An Irish servant lad
The Unionist 1834-04-10
Unionist content
Transcription
An Irish servant lad, going along the passage, and singing rather inharmoniously, was asked by his master what horrid noise he was making? “I have not made any noise, sir,” he replied. “Why, you were singing, and a confounded noise it was.” “Oh, perhaps it was the singing of my ears your honor heard.” This reminds us of a dialogue between two ministers of the gude kirk of Scotland. One complained that he had got a ringing in his head. “Do ye ken the reason o’ that?” asked his worthy crony. “Na!” “I’ll tell ye; ‘tis because it’s empty!” “And have ye never a ringing in your head?” quoth the other. “Na, never.” “And do ye ken the reason?,’ “Na.” “It’s because it’s cracked!” was the retort; and the truth was not very far off.
About this Item
Humor based on ethnic stereotypes and denigration is, as usual, prevelant in the human condition but not our best feature. However, the reference to things which are cracked opens the window to the use of The Liberty Bell as a symbol by the Abolitionists. They adopted it both because of its use of the Biblical phrase "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof" (Leviticus 25:10), and yet also the patent lack of extending freedom to all the inhabitants that the persistence of slavery represented. The Abolitionists rescued the Liberty Bell from post-revolutionary obscurity and made it a potent icon for freedom once again.
