Washington Sentinel

The Spasms of the Isms.

Not long ago everything, in this State at least, depended upon not paying rent. The Tribune and Albany Evening Journal were full, and over full, about the Patroons, "large estates," &c.; and great parties in this State were organized on "Anti-Rent." "Big Thunder" was a great man. Seward sent messages to the Legislature about him and it. There was the Helderburgh War, &c. All that humbug passed over, and now we have as the candidate of the Anti-Rent party a "Patroon" with thirty square leagues of land in the Mariposa grant, valued at over million of dollars, and some hundreds or thousands of squatters upon it, from whom this Patroon claims rent. Put a pin there and read on.

Only a year ago everything depended upon "Rum," and "No Rum." A great anti-rum party was organized, and it took in everybody sound on Anti-rum, doughface and nigger driver, as well as nigger worshipper. The world, we were told, was coming to an end if we drank any more rum. We were called to sacrifice slavery and anti-slavery. tariff and anti-tariff Pope and anti Pope, for all anti-rum. Brother Greeley told us there was not an issue on earth he cared so much about as this about rum. It made Clark Governor and re-sent Seward to the United States Senate. Stick a pin there.

Now this year the hobby is the negro. There is nothing so important as the negro. Rent and anti-rent are forgotten. Even rum is nothing. We may sell rum by the hogshead, and vote for rum drinkers just as much as we please, if we are only sound for Fremont and the negro. "Liquor law" is dead; anti-rent is dead. Only be sound on Mariposa!

We have nothing to say to all this reader. Think of it. Ask your neighbors about it. Hobbies and horses are only Seward yearlings, and they are not kept long enough to look at them, before one is pitched out to take in another. The "negro" will last only this year. Next, we may be called upon to be vegetarians, and if we are only sound on "cabbage" and squash," then no matter what we think of the negro. "Meat or no meat," may be the rallying cry for a political campaign. Who can foretell what is coming, looking back upon what is past?-N. Y. Express.