I Americancilunteer. jjjSßfr. . ~ V ' "OUR COUNTRY—MAY IT ALWAYS BE IiIOHT OR WRONG, OUR COUNTRY." , ( OL. 46. MIBBICAN- VOLUNTEER. W^&Wf IBhISnBD EVEnY THURSDAY HODNINO BY i&km : JOHN' B. BRATTON.' *4«r " !# I® w TERMS. l^iaciPTiOK. —Ono Dollar and Fifty Cents/ paid ■ivance; Two Dollars if paid within the yoarj 'wo Dollars and Fifty Conte, if not paid within V Theso terms will bo rigidly adhered to in ttahep. No subscription discontinued until are paid unless at the option,of ,the jjlfxg —tAccompanied by tlic c ash, and one square, will bo inserted three bllor, and twenty-five cen ts for each ■m. Xhqso of a greater length in -ddch.aa Hand-bills, Posting-bills, nks. Labels, Ac, Ac,, executed with it'tie shortest notice. , fnlWml I OP HOS. W. H. Wfiisn, Senate on the 12 (h insi., on the relative to the organization of iiuent'waa pending, offered,by Mr. rhon Mr. WBLSII movod tho in ponomentbf the amendment, to the original resolutions. SAKER pot the question to-'the cn Mr, WELSH said:— tilde, this motion, not. with a desire ss in any manner this, day’s pro ut because I am anxious to speak, i, upon all the resolutions reported mittob, and, in doing so, ; I wish to in order.". I iregrof, sir,' that I am account of the severity of a cold ,1 am suffering, to speak as freely ■as I;would like -''tb do; yet, ,'nlot g this difficulty, I cannot let this » without giving my views friink jbrvedly upon the important ques e'ndihg before the Senate. I do agree. with my friend; the Sena 'Ster, that resolutions of this char ogother outof place in legislative .iink£>on the contrary, that there .a the history of States andcommu .en.it i* eminently proper ond necos thc:peoplo, through their Ropresen , to declare their attachment to some irinciple, and tb express their adherence - choscndoctrino in government. There time in the history of this'country when \tions ; adopted by State Legislatures, ree ls which did not partake m any degree nature of laws, , were . shaped into the stones of a great and enduring party— r, sir, which, is inseparably associated , tho glory and prosperity of our common which, though it be in a minority j 'iljifsraus Legislature to-day, T honestly believe, . : CQmmauds the admiration and respect of a majorlty of the people of this. Republic. mgm, when the' Alien and Section Laws were the statute - book of thcUnitod MBffitos,- it became necessary for -the. States. of and Virginia to pass resolutions laaHHpig these .enactments to be unconstitution at the same tinie, clearly defining the: .of the several those’ rose-; drawn by Jefferson and Madison, bc time the foundation of the Demo party of this Union. Nay, more. They -I ;>mtCtjais day form the very charter of our com- asserting as they do, in grand language, religious tolera ,®(|i||ffifrcodom of speech, and freedom of the and claiming for the foreigner, who shelter upon our .shores, the protect of that Government which was. inau- for suffering humanity through civilized globe. But the resolutions the Senate are widely different in [Vpiliiitunc' They assert no principle now to bo placed upon our statute book. " Thwprop ose no remedy for any existing evil. l said yesterday, and I. now repeatit 'WitEfiilr respect to. the majority of this body, , thew jcpntain declarations ond assertions which are mot: founded in fact, but which in my. os-. : timation are utterly fallacious. Believing this, I raith my voice, to-day agains t them. “Hear '' me fo r jmy cause 1” \'T*i vjflidlsoussing this question, .1 have ho fault #-%fihdiwith the hasty manner in which these 4?|SrBsblntibriß are proposed to be hurried through I have no- complaint to reference to the manner in which has been conducted. Being in the herej I am fully sensible of the. pe- I occupy. "We have heard a vir,igreai ! sir, of the, tyranny of majorities, of minorities. I am one of that among the rights of the ’ ! ‘ the right to bo voted down; no doubt enjoy this privilege during the present session, I letter regard the matter as com > can, and endeavor to got used possible. carefully examine the resolu >y the committee, we will find Icadidg declarations and as irai, that the present National is faithless and corrupt; see ipublican party is the only one io individual and industrial in rantry; and third, the ossump > the Republican party is the champion of-the Union, the ie_ present National Adminis miodists, and are plotting the the Confederacy, r. Speaker, to examine those in their order, and X shall do the nature of the question will .itlilessnOßS and corruption, ut irty out of power, and seeking is no new one to the ears of is.part of the cant of partisan .•ms the groat staple of tlio par ent I regret that it has found Legislative, Halls of this Cour ts significance, however, is 'ed, by the frequency with ingled with the popular breeze, the curious and instructive his in this country, wo may learn lame song has been sung, by -.w struggling to dethrone a pow er ond overwholm o party. If wo look back to tho period!,when the Opponents of the Ad .ministration of John Quincy Adams were la thering to defeat his re-oleotion, we will dis ' in, in those halcyon days-of the cry of corruption was raised, irig committees sat in the Qapi ;ton. The Administration of Mar a was assailed with the bitterest' !he history of the Galphih fraud, 1 ministration of President Tay-i imiliar as household Words" to ; this country.. And wo all know ie years ago, the House of Rop tho United States ventilated >f four of its Republican mom-; -....j,.,... _ lolled throe of them to resign! ! ; (sefr|oatsm Congress, under resolutions, of; leonqfiinhntion and .expulsion. And hero to- : 4 * n C‘o Senate of Pennsylvania, wo hear the same cry of “faithlessness and cor-, ruptidn” against the present National Admin istration ! The charge is vaguely made, and is unsupported by a single It is a hold assertion only, uttered without a sin gle fact to prove its truthfulness, and unsus tained by any evidence'whatever, outside of the siniple declaration i of 1 the resolutions, I, deny it, sir, I deny: it., boldly and fearlessly and I may leave the question hero, because, it is not necessary for mo to attempt to proves a negative. I have no disposition to protract; this debate by ah elaborate defense of the Ad« ministration of James Buchanan, and; the policy of the Demooratic party. Sir, the Gov ernment heeds no defense, that by treaty stip ulations, opened the sealed empire of China to the holy feet of the Christian ’Missionary— that brought eider out. of chaos in our Wes tern 'fe'rrftories, and closed the purple testa? moht of bleeding waif?'