“‘Gentlemen,’ he proceeded, ’please to fill again—­I give you now the Castle Cumber press, the True Blue and Equivocal, with the healths of Messrs. Yellowboy and Cantwell.’

“’Hurra!  Messrs. Yallowboy and Cant-well! hurra, Mr. Yellow, Mr. Yellow.’

“Mr. Yellowboy, who had not been able to come earlier, in consequence of the morrow being publishing day with him, now rose.  He was a tall, thin, bony-looking person, who might very well have taken his name from his complexion.

“’Mr. Chairman, gentlemen, and brothers—­I rise with great and powerful diffidence to speak, to express myself, and to utter my sentiments before this most respectable, and, what is more, truly loyal auditory—­hem.  In returning thanks, gentlemen, for the Castle Cumber True Blue (cheers), I am sure I am not actuated by any motive but that staunch and loyal one which stimulates us all—­hem.  The True Blue, gentlemen, is conducted—­has been conducted—­and shall be conducted to all eternity—­should I continue to be so long at the head of it—­so long I say, gentlemen’—­here the speaker’s eye began to roll—­and he slapped the table with vehemence—­’I shall, if at the head of it so long, conduct it to all eternity upon the self-same, identical, underivating principles that have identified me with it for the last six months.  What’s Pruddestantism, gentlemen, without a bold, straightforward press to take care of its pruvileges and interests?  It’s nothing, gentlemen.’

“‘Undher God, sir, and with all piety and perseverance I deny—­’

“’Silence, brother Bob, don’t interrupt Mr. Yellowboy, he’ll make himself plain by and by.’

“‘I deny—­’

“‘Silence—­I say.’

“’Nothing, gentlemen—­a candle that’s of no use unless it’s lit—­and the press is the match that lights it (hurra, cheers).  But, as I said in defending Pruddestantism, we advocate civil and religious liberty all over the world—­I say so boldly—­for, gentlemen, whatever I say, I do say boldly’—­here he glanced at the Equivocal—­’I am not the man to present you with two faces—­or I’m not the man rather to carry two faces—­and only show you one of them—­I’m not the man to make prutensions as a defender of civil and religious liberty, with a Protestant face to the front of my head, and a Popish face in my pocket—­to be produced for the adversary of Popery and idolatry—­whenever I can conciliate a clique by doing so.’  Here there was a look of sarcastic defiance turned upon Cantwell—­who, conscious of his own integrity—­merely returned it with a meek and benignant smile, a la Solomon.

“’No, gentlemen, I am none of those things—­but a bold, honest, uncompermising Pruddestant—­who will support the church and Constitution for ever—­who will uphold Pruddestant Ascendancy to the Day of Judgment—­keep down Popery and treason—­and support civil and religious liberty over the world to all eternity.’

“‘Cheers—­hurra—­hurra—­success brother Yellowboy.’