Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Oh,thefarceofit,oh,thefollyofit!LibertyisNOTacrownedgoddess,beautiful,inspotlessgarments,victorious,supreme.LibertyistheManIntheStreet,aterriblefigure,rushingthroughpowdersmoke,fouledwiththemudandordureofthegutter,bloody,rampant,brutal,yellingcurses,inonehandasmokingrifle,intheother,ablazingtorch.

           “FreedomisNOTgivenfreetoanywhoask;Libertyisnotbornofthegods.SheisachildofthePeople,bornintheveryheightandheatofbattle,bornfromdeath,stainedwithblood,grimedwithpowder.Andshegrowstobenotagoddess,butaFury,afearfulfigure,slayingfriendandfoealike,raging,insatiable,merciless,theRedTerror.”

           Presleyceasedspeaking.Weak,shaking,scarcelyknowingwhathewasabout,hedescendedfromthestage.Aprolongedexplosionofapplausefollowed,theOperaHouseroaringtotheroof,mencheering,stamping,wavingtheirhats.Butitwasnotintelligentapplause.Instinctivelyashemadehiswayout,Presleyknewthat,afterall,hehadnotonceheldtheheartsofhisaudience.Hehadtalkedashewouldhavewritten;forallhisscornofliterature,hehadbeenliterary.Themenwholistenedtohim,ranchers,countrypeople,store-keepers,attentivethoughtheywere,werenotoncesympathetic.Vaguelytheyhadfeltthatherewassomethingwhichothermen—moreeducated—wouldpossiblyconsidereloquent.Theyapplaudedvociferouslybutperfunctorily,inordertoappeartounderstand.

           Presley,forallhisloveofthepeople,sawclearlyforonemomentthathewasanoutsidertotheirminds.