* DOLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
Tlursday Morning, January 17,1861.
jWtftA JMrp.
[PI-BI.ISHED BV BEQI-EST.]
WE DON'T TOROET THEE MOTHER.
We don't forget thee, Mother,
Tho' many days have past
Since we gazed upon thy marble brow,—
We knew it was the last;
Bat Ob, we wl! remember
That solemn hour of prayer,
And how we stept so softly,
For we felt that death was there.
We can't forget the hour
When thy Savior called thee home.
And angels bright from glory,
Were hov'ringin thy room;
That acene. o sweetly awful,
To tell, we scarcely dare,
But 0! that hour,how sacred,
For we fett that God ' .
We don't foget thee, mother,
Tho' time has swiftly flown,
And tall upon thy silent grave
The flowers and grass have grown ;
The whitened marble rises there.
Thy memory to save,
And oft it speaks in accents deep,
••This is thy mother's grave."
We can't forget thee, mother,
How vacant is thy chair,
We come around the table ,
Oh, yes, we miss thee there;
Thy room, thy bed, thy Bible,
Yea all, that once was thine.
To our 'relt heart, thy absence
Jn saddened notes doth chime.
We don't forget thee, mother,
Thy miniature we see,
That loved memento is most dear
Because it speaks of thee;
By night, in dreams, thou oft art near.
Again, thou art our own,
Again, that well known voice we hear.
We wake—but thou art gone.
We don't forget thee, mother.
Thy care and love expressed,
Nor how our heart was smitteu
When first of thee bereft,
Yet we would not recall thee.
Back to this earth again,
With pain and sin enthrall Uit:e,
Tho' ours should be the gain.
We don't forget thee, mother.
But olt in glory bright.
By faith we do behold thee,
Among the saints in light;
Released from earth and sorrow.
Crowned with immortai bloom.
With angels thou art bowing
Before tbe eternal throne.
I <vno. we dou't forget t'uce,
V in that happv land,
A erown of light is on thy brow.
A harp, within thy band,
Hark —hark—those notes celestial.
They chant his blessed name,
"All glory, hallelujah
To Hod and to the Lamb."
DISCOURSE,
I'inrercd tn the First Presbyterian Church of
Towanda, Pa., Jan. \th, 1801, the day of
the Xational Fust, by the Pastor.
[CORRESPONDENCE.]
TOWANDA, January 4tli, L°ci,
REV. .Trurs FO*TER ; Dear Sir : Having listened
"th plea-nre to your discotir-e upon the present crisis
of our National affairs, and believing a further acquaint
ed* with the views therein expressed would be product
ive of general good, we are induced to solicit a copy for
publication. O. I). MONTANYB,
H. B. M'KEAN,
E. I). L'AVM,
F. (I. COBCBN,
W. K. MARSHALL, I
F. E. JAYNB. 1
I TOWANDA, January 7,1861.
ROMEWM. 0. D. MOSTAXVE Esq., H. B. M'KEAN Esq.,
. K. D. I'AYNE, and others:
snt/nnfti: Your kind note of the . r th is received—
copy for publication, of the discourse delivered ,
4th in the Presbyterian Church of this place,
b ' ig well known that forthe twenty three years that !
u"been pastor of this church I have taken no part
i £>• political strife that has from time to time agitated j
vcwintry. I feel nndcr the more obligation at such a
■'•"'M'.his, and under such a call as you have made, to j
F. r v "ice, however feeble, be heard in the manner |
r/ORpest. If it shall contribute to enlighten any j
or to abate any prejudice, or allay any unfriendly j
fa* 3 ' to P romo,e the settlement of the unhappy •
P ITIES that afflict us as a nation, I shall feci amply
the dispones bears the marks of the haste |
, n which it was written, the sentiments it expresses |
r ' ' 3II P been entertained
Kespectfully Your's and our Country's,
_, J CLICK FOSTER. |
f astor of First Preshyterinn Church, Towanda. i
r —————
eliter into the defended citicff, j
li t i US K '^ en t there ; for the Lord our (iod hath put
J- 8 w silence !' T
I % brethren ; we never before were at such
f ,oss ft hat to say. llow has (iod put to
M®e ail our confident boasting of our great
r**'°ur strength and our union ! How is lie
F 'j"? " 3 in his displeasure ! Whut shall we
I'" ;j °° caf! ' on may unseal our lips. The
r ?sideut of these States bag appointed this
.pr lasting and prayer. The Governors
many of the States have recommended Its
. fiance to their several constituencies—the
orator of the General Assembly of the
t ,V'| trian *-' )lir( -'b of the I". S. has recom
-.ed the observance of the day—and the j
'hisdiocese of the Episcopal church
fin- i°? e l ' lc sam e. Here is encouragement, i
*lp must be in God.