-in the frontier settlej ments' of the sent its “ white wihged messengers;” armed with authority,, to the Dictator .of Paraguay, and. wrested from that arrogantpowor, “ indemnity for the past and security for the future”—and that proud ly maintained' the indisputable right of the Amerioari'-citison, native or adopted; to he; protected and shielded from harm, wherever the; glorious flag of his country floated, and, wherever- his wandering footsteps strayed. 1 ,. I am drilling to leave the acts , of this Adminis tration to, time and truth,., I _am willing to put the Democratic' policy, it is illustrated by the Cabinet at Washington, upon the coun try, and I bolieye, sir, that God will send it a safe deliverance! . , Bqually unb'oundedand, fallacious is the claim of the Republican party, so frequently advanced, to be .the exclusive friend, of the in dividual and industrial interests of : the coun ' try. From the,inception qf the government, to the present hour, the Democratic party has over been the .true and real friend of the peo ple. In all times, and under all circumstan ces, it has battled for the.abolitiou of proroga . tives, and for the destruction pf monopolies. Lotus appeal to impartial-history, to learn the true,position of our opponents upon this question. I hold, sir, that they are unsound upon this great question of protection to American industry, which is deemed by so many in this country the elixir of our social and political, life, and which al way si assumes an undue prominence in. Presidential, and even in minor political struggle's.' , : ! say that the record is 1 against the Republican party upon this point, and I ask you to turn with me, for a single moment, to the history of the passage bf the last two tariffs which were en acted by our National Legislature. It is well known that when James K.; Polk into power, bn the 4th of March, .1845, he did so with the positive understanding that he would throw the full 1 force of his Administration in favor of a reduction of the Tariff of 1842. True to the pledge ho made to the people of the United States, ho at once sought to .re duce the duties upon foreign importations to such rotes .as would raise revenue enough' for <tho wants of the government, and would, al so,-incidentally -afford ample protootion .to American industry. The.rates of duties im . posed by the Tariff of the 30th of July,' 1846, ’ 'wore, exclusively ad valorem, and were ar ranged by schedules, from. 5 to 100 per cent., while the freo list was large and liberal in its provisions; But no sooner hod this act passed and become the law of'the land, than the fiercest denunciations were heaped upon the President and the,Democratic party. David Wilmot was bitterly assailed by the Opposi tion press of Pennsylvania, for his vote upon the bill in the House of Representatives—and George M. Dallas was denounced as a traitor to his native Commonwealth, for giving the casting vote in its favor in the Senate of the United' States. Ruin was everywhere pre dicted, and a wide-spread national distress was deemed inevitable. And yet, sir, all. the while, trade flourished, commerce increased, and our peoplo wcre prosperous and happy. Now, we all remember that in 1857, the Republicans were in a large plurality iii the House of Representatives. . Nathaniel P. Banks, of Massachusetts, was elected Speak er, and Lewis D. Campbell, of Ohio, was ap pointed by him Chairman of the Committee of Ways ana Means. Although it was a short session, a revision of the tariff of 1846 was absolutely demanded ; and after the usual manoouvorings in legislation, a report came from a committee of conference to both branch es of Congress. The report was adopted in the last days of the session, and the rates of duties in it were arranged by schedules, from 4to 30 .per cent., the duties being exclusively ad valorem in their character, while the free list was greatly and largely extended. The vote in the House upon this reduction of the Tariff of 1846, was one hundred and twenty two yeas, and seventy-two Shys. Among the former there were fifty-five members who had been elected as hostile to the Democratic par ty, and thirty-nine of that number wore good, honest, and true Republicans 1 In the Senate the vote upon acquiescing in the report of the committee of conference presented the same aspect. The leading Republicans, Seward, Fish, Foster, Trumbull and Wilson, voted to sustain the report—while the whole. number of votes cast against the bill did not equal the number of righteous men required by the an gel of the Lord to save ill-fated Sodom from destruction! And yet we are told that the Republican party is the friend of American industry—of Ponnsylvanityihlorcsts I I say again, sir, that the record is against this or ganization, the claim, impliedly put forth in these resolutions, that the Republi can party is the exclusive patron of the indi vidual industrial interests of tho country, is unwarrantable, and has no solid ■ foundation in truth of justice. Sir, Ido not wish to take any unfair advantage in reference to this im portant question, Ido not wish to claim anything