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Poem
September 15, 1832
Republican Herald
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Satirical song from Philadelphia Pennsylvanian mocking Henry Clay's shivering anxiety over losing support from tariff men, Anti-Masons, and Federalists amid opposition to Jackson and Bank issues, set to 'Gaffer Gray.'
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
POETRY.
From the Philadelphia Pennsylvanian.
HO! WHY DOST THOU SHIVER AND SHAKE, HARRY CLAY?
AIR—'Gaffer Gray.'
Ho! why dost thou shiver and shake,
Harry Clay
And why does thy nose look so blue?—
'Tis my friends, they grow cold,
And I'm losing the old,
While 'tis clear that I cannot get new—
Well-a-day!
Are not the high tariff men thine,
Harry
Clay,
And will they not help thee along
My American System
Was framed to enlist 'em;
But trick cannot make the weak strong,
Well-a-day
The Antis will sure take thee up,
Harry Clay,
And their principles drop with their Whig?
The antis are frantic.
And in some mad antic,
Will spill me again in the dirt,
Well-a-day?
The Feds who live high on the Bank
Harry Clay,
Hate Jackson, and money adore:—
The folks term them tories,
And scorn their Bank stories,
And love the Old Hero the more—
Well-a-day!
Thy chance is but low, 'tis confessed.
Harry Clay;
What then? While we can we will give,
If by bribe and by barter,
We get a re-charter:
If not we must both cease to live—
Well-a-day!
From the Philadelphia Pennsylvanian.
HO! WHY DOST THOU SHIVER AND SHAKE, HARRY CLAY?
AIR—'Gaffer Gray.'
Ho! why dost thou shiver and shake,
Harry Clay
And why does thy nose look so blue?—
'Tis my friends, they grow cold,
And I'm losing the old,
While 'tis clear that I cannot get new—
Well-a-day!
Are not the high tariff men thine,
Harry
Clay,
And will they not help thee along
My American System
Was framed to enlist 'em;
But trick cannot make the weak strong,
Well-a-day
The Antis will sure take thee up,
Harry Clay,
And their principles drop with their Whig?
The antis are frantic.
And in some mad antic,
Will spill me again in the dirt,
Well-a-day?
The Feds who live high on the Bank
Harry Clay,
Hate Jackson, and money adore:—
The folks term them tories,
And scorn their Bank stories,
And love the Old Hero the more—
Well-a-day!
Thy chance is but low, 'tis confessed.
Harry Clay;
What then? While we can we will give,
If by bribe and by barter,
We get a re-charter:
If not we must both cease to live—
Well-a-day!
What sub-type of article is it?
Song
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Henry Clay
Political Satire
American System
Tariff
Whig
Jackson
Bank
What entities or persons were involved?
From The Philadelphia Pennsylvanian.
Poem Details
Title
Ho! Why Dost Thou Shiver And Shake, Harry Clay?
Author
From The Philadelphia Pennsylvanian.
Subject
Satire On Harry Clay's Political Prospects
Form / Style
Rhymed Stanzas With Refrain To Air 'Gaffer Gray'
Key Lines
Ho! Why Dost Thou Shiver And Shake,
Harry Clay
And Why Does Thy Nose Look So Blue?
'Tis My Friends, They Grow Cold,
And I'm Losing The Old,