Every body poured out smoke and looked at the speaker, except Mr. Bat, who seemed to be undergoing a little more drying up, and looked at a picture of General Jackson, which hung upon the wall.
“That successor, I need not say, of course,” continued General Belch, “must be a good man and a faithful adherent of the party. He must be the consistent enemy of a purse-proud aristocracy.”
“He must, indeed,” said Mr. Enos Slugby, whisking a little of the ash from his cigar off an embroidered shirt-bosom, in doing which the flash from a diamond ring upon his finger dazzled Abel, who had turned as he spoke.
“He must espouse the immortal cause of popular rights, and be willing to spend and be spent for the people.”
“That’s it,” said Mr. William Condor, whose sinecure under government was not worth less than twenty thousand a year.
“He must always uphold the honor of the glorious flag of our country.”
“Excuse me, General Belch, but I can not control my feelings; I must propose three cheers,” interrupted Alderman MacDennis O’Rourke; and the three cheers were heartily given.
“And this candidate must be equally the foe of class legislation and the friend of State rights.”
Here Mr. Bat moved his head, as if he were assenting to a remark of his friend General Jackson.
“And I surely need not add that it would be the first and most sacred point of honor with this candidate to serve his party in every thing, to be the unswerving advocate of all its measures, and implicitly obedient to all its behests,” said General Belch.