for the Democratic party, which is not its duo. I-, therefore, sir, speak for my self alone, with no reference to , any policy 4 l m -r , y bo determined upon by. my party, when I say, that while I am in hoart.and soul in favor of Pennsylvania interests,' and of protecting the labor of her children in all. its departments, I would advocate such a Tariff only, as would raise, by the lowest possible rates of duties,, sufficient revenue to meet the necessary wants of tho government; and, nt the some time, afford incidental protection to all the great and flourishing interests of tho .Union I I have now come, sir, to the third and last point of this discussion, which involves the groat question of the Union, and is, at this time,- unhappily occupying so much of the at tention of the public -mind. The r covert as sault upon the Democratic party, oh account of the ‘‘threats of disunion uttered on the floor of Congress," has awakened much surprise and astonishment in the hearts of the minori ty upon this 'floor. The' Charge made in the second of those ill-tomporod resolutions, is ns unfair as it is illogical. Why, air, do the gen tlemen of the majority intend to hold the Democratic party responsible for the excited language that has booh uttered by Southern men, in the crisis that is now impending 1 So bo itl But wo must “commend the poisoned chalice to their own lips 1" I remember most distinctly, sir, that a Republican Senator from New York, high in position and commanding in'talents, boldly declared that there was, in thiscountiy,.“a higher law” than tho Constitu tion. .1 recollect that a Republican member of the National House: of Representatives said that ho looked forward to tho day whon a ser vile insurrection Would desolate the homes of our Southern.-brethren, and ' that he would “hail;it as the dawhof a political millenium.” I have nOt forgotten that an anti-slaveiy_ fanat ic,of the North proclaimed the. Constitution of tho United States to be “a covenant with death, and an agreement with.hell.” Nor caul ever obliterate from my memory the treasonable sentiments of that i champion of Republicanism in Massachusetts, who told tho country that "the times how demanded an anti-slavery 1 Constitution, an anti-slavery Bi ble, ' and tin: anti-slavery God.” Sir,' the spirit of Northern-fanaticism is reeking With .the .pestilential breath of treason and disunion 1 And is it, any wonder that the. men of the South, who'are sharers of our sacred compact, and should bo partakers of'dll our constitu tional .'guarantees, should- be appalled and stinfleiffrom their propriety, when the flam ing sword, of insurreotion is carried to their borders, and the flag of treason is borne upon their soil f'. Is there not some excuse for men to pause and iriduire, “what ?s all this worth?” • ..when, their rights are invaded, and their homes are despoiled by malignant traitors f Sir, scarcely three months have passed away, since 1 a miserable fanatic, led on by the doc trines of the “irrepressible conflict,” and in fluenced by the wicked teachings of the anti slavery apostles of the North, invaded the soil of Virginia, for tho purpose, of hastening the [dawn of .that political millenium -which was to bo ushered in with fire and'the sword. Gathering together a few deluded followers, in the dead of nighty, he seized Upon the prop erty of the United States, at, Harper’s Ferry, and raised tho standard of rebellion against the laws of his country. Arming the negro, he told him to cut the throat .of his master. Placing the torch in the hands of the slave, he incited him to ap ply it to the dwelling of his protector. Ar rested in his crimes, the slaves themselves failing to join in his bloody foray, he and four of his guilty comrades were taken, captives, tried, condemned, and most righteously execu-, ted; and when the just sentence of the law was . carried into effect, when the majesty of the outraged Commonwealth of Virginia was vindicated, there were, sir, in Northern cities, assemblages of men and women, who gathered together to applaud the traitors, ana to pro claim tho gallows upon which'John Brown WOs executed, as glorious, as the cross! of the Redeemer! When the time has come for the citizens of any portion of our country to arm their households—when the torch of the in cendiary flashes in the midnight-—when the property of the United States is seized by a band of desperadoes—rwhon the soil of a neigh boring State is ruthlessly invaded—l ask you, sir, if the crisis has not arrived in the history of this Union, when men may well think of the preservation of their Constitutional rights with fear and trembling, and demand in all sincerity and earnestness the true intent , and meaning of the compact which pur' fathers maijo! 1 Mr.-Speaker, I believe that we can all live happily and prosperously in this Un ion ns it is, without wasting its substance in unfriendly strifes and internecine conflicts. — I do not believe that at any time it is neces sary for any man in the North, orin the South, to claim a dissolution, of this Union, as the panacea for any ills that may afflict the body politic. I am for the Union as it is, and .for the Constitution as it came from its immortal framers! What has given • rise to all this trouble ? . It is the ceaseless agitation of the slavery question. Fifteen States in this Con federacy, under the Compromises of the Con stitution, assert, their indisputable right to hold' negroes as property. No one Can suc cessfully controvert that right. It is theirs by law, and . under the Constitution. , Why should any portion of the Northern mind be arrayed against it ? Is not, then, the contin ual and everlasting agitation of this question, calculated to weaken the bonds of our beloved Union, and; destroy the, fraternal relations which should exist between all sections of the Republic ? Sir, the Constitution under which wo are living to-day, was formed for our “ more perfect union” in a spirit of compromise and concession. The question of negro slavery, at an early day, invoked the serious attention of the founders of this Government. It was one' which they saw, in their prophetic visions, would be the prolific source of anxie ty and trouble. Hence they dealt with if, in a spirit that well became the groat work they wore laboring to accomplish. The gol den grains of. compromise sparkled in all the cement they used to build up the fabric of our national liberties. When the Ordinance of 1784 was proposed for the government of the Western Territory, after the cession by Vir ginia to the United States of the dpmain ly ing northwest of the Ohio river, a proviso was incorporated in that, instrument, that, after the year 1800 slavery should not exist in any of the States formed out of a Territory. The recognition of the right to hold slaves for six teen years, evinced the disposition of the fra mers of that Ordinance to compromise the very point at issue. In 1785 this proviso was stricken out, and “ the Ordinance, thus amen-' dod, became the law'of the land." In 1787 the question was again renewed in Congress, and the famous Ordinance of that year was adopted for the- government of the Westorn Territory, with the-festriotive clause inserted in it in reference to negro slavery, but con taining, also the following proviso: “ Provi ded, always, that any person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is law fully claimed in any one of the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed and convoyed to the person claiming his of her labor or service as aforesaid." Again, we see the invocation of that spirit of compromise and concession which runs parallel with the histo ry of our country. In 1787, when the. Const itution was adopted, the African Slave Trade constituted a part of the commerce of the whole civilized world. Spain, France, Holland, Denmark, Swecden, England, and Scotland, wore engaged in the inhuman traffic. The faithful historian informs us that “ the origi nal proposition was to give Congress the pow er to.abolish it from and after the year 1800, but when Gen. Pinkoy, of South Carolina, moved to strike out 1800 and insert 1808, as the period for its abolishment, the motion pre vailed by all the New England States voting for it with only four Slave 1 States—Delaware, Virginia. Nqw Jersey, and Pennsylvania vo ting against it I" It is needless to follow, at this time, all the enactments before add after the old Confederation, or to allude at length to all the Constitutional provisions which bear upon this subject. They all breathe but one spirit—that of concession—and while wo live under the Constitution as it is, while wo hold fast to its compromises as the Ark of pur po-, litical covenant, lot us airromembef that'there can bo no true liberty without the Unipn, and no real Union without justice being fnij-ly and' faithfully rendered to every portion of the. Confederacy. Believing, sir, that these roso- CARLISLE, PA., THURSfiIY, JANUARY 26, 1860. . ' 'r! ~ ■ ■ . - : lutions os they ootolt ftom the boirimitteo, ex press the Bontimen&iof a sectional party, whoso existence ;is to weaken the bonds ; of the. I cannot give them ipy-asseht an^jMjprohation,. Sir, I stand hobewfiltly to raise my voice against allseotionaliijin and disunion, no mat ter in what quarter.,#, the country they may shako their Gorgon lotjks.., I speak as an Ame rican citizen,-in behalf, of State rights and strict Constitutional dragtruotion. Regarding l the perpetuity of thiiSjlnion as of more con sequence to ouraolvosifts, a people, and to the civilized world arouqtlTus, than any question that, modern humaim&riansm can teach, I would not have one ofithfe pillars of bur proud fabrio totter.to'tho grtrthid.-for every negro in the universe. But more than two hundred years ago,, jpß*Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Book.. Eidtes from their native land, they sought herS'A Spot, where, though aliens fromtheir latheS’ graves, they could bond the knbe in peabij&hd safety to their for there’ God. The ropreSfcntatives of principles that had rip resting plaw.intheir distant home, they laid hero the foundations of .a State, which, I trust, will rcmfnin intact and unim paired, .“till the latest' syllable of recorded time:” It has beonsajd,that the, hour will come when the on bur consecra ted flag will grow dim,i&d its red Stripes will tarn pale, before the .disirinying spectacle of fraternal strife. But, sir, I am not one of those who look thus 'gloomily upon the future destiny of this Union, 'There is a balm good sense yet prevailing ambng the people, which will save us in thenoUr of peril, and preserve inviolate bur common bond and common bro therhood. . If wo are 'only true and loyal to the past—-if we are tribe,’andtemperate in the •future—-if wo keep within : the • limits of the Constitution—if, when, clouds ore darkening our, political horizon, we look in doop humili ty and faith to the thrbne'bf Him “who ,ma koth.even tho wrath of.ngtnto praise Him’’— ; centuries lioiice, when we: are in pur graves, and our are mingling with their kin dred dust, there will still be found upon these 1 'Western shores what wo enjoy to-day—“the undivided and "unbroken heritage ,of Wash ington 1” . . ; , ■ .... . Raise ray pUlow, husband,dearest— Fuiut aiiilfa{u(«roomo3my.broath ,* And these shadows; stealing elbwly,. ' Must, I know, be those 'of death. Sit down close beside me, .darling. Let mo clasp your warm,;;strong baud; Yours,'ihat ovor has sustained mp -To the borders of this land. , For, yqur God and Father, f . Tubhco shair ever lean iho .on, . a throne cteri/dl, V;. ' bits Jlls loved and. " ' • I vo .had visions, i • o*cr the jiaBtnfj'by^)w t -p.