268 HILLS AND LAKES. 



ahead. It has a way of savin' itself, or, may be, it is 

 always saved, because 'twarn't never in daoger. I 

 say again, I don't belong to any party, but I vote 

 every year for the men I like best ; not to help save 

 the Union, but because I'm proud of the right of 

 votin', and regard it as a duty to exercise it. It's a 

 privilege that poor men don't enjoy in many countries. 

 " And now, Squire, you spoke of a party called 

 * Young America.' I never heard the name afore, 

 that I know of, but it is an expressive one, and I sup- 

 pose it means the party that's in favor of goin' ahead, 

 branchin' out, and of movin' the outside fence further 

 off every way, and, as I heard a man say once, ex- 

 tendin' the area of freedom. Well, a great deal of 

 wrong may be done by such a party, if it's ambitious, 

 and don't stop to inquire about the rights of the coun- 

 tries and people it desires to fence in. If it thinks to 

 go on, because this country is strong, and able to do 

 what it's a mind to, with nations weaker than itself, 

 and to use its strength by forcin' the choice, and com- 

 pellin' the will of its neighbors, then * Young America' 

 is a hurtful party, and I'm agin' it. But if it's a party 

 that simply means to extend the country, by fair 

 ways, by lettin 7 all come in that want t$ and per 



