Am main
VOL. 48.
AMERICAN VOLUNTEER,
PUBLISHED EVERT THURSDAY MORNING-BY
JOHN It. BRATTON.
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TUG DEEM.'
I svt in my ohair by tho blazing firo
And dozo away my life,
And tho laughing flames leap high and higher.
As I dream of a little' wife ;
On ray. shoulder I fool a pressure sweet, .'
And arms like the snow —oh, whiter !~
About my neck in a. meet,
And n tbo flames flash.bright and brighter.
And ringlets of gold pour over my face,
As my head, to her bosom's pillow,
. Sinks down in a cloud of perfumed Inco,
Thai heaves like fo-ira on the billow ;
And I,hoar her warm heart’s quickening boat.
And her eyes grow bright as fire,'
As my lips are covered with kisses sweet,
And the flames leap high and higher, T
A soft cheek, nestles close to my own,;
And the sweet smiles o'er it chase ;
Like sandrops upon a calm; lake thrown, .
Her dimples the smiles efface—
A flute-like laugh, and her swelling breast,
Heaven joyous—-high and,higher ; .
How happy my lot, and'how.sweet my rest,.
With a wife in front of the Are J
And I drink her beauty :into ray heart,..
And the love-light of her eyes ; ‘
With a crash the rod brands fall apart-- ,
My wife up.tho chimney flies. •
Thus oft in my ohair by.the blazing firo
I doze away my life, • • ,
And the mocking flames laugh high and higher,
At my doeam of love and a wife. •
LOWL? FLOWERS,
BV LYIEAN It, GOJDJIAK.
WitJj, feet half naked and bare
And drosses all .tattered aud tqrq,
With a penny hero and a. mockery there,
And floods of derision and scorn.
She.wanders the.street wherever herfeet/
Weary and willing, are borne, ~
With an eye as bright and a cnefiU as.
As tho earliest blush of the'babmV' ' •
; - : ?.V '-
AiiAtlrivonj from doofvto.door,
AJeat fig. every Tdie clown
And'a butt for every boor;
While the velvet-slippered, in satin
Go rustling by her side,
With a frozen heart and a curtained face,
, And a lip curled .into pride,
; So beautiful, yet so frail,
So willing, and yet so. weak, .
.Oh, what lf the heart at last should Jail,
And a heavenly purpose break 1
And the dens, kennels and brothels of boll,
. Another poor victim hold,
A celestial spark bo quenched in the dar£,
And aa angel bartered for gold I
No wonder the heart should fail,
A heavenly purpose fade,
The eye grow dim and the chock grow pqfy
’ When none stand ready to aid 1
No wonder the lairs and cradles of hell
So many poor victims should hold,
When the good are content to worship Qos,
And the rich to worship their gold,!
Move patiently on, Dearth!
Till Mercy’s wandering dove
Shall upward fly to 'the realm, of its birth ;
And rest in the bosom of Love;
Move, patiently on till the crucified Christ
Shall gather his radiant crown
■From the lowly flowers and bleeding hearts
That the world has trampled down. .
3fi(jsctllflntnuH.
FOOT-PRINTS ¥ THE SNOW
A NEW-YEAR’S STORY.
BTC IX.A It L-E 8 A. H UNGER.
“ Oorupon you, man 1 Will you play dunoo,
who were such a rattle-braineil lad, and that,
too, when your old sohool-fellow comes to
greet you in your middle-age and prosperity
forsooth, and piles you with good ale? Have
respect for the malt, if not for the friend that
finds it 1
“ Have I not told you I am not well ? Can
a sick man laugh and play the clown?”
“ Nay, nay ; but shall the ill drink ale like
you? Lad, you do not oven smile; you are
sick at heart.”
The second" speaker buried his head in his
•huge hands, on both of . which he had been
leaning over a half-emtpied mug of ale. Ho
was large and brawny,.with a bushy head, of
grizzled hair, heavy eye-brows, over-hanging
.email, keen gray eyes, and was named Brown
ing. His companion, was short' and rather
.corpulent, with florid complexion, sandy hair,
and a round, chubby face, rendered rather
inexpressive by n pair of light-blue eyes. He
was called' Harry Saunders. Between these
two so dissimilar, as is not infrequent, d boy
ish intimacy had been formed, which had
not been broken until manhood and its pur
suits had separated them. Even then their
hearts refused the division; and often and again
in fancy they travelled back to the old play
ground and school-bench, whore they had
played much and studied little ; and to the
blacksmith-shop, where they, on the same
,anvil, as apprentices together, had rung out
a chime to the dancing and gleaming iron
.snarks. Saunders was one of those fun-lov
ing fellows, who saw the clear sky behind
the blackest clouds; and having not the sta
bility to love long enough to marry, had wan
.dered hither and "thither as his fancy prompt
ed or means permitted, and atlast, in his pud
.dle-age, stumbled across Browning.. This
was on New-Year’s eve. After a cordial wel
come, and a vice-like grasp of their calloused
•bands, they entered a saloon and: sat down
over their mugs of ale. Saunders was in ex
cellent talkative humor, but ha could wring
little from the compressed lips of Browning,
save monosyllabic responses, nor provoke a
smile to flash beneath nis shaggy eyo-brbws,
.and lighten along the'furrows of swarthy fea
tures. They were engaged upon the fourth
: mug of alo when they are introduced.
