rised to hear that they had
threatened kingdoms, emperors, and kings, astonished peoples, and
given deluded individuals wonderful opinions of that country which
could send such embodiments of its wisdom and spirits to their
aid. Indeed, Smooth found himself, while in Europe, made an exception
to the generality of Mr. Pierce's diplomatists, whom, it was generally
admitted, had either shown spunk or turned gentlemen fighters to no
account. It mattered not how much these strange sprigs of capricious
Young America misrepresented American manners, education, and
sentiments; no, to revolutionary spirits of the _real-red order_ were
they the all-great of America's bone and soul. But let us not arouse
the gods by recounting their many follies; the generous soul of
America has indeed been compelled by them to father many an
extravagance; and, too, though more modest, had not Mr. Pierce
delegated extensive powers to the Tomkin's family for the very
harmless purpose of transacting over the world such business as old
Sam had several times declared unnecessary, and which was in
opposition to the interests of the nation, the said Sam being expected
to pay all the shot. Pierce said Smooth must keep an eye practically
to windward in reference to the business this species of gentry were
sent to perform. Hence, acting from principle, which was Smooth's
motto, and with a full knowledge that Sam was curiously good-natured,
had broad and ever open pockets to accommodate that worthy
characteristic, which no one thought it any harm to relieve, he gave
his (Smooth's) assurance that the charge of neglect never should be
laid at his door--that he would watch the Tomkinses! To deny the
existence of a singular prompting to kill time over aught that Sam
stood sponsor for, was a very good-natured absurdity; few indeed could
be found who did not consider him an old foodle, who had fathered more
expensive abortions than any other individual, and was willing to
father more. How, then, could Mr. Pierce help viewing with suspicion
the performances of those tool-grinders he had sent abroad! The amount
of kitchen labor he had himself performed and the number of times he
had laid on the grindstone to the turning of his man Fourney, formed
no excuse; forsooth, it enabled him the more clearly to comprehend the
ins and outs of this wholesale style of coming possum over poor old
Sam, whose credulity was only surpassed by that fatherly old
gentleman, Mr. John Bu