L,h, ( °u , ' t t^lal reigns over nations is to
whether there be any God. To disre-i
L 's authority and his law in national af- !
H? 8 the sure way to bring ruin upon any
th o upon a Republic where laic
Ig only recognized power.
Onle fof the Jews is a raemorahle ex
t ie divine regard to the conduct of
eat in/ 0 ?- lhe call of Abraham to the re- 1
u „ °. the care of God over them
kp,eaoas. Amidst the trials to which
ltTf , , r . e e *P<>sed in that land of bondage iu
d lu!j t ranCe and sett lement in the prom
nd itirie,'ri" S ' are was not ,ess conspicuous :
store uu T er - V ~aK c of tllcir subsequent
*' tr u °der judges, or kings, or in
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
[ captivity iu Babylon, or when restored again
to Judea and conducted through an eventful
career to the coming of Christ, or iu their fi
nal overthrow and dispersion, the same is true.
To this r try day the Jewish history plainly ex
hibits the dealings of God with a nation— a
much favored—a stiff-necked—a sorely pun
! ished nation.
But the Jews we are told, were an exception.
Their experience is DO criterion for other na
tions.
The Jews were an exception, for they were
singled out for a particular purpose ; a special
dispensation was revealed for their benefit, and
a special result was arrived at. But is there
any proof that other nations are not equally
under the divine government ? Is there any
proof that other nations are not held to as
strict an accouut for their advantages as the
Jews were for theirs? There is no proof of
any such freedom from divine authority or
control. The dreams of Pharaoh which led to
Joseph's exaltation were as ranch from God as
were his own which led his brethren to sell
him into bondage. In their deliverance from
Esrypt there was as much control exercised
over the uffairs of their enemy and oppressors
as over theirs. In their settlement in the prom
ised land, Israel was no more under the divine
government than were the seven nations of Ca
naan whom they supplanted. The chief dif
ference is that God did more for Israel,—that
they sinned more, and are punished more.—
And the fact that the descendants of Abra
ham are at this moment a scattered and yet a
distinct people—fulfilling the divine decree con
cerning them, is a standing admonition toother
nations that there is a God that ruleth over
nations, and holds them accountable for their
national as well as individual character and
conduct.
God has done moch for us as a nation. His
favor marked the origin of onr national exist
ence, and his government over us has marked
our progress. The present, crisis in our affairs
is the legitimate result of former conduct—the
proper fruit, of our own doings. This it is fol
ly to deny.
Different individuals would no doubt point
out different items in an attempted catalogue j
of our crimes. We propose to refer to a few
which we suppose no clear head and true heart
can reject, as among those which justly call for
rebuke from God.
The mere circumstance that our country is
so extremely diversified in climate, soil, pro
ductions and interests, we do not consider any
cause whatever of the present difficulty. These
diversities are what adapt the different parts
of the body to each other—each producing
what the other needs. What then is the cause ?
It is our failure to acknowledge God, and to
make his will onr rule of action. Iu too many
instances we elect men to responsible positions
without regard to their religious sentiments or
moral character. Political villiany is openly
advocated as no dereliction of moral duty !
It is a fearful experiment to trust the destinies
of a nation in the hands of those who fear not
God, and regard not their own word. How
I can we pretend to trust in his protection as
individuals when in our collective capacity we
j disown him ? We desire to give offence to no
man. We are speaking of principles which it
,is useless to dispute. Principles work out their
i own results in spite of us. A man that does
not fear God, and seek his direction and aid
should shrink from a responsible office in the
State as earnestly as Moses shrank from the
duty of conducting the Israelites out of Egypt,
and much more. It is a bold step to cast off
reliance upon divine aid and trust to our own
understanding.
But this is often done by those who profess
to fear God What shall we say of those
who profess love to God while they are viola
ting most solemn obligations ? The apostle
speaks of those who having not the law are a
law unto themselves ; but in our day men are
not wanting who have "the law," but cast it
aside and choose to he "a law unto themselves."
