guarded moment of good nature, which is
remarkable even in me, I was beguiled into consenting by the persuasive
eloquence of your worthy President and Secretary, and a day or two after
I visited the Executive chamber with the view of endeavoring to make "a
little bargain" with his Excellency. Being myself neither a lawyer, a
politician, nor the editor of a Brooklyn newspaper [laughter], I was
totally unacquainted with such things, but still I am the reader of a
weekly Republican newspaper (that is spelled with two e's and not an a,
and has no reference to the "Albany Evening Journal"), and have
ascertained that among a certain class of men, these "bargains" were
exceedingly common. Respecting the exact nature of the proposition I
shall not reveal? but suffice it to say I failed most ignominiously.

After leaving the executive chamber I spent a good part of the morning
in reflection as to the cause of the failure. Among other things it
occurred to me that perhaps the newspaper statement, that "bargains"
were so common among officials was untrue, but when I reflected that my
newspaper was a republican organ and that the Executive was a democratic
official I knew that every word that organ would say about a political
opponent must be absolutely true. It occurred to me that perhaps
inasmuch as I was not a politician, his Excellency might have feared to
trust me, but I recollected to have read of the dire misfortune that
befalls certain politicians in New York from trusting each other. As the
Governor's shrewdness was well-known, I knew that he felt that if he
could trust any one, it would be one of my profession, and therefore
that excuse would not answer. It also occurred to me, that perhaps I was
somewhat green and unwise in consenting to make this bargain in the
presence of witnesses, but when I thought of all the sagacity and
shrewdness and reticence that was concealed behind Colonel Rice's
outspoken countenance, and of the numerous "arrangements" of which he
was cognizant, and in relation to which he had never said a word, I felt
assured that that was not the reason. I finally came to the conclusion
that the Governor was a man to be trusted; that if there still be cynics
who believe that "every man has his price," they would find the
Governor's price far too high for them ever to reach. [Applause.]

In the play of King Henry VI occurs an expression by Dick, the butcher,
which is so short and so pointed that I may be pa