leap-year means? I
dare say some of you don't, the ladies in partic'lar not giving much
attention to astronomy. Well, I have inquired, and it is this:--The
'arth revolves around the sun in a year, as we all know. And we count
three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, we all know. But, the 'arth
is a few hours longer than three hundred and sixty-five days, in making
its circuit--nearly six hours longer. Now, everybody knows that 4 times
6 makes 24, and so a twenty-ninth day is put into February, every fourth
year, to restore the lost time; another change being to be made a long
distance ahead to settle the fractions. Thus will it be with Democracy.
Human natur' can't devise laws yet, that will keep all things on an
exactly equal footing, and political leap-years must be introduced into
the political calendar, to restore the equilibrium. In astronomy, we
must divide up anew the hours and minutes; in humanity, we must, from
time to time, divide up the land."

But, I cannot follow this inflated fool any longer; for he was quite as
much of fool as of knave, though partaking largely of the latter
character. It was plain that he carried many of his notions much farther
than a good portion of his audience carried theirs; though, whenever he
touched upon anti-rentism, he hit a chord that vibrated through the
whole assembly. That the tenants ought to own their farms, and pay no
more rents, AND POCKET ALL THE BENEFITS OF THEIR OWN PREVIOUS LABOURS,
THOUGH THESE LABOURS HAD BEEN CONSIDERED IN THE EARLIER RENTS, AND WERE,
INDEED, STILL CONSIDERED, IN THE LOW RATES AT WHICH THE LANDS WERE LET,
was a doctrine all could understand; and few were they, I am sorry to
say, who did not betray how much self-love and self-interest had
obscured the sense of right.

The lecture, such as it was, lasted more than two hours; and when it was
done, an individual rose, in the character of a chairman--when did three
Americans ever get together to discuss anything, that they had not a
chairman and secretary, and all the parliamentary forms?--and invited
any one present, who might entertain views different from the speaker,
to give his opinion. Never before did I feel so tempted to speak in
public. My first impulse was to throw away the wig, and come out in my
own person, and expose the shallow trash that had just been uttered. I
believe even I, unaccustomed as I was to public speaking, could easily
have done this, and I whispered as much to my unc