^^L :V 4/-. -r' j ■•/Year by ydar I’ve. TiU I-wns, a child again.; - j Dreamed of girlhood, and the momen t': . When I stood your wife and bride— How my heart thrillcdwitb love's triumph In that hour of woman's pride I ■ Dreamod of theo—aud all the earth-cords . . Firmly twined about my heart—r .- Oh! the bitter, burning anguish " When X first know wd must part It lias passed—and God has promised All thy footsteps to attond;, Ho; that's more than friend or brother, HoTl bo with thee to the.end. , There’s noßhadows o’erthe portals Loading to my Heavenly homo- Christ hath promised life immortal. And ’tis Ho that bids mo como. When life’s trials wait around thco, And its chilling billlows swell; Thoult thank JtToaven that I am spared them, , Thou’lt-tbon feel that. u all is well.”- Bring our boys unto my bedside; - My last blessing let thorn keep- But thoy'ro sleeping—do y not yako them— They'll learn soon enough w webp. Toll them often of their mother, • Kiss thorn for mo when thoy wake. Lead thorn gently in life’s pathway, . Lovd them doubly for ihy sako^ Clasp my hand still closer, darling. This,-tbo last night of my life. For, toimorrow, I shall never Answer, whcqyou coll.me "wife.” Faro thee well, tny noble husband, - •' ■ Faint not 'neatb this chastening rod; Throw your strong arm round our children, Keep them close to thee—and God. A Fearful Adventure. When I' first -went into the country hoar the Bay of: Natal, things -wore, very (different to what they are now; there were not nearly so many Cadres in the country, and there wore no white men except our own party. Game was in plenty;-'and many a monster which has now sought, more secure retreats, was then to lid seen in the neighborhood of the bay. I built myself a bee-hive shaped hut, like one of the Caffres, bn the open ground near the Umbilb, and cultivated a little'piece pf ground near it. I had lived -about throe weeks , in this place,-when my Hottentot, Plache, came One day to me in groat fright, and told mo that ho had-seen- “the biggest snake that ever wasthat it had crossed the Umbilo river, hhdhad entered some long reeds , about a half a mile from my hut. He'said that the v snake’s head was ton the land ontone side, whilst the taiTwason tho other'side, of, the Umbndigy Now, this river is not very broad; but if what the man told hie was true, the snake must have been over thirty feet in length. I know that a : species' of boatoonStrioter was to be found here, for I had shot one sixteen feet long as I'was coming from the old colony to the bay. I did not trouble myself to look after the snake, .for .there was a largo swamp with long feeds extending for more than a mile, along the banks of this river, with cover enough to oonceal five hundred snakes* ■ Abouta month after Plnche’s interview yyith, the- bog, there fell a vast quantity of rain, and the river rose and flooded the whole of this sWiimp.- the nearest piece of dry land to the river, was ■ the little'rising groundton which-my hut stood.' One evening, during the- time that the flood was out, I caino' back from shooting just ns the sun was sotting. I had shot a buck which I had found out in the open ground, behind the Berea Bushv Plache was with me, and I left him and a Caffro to bring in, the buck, I whilst I returned hoipo, alone, to. prepare a fire,, and got ready tho cooking pbts. , I noticed that thb water was very high, and had not left hloro than a'hundred yards clear round my-hut, which was; however, still some ton or twelve foot above tho.lovobof the flood.-, I placed ray gun. outside,; againpt the hut, apd crawled into the dborway of the krlull. You must know that the only light that enters thosu,buildings is by tho'doorway, so when I |Wral. I AM MISO. blocked up this, the only aperture, the interi or was rather dark, I knew that tuy flint and stcel-bbx were stuck up in the thatch of the roof, and these I could use to obtain light; in case the embers were hot smouldering in the centre of the hut, whore I usually kept a fire. I could not see a sign of a spark among the ashes, when I first entered the hut; and as the evening was closing in, I thought I might have difficulty in making a fire, as the dew was so heavy that all the wood became damp, oven inside the hut; so I lay down, and blew amongst the white wood ashes, to try and rouse a flame. Whilst I -was thus occupied, I fancied that T heard somethin" move amongst the blankets' that lay by the side of the hut. I looked at tile spot, and there, to my astonishment, saw ft gigantic snake, which appeared nearly as large round as my body. The animal was coiled up amongst my bedding, but hnd'obouf throe feet, head and neck, stretched out; and pointed at me—its forked tongue now and again shooting out some inch or two from its mouth. The instant that I saw the monster, Tjumped to my feet, and looked round for a weapon, but there was,not one at hand. My fun I had placed outside; my largo knife I ad left with Plache, to enable him to cut up the buck,, and in fact I was unarmed. A cold shudder caino over me when I realized the state of affairs. The door of the hut was only two feet high, and to.escape, therefore, I must crawl out, end I felt certain that if I stooped down the snake would instantly dart at me. I was hot iit all aware what power those snakes might possess; I believed a monster like this would make short work of me. I might fight and struggle, but unarmed what could I,do. , How long I stood looking at the snake, I do not know, but it could mot have booh seconds;. although the time appeared minutes ; suddenly . I remembered that my Caffre had, a few days before, asked me to allow him to place, an assagai in my hut, be cause the night dew caused the blade to rust when the Weapon was exposed. Here, then, was a hope for me, for I . know that the man had not taken away the assagai with him. , 1 scarcely dared take my eyes