Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

AN ELECTION. 211
and with the other scattering mud and filth about, like some
desperate lunatic relieved from the restraints of his strait
waistcoat. I have seen beggars on horseback, ragamuffins
riding in coaches, and swine seated in places of honor; I have
seen liberty; I have seen equality; I have seen fraternity I I
have seen that great political puppet-show-AN- ELECTION.
A few days ago the friend, whom I have mentioned in some
of my former letters, called upon me to accompany him to witness this grand ceremony; and we forthwith sallied out to the
polls, as he called them. Though for several weeks before this
splendid exhibition nothing else had been talked of, yet I do
assure thee I was entirely ignorant of its nature; and when, on
coming up to a church, my companion informed me we were at
the polls, I supposed that an election was some great religious
ceremony like the fast of Ramazan, or the great festival of
Haraphat, so celebrated in the East.
My friend, however, undeceived me at once, and entered into
a long dissertation on the nature and object of an election, the
substance of which was nearly to this effect: " You know," said
he, " that this country is engaged in a violent internal warfare,
and suffers a variety of evils from civil dissensions. An election
is the grand trial of strength, the decisive battle when the belligerents draw out their forces in martial array; when every
leader, burning with warlike ardor, and encouraged by the
shouts and acclamations of tatterdemalions, buffoons, dependents,
parasites, toad-eaters, scrubs, vagrants, mumpers, ragamuffins,
bravoes, and beggars, in his rear; and puffed up by his bellowsblowing slang-whangers, waves gallantly the banners of faction,
and presses forward TO OFFICE AND IMMORTALITY I
"For a month or two previous to the critical period which is
to decide this important affair, the whole community is in a