They adopt some hobby and every man and
every thing that does not fall in with that hob
by must be trampled under foot. If t-fae Bible
cannot be made to uphold the hobby the Bible
is repudiated as recklessly as the opinions of
any frail man. Their own views are supreme,
and whatever does not harmonize with them
is denounced as discordant with the harmony
of the universe.
Something like this is the propensity to med
dle with the mote in our brother's eye while a
beam is unmolested in our own. Charity be
gins at home. Thou hypocrite! First cast
the beam out of thine own eye ! It was a
matter of lamentation with one : "They made
me keeper of the vineyards, but mine own vine
yard have I not kept 1" [Cant. 1. G] If the
zeal and nervous influence that have been ex
pended by different parts of our country
against each other had been employed in cor
recting evils among themselves, the evils which
now dhtract our country had been avoided
"Stndy to be quiet, and to do your own busi
ness," is a divine admonition.
Among the sins of Israel which provoked
the Lord to anger was that of covenant break
ing. And when we consider what a solemnity
attaches to the whole subject of covenmits,
we shall not be surprised that it is so soloemnly
guarded in the word of God. Whut else holds
society together ? What else gives security or
happiness anywhere ? What else than the in
violability of the covenant —"the better cove
nant"—can give any assurance to men of the
blessedness of heaven ! Faithfulness to en
gagements is iudisper,sable to safety. A
breach of covenant is treason !
Now it is well known that the several States
of this Union agreed to let each manage its
own concerns except in such matters as by the
constitution were given up to the general gov
ernment. Any interference of one State with
the institutions of auother, is an offence against
this engagement. In this matter there has
been much and grievous sin committed. The
different parts of our country have acted too
much as if each considered the other as out
laics ! things ought not so to be. This
cannot fail to weaken the tic that binds us to
gether.
We think our neighbor in errjr We tell
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY R ¥. STURROCK.
' him so. He seems not to heed it. We ad
monish him again and again. He tells us—
"l have considered this matter. My mind is
made up. Let us talk of something else."—
We press the subject of disagreement. He
says : "I have heard enough ; say no more !"
We continue our admonitious. As a man of
peace he goes away, and leaves us to ourselves.
Now it is neither polite, nor honorable, nor
right to continue to worry him about that mat
ter. But suppose you and your neighbor are
so connected in business, or by some other ties,
that he cannot get out of your way ; if he did
it would be with great loss or injury to himself
and family ; it would be inhuman to treat him
so that he could not do otherwise. But sup
pose if he leaves he involves not only himself
but you also, and yonr family, and an unknown
amount of evil and unhappiness would be the
result of the separation,—it would be little
better than madness thus to keep agitating the
forbidden subject.
The several States of this union entered in
to a league, offensive and defensive. They
agreed to act as one body in some respects,
and in other respects as independent. Each
State agreed to respect all the claims of the
other as specified in the bond of uniou. What
that bond promised each state had a right to
demaud. Now any interference iu the matter,
whether by individuals or societies, byway of
denunciation, or attempted insurrection with
force and arms, or by the Federal Executive
in approving an unconstitutional measure, or
in attempting to carry out that measure by
employing the Federal troops, is a violation of
this compact, and just ground of complaint.
But here we are met by the plea of a "high
er law" than the Constitution. There is a
great fallacy in this plea which many men seem
not to see. That higher law! What is it ?
We are told it is Nature's late ; or it is God's
law! But who thus puts himself in God's
stead to announce a law for Him which he has
not seen fit to promulgate ? Who is this that
thus "sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God ?" [2 Thess. 2:4]
God, no doubt has a higher luw than any
be has giveu man to execute upon his fellow
man, for his law extends to every thought. But
he has not authorized man to publish or en
force any law that overbears the written word ;
that law which He has given us in the sacred
scriptures, as exemplified in the Old and New
Testaments, we are bound to regard and obey.
Whatever evils may escape legislation under
that law—and evils will escape all human leg
islation—whatever evils may be beyond the
reach of such legislation, we may safely trust
to llira who will rejudge all human judgments,
and has indeed, reserved no small part of leg
islation entirely to himself.
As to our political obligations, the constitu
tion of our country is the standard of ortho
doxy We are bound by that instrument to
the full extent to which its provisions reach.
As to the right or the wrong of adopting
such a constitution, and engaging to nphold it,
it is uot competent in this connection to in
quire. A solemn promise has been given by
ali parties, in the constitution of our country,
and no part of that promise can be violated
without offending against the union and har
mony of the States.