off the snake, lest the brute should dart at me, but giving a glance round the upper part of the hut, I saw the handle of the assagai protuding from the thatch, and nearly within reach of me. I knew that the intsant I moved, the snake would spring at me. I, however, raised my. hand and arm very slowly towards the. assa gai, and at longht, by bending over a little, managed to grasp the handle. As I did so, the snake, which bad gradually uncoiled du ring my movempnts,'darted towards me. I jumped aside, and pulled out the broad bladed assagai; which had been sharpened very keen, b,gt,the snake moved like lightning, and al though ho had missed me in his first dart, ho recovered himself instantly, and sprung.at me again. Before 1 could make a cut at him, his,teeth caught in ; my leather trowsers; and he tbps obtained- a strong hold, and with a pull as Buddon aa his lunge, ho dragged my jp.the ground'; abig fold . df his body rolled over;fils ead, and fell upon my logs, while it weighed me to the, ground as if a. loaded wagon wore , on them. He managed all this in a very : short time; but I was not idle, for I knew • that if ho could once manage to press down my chest, or my arras, hq might kill me. Howi the feeling that first came upon me was certainly not a pleasant one, .because I was without a weapon; but as soon ns I grasped the assagai I know that I was safe;- consequently when he really attacked me, I felt as though it was a piece of impudence oh his part, for I never .expected the affair would have been as dangerous to mo as it proved to be. These tilings take some time to tell, biit they do not take long to happen, and a strug gle for life and death is frequently decided m half a minute: •So it was with me. The in stant the snake’s body came over on my logs, I twisted around, and sliced it with the assa gai. I gave two terrible gashes,, and the monster, releasing his hold of my leathers, sprung at my face. I raised my arm instinct ively to protect myself, which saved mo from being.bitten; but I was knocked down flat, and the brute was again on me; but this time I,caught him by the neck with my left hand, and in an instant had nearly Severed his head with the assagai.' I scrambled away from the monster, which was writhing about in its ag ony, and escaped from the hut. Then I be gan to examine how I had fared in the fight, fo my surprise ! found that a few deep scratches near the ankle, and a bite near the wrist, neither of which was of great impor tance, were' all the wounds which I had sus tained. For some days afterwards, however, I suffered a great deal of pain in the legs, where the snake had pressed me. I do not think that I 'should have escaped to toll the tale, iff had not found the assagai, as the boa, although unwilling to attack you when.he is in the open country, is pugnacious enough when shut up with you in a circular hut about eight feet in diameter. We soon hauled the spake from the hut, when my Hottentot arrived, and; found it measured twenty-eight feet in .length, and nearly a foot in diameter in the' thickest part. The Hot tentot thought if must be that which ho had seen, as its markings appeared the same. It was evident that the, flood had driven the snake from its usual concealment in the reeds, and the animal finding a warm hut, in which were blankets and the remains of a fire, had taken up its position without ceremony, and had. been probably much irritated at my sud den intrusion upon him. I never wish to have another such a battle, for, although I ahould not bo afraid of the result, still the thoughts which come upon us afterwards are hot pleasant. Man has an instinctive horror df serpents, and when I dreamed, for many, a night afterwards, it was usually about a snake, or.some other horrid reptile which had hold of me;—A Ranger’s Life in Africa. A Christmas Tale. While the last century was flourishing, there dwelt, in what is now a famous city not : a mile from Boston, an opulent widow lady, who once afforded a queer illustration of that cold compound of incompatibles, called “hu man nature." It was a Christmas eve of one of those old fashioned winters which were so bitter cold. The ohl lady put on an extra shawl; and as she htigged her shivering frame, she said to her' faitMnl negro servant : “It is d terrible cold night, Soip. lam afraid my poor neighbor, widow Green, must be suffering.- ffake the,wheelbarrow, Soip. Fill it' full of wood/ Pile on a' good load; and toll the poor woman to keep herself warm and comfortable. But before you go, Soip, put some more wood on the' fire, and make mo a nice miig of flip." These last orders were duly obeyed,-and the old lady was thoroughly warmed, both inside and out. And now tho trusty. Soipb.was about to depart on his orrund of motcy,-when his considerate mistress interposed again. “Stop, Soip. You need not go now. The weather has moderated !■" Shepherd’s Dog. A friend of ours who owns a large ranch and several hundred head of sheep, is the for tunate possessor of one of the best dogs in the State; The intelligent creature' was brought up among the ■ sheep, nourished upon owes’ milk; his whole life being passed vyith the flock, and devoted to its defence. He has been tatight to open and shut the fold into which they ire driven at night, and.ho cares for them with all the apparent thoughtfulness that a human creature could display. In the morning, when the flock is driven to the field, he goes with it, selects some command ing, place, and watches the sheep during the whole day, driving up the stragglers, and al lowing no one but those with whom he is ac quainted to approach^them. Should a ewe drop a lamb, and pass on with the herd, with out noticing it, as she sometimes will, he has been known to take it up, and carrying it af ter her, compel her to take care of it. At night he drives the sheep into the