OurgoodsenatorinhisnativestatehadnotbeenexceededbyanyofhisbrethrenatWashington，inthesortofeloquencewhichhaswonforthemimmortalrenown！Howsublimelyhehadsatwithhishandsinhispockets，andscoutedallsentimentalweaknessofthosewhowouldputthewelfareofafewmiserablefugitivesbeforegreatstateinterests！
Hewasasboldasalionaboutit，and“mightilyconvinced”notonlyhimself，buteverybodythatheardhim；—butthenhisideaofafugitivewasonlyanideaofthelettersthatspelltheword，—oratthemost，theimageofalittlenewspaperpictureofamanwithastickandbundlewith“Ranawayfromthesubscriber”underit。Themagicoftherealpresenceofdistress，—theimploringhumaneye，thefrail，tremblinghumanhand，thedespairingappealofhelplessagony，—thesehehadnevertried。Hehadneverthoughtthatafugitivemightbeahaplessmother，adefencelesschild，—likethatonewhichwasnowwearinghislostboy’slittlewell-knowncap；andso，asourpoorsenatorwasnotstoneorsteel，—ashewasaman，andadownrightnoble-heartedone，too，—hewas，aseverybodymustsee，inasadcaseforhispatriotism。Andyouneednotexultoverhim，goodbrotheroftheSouthernStates；forwehavesomeinklingsthatmanyofyou，undersimilarcircumstances，wouldnotdomuchbetter。Wehavereasontoknow，inKentucky，asinMississippi，arenobleandgeneroushearts，towhomneverwastaleofsufferingtoldinvain。Ah，goodbrother！isitfairforyoutoexpectofusserviceswhichyourownbrave，honorableheartwouldnotallowyoutorender，wereyouinourplace？
Bethatasitmay，ifourgoodsenatorwasapoliticalsinner，hewasinafairwaytoexpiateitbyhisnight’spenance。Therehadbeenalongcontinuousperiodofrainyweather，andthesoft，richearthofOhio，aseveryoneknows，isadmirablysuitedtothemanufactureofmud—andtheroadwasanOhiorailroadofthegoodoldtimes。
“Andpray，whatsortofaroadmaythatbe？”sayssomeeasterntraveller，whohasbeenaccustomedtoconnectnoideaswitharailroad，butthoseofsmoothnessorspeed。
Know，then，innocenteasternfriend，thatinbenightedregionsofthewest，wherethemudisofunfathomableandsublimedepth，roadsaremadeofroundroughlogs，arrangedtransverselysidebyside，andcoatedoverintheirpristinefreshnesswithearth，turf，andwhatsoevermaycometohand，andthentherejoicingnativecallethitaroad，andstraightwayessayethtoridethereupon。Inprocessoftime，therainswashoffalltheturfandgrassaforesaid，movethelogshitherandthither，inpicturesquepositions，up，downandcrosswise，withdiverschasmsandrutsofblackmudintervening。