The Giheonites were a doomed race ! Israel
had as positive orders to make no peace with
thorn, have no communion with them ; to ut
terly destroy them as they had thus to treat
the rest of tho seven nations of Canaan, all
whole crimes were so enormous that the land
itself was ready to spue them out! By aft in
genious artifice they obtained the promise of
peace with Israel. The princes of Isruel
pledged the nations in a solemn engagement,
to these ambassadors of Gibeon. That en
gagement was binding, eveu against the ex
press command that had gone before ! Thus
the people themselves regarded it. Thus the
matter was regarded by all parties until the
time of Saul. In his zeal for Israel, he at
tempted to treat them now as the nation had
been commanded to treat them at the first.—
But how did God regard the national engage
ment to spare those whom he had decreed to
utter destruction ? A henry judgment from
God rebuked this sin of covenant breaking, and
vindicated the. authority of a national engage
ment.
But the Bins of one section of our land
against another by no means constitute the
whole of our delinquency. To say nothing of
the prevailing vice and unbelief, in all parts of
our country, and among ell classes of our in
habitants, there is the perversion of legal
authority—the abuse of delegated power that
have been carried to most alarming lengths.
There is the sympathy for crime, and the
favor that is shown to crimiuals, making the
name of justice ulmost a mockery, weakening
all sense of security and impairing all rever
ence for the laws. The proscription, by the
party in power, of all who differ from them,
trampling in the dust every consideration but
that of self! The absence of patriotism iri
those who are intrusted with the interests of
the country. The shatnelessness with which
legislation itself is bought and sold !
Who can look npon all this without indig
nation ? But do riot expend all your indigna
tion upon your unfaithful and mercenary offi
cers. The people are the responsible party.
It is with us and our officers of all grades as
it was with Israel and jthtir religious teachers:
" and it shall be like people, like priest 1"
[llos. 4.] As long as the people wink at
such peculation—uphold those who practice it
—stoop to share the spoils, they make office
an occasiou and a temptation to official un
faithfulness, and the sure aim of unprincipled
men. As matters have 6eeined to be going
for some years pas', we could not resouably
expect to remain long a prosperous or a uoited
people ; even if no such question of dispute
between the north and eonth, as now agitates
os, had existed. The great evil among ns is
a disregard of laic. If we do not submit to
laic —make it supreme —we must submit to an
archy, or to some other power that is beyond
control. " Don't unchain the Tiger If we
choose to set the example of trampling upon
our laws, refusing to be subject to the pow
ers that be, God may give us our till of iusub-
" RESARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
ordinatioD, and a second reign of terror is by
no means impossible under his righteous ad
mioistratioD.
We must not expect to be free from the
operation of principles that govern all the
world beside. The Jews were, iu one respect,
an exception among the nations of the earth,
but no such exception as allowed them to dis
regard their obligations to God, or man.—
We regard our country as an exception among
the nations of the present day. But there is
no exception that frees us from obligations
which God has laid upon all ; none that au
thorizes us to make to ourselves higher laws,
to contravene the common law be has given us.
If a man in one part of the country may
plead a higher law for violatiug one provision
of the constitution, who shall deny another
the right to plead a higher law for violating
another? This resembles the rationalistic in
terpretation that has been given to the Bible
itself, in which human reason is placed above
Bible authority—and thus that authority is
wholly set aside ! Who is ready to nullify
the Constitution of these Stalesl We must
be kept by the divine power, or wo shall not
be kept. We must lie blessed of God or we
look in vain for a blessing, to any quarter of
the universe. If we would be blessed of Him
we must have a regard for the principles of
right he has given us in his word. What he
has in store for us we do not know, but cer
tain it is that if it be any thing good, it will
come in answer to the prayers of his people.
Even when he had foretold by the prophet
what blessings he would bestow upon the chil
dren of Abraham, he added—" Yet will I be
inquired of by the house of Israel to do these
things for them."
It has been thought inconsistent in the
President to appoint a day of fasting for a
particular object which he neglects to use the
ineaus put into his hands to attain it. But he
does not preteud that the idea originated with
him. It was at the suggestion of good men
in different parts of the couutry. Aud even
if it had, aud he had been ten fold—we were
going to say more unfaithful —if his adminis
tration had been ten fold more unsatisfactory
than it has, that would be no reason why a
christian people should not hold such a fast,
and pray most earnestly, to God, for his mer
ciful interposition.