pen, fastens the doors after him, arid seating himself in their midst, lays there watching them all night. In ! the morning" unfastens the door, drives out his charge to the pasture, and keeps watch and ward until night comes. In ■ fact, so faithful is he, that his master frequently absents himself from the ranch, for days to l aether, with perfect reliance upon bis dog, to find all safe when he returns. , THE GRAPE. The wild grapes of our own count*# tire quite distinct species from the wine grapes of Europe—are equally stronger in their growth,; with larger and more entire foliage, and in their native state, with a peculiar foxy odor or flavor, and more or loss hardness of pulp; Those traits, however, disappear in process of cultivation, and we have reason to hope that we shall soon obtain, from the wild type, now varieties of high quality, and of superior hard-, inoss and productiveness of this climate. The grape vine is in all cases a trailing or climbing deciduous shrub, living to a great age, and in its native forests, clambering ovet; the tops of the tallest trees. In the deep, ridh' alluvial soils of western America, it is oft op seen attaining a truly prodigious size, and' several have been measured on the banks of the Ohio, the stems of which were three feet in circumference, and the branches two hun dred feet long,’ enwrcatliing and festooning the tops of huge poplars and sycamores. In a cultivated state, however, it is found that fine .flavor and uniform productiveness, require the plants to be kept pruned within a small compass. The grape vine makes roots very freely, and is, therefore easy of propagation. Branches of the previous or current year’s wood bent down any time before mid summer, and cov ered With earth as layers, root very freely, and make bearing plants in a couple of years, Or very frequently indeed bear the next sea son. But the finer varieties of the vino are almost universally propagated, by cuttings, as that is a very simple mode, and an abundance Vfcuttingsboingafforded by the annual trim ming of the viuek— : Downirig’s Fruits and Fruit Trees.- Traft Contentment. • In this'age of restlessness and wild, specu lation, when so many are searching eagerly for happiness, and sighing, after numerous disappointments, “ who will show us any' good?” it is refreshing to meet with a con tented Christian heart, which has found true peace by living in constant Communion with God. _ln one of our exchanges we find the following:—Said a venerable farmer, some eighty years old, to a relative who had lately visited him, —“ I have lived on this farm for more, than half a century. I have no desire to change my residence as long as I live on earth. I have ho desire to bo any richer than I now am. I have worshiped the God of my fathers with the same people for more than forty years. Duringjhis time I have rarely been absent from' the sanctuary on the Sab? bath, and have never lost one communion sea son. I have never been confined to my bed by sickness for a single day. The blessings of God have been richly, spread around me, and I have made up my mind long ago, that if I wished to be happier, I must nave more religion.” Dr. Franklin on Deatli. Wo have lost a most dear and valuable rel ation. But it is the will of God and nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside when’ the soul is to enter real life. This is rather the embryo state ; a preparation for living. — A man is not completely born until he is dead. Why should wo grieve when anew child is born to the immortals ? We are spirits I That bodies should bo lent us while they can afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge, or doing good te our fellow crea tures, is a kind benevolent act of God. When they become unfit for these purposes and af ford us pain instead of pleasure—instead of aid become an incumbrance—and answer none of the intentions for which they were given—it is equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided by which we may got rid of them. Death is that way. Wo ourselves, in some cases choose a partial death. A mangled, painful limb, which cannot be restored,- wo willingly out off. Ho who plucks out a tooth parts with it freely since pain goes with it; and ho who quits the whole body parts at once with all the’pains arid diseases it Was lia x ble to or capable‘of making. Our friend and we' were invited abroad on a party of pleasure, which is lost forever.— His chair was ready first and ho was gone be fore us; we could not conveniently start to gether. Why should you and Ibo grieved at this, since wo are soon to follow, and know I where to find him.—Dr. Franklin’s Works. I The Religion or Paying Debts. —One of the religious papers has the following strong remarks on this subject. They drive the nau up to the head and clinch it: “Men may sophisticate as they please.— They can never make it right, and all the bankrupt laws in the universe cannot make it right for them not to pay their debts.— There is a sin in this neglect as clear and as deserving of church discipline as is stealing or' false swearing. Ha who violates his promise to pay, or withholds the payment of a debt, when it is in his power to meet hitf eirgagm’ ment, ought to be made' to fed that,' in the sight of all honest men ho is a swindler.' Ro ligionvmay be a very comfortable clonk, un der which ,to. hide ; nut if religion does not make it man ‘deal justly,’ it is not worth ha ving.” , . . - - SiNotiLjtft State op Prison Discipline.