ere the dews began to fall, And vanished with the dews : and other such A thousand, whereof none could tell the use. But how to make pretence of armament Taxed their best skill till Simon told the tale Of how in youth despising God's command He stole to where a wandering company Played '* Julius Caesar," and beheld amazed A dozen ploughboys, taken for the nonce, Who, passing round and round behind the scene, Sufficed for Brutus' legions and the hosts Of Antony. His word was to the wise. Then arms condemned were sold for little price That this might go unnoticed, and were bought For more than all their worth ; again condemned, And sold for little price, and bought again For more than all their worth ; and these the same. But men were wild for blood, and congressmen With hearts unused to gentle purposes Caught wind of what was done and found it strange. Then taking Christian ways for crookedness, Chose a '' Select Committee to inquire Into the contracts of the government." Which, nosing, found out much. But long ere this The General, seeing all attempts were vain To keep tlie troops from arms, and knowing well Another in his place, from thirst of blood. Would make the gold buy twice as much as he, With abnegation indescribable Let scruple go and held to charity. Then he himself, not trusting those who served Beneath him, as another would have done. Contracted with his friends who knew his heart For deadly weapons ; till through him alone Were eighteen hundred thousand muskets bought Out of a nineteen hundred possible, The sum of all. But Simon, ever kind, Feared lest his zeal should make his officers Appear incapable, and gave it out That all was done bv -these ; so gave it out Even before the Senate, while it weighed The matter of his Russian embassy. Yet, ravening, like a wolf within the fold Of those his friends, that same Committee turned His acts to calumny, and made report lo PENN'S FLEA FOR CAMERON. Through Washburne, in December, Sixty-one, After a five months' search, of many things That outwardly appeared indelicate. Then offered resolutions, one of which Ran thus, ^^ Resolved^ The practice of employing Parties entirely irresponsible, And not connected with the Government Officially, to do the public duties, Which always may be properly performed By regular officers of Government, And purchasing by contract privately, Where fair and open competition might Be properly invited, injures much The public service, and does therefore meet The strong disapprobation of this house." All of the which, sustained by righteousness. The General would have answered, but the ways Of Providence are no man's ways at all. Upon the very day desired by him For explanation ; and so set by them, He wandered forth oblivious and was found Nowhere. But those who live are waiting still. Then many turned against him. Congressmen Of his own side, which numbered two to one, Finding him vile, and all the populace Cried '' treason," for they knew not what they did. So Lincoln raised his heel and would have sped Simon incontinent, but friends who knew The value of the Great Proprietor, Saved him this shame, and sent him Minister To distant Petersburg ; which pleased the Czar, Himself an autocrat. But even there Hatred went after him ; and having learned More than they knew before he took his leave In January, these same Congressmen, Led by one Dawes, in April, Sixty-two, Called up those resolutions, voting them By two to one. When Holman, worst of all, Added this heinous villany : " Rtsolved, That Simon Cameron, late Secretary Of War, by giving Alexander Cummings Control of large amounts of public money •Without restriction, and authority To purchase miUtary stores without Requiring from him any guarantee For faithful execution of his duties, When public officers, and competent Were near at hand, and binding government PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. To numbers vast of contracts, made vviih those Not lawfully engaged in doing business Pertainimg to the matter of such contracts, Especially in the purchasing of arms To be delivered at a future time, Adopted policy injurious To the public service and deserves therefor The censure of the House." And this was passed By nine and seventy to forty-five, Although his now sur^viving friends, who knew The value of the great proprietor, Worked hard with subtle reasons. Meanwhile he Was adding lustre to the Nation's fame In distant Petersburg. But Neva's banks, With all their leagues of stately palaces Had for his soul no charm, for still he yearned Toward Susquehanna. Then there came a voice That called as from a distance, warning him Of sudden danger to the cause he loved. For Buckalew the Democrat was named By his to take the place of senator. And his were more than Simon's by a man. So Simon left the Neva rapidly. And still remembering that vow he'd made To sink himself in deepest obloquy Rather than fail in righteous purposes, He drew his tablets forth and wrote thereon The words Lebo, Maneer, and Wagonseller. Then set down signs and figures, found their sum And wrote this down, dividing it by three : Whereat a smile illumed his countenance. And in the Russian tongue he murmured, " cheap." Then all his lieges flocked to welcome him, And joy was unconfined. Strong men with hands Where through had passed ten thousand stand of arms. And they undaunted, sat them down and wept For very tenderness. But time was short. And short the General's greeting. Only he Could save, and all his great heart urged him on_ Toward Harrisburg. He came, he saw, and straight The weakness of the foe was manifest. So, takmg on himself some seeming wrong, He sent his henchmen forth to sound their camp With offers of five thousand dollars dov/n To such as would go home : and finding one Named Boyer promising, they brought him in To where the General sat, 'twas in a bank, And there the General tempted him, and said, 12 PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. " Ten thousand shall be thine if thou wilt vote For me, and one paymastership that's worth Three thousand yearly :" and he backed and filled. And, lo, the General saw him once again, There where he lodged, and named five thousand more, Whereat he backed and filled. And once again They met, and this was in the house of Don, Great Simon's son, the sub-proprietor, When twenty thousand dollars brought him to. Whereon was joy in Cameronia. Then thrice the dawning blushed and brought the day : And with the day came Boyer and the chief To where was lodged that henchman Patterson, Who did the business, Simon saying, "now Boyer the time has come, and wilt thou pledge Thyself before the caucus chairman here ?" And Boyer answered " aye " and it was done. But some whose ways were sin, not righteousness Flocked to the wise-men's hall, and in their hands Was growth of wood called bludgeons, menacing. Then Boyer, craven, for his heart had failed, Trembled and voted when the time was come For Buckalew : whereat, this only once, Great Simon swore an oath superlative. But here was not an end : the gift of grace To cull desert from strange appearances Lacked in their council, and the wise men said, " Let us inquire and take down statements sworn Of how the thing was done." And so they did. Then after all the truth had come to light, ' But not its perfect flower of inwardness, They passed a resolution ; so it stands, *' Requesting that the Governor instruct The Attorney General of the Commonwealth To institute proceedings criminal 'Gainst Simon, William Brobst, John Patterson And Henry Thomas." But the Governor Belonged to Simon's side. Then all these names Were writ in gold upon the people's heart, Who knew they labored for the public good. And Patterson, because his soul was pure, Became in after years a Senator From Carolina. But the General Was wroth at Boyer's treason, seeing such, If such should spread, would make all government Impossible. And thereupon he gave The Cameronian Aphorism, thus, — ** An honest man is one who when he's bought Stays bought." And lo, the wondering world admired, PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. 13 And wrote his wisdom in a thousand tongues. Then Simon bode his time till Sixty-seven ; Ruling his vast domain. These several checks Had taught him caution, and he learned therefrom To bind the leaders with a stronger bond To him and his, until when two or three -, Were met together for the public good, A half should hold and all the rest should hope To hold from him their means of livelihood. Wherein he prospered, for although the mass Might waver in their love or loyalty The men who pulled the wires that moved the mass Were ever one for Simon. So it came To pass that when they met at Harrisburg, In Sixty-seven, ail proclaimed that he Was Senator by right proprietary, Though still, for form, elected. And he held Thereafter if the rabble would or not. Instructing those, for such is policy, Who sought the votes of men that hated him, To curse him if they must, but get the votes And all should be forgiven at Harrisburg. So calmly passed his life till age^came on ; But age that ripened wisdom. Then he said, Musing, ** The time to reap the good Fve sown, Though long delayed must come, and it is well. But well to me were ill, if ill to those I leave behind." So musing, sought a way. How blessed is the father of a son! His feet can never falter, nor his eyes Grow weary : evening brings the dawn and day, Without the darkness : and the sting of death Is half removed. Lo, Simon had a son. Then passed he in review, for literature Had won his early love and held it still, All potentates who, having sons or heirs, Had given them a part in government, Or let them rule alone. But most admired The Roman Emperors, in that device Whereby their reigns so lapped, that death could leave No void. Augustus gone, Tiberius But held the whole of what was his before In part : and so with Titus, worthy son Of wise Vespasian, and associate. Thus Trajan held from Nerva ; Hadrian From Trajan ; and the pious Antonine From him, adopting for his son and heir 14 PENN'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. Great Marcus, last of these but first of all. So ran his agile thoughts along the list, From then to now, reposing most of all On Diocletian with his model farm, His C^sars and his famous cabbages. Then Simon pondered well and laid a plan To suit the time, the change, and circumstance. Himself would still remain proprietor, (As who should say, Augustus) while his son Taking the second, or the CcEsat^s place. Should rule as Senator. He willed it so, And so it was. But Donald, Simon's son, In many ways had proven worthiness. Surmounting that repugnance in his blood To temporal gain and gold, he'd made him rich, Yea, very rich, that means should never lack For righteousness. And when the means were got The ways were near at hand. Then, last of all, Great Grant, to show he loved the father well, And cast rebuke on those bad Congressmen Whose resolutions wrote him down a thief, Had made the son his warlike Secretary And though his chance was little or was null Beside the sire's, for all was peacefulness, Yet Donald did his best and did it well. So well that when his time was out with Grant's, Another, better band of Congressmen, From Pennsylvania, begged the President, Hayes, to retain him, which he should have done. Then Simon, for the form, in Seventy-seven, Resigned his seat, and Donald, for the form, Was legally elected Senator. And all true men rejoiced, for well they knew The populace no longer fit to rule 1 And though they might remember ancient forms, Acknowledged here the hand of Providence, Which man may not resist. But cavillers, Blatant, with this and that, and " Liberty," *' Corruption," '' Self-respect," and all the long Vocabulary of the demagogue Stirred up the mass, or sought to stir, but failed. Then housed their wrath until the time was come For regular election to the seat That Simon gave to Donald ; Seventy- nine. When all the howling crew, and be it said. Some honest men betrayed by sophistry, Swore that the General's plan had given them For Senator a speechless imbecile PEN N'S PLEA FOR CAMERON. 15 With just the wit to **' run a primary." But slander came to naught, and Donald holds By right forever and by form of law Till Eighty-five. But liegemen, citizens, Or what you will, the lengthy tale I've told Is not the prattle of a poor old man Who talks for talking, but a way that leads Up to the height from which with vision clear, The course you now should take, you now may choose. What do they tell me ? Has the State gone mad, That now between the rise and set of sun, You lose the lesson of a ceuntry ?