to say--he who had
never said anything at all? Only this:

"Mr. Speaker, I don't know much particulars about de constitution, but
I know dis; I wouldn't gif a d----d cent for a constitution dat didn't
wash in fresh water as well as in salt." The House burst into an
uproar of uncontrollable laughter, and the bill passed.

So came about this new departure and one of the most beneficent ways
of spending government money, and of employing army and navy
engineers. Little of the money spent by the Government yields so great
a return. So expands our flexible constitution to meet the new wants
of an expanding population. Let who will make the constitution if we
of to-day are permitted to interpret it.

[Illustration: _Photograph from Underwood & Underwood, N.Y._

JAMES G. BLAINE]

Mr. Blaine's best story, if one can be selected from so many that were
excellent, I think was the following:

In the days of slavery and the underground railroads, there lived on
the banks of the Ohio River near Gallipolis, a noted Democrat named
Judge French, who said to some anti-slavery friends that he should
like them to bring to his office the first runaway negro that crossed
the river, bound northward by the underground. He couldn't understand
why they wished to run away. This was done, and the following
conversation took place:

_Judge:_ "So you have run away from Kentucky. Bad master, I suppose?"

_Slave:_ "Oh, no, Judge; very good, kind massa."

_Judge:_ "He worked you too hard?"

_Slave:_ "No, sah, never overworked myself all my life."

_Judge, hesitatingly:_ "He did not give you enough to eat?"

_Slave:_ "Not enough to eat down in Kaintuck? Oh, Lor', plenty to
eat."

_Judge:_ "He did not clothe you well?"

_Slave:_ "Good enough clothes for me, Judge."

_Judge:_ "You hadn't a comfortable home?"

_Slave:_ "Oh, Lor', makes me cry to think of my pretty little cabin
down dar in old Kaintuck."

_Judge, after a pause:_ "You had a good, kind master, you were not
overworked, plenty to eat, good clothes, fine home. I don't see why
the devil you wished to run away."

_Slave:_ "Well, Judge, I lef de situation down dar open. You kin go
rite down and git it."

The Judge had seen a great light.

"Freedom has a thousand charms to show,
That slaves, howe'er contented, never know."

That the colored people in such numbers risked all for liberty is the
best possible proof that they will steadily approach and finally reach