— The prisoners in the jail at Indianapolis, In diana,' are a funny set of fellows.. They hold n mock trial on one Quinn, charged him with wife murder, a few days ago, and convicted him. They then made a rope from strips of blankets, and proceeded to hang him, which they very nearly accomplished, the. turn-key cutting him down bivroly in time to save his life/ (SMwi anb dßiibff. O’ Fame is likb an cel—rathbr hard' to' catch and a good deal harder to hold: o*Wheh the great approve, the ihillW are sure to follow; tom pleased id to pay a' compliment to their owix taste.; IC7* Therd is precious little difference her" tween vice and thti firtue that flalintsitsfelf in" the eyes of the world; O’ Our sorrows art like thundbr clouds,; which seem very black in the distance bdt' grow lighter as they appfoßcli; O’No pupil is so greatly to be pitied as the pupil of the eye, tor it is continually unf der the lash; BIT* An author; ridiculing the idea of ghosts, asks; how a dead man cap get into a locked room. Probably with a skeleton-key; BIT" “ Mr. Conductor,’’ fisked a railroad, passenger, “ are you running on time, to-day ?” “ No, sir! we are running for cash.” By “ My dear wife, I wish'you would try to keep your temper:” “My dear, husband; I wish you would try to get nd of jroilrs;” By The patter of little feet and the pattcV of the summer rain are among the sweetest music in the world of nature. Oy If the le'agub Of friendship is once brqj ken; the cabinet of Sebrots is Unlocked, and they fly wildly aboiit like linoSged birds; By A man .named MyOrS was recently shot in Scranton, Pa:, by a man named Hayywhoni he had attacked With an axe. . By The horse thdt is generally most expen sive, to his owner find ambles with hint mtd most difficulties, is his,hobby-horse'; . ■ By* It may bo,a scrioUs question Whether warriors or doctors rirO ript to be dost troub led with the visitations of ghoSta; V Dy If yon ttirn dway front worthy men be cause they are humbly clad, they can boast .that you cut their coats arid p'antaloons. '■■By The earth’s inhabitants'needn’t bo al ways grave, but it would be a terrible thing if the earth herself were to lose her gravity. By “ I have a fresh cold;’’ said a gentle-' man to his acquaintance. “Why do yon have a. fresh one—why don’t ■ you have it cured?” . ■ By An editor* Who thinks himself. very siriart, says in his columns, that he never lends himself to party-hacks. We presume he prefers selling; By'Toil and trial are grim schoolmasters, but a flash of hope can make them beautiful even as a sunbeam on the rpde mountain front.. By A Now Year Hint—The class of people -mostdear to all men of business, and always, hold in grateful remembrance; ord tbeearMwl -settlers. ' KT* Somebody says thnt it takes, a smart woman to make a capital fool, but wo know many a woman, not very smart, that has made a score of fools. OCT” Never meet trouble half way, but let .him have the whole walk for his pains. ; Ver f likely ho may give up his visit in sight of thtf house. BC7’ True greatness consists in doing iVlidt deserves to be written, in writing, what de serves te be read, and in . making mankind happier and better for your life; [C7 =, A light-footed Pennsylvanian lately ran twenty miles, with only two intervals of rest, one minute each,- and Came off without much fatigue. DC?” A man named David has been discov ered in St. Denis, Franco, who is one hun dred and nine years old.- He was an experi enced soldier when Napoleon was borp. K7* It is curious that some learned dunoeS,’ because they can write nonsense in dead lan guages, think themselves better than men who_ can talk sense in living ones. O* In most quarrels, there is a fault oil both sides. Both flint and steel are necessa ry to the'production of a spark'; either of them may hammer on wood forever, and no fire will follow.- . CT"' Time, like Cdssandrtl,- Warns Us with £ voice that even the sagest discredit too long/ and the silliest believe' too late; Wisdom walks before it, Opportunity, with it, and Re pentance behind it,-" . O - The human race Seems to have been engaged for thousands of years in trying to invent wings to fly with.- • They have a despe rate ambition to become art awkward kind of poultry/ JBSTTt isolated that there are nearly forty thousand more' men that women in the State of lowa.- If this bb so,- it offers a good chance for girls to emigrate thither from the state of celibacy. Jjgy Mr. Bv D. Mack, merchant, of Easton; has made application for a patent for a now article of burning fluid, which is said to pro-' duco a brilliant light,- and to be noh-cxpensive 1 and-cheap.- V Js@y A Company has been formed in Wash ington for taannftfottrring.wine, with a capital of §lOO,OOO.- The Hon; Amos Kendall is the ■ principal stockholder.-. The company contem plating using the wild grape.- Qzip The annual sa'lo of the' pCws in, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher’s church in Brooklyn; took place on Tuesday evening,- and realized I the sum of §29,420 60, being about 40 per cent, increase upon the amount realized last year. JOfijyln spite of Chesterfield, lixugh if you’ feel like it. . Smiles are tolerated hy the very pinks of politeness; and a laugh is but the full-blown flower of which a smile is the hud.- It, is si sort of vocal mimic, a glee in which 1 everybody ctin take part. BSy*Probably it ier not desirable to,possess too great a facility in Writing; there ore very few, whose thoughts leap into life full grown' sfnd iii phnpply, for the Minervan family itf eVor limited, and, according to llomcr,-never hrtd & motheW ~ * JJgy* A student tit the Qorm'an University of Eislabin, being rebuked by the principal of the institution, drew a knife and attempted to stab him; but he was diaarmed.arreatea',-tried for the offence, convicted, and sentenced' to’ the House of Correction for teh years. A young sCapbgrace oallinjg hlmbelf Davis Ferguson,- and other aliases,- hah batin' traveling recently through Wisconsin' and lowa, and doing a largo,hhsinpss in' this - way of marrying.young girls and appropriating other people’s property. Ho'married no less than six wives in the brief space of thrdO' mouths.- NO. 33.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers