Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, February 09, 1860, Image 1

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    DIE DOLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
Thursday Morning, February 9.1860.
' Stledtb \locfnt.
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE SUNNY SIDE.
Always look on the sunny side,
And though life checkers! he,
A lightsome heart bids care depart,
And time fly pleasantly ;
Why sit and mourn o'er fancied ilia
When danger is not near,
Care is a self-consuming thing,
The hardest man can wear.
Always look on the sunny side,
And though you do not find
All things according to your wish,
Be not disturbed in mind ;
The greatest svil that can come
Are lighter far to bear,
When met by fortitude and strength,
Instead of doubt and fear.
Always look on the sunny side—
There's lidalth in harmless jest,
And much to soothe our worldly cares
In hoping for the best.
The gloomy path is far too dark,
For happy feet to tread,
And tells of pain and solitude,
Of friends estranged and dead.
Always look on the sunny side,
And never yield to doubt:
The ways of Providence are wise,
And faith will bear you out.
If you but make this maxim yours,
And in the strength abide,
Believing ail is for the best—
Look on the sunny side.
|ll isrcllnntous.
A New York Lady at a Japanese Fes
tival and Dinner Party.
[Extract of a letter dated Nagasaki. Oct. Ih, 1559.]
We were fortuna'e in arriving here (Nag
asaki) just before their greatest national fes
tivel, which lasted three days, during which
work was at a stand still and frolicking the
order of the day. The whole of Tuesday morn
ing was devoted to a kind of procession and
theatrical cnterta'r.inent performed by children
iir the streets ; there were a great many different
small companies, each one carrying its own
stage, scenery and dresses ; and from this fact
you may judge, it was not very elaborate but
most amusing, and some of the children per
formed extremely well, throwing into their
gestures and looks so touch expression, that
although we could nOt Understand the lan
guage we could make out the plot by some of
their nntics. We witnessed the performances
from a temporary booth or stand erected for
the accomodation of the foreigners, anil each
little company came and performed its respec
tive piece before us, which gave us also an op
portunity of seeing a fair sample crowd of
Japanese men and woman ; and I don't know
whether I was more interested in their appear
ance than they were in mine, for ihev have not
yet seen a sufficient number of foreign ladies
for our attraction to have worn off. On tiie
afternoon of the same day we took a walk
through the city, accompanied by the Captain's
consignees, two very agn table young Hollan
ders, but I was the cynosure, and collected a
crowd wherever I went; the boys sometimes
running ahead and then turning around to
have a good look ; and if we stopped a few
minutes to examine anything novel we were
soon hemmed in by a staring audience. At
one place, where we made a halt, a young
Japanese gil l gave me a throughout scrutiny,
and after examining my skin, hands, fingers,
rings, bracelets, brooch, Ac , gave it as her
•opinion that the Captain was a lucky man in
having me for a wife ; the hoops puzzled her,
and had I not put a stop to her proceedings I
do not know how minute her investigation
might have been ; but I must say that, ultho'
very curious, they are not rude, and are readi
ly checked if too familiar. We had another
rare frolic on Thursday. We were invited in
to a merchant's house, where a regular feast
was set on. There were also present several
Americans ; and here wc had an opportunity
of seeing the Japanese at home, and moreover
the gentlemen informed me that I was proba
bly the first foreign lady (for here we must
call ourselves foreigners) who had visited a
Japanese merchant's house ; for our host is
one of the first merchants in this place, hold
ing among his countrymen a position equiva
lent to Russell A Co. iu China. There was a
great variety of edibles; sotne of the dishes
were strange ones to our paiates ; and as the
only implements to work with were chop-sticks,
you may imagine we had to take a lesson in
using them, -and f roin our experience of the
feast will not i*c inclined to adopt Japanese
cooking. There was neither table nor chairs,
the food being distributed on the floor in dish
es and bowls, and eaten from small cups and
plates.—By the bye, there were a few chairs,
but the Japanese do not use them, us they al
ways sit 011 the floor. The house was beauti
fully clean and neat, and the people truly kind
and good hearted. I underwent a good ex
amination here also, and even the hoops were
not forgotten ; mantilla, bonnet, bracelets, all
were scrutinized, acd the question was asked,
what I might be sold for. This was rich.—
You must imagine the whole ws fine fun for
ns, and the pleasure seemed mutual, for they
were apparently as pleased in entertaining as
we in being entertained ; and so unexpected,
as we did not know w here we were going w hen
we went on shore. Some of the girls haTe
very pleasing faces, but generally the eyes
have the pointed shape peculiar to the Chinese.