“ Why, man,” said Saunders, after regard
ing Browning some little time, “I had sworn
jto myself, when wo had felt each other’s fists,
that wo would sit like the Methodists, and
jbold a love-feast, or something of that kind,
till the New-Year came in; but the more we
feast, the glummer you prow, and (’tie but
hall-past nine how) by midnight you will be
stupid as an owl at noon-day, and I shall bo
snoring over my mug ; and the New-Year
might ,come and go without a smile to wel
come him, or o breaker to his health and pro
l/arry,” said Browning,, rotting his hands
fall and sitting, upright, while a light shot
from his eyes that made his gloomy face look
darker, “ I know, Harry, that you have a
right'to’complain when yon see n,e thus.
’Twas not my way. You spoko truly when
you said I was siok at heart. You are the
father of a family V
“Not I, George, not, II The young bird
that ’scaped the snare made tempting by
dainty seeds, will not be caught in old age'
by Chaff. . B.it what of it, for you were going
to say something more?”
Browning seemed puzzled at the negative,
for upon an anticipated affirmation he intend
ed enforcing his following remarks. How
p-i-or omifinnarl ■ ‘.‘Tlmnlc. ITr.i-trv you
are not 1 I am. Harry, I have been an honest
man,and worked hard; I hoped with my toil and
integrityto see my children live happy, grow
up happy, and leave me happy. As one by one
they came to me. I felt my heart expand, my
sympathies extend, and the .world' grow broad
er and brighter about me, till -’here
the speaker smote the table with his clenched
hand, till the mugs danced and:their contents
splashed upon the table. Then he muttered
something in an under-tone, so deep, as to bo
indistinct, and buried his face iij. his bands
again., .
“ \yeli,” said Sounders, re.ooyering from
his surprise, •“ here’s a scone. 'Yhat.fhe
devil is the trouble now ?”
“ Go home,” said the large man, after some
hesitation, and rising tram his seat, “go
home with me aifS you shall see. I can’t
fell you.. Come,, you .'shall : have the best,
which is poor enough ; you shall eat, drink,
and sleep. As,for talking, truly I like it as
well as any one, and no man likes a jolly
hour better than I; but—l don’t feel in the
humor lately. Come, what say you ?—and
we’ll keep the Now-Year there.”
- Sauuderp silently assented to the proposal,
by asking for and- paying the reckoning,
leaving the'saloon, they walked along to
gether without speaking. There had been a
slight sprinkle of snow, just enough to whit
en, the paths and roads where they had her
come soiled or icy with use; a slight sprink
;ie of very light snow,'which took an impres
sion from the slightest thing and retained it.
The sky was flecked with a few white, fleecy
clouds, hurried on by some higher current
of air which did not disturb' the culm below.
The full moon shed over all its pale, resplen
ent beams, scarcely affected by the fleeting
rack, filling thonighf with a holy tranquility,
and, making every flake of snow to shine back
a star. The village stores wore closed, and
most of the inhabitants iipd retired, so that
the silence was the more pamful .to the Broftlb.
cr oftflie twain? Tlc'ni'aUC iWu or-threc ctrorm'
at conversation. The only effect was tq has:
ten the steps of his comrade. , However, this
was,desirable, as the air was becoming every
moment colder, the moon ard stars brighter,
and the sky clearer. When they had reached
the outskirts of the village, the patience of
Saunders became exhausted, and he broke
out:
“Confound it, Browning, talk! I can’t
and won’t stand this any longer. I must pay
something or burst. How far is it to your
house?”' *■
Browning, thus appealed to, replied:
“ About a half-mile. Would it were thousands!
You can se'o it on yondor hill, hack fionj the
road.”, -
“ Why, what tfledfagoptroublesyoii,ilpan ?
Have you been unfortunate in buainessjand
had the sheriff r?,rsacGing on ?” There was
no answer; and -Saunders thinking he had
discovered the secret of his companion's dis
tress, continued : ’.‘Cheer up, cheer up, maul
Yon have a strong arm yet, and with a strong
heart you dan make it all up again. , The
world owes you and your family a liv
ing, and must pay its due. Cheer up and
look happy, and those about you will Jouk
happy, and be happy. What care you how
the world wags, if when you outer your home
there is the glad smile of your wife to wel
come you, stout ami stubbed hoys to dance
about you, and, to make up the picture, some
bright-eyed, music-tougued angel of the house,
your daughter l • ”
“ A thousand devils 1” cried Browning,
turning upon Saunders and seizing him by
the throat; “is it not enough that I am
shamed and dishonored in the face of the
world, and my homo become a channel-house,
that you must come hero to spit upon mo in
my misery ? I have forbid my wife and chil
dren to speak her name, and shall you,
Here ho became sensible of his impetuosi
ty, and loosed his hold. His companion,
surprised at the suddenness of the attack, had
made no resistance, and when the grasp was
relaxed, ho stood regarding Browning with
the air of one at a loss whether to bo angry
or no. His-silence served to kindle the an
ger of Browning, for ho laid his great hand
upon Saunders’ shoulder, and said:
. “ Think but her name again, and ypur
friends shall wonder who you are 1” i
‘‘ George Browning,” said Saunders, laying
his hand up m the arm resting on his shoul
der, “ what does this mean ? Do you think
I fear you ? No : I was always your bettor
in strength and vigor. We have played tp
gether as boys, worked together as youths ;
we have been as David and Jonathan ; and
to-night we have met after long years of se
paration, drank together, and you have ask
ed me, your old comrade, to your house. No,
you will not lay a rash hand upon me ; by
our old friendship I swear it, you will not,
you dare notdo it!”
The large man’s hand fell down to his
side, and he replied: “ Forgive mo, Harry;
but lam not what I used to be. Men say I
am half-crazy, and I am afraid it is so,"
Then placing his hand upon hisbro.w, and
looking up at the sky, ho added: “Would
to Heaven { wore quite I Let us go on.”
As they started, Saunders inquired how a
reference to his daughter oopld so disturb
him. -
Ho answered : “ Ask mo not. Speak not
a word of her or you will snap these rusty
old heart-strings. I cannot suffer much
more.’’ Then with a bitter laugh ha mutter
ed : " The secret must out in time ; and then
shall tho shaft of my vengeance full !
Saunders saw fit to press' him no farther,
and they walked on up tho hill in silenoe.
In the mean time the sky had become cloud
less. and the cold had increased so that tho
snow began to, chirrup under their boots.
Save that, there was naught to- break the
stillness except tho occasional bark of the
watchful dog, which served only to render it
the more solenin and impressive: What
thoughts the hour, and the tall, dark figure
of Browning, striding along a little in ad
vance, stirred up in Saunders' mind 1 How
all the events of their early association re
curred, and how he strove to connect them
“ OUR COUNTRY—MAY IT ALWAYS BE RIGHT—BUT, RIGHT OR WRONG, OUR COUNTRY."
with tho incomprehensible being before him.
Then he asked nimsclf: AVhat mystery is to
be unfolded to the to-morrow ? And than it
occurred to hiq/ that the-man was insane. He
stopped, hesitating whether to fojlow; but
tho voice of his comrade bidding him tq pome
on reassured him. Was there any thing in
the mention of his daughter which cop Id have
given, offence ? The. mmo ho conjeotqrpd, the
more ho booanjo bewildered, with the events
of the evening. By this time they had roachr
ed a stile, over which lay their path to the
house. As they turned iron}, the highway,
Saqnders reinarljßd:
“We are late, Browning. They must all
be arbed, for there are no lamps burning.”
Browning replied most bitterly: ‘‘ Nay, I
think not, shall find them all up, fop
wo sleep hpt little a home. ’Tis not very
pleasant there now, hot as pleasant ns it used
to be; .the light in the window has been dark
ened', and the fire bn the hearth extinguished.
But come on, ’tis all I have now ; you . can
have no more of inine than I can give you.”
** Qonrnrj>.jZ-Sa.u.nflar.a.-...f.*..fcKifl-Ag-txtA._at.r.Q.nCTjtai_
for belief. What has befallen you ? I will
not intrude upon your misery ; I will go no
father till this mystery is explained.”
“But you shall, willy-nilly.” Thereupon
Browning laid hold of the collar of Saunders,
and dragged him along, till finding his exer
tions unnecessary he desisted. As they drew
near the house, in a path hollowvd out of the
not deep snow which had fallen that season,
tho large man caught sight of some foot-prints,
leading from tho fields to the door. He ex
amined them attentively until satisfied of
their direction, and.brokeput:
■ ‘‘ Ten thousand devils 1 has she come back
again? Well, l oan show her the wide world
once more. Hers it shall bo, by /”
Ag he reached thd threshold,heturnod around,
stood a moment as if gathering up all the en
ergies, and raised his clenched hand to the
stars. Then lifting tho latch ho pushed
Saunders in, and shut the door, With such
force that the windows rattle.dj!;',
“Wife/whore is sho ?” he axbljijmed.
A feeble voice responded, ’
“ Who!” answered he in a'wdreebf thun
der, “ she that disgraced an and
his family. Tell, me. where ydu .lfd,vp' : hidden
her, that I may thrust her forth ,on tho
night.”
■ Nay, hesband, she has gone again.”
‘■‘ ’Twill not do, wifeher footsteps lead
in, but there are none going out.” -,V
“ Poor girl; she went out the hack-}
door. I dared not ask her to stay, for year
anger. Poor, poor girl!”
Browning then wont-out to ascertain the
truth of what his wife Said, leaving Saunders
standing by the door ; ho haying entered un
noticed by. Mrs. remained there
surveying the apartment., It .was an old
fashioned house, wi th, a large jjpfijy flre-pinoo
—one ol those largo old-fashioned tire-places
which our forefathers lavoJ.’and'Which went
out of fpshion and respect whe'ri ’the modern
household gods, and desecrated the hearth
stone—a large. old-fashionofl fireside, round
Which scattered household bands might gath
er on festal days and renew their love to one
another, and their trust in Heaven. But
oh ! how desolate tho one Saunders beheld I
On the huge andirons a half-consumed block
of wood lay sighing and sputtering over a
few smouldering coals, occasionally breaking
into a momentary blaze to illume the scene.
On one side lay a largo, overgrown boy, rest
ing uneasily upon one arm: asleep,; on. the
other, a girl, his junior, lay with her head
against the jamb, her face concealed by long
tangled looks, in a. grasping and fretful si un>-
berj- aa if she had Pried herself to rest; near
her a small boy was playing with some wet
chips, throwing thorn occasionally into ashes,
in a peevish manner, which denoted that his;
diversions was more a matter of necessity"
than pf inclination, directly in front, with
her back to the door, sat Bro\yning f s wife, in,
a shawl and cap. bending over’the little
warmth, endeavoring to still the meanings of i
a babe which the entrance of the men had |
awakened. These, with one exception, com
posed the family. The flare bf the flames
at intervals disclosed, pendent , from the j
joists, hams, dried, pumpkins, crook-necks,;
and the usual comforts of rural life, besides
some hunter’s trappings, and a long rifle,
kept clean and bright, as tho glisten of its
mourning testified. In. one corner was the
curtincd recess, where tho parents slept, close
by which, in tho nook made by the fire-place,'
was the old Dutch clock with its big white
face, and its everlasting'solemn tick—tack !
There was an old rocking-chair which the
wife tenanted, a fen split-bottom chairs, a
table and looking-glass stuck about jfith let
ters and school-tickets, and adorned with
some dried sprigs of asparagus; close by,
was a shelf on which lay tho family Bible, a
psalm-book, and few school-books, composing
the library. All these perhaps Saunders did
not notice ; though by the fitful blaze they
might have been revealed to a careful observ
er. He stood wondering and perplexed, till
Browning returned and said in a deep voice :
“ You have told the truth, wife ; but here
after let her not so much as step aorqss my
threshold. The world is wide enough for us
all. What said she ?”
Qo<
“ A little, a very, very little, husband ; she
said it was growing cold, and she knew not
where to go. And oh 1 so pale she lookdd—so
pale and pitiful, as if her heart was bursting
with some great sorrow, and a greater secret,
that her lurid Jipsdurst not pttpr 1 0 husband,
husband 1 wo do her wrong,; she never yet
told us a lie. I do believe she is really mar
ried.”
"Then why does she not name her hus
band ? Perhaps she deems herself married ;
but the world dislikes those matches that end
with satiety, those loves that instead of hoint
cemented by offspring, are thrown down and
ruinoj.”
“Ah I woll-a-day, husband, I know it all;
but it is so cruel—so cruel, and with her
babe 1 Oh 1 if we wrong her, wo do a double
wrong."
“We do her no wrong. 'Tis she has
wronged us, by dishonoring an honest fami
ly. Shall we keep the shame here to rankle
and fester in our household ?”
“ But she will die in this weather.”
“ Dio 1 would to Oon sho had died in her
blessed infancy, shrouded in her spotless in
nocence. Then would our angel-child have
been a radiance in the spirit-land, lighting
and inspiring ps through the darkness of this
bitter world. B ut now, O Heaven 1 Well,
well 1 Lot her beg 1"
There was. silence for a molnent, and the
slumberers, awakened by the conversation,
had slowly roused themselves from the stupi
dity consequent upon broken sleep. The
girl brushed back her hair, and approaching
her father, wfio stood motionless in the mid
dle of the room, lisped:
“ 0 papal you have come; why didn’t you
come sooner? Sister Susy has been hero, and
oh 1 she looked so poor and pale. And wb
had such a time of crying—mamma, and the
boys, and I, and the baby too, and Susy and
her baby, too—all of 'us. Ob i I wish you
CARLISLE, PA.,. THMSfiAY, MARCH 6, 1862.
had come; yon wouldn’t lot hor go out into
thooold, woflld’yoa
The child’s, appeal wrought powerfully
upon the parent, As S(n»ndori) could discern
by the conclusive effort of his hpge frame, as
he overmastered hjs emotions; lie put the
little one from him by saying, “ Don’t troub
le ipe,’Caddy.’’ Suddenly recollecting his
companions, he drew up a chair by the hearth,
bade Saunders be seated, the same time in
troducing him to his wife. By orders, the
IjoyS having replenished the fire and lit a
candle, he sent them and the girl to bed. In
U few moments "the room assumed a more
cheerful aspect, a's the wood kindled and
diffused its strong rad glare throughout tho
humble apartment.- 3?he three sat around
the heart!} aud talked of the days gone by.
ran ' over the incidents of his
life, from the time of their separation up to
their ipeetipig ii} the byeping, in such ajoy
cus and njusieal; ,manner, that the spirits
of the husband and wife began to catch a
glow. As he closed IjO. said, ‘‘Now Brown-
and so we shall be square on the score of ad-;
venture.” - ■ - '
Browning, consenting, .proceeded with a
story of humble villftge domestic life—mar
riage, toil, the accumulation of a little pro
perty, children, and then continued “ Up to
this time wo.had live happily and contented
and Susan, my oldest daughter, of wheip. you
have heard us talk tb-night, gtow to be very
beautiful, , good; and trusting. She was al
was cheerful. SaUridcr’s she was my, sum
shine through thn clouding cares of this
world, always iporry. and every one loved
her. The village youth, the rich as well as
poor, sought her society, and strove for her
smile above tliat bf all -the other maidens.
She was my pridfebrwiarling ; but I was not
ambitious of her, and only pictured for her a
happy union with some honest and worthy
man; But'while this plain, simple picture
was fresh upon, my. fancy, a young man of
wealthy parents,' hut-Of dissolute habits, be
came very attentive ter Susan ,-o»d as I have
since discovered, haddieen so for. some time
previous to my knowledge, and against the
commands of his parents. From his charac
ter I thought, and it correctly too, his visits
boded me and mine no good ; so I forbade
him my house, an d my daughter his presence.
Stolon interviews took place between them,
and I was obliged’to keep close watch upon
’her. All at once, to my great joy, he disap
peared from ’ ogr midst. ’Twas the spoiler
■leaving his prey'.S So she fell. Ob! bad the
stairs fallen, and‘ buried myself and her in
eternal darkness and despair, I had been hapr
py to what.l am now!” Here bo stopped and
shuddered-with the intensity of his feelings.
The; ailehoe was'hrok'jS only by the sobs of
his wife.
, Saunders sat.there looking into the fire
which roared up the huge chimney, and
brushed away a teaiV Hiss position novel
and painful; and hoirose and went to the
tne white snow, ufeavJ ana 'desolate os the
death it’ typified, glistening under the' des
cending moon, pale ds a mourner over the
pall, surrounded by the sympathising stars,
their eyes glimmering upon bof; as it were,
through tears. And as he steed there re
regarding the scene, and listening to f!}o
moaping njother, he caught sight of those
small foot-prints leading from the fields; and
he thought,Oh 1 what misery had opme
with them: a broken heart, broken hopes,
shame, sorrow, apd dospair.” .Then he saw in
the distance a white figure bending beneath
a burden, struggling slowly and wearily
through the snow. As it drew near, the fea
tures of Woman of death-like beauty were re
vealed, and he knew- by the manner she
pressed the burden to her heart that it was
a child she bore. She approached so near
that_ her blue lips wore visible, and stood
looking longingly toward the house. Sud
denly her dark eyes fell upon him glaring in
tensely but imploringly. The ghastliness of
the vision, and the vividness of the appari
tion, rivited him to the spot. She beckoned
to hiip with a wild gesture. Ho thought she
spoke.-’'Twas the voice of Browning dispelling
the illusion. He called to £jaunders to be
seated, who, glad to And ijt a matter of fancy,
complied. : ' . " ' ’
f Concluded next week.}
A SINGULAR INCIDENT.
Tlio Lynchburg (Vft.) Republican.publish
es the following incident, remarkable alike
for its singularity as well ns for the melan
choly fulfillment to the brother of one of the
parties named. '
“ Just before the war broke out, and before
Lincoln’s proclamation was issued, a young
Virginian, named Summerfield, was visiting
Now York, whore he made the acquaintance
of two Misses Holmes, of Waterbury, Ver
mont. IjCe became spmewhat intimate with
the young ladies, and'tins intercourse seemed
to be mutually agreeable. I'ho proclamation
was issued and the whole North thrown into
a blaze of excitement. On visiting the ladies
oue evening, at the hour of parting, they re
marked £o Summerfield that their present
meeting lyould probably bo the last;'they
must hurry home to aid in making up the
overcoats and clothing for the volunteers from
their town. Summerfield expressed his re
gret that they must leave; but at the same
time especially requested them to see that the
overcoats were well made, as it was Ills inten
tion, if he over mot the Vermont regiment in
battle, to kill one of them and take his coat.
“ Now for the sequel. Virginia seceded—
the Second Vermont Regiment, a portion of
which was from the town of Waterbary, was
sent to Virginia. The battle of.Manassas
was fought in whiob they were engaged, and
so was Summerfield. During tlje battle,
Summerfield marked his man, not knowing
to what State he belonged I the fatal hall was
sped on its errand of death ; the victim fell
at the flash'of the gun, and, upon rushing up
to secure the dead man’s arms, Summerfield
observed that he had a fine new overcoat
strapped jto his back, which he determined to
appropriate to hie own use. The fight was
over, and Summerfield had'time to examine
his prize, when, remarkable as it may appear,
the coat was marked witiqtho nanjo of Thomas
holmes, and in the packets were found let
ters signed with the names of the sisters
whom Summerfield had knowp in Now York,
and to whom he hud made the remark wo
have quoted, in which the 'dead man was ad
dressed ps brother. ' The evidence was conclu
sive ; ho had killed the brother pt ip's friends,
and the remark which hp'hqd made in je.st
had.a melancholy fulfillment, Wo are .assu
red this narrative is literally true. Smn.mcr
field now wears the coat, and, our informant
states is not a little iipprooood with the sin
gularity of the coincidence.”
ry A shoomakor has one grout advantage
over most kinds of meohamos-Miis goods,
whenever finished,, are always gol(e)d.
Or Homo Guards ore great'safeguards,
Guards that ore safe enough from fighting,
at any rate.
NICE EXTRACT FROM THE VAN WYCR SPEECH'
The speech of Mr. Van AVvok, chairman of
the Congressional Investigating Committee,
excoriated tho corruptionists, speculators, poc
plptors, traitors and public pohbere after tbe
most approved and in the niost offootiyo man.
nor. We have not'spaoo to publish the speech
entire, or oven all itsgpodpoints, but will find
room for a single extract, that out! readers may
form some idea of its quality:
Two million dollars, by the Secretary of the
Treasury were placed in the hi nda of a com
mittee of high-toned, honorable men, to be
paid out on the order or requisition of Mr.
Cummings, without his producing to them any
vouchers. Strange as it may appear, while
this money was there to respond to his
requisition, he draws $160,000, and deposits
it iq hjs name, with his private account, in
one of tfie ciiy banks. Stranger still, four
months after his nimnQyJiadjejai3ed,dieJ.e!vve.e.
'ho'vbucheSHvTtHtheWarDepartnjent.' The
War Department, in it- generous confidence,
seeks no settlement with the Doctor, nor an
inspection ofdfis vouchors.
Such were the prominent transactions oc
curing at a time, when a man’s gonorous in
stincts should freely have offered everything
to this country.
This was the cloud no larger than a mam’s
hand which, increased and spread until the
whole sky has been wrapped in gloom, aqd
men go about the streets wondering where
this,thing,will end,.. The. mania for stealing
seems to liave-run throughall, the relations of
Government. Almost from the general to the
drummer boy: from those nearest the throne
of power to the merest tide-waiter. Nearly
every man who deals with the Government
seems to feel or desire that’it .would not long
survive, and each had a common right to plun
der while it lived. Even in the matter of the
purchase of two sailing vessels, two men of
Now York, to the crime of larceny, added the
sin of,perjury, that they might rob from the
Treasury $8 ( 000.
In the case of the Stars and Stripes , the
President, of the Now IJavon Propeller Com
pany, after taking from the Government sl9j
-000 more than she post! took' of that amount
nearly §BjPOO to line his pockets, and in excuse
to bis company basely pretended that he had
to bribe au ex-member, of Congress to gam an
audience to the head of the bureau ; and from
that cowardly insinuation an honorable,, high
toned ox-momfier of Congress, in Connecticut,
had fio.eq sqbjeeted to calumny. That -Presi
dent, hefore thu committee, testified that after
taking-$19,000 in profits from his country, ho
was so anxious to servo her in this, the hour
of her extremity, that 1)2 appropriated nearly
§BOOO of his colleagues’ money to his private
use, so ho could devise some machine to tako
all the Southern and no one got hurt.
‘ Colonels, ih.tr,usted with the power of rais
ing regiments, oollqding with contractors, bar
tering 1 a Way and dividing oontWotora for hor
-1 ses, and other supplies, to enrich personal fa
vorites ; purchasing articles, and compelling
false invoices to be given.
While it is no justification, tho example has
’A-fv£,r<
been sot in the vary Departments of Govern
ment. As a general thing, only favorites can
obtain contracts which'boar enormous profit.
They yipla.to the plain proposals, On the false
and'shaljow pretext that the public exigency,
requires it. Should this last as long as the
Pcjoponesian war the same excuse would bo
used. The Department which has allowed j
conspiracies, after the bidding has been closed,
to defraud the Government of the lowest bid,
and by allowing the guilty to reap the fruits
qf their crime, has itself become puricips
eriminis.
. Who protends any public exigency for giv
ing out by private contract, without bids, over
one million muskets, at fabulous, prices?—
Who pretends a public exigency to make a
private contract for rifling cannon, to the
amount of 15800,000?
Kentucky is proverbial for her splendid hor
ses. Her loyal citizens would have boon ben
efited by sales to the government. Who will
protend that the'public exigency required that
when cavalry logiments were to bo forwarded
from the State of Pennsylvania to the land of
“the dark and bloody ground.” it was neces
sary to. transport, £t great expense, the re
maining disabled, diseased, hinges left in the
Keystone State? My cojloaguo on tlio Com
mittee (Mi;. Dawes) a few days since spoke of
the peace offering to Pennsylvania politicians,
and referred to the horses of Colonel Williams’
Regiment.
There is yet another case. A contract, not
made upon the responsibility of the Bureau,
as the late Secretary said, dpi b>/ his express
order, and refused to be made until so ordered.
11 refer to the contract to purchase one thous
[ and horses, to bo delivered at Huntingdon,
Pennsylvania. Such a horse market the world
never saw. The first inspector—an honest
man—of, the first hundred rejected three in
live, The next day owners refused to present
themselves; and by some legerdemain ho was
removed and others substituted; then horses
of all ages, from two to thirty ; of all diseases
and defects, secret and open, wore from day
to day received. Tho whole neighborhood
were in arms. Tho people remonstrated.—
lawyers and clergymen were present nl' the
inspection, and sought to. deter tbo buccaneer
ing crew by open condemnation ; the inspec
tors heeded not this clamor, but ordered the
horses to be ridden upon the crowd, to drive
them away, if possible.
.Horses, with ru ming sores, which were
seen by the inspectors, and branded ; and if
one outraged common decency be would bo re
jected, and an opportunity sought the same
day to pass and brand him. Immediately tho
horses were subsisted by private contract to
favorites, at thirty-nine cents per day, and
they sub-let to farmers, from twenty-four to
twenty-six. Ovpr four hundred of these hors
es wore sent with Colonel Wyukoop’s regiment,
and tho papers at Pittsburg report some aotii:
ally so worthless they wore left on tho docks.
The remaining five hundred were loft at Hun
tingdon for tho benefit of tho contractors. ' In
that single transaction over fifty thousand i
dollars were stolen from tho Government. — (
Such fiends ;n human shape care not for cx
posurp; a doom through life should ho
thpirs ; and - the labors of your oommittes will
bo of littlp practical value unless Congress
shall by law punish with seyorp penalties such
enormities
At one time it wopld secnj there was an
intention to establish a huge ooniraot broker
age system. The testimony of Mr. John
Smith, of Kingston, N. T., powder mamlfae
turer shows that in the month of May bo pro
posed to giro Mr. Weed a per oentag? for a
Eowdor contract. That ho wont to tho
touse, met Mr. Davidson, whom ho had nev
er soon before ; inquired of him for Mr. Thnr
iow Wood. During the conversation he asked
what Mr. Smith wanted of Mr. Weed ; on be
ing told ho inquired of Mr. Smith what ho
could afford tp pay ; ho replied fivo per cent;
Mr. Smith also says that Mr. Weed asked him
what ho could afford to pay.
That afterwards at Washington, ho handed
his propositions for powder to Mr. Weed, who
took thorn to Mr. Cameron. The result was
that Mr. Weed was outhorized to write a let
ter to Sen. Riply, the head of the Ordnance
Department, to divide the contracts for powd
er betweeq tbe States manufacturing.. It is
somewhat strange that, the Secretary should
appoint Mr. Weed as Ms messenger to carry
hit wishes to the different bureaus. .Mr,
Smith bnderstood that he , was tq pay, Mr,-
Wesd five per cent.
Mr. L'aflin also testified that ills powdor firnl
demurred to paying Sir. Wood five per cent,;
that Mr. Weed gave them authority to make
1000 barrels of powder, but they preferred
having the authority directly from the. Go
vernment. He also testifies that tho patriot,
Dwyer, who figured in tho cattle contract in
May or Juno, at Washington, told him if ho
would give five per cent, he would sell-all tho
powder he could make; but Lnfltn declined.
Favorites obtain contracts when frequently
they have not the pecuniary resources to ful
fil them, and not manufacturers of the articles
or tho retired ox-Member of Congress, who
has a large contract which requires much ma
chinery and great riioohanical ingenuityevi
dently takes it as a speculation; takes it to
enrich himself, or extort from thq pookots of
honest industry ; takes it to sub-let to skillful
manufacturers at reduced prices. - The De
partments which give contracts to men know
ing they have, not in and of themselves the
facilities for executing them, are reprehensi
ble and deserve severe censure. What excuse
is there for an hqnost Department to pension
this gang of middle.non. All the ill-gotten
gains found in their pockets is so niiifih stolen
from the Treasury.
Even in tho Treasury Departments—pure
and upright as I believe the Secretary to be—
what business man could justifiy, qt wlio, in
his own transactions, would allow, that a con
tract of over half a million expenditure should
be competed for by only two firms, -who could
combine and unite? It is no answer to say
that tho work is done as cheaply as before;
the spirit of tho faw has been violated and the
millionaire enriched ; besides, the products of
all departments ot labor ore cheapened by the
stagnation of business. In this matter of the
bank-note contract, ns in some others, under
lings control the affairs of the department,
they say who shall approach within tho, char
med circle, they say whose papers shall be
put on file, and whose shall he. gladdened by
the eyes of the Secretary.,
Tho soldiers who, borne, down by dispose
and overcome with fatigue, is found sleeping
at his post, you punish with death ; 'while the
miscreant who holds, his festival at t!,is carni
val of blood, rides in hia carriage, drinks
champagne, and, dines with Cabinet minis
ters, yon treat with deferential respect. Do
you say Government cannot banish treason
and punish crime?
On tho 4th of dttly, 1860, alOccoquan, Va.,
Mr. Undcrwoqd raised a pblp,’unfurled the
American flagi and a banner with the names,
of Lincoln ana Hnmlirt. Jackson the'slayer
of Ellsworth, with about forty men, out it
down, tore up tho Stars and Stripes, and car
ried the banner as a trophy. Quo of the ring
leaders of that mob is this day iq tho employ
of the (Jovernmeut in this city.
The laboring men ; who testify against offi-,
cials are Removed, while the wrqtoh who has
been robbing the Government is worthy a bet
ter place. Is it possible that this monstrous
system of wrong, extending from tho Atlantic
to tiie Mississippi, from tho Potomao to the
Lakes, cannot be slipped, or oven checked?
If that be so, bettor disband our armies, and
let tho oligarchs of the Suqth ru'o and reign
oysr us.
Thiscornniittoe has been in session for months;
Government officials must he aware of its
power of examination ; still, at the commence
ment of this session, inspectors wore colluding
with contractors; superintendents, rejoicing,
in the title of captains, were selling Govern
ment horses to private citizens, taking dis
eased and worthless horses from tho commons.
branding them in the service of the United
State?, kg they might receive full pay fur tho
same: city butchers buying meat from thp
Government supplies. _
Your. Government retains in this capitol, in
seats of honor and profit, anil around our
council boards, met? whoso hearts are filled
with treason, and minds with rebellion. Your
departments are disinclined to hear charges
of treason Or, corruption ; they would rather
ostracise those who furnish tho truth than re
move the treasonable and guilty offenders.- I
am not harsh; I only speak what, standing
in the mighty aud august presence of stirring
times, contemplating a bleeding, suffering
country, I fool it my duly.
I have a right thus to speak in terms of
,\varmng and admonition to an Administra
tion which I aided to elect, to whoso princi
ples I am committed, by which we must pass
through the Red sea of tribulation, and must
be carried safely through the wilderness be
yond. But I have a right to ask and beseech,
in the name of a commerce crippled, labor
paralyzed, finances disturbed, and the Treas
ury empty, in tho name of that gallant army
of SOO.OOCi, which this day on the tented field
are waiting to rescue a country loved through
tiro and blood, to lay down and die that a na
tion may live—iii the name of 500,000 hearth
stones made dreary by the loved ones away—
of tlio vacant chairs around the evening fires
of tho thrice 500,000 friends, anxiously look
ing, fearfully, tremblingly hoping, that this
Administration shall remove treason from the
capitol, and corruption from tho land.
Five hundred thousand mon are in,arms
against tho Rebels, but twenty millions are in
arms against tho orew of plundering leeches:
that twenty millions will he in arms against
us and this Administration, unless their pol
luting presence is driven as the money-chan
gers of old, from tho temple.
XT' A man with an enormously largo mouth
called on a dentist to goto tooth drawn.' Af
ter the dentist had prepared his instruments
and was about to commence operations, the
man of mouth began to strain and stretch his
mouth till ho got it to a most frightful extent.
“Stay Sir," said tho dentist, don’t trouble
yourself to stretch your mouth any wider, for
[ intend to stand on the outside of it to draw
your tooth.
XT Mon of talent are often tho captives of
beautiful fools. But thero'is one consolation
—-they do not long remain captives, or they
soon cease tn be mon of talent.
XT’ A young lady at Niagara was hoard to
exclaim. “What an elegant trimming thatrain
bow would make for a white iaee overdress.’*
O” “Don’t you mean to marry, my dear
sir?’’ “No, njy dear widow, I’d rather lose all
tho ribs I’ve got than take another.”
(C 7“ A grocer advertises in tho following
manner; 'tlfam nnd.cn/ars, smoked im-smokon,
sold by A. S. Dewey.”
O' Young Indies ire like arrows—they are
all in a quiver till the beaux come, and can’t
go off without them.
d&bba anb (Biibs.
B®f Punch says that Rarey, the horse-ta
ipef, is “ the Philosopher of the stable mind."
, When your lady-love sends you to
" Pa," you may go farther and faro worse.
C - The ocean of love is not always a Pa
cific Ocean.
BC7“ The average deaths of soldiers in the
hospital at St. Louis, Missouri, issiriy, week
ly, A- terrible mortality for the small army
1C?” “You seem to walk more erect than
usual, my friend.". “ Yes, I have been lately
straightened by circumstances."
0“ Great preparations are going forward
for making maple sugar this Spring in the
United States.
BC7” What is the difference between a sailor
and a soldier ? One tars his ropes, the other
pitches his tent.
B@FlfnT6gard. to late suppers, cause and
effect may he stated in a single word —atten-
uated—(at ten you ate it.)
O'A Yankee dqotor has got up a,remedy
for hard times. It consists of ten hours la
bor well worked in.
[O’ What meohanio may bo expected to
outlive all others? The bout and shoemaker
—for ho is everlasting,
(O’Lady Yarmouth asked Qarraok one
day why Love was. always represented as a
Child? He replied: “Because Love never
reaches the age of wisdom and experience.”
, A dealer in ready made linen,adver
tises his shirts and chemisettes, under the '
mellifluous appellation of “ Male and Pemalo 1
Envelopes,” ;
Browne says, “a.woman may
learn oqe useful doctrine from.the game of s
baokgarainoh, which is, not to' take pp her
man tiU ahq’s aUro of him.” . >
DC7“‘ Pooh 1 pooh I” said n wife to her ex
piring husband, as he strove to, utter a few V
parting words, " don't stop to talk, on '
with youf dying.!’
JQyA married monster said that he lately i
dreamed that he had an angel by his side, and '
upon waking lip found it was nobody but bis
wife. ■ ,
[C7” “ Does the razor take hold well ?” in
quired a darkey, who was shaving a gentle
man from the country., “ Yes,” replied the
customer, with tears 'in his eyes, “it takes
hold first rate, fut don’t lot go worth a cent.”
E£jy* The horse “ warranted to stand within
out tying,” which a man hpught at auction ,
tho other day, is offered for sqle by the pur-,
chaser, with the additional guaranty that “ha
will not move without whipplqg.”
ICPA lady at hoy marriage requested the
plorgymanitq give out to bo eqng by the'choir'
the hymn commencing■■■ -
“ This Is tbo j?ny I long have sought.
And mourned because I found it not.”
DcTf Miss. D—— says that the first time' a
young innn squeezed her dress she felt aq if
she was in the land where rainbows came,
from. How poetic a liitlo hugging makes
people!
Sam. —“ Gumbo, wliar does you live now,
ch ?” " .
Gumbo.—“ I doesn't live no whars now—l
gib up residing tree vyeoka ago, and moved
tiff on account of dc,w,ef}<i|r.” ,’ ' "
An Irishman’s Wim..—“l yIU (jed be
queath my beloved wife Bridget qll my prop;
erty without reserve r and to my eldest’ sopi
Patrick, one,half the remainder! and to Don-’
his, my youngest serif the rest, if anything
is left, it may go to Donnie McCarty.”
OCT* An Irish postboy, paving driven a gen
tleman a long stage during torrents qf rain,
the gentleman said t.o bjri), “ Baddy f are you
not very wot?” “Arrapl I don’t care'about
being very wot; but plaae your honop, I’m
very dry,” '
Jo®'A man was tyabed in the night and
told that his wife ij’jis <|.ead. He turned over,
drew the coverlet' closer, pulled down His
night-oap, and mattered as he went'to sleep
again. “Ah ! how grioyod 1 shall bn in the
nporning 1” • ' ,
Reminding rim op His Ancestry. —A ne
gro boy was driving a mule, when the animal
suddenly stopped arid refused to budge.—;
“ Won’t go, eh ?” said tljfj boy, “ feel grand,
do you ? I suppose you forgot your father was
a jackass.” ‘ ' ’
j®rA sailor being asked how he liked hie
bride, is reported to have remarked, “IVhy,
d’ye see, I took her to bo only half of me, as
tho parson says’, but dash rue, ifshe isn’t"
twice as much as I. I’m only a taf—she's a
tartar.” .
Or A butcher's bay carrying q tgay on,his
shoulder, accidently struck it' against a lady’s
head and discomposed her wig, . 1
“ The deuce take the tray,” cried the.lady
in a passion. .
“ Madam, said the lad, gravely, “ the<fe«c<
cannot take the tray." :
“ Why don’t you wheel that barrowof coals,
Ned?” said a learned miner to ope qf his
sons ;. “it is not a very hard job; there is ah
inclined plane to relievo you.” "Ah bf re
plied'Ned, who had more relish for wit than
work, “ tho piano may be inclined, but hang
me if I am.”
DC7”Ajuryman was asked (out West.pf
course,) whether ho had been charged by the
presiding judge. “ Well, Squire,” said fie,
“ the little fellow that sits--up in the pulpit,
and kinder bosses it over the crowd, gin us a
talk, but I don’t know whether ho charges
anything or not.”
jjjjy- “ I say, Pete John rip is swords “ bol?-
shed in do army?" “ Ov course dey isn’t,
snowball, what makes you ax sioh a snpid
question; you ignorant niggahl” — “ Oh,
nulßin, only I Jicered do od,cr day dat three
tousnnd sogers was going Jo take do field wid
Sickles! .
CjT" “ My lad,’-’ said a traveler to a little
boy whom no met, clothed in pants and small
jacket, but without a very necessary article
of apparel, “my lad whore is your shirt T”,
I “ Mammy’p washing it.”
“ Have you no other T”
1 “No otherexclaimed the urchin in sur
-1 prise, “ would yon want a boy to have a
thousand shirts ?■”
(CT “ Daddy,” said a hopeful urchin ta his
paternal relative, “ why don’t our sohpqlnms;
tor solid tho editor of. the newspaper ah ao;
.count of the lickings he gives the boys I”
“1 don’t know, my, son, replied the-fond
parent, “but why do you ask, suoij'a ques;
jtion?” “Why, this paper says that Mr, Bi
I has' tanned three thousand hides qt fils estab
lishment during the post yeo# apd f’ Enow
that old Grimes has tanned our hides man’ll
twice that many times.” ' “ ' •
NO. 39.