in a fix, while little George worked his fingers
through his nice curly hair, and the young bloods awaited the
rejoinder with anxiety.
"Really, sir, you have the advantage of me in your question. It is
so much beyond my profession that I am entirely ignorant of the
subject-therefore could not give an opinion. In truth, sir, I do not
know the purport of the question. It has given me pleasure and
information to listen to your conversation and the ability you
displayed in argument, but, as a stranger, I could take no part,"
replied the Captain very sincerely.
Not content with this, Master George wished to be more direct. "It's
the right of secession, Captain-the power to maintain the right by
the constitution."
"Probably; but may I expose my ignorance by inquiring what is meant
by secession? and to what it is applied so frequently?" inquired the
Captain.
"Oh! murder Captain; have you never heard of nullification times!
Well, sir, you must be posted on the affairs of our government." So
he commenced an analysis of nearly an hour long, and in it gave some
astonishing accounts of the wonderful statesmanship of Calhoun,
Butler, and Rhett, tapering down with a perfect fire-and-thunder
account of the military exploits of General Quattlebum and Captain
Blanding. The Captain began to stretch and gape, for he labored
under the fatigue of a perilous voyage, and repose was the only
sovereign remedy.
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