Our present Chief Magistrate does seem
sadly to have disappointed the expectations of
those whose votes elevated him to that ofliee.
It is very probable he is in great straits aud
knows not what to do. Then it is every way
suitable that wisdom be sought for him from
above, —both the head and the heart of man
are iu the hands of the Lord.
If he is wilfully unfaithful, so much the
more need of calling upon God to iuterpose
uiid save us from threatening evils.
His advisers too, need divine directiou in
I their responsible duties. It is much easier to
see that something must be done, thau to tell
what and how to do it.
Our members of Congress need the wisdom
which is from above, which is first pure.—
Where is the patriotism that can make our
country our great object ? We need more of
| the spirit that says : " I had rather be right
j than be President !"
First pure then peaceable.
Let not your good be evil spoken of. There
; is such a thing as striving unlawfully for a
lawful end. There is such a thing as counter-
I acting, by our mauner, the very effort we make
!to do good. At such a time as this we have
| special need of a peaceable spirit. We cannot
expect it without the intluence that is from
above. We cau think of no persons, under
any circumstances, that more need special aid
from God than our legislators, and men in re
sponsible stations in the general Government,
at this time.
We need to pray for our citizens—all. We
are prone to use harsh words when mild ones
would do better. Every hard speech we utter
only provokes the like in return. Every un
kind feeling we indulge is a hindrance to the
restoration of peace—an obstacle in our own
bosoms, to the enjoyment of peace. When
DAVID was driven from his throne, and reviled
withal in most opprobrious and provoking lan
guage, the feelings of his friend were outrag
ed, ami he asked permission to silence the of
fender by taking off his head. But DAVID
looked npon it all as from tbe hand of God,
on account of his sins. "So let him curse,
for the Lord hath bidden him !" "It may be
God will requite me good for his cursing this
day 1" Could we witness a similar spirit in
our citizens ; a similar sense of sin, a similar
trust in God, —there would be hope.
We must submit to have many things very
different in this life from what we would de
sire. We should beware of making such op
position to what we regard as evil, that will
not only fail of removing, but tend to aggra
vate tbe evil. There is a sense in which we
must obey the injunction—" lie still, and know
that lam God !" While there is a sense in
which we should chide our inefficiency by the
startling inquiry— " Why do ice sit still ?"
As onr present difficulties have arisen from
disregard of the requirements of the Constitu
tion, they must be removed by a return to our
duty in this matter. Let every State and
every citizen rally around the Constitution
with a calm, a heaven supported resolve to
abide by its provisions, and to maintain its au
thority. The whole thing is included in the
dying words of the patriotic President—" I
WISH YOU TO UNDERSTAND TNF. PRINCIPLES OK
THE CONSTITUTION ! I WISH THEM CARRIED
OUT 1 I ASK NO MORE !''
THE PLANNING OF CITIES.—The London
Builder says that a spider's web furnishes a
better plan for the laying out of new cities
than any wnich has been devised by surveyors
and engineers. Any one that eau find a distinct
aud complete web unbroken, will see how
beautifully regular it is, and how perfectly
adapted for the quickest pssage from auy one
point to another. The conceDtric rings are
uot circles, but polygons, the radiating exqui
sitely regular and straight.
Music in the Mammoth Cave.
"Were you ever in the Mammoth Cave?
It is, with all its wonders, the most God for
saken, dreary, gloomy spot mortal ever enter
ed. Yet there is some strange mystic power
in the place to transfigure the weakest, most
wretched music into harmony fit for the celes
tial spheres.
"After poking about iu the bowels of the
earth for three or four hours, visitors to the
cave arrive at Echo river, where they embark
on a disgustingly muddy scow, or if the party
is large enough two or three wretched boats
are brought into requisition. The women are
all dressed iu fancifully colored bloomer dresses
and with the uplifted lanterns,present a strange
and weird appearance as the boat is pushed
from the shore, and floats down into the black
gloom, the lights reflectiug themselves ou the
surface of the deadly still water, and lighting
up with strauge effect the arch of rock over
head. When they are fairly out of sight we
enter the other boat, and ourselves push out
into the dark stream. Dark, awfully dark, it
is. The dark river of death finds on earth no
more vivid parallel than this. You know, in
the first picture of Cole's Voyage of Life, the
gloomy river of the past from which floats out
into life and light the little boat of a baby
voyager. The stream issues from a dark,rocky
cavern, mysterious and unknown. Such a
6tream is this ou which we are embarked.—
Silent and gloomy, dark and mysterious, it
serves as a type of the past and the future; of
the past mystery whence all life evolves, of
tbe inscrutable future whither all life tends.
