58 



Chanticlear is '' cock of the walk " and commander-in-chief 

 of all the forces. Admiral Drake has charge of the Navy 

 Department. No parties are permitted, not even Gander par- 

 ties. The monarch of the barn-yard holds despotic sway, 

 and his government is a despotism on this continent, in spite 

 of the Munroe doctrine. While the Gallic Cock is crowing 

 over poor, prostrate Mexico, perhaps the least said about this 

 doctrine the better. 



Despotic as is his sway, his government is paternal, and 

 his power is only exerted in the defense of his dunghill. If 

 he meets an enemy he is always ready to " fight it out all 

 summer on this line," like our General Grant, and when he 

 wins a victory he claps his wings and crows — which General 

 Grant never does. Like that old fighting cock, he is reticent, 

 and keeps his own counsel and never makes long speeches. 

 Like most others in high station, he is surrounded by flat- 

 terers and admirers. As crows the old cock, the young ones 

 learn. Their cock-a-doodle-doo is a close imitation of that of 

 the cock of the roost, and, as he cackles, they cluck. When 

 they evince so much anxiety to scratch on the national dung- 

 hill, we cannot but have suspicion that their chief object is to 

 feather their own nests. 



Among these feathered tribes there is no foolish prejudice 

 of race or color, and the smallest bantam holds the same rank 

 as the biggest Shanghai. The gaudiest peacock has no more 

 chance of preferm,ent than the ugliest shakebag. 



There are some particulars in which the barn-yard popula- 

 tion may be compared with other bipeds who do not wear 

 feathers. There are lame ducks in Wall street and State 

 street, as well as in the poultry coop, and more quacks in 

 all professions and employments than among that species of 

 domestic water-fowl who swim in the duck-pond ; and there 

 is no end of those of both sexes of our own race who make 

 geese of themselves without knowing it. Of gobblers there 



