Article Text
I tell you.
I and the Gineral was a drifting along down from the west, and bowing and shaking off the everlasting crowd of folks all the way from the Ohio, till we struck along the edge of old Pennsylvany, when we heard folks beginning to talk about hard money, and poper money, and resumption, and suspension and things of that natur, when says I, "Gineral, you may depend there is trouble brewing somwheres along here, and if you say so," says 1, "I'll jist quit you for a spell and take a turn down to Philadelfy, and look into the matter a little, and jine you at Washington."
"Well," says he "Major, seeing as how folks begin to thicken amazingly around us, my calklation is vou won't be much mist, but see that you git to Washington as soon as possible, and in the mean time let me know all you meet with worth hearing," and so I quit, and as the Gineral never wants to know nothing more than the people know themselves, I send you this letter to print, and you will please send a copy on't to the Gineral, so that he will know as much as other folks do about it.
I got here last evening, jist arter lamp lighting, and took a run round to most all the Banks to see if I could find any on 'em open, but I found 'em all locked up and bright lamps burning afore the doors, and good strong broad shouldered watchmen standing at their posts with clubs and rattles jist for all the world as tho' the Banks was as full of specie payments as ever, and not a mite of differ once.
I stopt and had a leetle talk with one of these watchmen, and says I, "stranger, is there no gitten in here to see folks?" "Not to-night," says he, "all the Banks are shet up." "How you talk," says I, and I streak'd it round to Squire Eiddie's premises, for I had a notion if I could only git a fair talk with the Squire, I would larn pretty much all about the matter.
I found the Squire to hum, and he was amazin glad to see me; and he and I went right up into a room alone, where I found a good warm Lehigh coal fire burning, and a table kivered with papers; and he took one chair and I another, and we went at it straight off "So," says 1, "Squire, you are all suspended agin, I larn." "Yes," says he, "Major, the folks who wanted hard money have got all the Banks had to give them; and as the Banks can't coin hard money, and can only git it from the folks who owe them, it turns out that, as the Banks have not got the same power by the law to make folks pay them as fast as the other folks want it, the pond must run dry for a spell."
"But," says I, "Squire, how on airth is it that things work so that one set of folks keep drawin out of the spiggot faster than other folks pour into the bung hole? Things warn't so in Mr. Adams' time," says I. "Now, how is it?" This set the Squire scrateinn his head and thinkin,--and to give him time to answer, I took the poker and began poking up his Lehigh coal fire, to see if there was any blaze in it; and to rights savs he, "Major, what are you poking that fire for? Do you expect to make it burn brighter? If you will take my advice," says he, "you will let it alone. Aint the room warm enuf?" "Yes," says I, it's warm enuf, bat a little poking wont do any harm, will it?"
"Well," says he, "you go on poking, and you will see."--and sure enuf, the more I poked, the darker the fire and coal got; and bime by it all went out. "Well," says 1, "Squire, this is a plaegy odd kind of fire of your'n," says I. "Yes," says he, "it's Pennsylvany coal; it wont stand poking, Major, if you let it alone, it will burn slowly and surely, and give out comfortable heat,--but if folks go to poking at it, it turns and looks black at them, and gives them a shiver."
"Well," says I, "Squire, I want you to answer and explain to me now about this Bank matter.--How is it," says I, "that all your Banks have suspended specie payments--all broke--all gone to everlasting and eternal smash? Now, how has all this come about?" says I.
"Well," says he, "Major, I'll tell you. In the first place, when you first entered this room, didn't you find it warm and comfortable, and a good fire burning? didn't you take up that poker and begin to poke with it? didn't I give you a civil hint to let it alone?--didn't you continue poking and poking, till at last the fire went out?--and aint this room now cold and dark, compared to what it was? Now come here,"--and he took a candle and went up to the fire place; and says he, "There is the coal yet, -it att burnt up,-the fire has only gone out; i can put a little kindling under it, and clap on the blower, and in a little while you will see as bright and warm a fire as before,--but where is the use of kindling up again, unless folks will see the folly of poking at it. It is just so in Banking matters. I tried it, for sixteen years and over, and no people in creation ever saw a warmer and better fire than I kept up; it warmed all kind of folks, too: the circle around it was wide enuf to admit every living critter in the country, and all equally felt the warmth. But then began the poking system. 1 tried every means to prevent it, but it was no use,--and then 1 quit, and Mr. Dunlap he tried it; but the pokers were still ready, and no sooner was it kindling up, when at it they went, poking and poking,--and the result you see; and now, Major, the plain question is, Shall we have a new fire kindled, and what shall be the fuel? Shall it be Lehigh Coal, or English Coal? Old Pennsylvany has a word to say in this matter, if she chuses to speak, -for there is just difference between her Coal and all other kind of Coal: it wont stand poking, but if let alone, will burn steadily and surely to the last,--whilst other Coal may blaze up with poking, and the sooner go to ashes. The Coal is in the grate yet, Major," says he, "though by poking, it has ceased burning"