The dress of the women seems to differ from
the other sex only in the sash being much
broader and differently arranged in the back.
The city itself presents no beauty of appear
ance, the bouses being ordinary looking frame
buildings, but at the same time very neat and
cleau inside, and generally a pretty little gar
den iu the reur. The country about Nagasaki
WASHINGTON'S APPOINTMENT AS COMMANDER.
' —On Thursday, the fifteenth of June, two
days before the battle of Hunker's iiiil, Geo.
Washington was chosen Commander-in-Chief
of " all the continental forces raised, or to be
raised, for the defence of American liberty."
The appointment was officially announced to
him on the following day, and modestly accept*
' ed ; and on the eighteenth he wrote a touch
ing letter to his wife on the subject, telling
tier he must depart immediately for the camp ;
begging her to summon al! Iter fortitude, and
to pass her time as agreeably as possible ; and
: expressing a firm reliance upon that Provi
dence which had ever been bountiful to him,
not doubting that lie should return safe to her
in the fall. But he did not so return. Durk
ier and darker grew the clouds of war ; and
during more than seven years, Washington
visited his pleasant home upon the Potomac
River but once, and then only for three days
and nights. Mrs. Washington spent the win
ter in camp with her husband ; and many are
the traditions concerning her beauty, gentle
ness, simplicity, and industry, which yet linger
around the winter quarters of the venerated
Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the rev
olution. For many long years she was remem
t bered with affection by the dwellers at Cam
bridge, Morrislown, Valley Forge, Xewburg
1 and Mew Windsor. When, on each returning
spring, she departed for her home on the Po
tomac, the blessings of thousands—soldiers
1 and citizens—went with her, for she was truly
j loved by all.— flaunt Vernon and its Associa-
I lions.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TO WANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
is truly beautiful, being mountainous and fine
ly wooded ; a great deal of the land is horti
culturally cultivated. In fact, the scenery is
Brand and abounds in lovely sites for villas ;
but although this charm is wanting, it is love
ly to behold as it is, and I believe is green all
the year, as the winter in this part of Jauan
is not severe. Very different from Shanghae,
where the winters are very cold, and we shall
probably get a tas e of it. as we shall proba
bly be running bet weed these places all winter;
for, by the captain's uniform kindness to his
passengers lie has fairly got into the good
graces of the Chinamen who ore trading here,
and they seem anxious to keep him here.--
You will be surprised when t tell you that our
last cargo was principally owned by the Chi
nese deck passengers ; but strange as this may
seem, they d > not think of travelling in any
other way. There are many pretty things to
be bought here, and we will try to procure
something pleasing to send you. The porce
lain and lacquer ware is finished most exqui
sitely, but a good purse is necessary, as the
manufactures, have much advanced since the
admission of foreigners. By the way, when
speaking of the Japan women, I forgot to
mention that they have a very strange way of
arranging their hair ; it appears to be stiffen
ed in some way, and there is a frame work
which holds it off from the head, secured at
the back (this I discovered at the house we
were visiting on Thursday.) and then it made
up into-bows and dressed with hair pins, and
ornaments. After marriage they blacken
their teeth to a jet blackness, and their uails
are sometimes colored pink, Ac.
An African Emperor's Treasury.
The Movitevr die /' 'A'titce gives the following
description ol the Emperor ol Morocco's trea
sure house at Meqniniz :
" In the middle of the garden stands a for
tress, with a triple wall perfectly armed and
defended. In the central inelasure rises a stone
building, lighted only from the roof. It is
entered through three iron doors, one after the
other. The pavement of the interior is black
marble, and at one end is a large opening,
through which the gold aiql silver coin, bul
lion and jewels are conveyed to tlie treasury
below. This last mentioned place is an xxteu
sive vault, divided into compartments of equal
size, in each of which is the value of a million
piasters. The net produce of the taxeSs is
lodged in the treasury every three months.—
The Emperor himself, when at Meqninez, is
present on the occasion, but in his absence nc
names three of the officers of his household to
attend for him, knowing well that mutual dis
trust will scarcely allow them to concert a rob
bei v, and if they should do so, they won! 1
soon betray each other, or be denounced by
the black guardian of the place. When the
Imperial treasury was first established, the
money was k<-pt in large earthen jars ; but on
one occasion the contents of ten were abstract
id, and lhe robbery concealed by filling tiie
jars with earth and covering the top with ;y
few gold pieces. The theft was discovered
immediately ; but a black who had seen the
robbers in the act, and had been nearly mur
dered bv them and left for dead, afterward re
covered and gave information against them.—
The Emperor ordered the ten thieves to be
decapitated, ami directed their heads should
he placed in the ten jars which they had emp
tied as a warning to others. These vases are
still in the treasury, placed on marble pedes
tals. Mulcy Ismael's successor determined io
a different arrangement, and built the vaults
now existing. The Emperor, Muiey Soh iinan,
well known for hiscruelty, was accustomed af
ter lhe quarterly deposits, to have all the
blacks put to death who had heen engaged iri
the operation. Abedier K ahman, his succes
sor, abolished that atrocious usage, but he de
cided that the blacks employed in arranging
the money in the vaults should never leave the
building. It would, therefore, be useless for
them to steal the treasure, as they are separ
ated from tko rest of the world, and could
neither spend nor conceal it.''
Sxow CORN 7 CAKES. —Take any desired
quantity of Indian meal and add sugar and
salt to the laste. Stir in with a spoon twice
or three times its bulk of snow. Try a little
on a hot griddle, if it cooks too dry to tu.n
well, add more snow ; if too wet to be light,
add more meal, liako like buckwheat cakes.
X>o good yourself, if you expect to receive
any.
" REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
The Western Prairies.
Devastating fires oftmi occur on the prairie
fields of the West. We have no means of
determining at what period the fires began to
sweep OTer these plains, because we know not
lien they began to he inhabited. It is quite
possible that they might have oeen occasion
ally fired by lightning previous to the intro
duction ol that element by human agency.—
At all events, it is very evident, that as soon
as fire began to be used in this country by its
inhabitants, the annual burning of the prairie
must have commenced. One of the peculiari
ties of the climate is the dryness of its summers
and antumus. A drought often commences
in August, which, with the exception of a few
showers towards the close of that month, con
tinues throughout the fall season. The im
mense mass of vegetation with which this fer
tile soil loads itself during the summer, is sud
denly withered, and the whole surface of the
earth is covered with combustible materials.—
This is especially true of the prairies, where
the grass grows to the height of from six to
ten feet, and, being entirely exposed to the
sun and winds,'dries, with great rapidity. A
single spark of fire falling anywhere upon the
plains, at such a time, would instantly kindle a
blaze which would spread on every side, and
continue its destructive course as long as it
should find fuel. Travelers have described
these fires as sweeping with a rapidity which
renders it hazardous to fly before them. Such
is not the case, or is true only in a few rare
instances. The thick sward of the prairie
presents a considerable mass of fuel, and of
fers a barrier to the progress of the flame,
which is not easily surmounted. The fire ail
vanees slowly, and with power. The heat is
intense. The flames often extend across a
wide prairie, and advance in a long line.
No sight con be more sutlime, than to behold
in the night, a stream of several miles in
breadth advancing across these wide plains,
leaving behind it a black cloud of smoke, and
throwing before it a vivid glare, which lights
up the whole landscape with tiie brilliancy of
noonday. A roaring and crackling sound is
heard like the rushing of a hurricane. The
flume, which in general rises to the height of
about twenty feet, is seen sinking and darting
upwards in spires, precisely as the waves dash
against each other, and as the spray flies up
into the air ; and the whole appearance is
often that of a boiling and flaming sea violent
ly agitated. The progress of the fire is slow,
and the heat so great that every combustible
object in its course is consumed. Wo to the
farmer whose ripe corn-fields extend into the
prairie, and who suffers the tall grass to grow
in contact with his fences ! The whole labor
of tlie year is swept awav in a few hours. But
such accidents are comparatively unfrequent,
as the preventive is simple, and easily applied.
Hastening Vegetation in Spring.
Om; mode is by sheltering plants from cold
winds, and exposing them as much as possible
to the rays of Ihe sun. This can be effected
by building walls or high, close fences on the
stormy sides of gardens aud orchards, also by
surrounding theiu with hedges ami belts of
evergreen trees, hi England, it has been
found bv an experiment of several years, that
cherry-trees trained against a south wall, will
ripen their fruit ten days or a fortnight earlier
than in the open orchard. Iu cold, damp, and
cloudy summers, the difference is less obvious,
but even then, the flavor of the wall fruit is
superior to the other.
JSkillful gardeners sometimes gain an advan
tage of several days, by throwing up beds or
banks with a slope to the south, of about 45
deg, and planting thereon their earliest crops
of lettuce, radishes, peas etc; the northern
slows being used lor late crops.
Of the influence of manure iu accelerating
vegetation, we need hardly speak. Everybody
knows what tropieul growth horse manure en
genders in hot-beds and forcing houses, while
yet the soil of the common earth around is
cold and unproductive. Everybody knows
what wonders guano, hen dung and other fer
tilizers pi i form every spring in garden and
field. But aside from the action of real ma
nure, there is a benefit to he derived from the
use of other substances, such as sand lime on
clayey soils, of diipdirt and leaf-mold, the
tendency of whiJi is to lighten up the ground
and free it from surplus water. The use of
leaf-moid, charcoal, chip dirt, blacksmiths cin
ders and whatever tends to make the soil dark
er lored, contributes to the same result.
Here too, may be mentioned the powerful
influeuce of under-draining, which rids the soil
of standing water, and prepairs it to absorb
the earliest rays of the Spring sun. Ridging
up the earth in winter, tends in the same di
rection, and lor the same reason. Faithful
attention to these two last processes often
gives tlte gardener a gain of a week or fort
night in spring.
Here maybe mentioned also, the importance
of selecting proper seeds. The seeds of fruits
or vegetables, which ripened earliest the pre
ceding year, are likely to start earlier and to
mature quicker than those which ripened late.
Every gardner, therefore, should take great
pains each year to save his seeds fiom the
earliest matured products of his grounds.
Sonn.—A stolid Dutchman was standing at
an election precinct, one day, inquiring for
"de reglar democratic dickct," when a shrewd
fellow instantly stepped up and supplied him
with the genuine thing. " Veil, now," said
Hans, " vat viil Ido mit 'itn ?" " Put it into
that box," pointing to the ballot-box, said one
and another. But the cunning chap who had
accomodated him with the " dicket," whisper
ed in his ear : " Don't you let them fool you;
don't put it in the box ; keep it ; put it in
your pocket; it's your own ; and don't let
them cheat you out of your vote." And so
Hans did, ramming his ticket away down to
the bottom of 11 deep pocket in his coat, and
walking off as mad as he could be at the
rogues who wanted to cheat him out of his
vote by putting it in the ballot box I—Middle
tnicn Jlejt.
[Written for the Reporter.]
How to Fattten Beef.
MR. E. O. GOODRICH, Sir: —Seeing that
you devote a small portion of your paper to
the interest of the farmers, I, in behalf of
them, would like to offer a few suggestions
upon fattening beeves.
First, so as to have thecommenemcnt right
—I would say put them in a good tdarm stable,
then give them a small mess to commence
with, of such food as you think best—as every
one has a choice as to feed. But by nil means
dont be in such haste as to "cloy" them by
" over feed," for iu that case one's loss is more
than his gain.
Secondly, feed them at regular hours, and
between their messes of grain, give them plenty
of first rate hay. Thirdly, let them out of
the stable but once a day, and let them stay
out two or three hours, that they may exercise
all they wish ; also, give them free access to
good pure water. Fourthly, should they get
off their feed give a " change of food," it
would he better to change the food once in a
while at any rate, give salt at least once a
week; keep them well bedded so that they
will be warm and clean, and my word for it,
if you follow these directions, you will have
beef good enough for the President; try it
farmers. Respectfully, Yours,
WOODEN JOHN.
Walnut farm, Athens, Jan. 9, ISOO.
Forward Spring Work Now.
"Take time by the forelock" is as good a
maxim for farmers as for others. While there
are some kinds of laoor that can only be per
formed at particular seasons, there are others
that can be done at any time, when the
weather favors out door operations. The
Spring, in all the northern part of our country
is a very brief season, and upon the farm, it is
usually over crowded with work. Slack farm
ers especially, leave every thing to tins season.
The manure is not carted until the ground is
settled ; the plowing is put off till May, and
the planting until June; the potatoes and
oats that flourish best in cool weather, are
forcetl to mature in the heat of dogduys and
rot, rust, and smut are often the result of the
late sowing and planting.
Something can be done even at this season,
to help on the spring work. The wood house
is, or ought to be already filled so that the ax
will not need to be lifted to prepare fuel from
March to December. A good part of tiie
manure "can be carted now, much better than
in planting time. The ground is now frozen
so that the cart path to the field to he plowed,
is soon worn as smooth as a railroad. It will
be a much less tax upon the strength of a
team to draw a hundred loads of manure now,
than to do it in April, when the team is press
ed with plowing and other farm work. It is
pretty well established now, that yard nutinre
prepared in the usual way with muck and Idam,
does not lose much of its value, when piled
up in Winter in large heaps in tiie field where
it is to lie used. From our own experience we
do not think green stable manure would be
injured by the same treatment, if it were well
mixed in the field with muck or peat. The
piles should be made long, narrow, and high,
say five or six feet so as to shed a part of the
rain.
If any of the meadows arc to be dressed
With fine compost, there is no better time than
the present to do it. The sward will not bo
cut up, and the warm Spring rains will carry
down the fertilizing properties of the manure
to the roots of plants. This must not be done
however, on rolling land, or on steep hill sides
where the rains would wash off part of the ma
nure before the frost comes out of th" ground.
A large portion of the Spring work cm lie
anticipated before Winter breaks up, and then
the farmer can seize upon the best time to plant
and sow, and drive his woik all through the
season instead of being driven.
COLDS CURED. —It would be a saving of hu
man health and happiness, arid life itself, if
the periodica! press would never publish a re
cipe for any human ailment, which involved
tnc taking of anything into the stomach.
Some scrap editor characterizes it as an ex
cellent remedy for a cough caused by a com
mon cold, to soak an unbroken egg for forty
eight hours in a half pint of vinegar, then add
as much honey, break up all together, and
take a teaspoonful for a dose several times a
day.
If the writer of that recipe had possessed
the smallest amount of common observation
he would have known that if a man begins to
cough at the result of a common cold, it is
the result of nature herself attempting a cure,
and she will effect it? in her own time, and
more effectually than any man can do, if she
is only let alone and her instincts cherished
What are those instincts? She abhors food
and craves warmth. Hence the moment a
man is satisfied that he, has taken a cold, let
him do three things : Ist, eat not an atom ;
2d, go to bed and cover up warm in a warm
room ; 3d, drink as much cold water as he
wants, or as much hot herb tea as lie can, and
in three cases out of four lie will be almost
entirely Well within thirty six hours.
If lie does nothing for his cold for forty
eight hours after the cough commences, there
is nothing that will by any possibility, do him
any good ; for the cold with such a start, will
run its course of about a fortnight in spite of
all that can be done, and what is swallowed
in the meantime, in the way of physic, is a
hindrance and not a good.
" Feed a cold and starve a fever," is a mis
chievous fallacy. A cold always brings a
fever, the cold never begins to get well until
the fever begins to subside ; but every mouth
ful swallowed is that much more fuel to feed
the fever, and, but for the fact that as soon as
the cold is fairly seated, nature in a kind of
desperation, steps In and takes away the ap
petite, the commonest colds would be followed
by very serious results,and in frail people could
, be almost always fatal.— llaWs Journal 0/
I Health.
Quicksilver or Mercury.
The vi.lus of th's in ;tal is not generally ap
preciated. Without it no gold could be obtain
ed from the quartz rocks that now yield it in
large quantities. It is a very peculiar metal ;
at ordinary temperatures it is a fluid, but such
is its affinity for gold thai when brought in
contact with it, a mechanical union is formed,
and a different compound produced. The
mercury seems to entir into the pores of the
gold, as water passes up through a fibrous sub
stance by capillary attraction. It forms an
amalgam of gold and seperatcs the gold from
the quartz and impurities, and in this manner
the precious frietnl is obtained. But as the
mercury and gold form an amalgam, the pre
cious metal must be separated afterwards, or
it can be of no use. Iu this emergency the
nature of the quicksilver affords an eHsy solu
lution to tlie problem. Bv placing the amal
gam of gold and mercury in a bag of chamois
leather, the mercury can be squeezed through
the pores of the bag, whiie the precious metal
is left behind. A perfect separation of the
two metals, however, cannot be accomplished
in this manner ; some gold still remains com
bined with the mercury ; but another and cer
tain method of separation is at hand. By
placing the amalgam in an iron retort and sub
mitting it to heat, the mercury being volatile,
passes off in vapor, leaving the gold behind iu
a pure condition. The quicksilver is condens
ed after leaving the still, and is made to do du
ty a thonsand times—over and over aga'n—iii
rcclaiming-gold. It requires about two lbs.
of mercury for amalgation to reclaim one
pound of gold. Its avidity for gold is won
derful ; t.'ie quality which it possesses of seizing
njion the auriferous particles floating among
the dirt artd other products of the rocks, in
water, is surprisingly strange.
Mercury has been known from the remotest ■
ages ; it is chiefly found in a state of nature '
combined with sulphur, and as a sulphide it is \
called cinnabar. There are extensive tracts j
of mercury ore in California, where it is smelt
ed and distilled, and the fluid metal secured
for the gold miners. It isplaced in iron flasks
for use, and it is a singular fact that while it
has such an affinity to unite with gold it lias '
noqe for Iron. Great quantities of it pass off !
in the amalgamating process-, about five per !
cent being generally Inst at each operation ; !
hence fresh sripplies are continually rt piired j
to restore the waste. The quicksilver mines !
of California are very valuable, and severe
contests at law have arisen in regard to the
titles by which the cinnabar lands are held.—
Although mercury i< a fluid and beaten gold
very ductile, yet no sooner do these two metals
combine than the gold becomes extremely brit
tle, or rather the amalgam formed with gold :
and mercury is very brittle. A gold ring l
rubbed with quicksilver becomes perfectly rotten 1
—so brittle as to break very easily.—•Scien
tific American.
HOMELY WOMAN*. —We like homely women.
We have always liked them. We do not car
ry the peculiarity far enough to include the j
pssitively ugly, for since beauty and money are !
the only capital the world will recognize in ;
woman, they are more to lie p ticd tliau ad ;
mired ; but we have a chivalric, enthusiastic j
regard for plain women.
We s, arrelv ever saw one who was not mod
est, unassuming and sweet tempered, and have i
seldom come across .me who was not virtuous
and had not a good heart.
Made aware early in life of their want of
beauty by the slights arid inattentions of the
opposite sex, vanity and affectation never take
root in their hearts ; and in the hope of sup- j
plying attractions which a capricious nature I
lias denied, they cultivate the graces of the j
heart instead of the person, and give to the I
mind those accomplishments which the world
so rarely appreciates in woman, but which are ;
more lasting, and, in the eyes of men of sense, :
more highly prized than personal beauty. See i
them iu the street, at home, or in the church,
and they are always the same : and the smile
which ever lives upon the face is not force ! to
fascinate, but is the.spontaneous sunshine re
flected (rom a kind heart—a flower which takes
root in the soul ami blooms? upon the lips, in
spiring respect instead of passion, emotions of
admiration instead of feelings of sensual re
gard. I'iaiu women make good wives, good
mothers, cheerful homes and happy husbands,
and we never see one but we thank heaven
that it has kindly created women of sense a
well as beauty ; for it is indeed seldom that a
female is found possessing both. To homely'
women we, therefore, lift our hat rispectfully;
the world will extend the Eamc courtesy to
beauty.
CHARCOAL. —Charcoal, says Licbig, surpas
ses all other substances in the power which it
•possesses of condensing ammonia within its
pores, particularly when it has been previous
ly heated to redness. Tt absorbs ninety times
its volume of amrnoniacal gas, which may be
again separated by again moistening it with
water. It is by virtue of this power that the
roots of plants are supplied in charcoal exact
ly as in humus, with an atmosphere of carbonic'
acid and air—which-is renewed as quickly as
abstracted. Charcoal has a physical as Well
as a chemical effect on soils, which is decided
ly useful. It renders them, as far as it i<
present, light and friable, and gives additional
warmth to thein by its color, which absorbs
and retains readily the rays of the sun during
the day. Wherever charcoal has been applied
rust never affects the growth of wheat.
TIME is like a ship which never anchors ;
while I am ou board, I had better do those
things that may profit me at my landing, than
practice such as shall cause my couimitmeut
when I come ashore. Whatsoever I do, I
would think what wi.ll become of it when it is
done. If good, I will go on to finish it ; if
bad, I will either leave off where I.am, or not
undertake it at all. Vice, like an unthrift,
sells away the inheritance, while it is but in
, reversion ; but virtue, husbanding* all things
I well, is a purchaser.— Fctiham.
VOL. XX. —XO. 36.
Carl Schurz on Douglas.
The following are the concluding paragraphs
of a magnificent speech, by the Wisconsin
orator, recently delivered in Springfield, Mass.
The eloquent German did'nt leave an unbro
ken bone in the body of lhe little Dodger, or
of his "great principle." We regret that our
want of space limits us to so brief an extract.
But one thing Douglas does tell you : " i
do net carewkelher Slavery is voted Upor down."
There is then a human heart that does not
care f Sir, look over this broad land, where
the struggle has raged for years and years ;
jar.d across the two oceans, around the globe,
| the point where the far West meets the far
East ; over the teeming countries where the
cradle of mankind stood ; and over the work
shops of civilization in Europe, and over those
mysterious regions under the tropical sun,
which have not emefged Vet from the night of
barbarism to the daylight of civilized life j— 1
and then toll me, how many hearts do you
find, that do not tremble with mortal anguish
or exultant joy as the scales of human free
dom or human bondage go upor down ? Look
Over the history of the world, from the timo
when infant mankind felt in its heart the first
throbbings of aspiring dignity, down to our
days when the rights of man have at last
found a bold and powerful champion in a
great and mighty republic ; wlicra is the page
that is not spotted wirh blood and tears shed
in that all-absorbing struggle? Where is it
chapter which does not tel! the tale of jubilant
triumph or heart-breaking distress, as the
scales of freedom or slavery went up or down?
L}ut to-day in the midst of the nineteenth
century, in a republic whose programme was
laid down in the Declaration tff Independence
—there comes a man to you, and tells you,
with cynical coolness that he does not care 1
And because he does not care, hp claims the
confidence of his countrymen ? Because he
does not care, lie pretends to be the represen
tative stateman of this age ?
Sir, I always thought that he can be no
true statesman whose ideas and conceptions
are not founded upon profound moral convic
tions of right and .wrong. What, then,
shall we say to him who boastingly parades
his indifference as a virtue ? May not we
drop the discussion about his statesmanship
and ask ; What is he worth as avian ? Yea
he mistakes the motive power which shapes
the events of history. I find that in the life
of free nations mere legal disquisitions never
turned the tide of events, and mere constitu
tional constructions, never determined the
tendency of an age. The logic of things goes
its steady way, immovable to eloqueuce and
deaf to argument. It shapes and changes
laws and constitutions according to its im
mutable rules, and those adverse to it will
prove no effectual obstruction to its onward
march In times of great conflicts, the prompt'
i,;gs and dictates of (he human conscience are
more potent that all the inventive ingenuity
of the human brain. The conscience of a free
people, when once fairly ruling the action of
the masses, will never fail to make new laws;
when those existing ate Contrary to its ten
dency, or it will put its own construction upon
those that are there. Your disquisitions a*d
plausibilities may be used as weapous and
stratagems in a fencing-match of controversing
parties, but powerless as they are before the
conscience of man, posterity will remember
them only as more secondary incidents of a bat
tle of great principles, iu which the strongest
motive powers of human nature were the true
combatants.
There is the slavery question ; hot a mcro
occaMonal quarrel between two sections of
country, divided by a geographical line ; not
a mere contest between two economical inter
ests for the preponderance ; not a mere wran
gle between two political parties for power
and spoils ; but the great struggle between
the human cousciencfe and a burning wrong,
between advancing civilization and retreating
barbarism, between two antagonistic systems
Of social organization. In vain will our im
potent mock giants endeavor to make the test
question of our age turn on a ridiculous log
ical quibble, or a paltry legal technicality ; in
vain will they invent small dodges and call
them "great principles in vain will theyjat
tempt to drag down the all absorbing contest
to level of a mere pot-house quarrel between
two rival candidates for a Presidential nomi
nation. The wheel of progressing events will
crush them to atoms as it hascrushed so many
abnormities, and a future generation will, per
haps, read 011 IIr. Douglas' tomb-stone the
inscription: "Here lies the queer sort of a
>taLsiuau, who, when the great battle of sla
very was fought, pretended to say that he did
not care whether slavery be voted up or voted
down." '
But as long as the rucral vitality of this
nation is not entirely exhausted, Mr Douglas
and men like him will in tain endeavor to re
duce the people to that disgusting state of
moral indifference which he himself is not
ashamed to boast of. I solemnly protest that
the American people are not to be measured
by Mr. Douglas' low moral standard. How
ever degraded some of our politicians may be,
the progress of the struggle will show that
the popular conscience is still alive, and that
the people DO CARE !
It is the grand comfort cf n Christian td
look often beyond all that he can possess or
attain here ; and as to answer others, whert
he is put to it concerning all his present griefs
and wants ; " I have a poOr traveller's lot
here, little friendships and many straits ; but
yet I may go cheerfully homewards ; for thith
er I shall come ; and there I have riches and
honor enough—a palace and a crown abiding
me. llefe, nothing but depth tailing unto
depth —one calamity aud trouble (as waves)
following another ; but I have a hope of that
rest that remaineth for the people of God.—
I feel the infirmities of a mortal state; but
nay hopes of immortality content me under
them. I find strong and crael assaults of
temptations breaking in upon me ; but for all
that, I have assnned hope of a full victory,
'■ and then of everlasting peace— LSIOHTOV.