"The feeling of security is not very great.—
The boats sink dowu almost to the water's
edge, and the perpendicular slippery rock on
either side offers no ledge on which a ship
wrecked voyager might find a temporary foot
ing. Above, sometimes so low that you must
crouch to avoid it, and again so high as to be
scarcely visible, rises the rock-roof, while the
water iu which you glide is thirty feet in depth
and as cold as the brow of a corpse. There is
no sound but the rippling made by the boat;
not a cricket along the shoreless stream, not a
fish to plunge np and flush a moment in the
air before returning to its watery home—no
symptom of life—no sound, no motioH, save
that made by ourselves.
"Hark ! there is a sound I Far off a delicate
fhade of music, so faint as to seem the ghost
of some wandering echo. But by degrees it
increases. It becomes clear and defined. Rich
harmony, trembling with strange sensuous wild
ness, fluttering around the rocky projections,
swelling in waves of harmouy to the arched
roof above. Now it appears to come from
one direction, now from auother. Anon a
higher note or strain is heard, like some clear
voice rising above a mighty chorus. Never
did syren sing more magic songs to listening
traveler—never did the mysterious maiden of
Lurleiburg chant more entrancing melody to
the unwary boatman who floats aloug the
moonlit Rhine.
"Suddenly a turn of the boat brings yon
opposite a break in the perpendicular rocky
shore; and, perched upon a mass of broken
rock, you see a party of four nearroes playing
upon violins and a cornet. There are the
syrens, these the Lurliues of Echo river. Out
on the earth's surface their music would be
merely quaint and odd ; but here, in the
Mammoth Cave, it is weird and unearthly.
"Floating away, out of sight of the above
minstrels—who are, in fact, the barber, boot
black, or waiter from the hotel at the mouth
of the cave—their music resumes its supernat
ural tones and effect, and so, until we land at
the opposite shore of the dark river, it haunts
the ear with its peculiar harmony, while ever
after it forms the most vivid reminiscence of a
visit to the Mammoth Cave."
THE GAME OF EUCHRE AND LIFE —There is
a genuine humor in the idea that an Arkansas
man finds the most natural expression, even
of parting advice to his sou, in the language
of the card table, and the manner in which
the terms of the game of "euchre" are there
fitted in the game of life is very ingenious:
"Bob, you are about leaving home for
strange parts. You're going to throw me out
of the game, and go it aloue. The odds is
against j ou, Bob, but remember also, that
industry and perseverance are the wining cards;
they are the ' bowers ' Book learning and all
that sort of thing will do to fill up with, like
small trumps, but you must have the bowers
to back 'em, else they aiut worth shucks. If
luck runs agin you pretty strong, don't
cave in wnd look like a sick chicken ou a rainy
day, but hold your head up and make 'em be
leave you're flush of trumps; they won't play
so hard again you.
" I've lived and traveled around some, Bob,
and I have found out that as soon as folks
thought yon held a weak hand, they'd buck
again you strong. So when you're sorter weak,
keep ou a bold front, but play cautious, be
satisfied with a p'int.—Many's the hand I've
seen euchred"'cause they played for to much,
keep your eyes well skin'd, Bob ; don't let 'em
nig' on you ; recollect the game lays as much
with the head as with the hands. Be temperate
never get drunk, for then no matter how good
your baud, you won't know how to play it ;
both bowers aud the ace won't save you, for
there's certain to be a 'miss-deal'or something
wrong.
"And another thing, Bob,(this was spoken
in a low tone) don't go to much on the women;
queens i6kiuderpoor cards; the more yon have
of them the worse for yon; yon might have
three and nary trump. I dout say discard 'em
all; if you get hold of one that's trump, its all
good, and thar's certain to be one out of four.
And above all Bob, be honest ; never take a
man's trick wot dont belong to you; nor 'slip,
cards, nor ' nig,' for then you can't look your
man in the face,and when that's the case thert's
no fun in the game; it's a regular cut-throat.—
So now, Bob, farewell, remember.wot I tell
you and you'll bo sure to win, and if you don't
carves you right if jou got 'skunked!' "
VOX,. XXI. NO. 33
(Sktaliimal gtprtmtut.
The Eleotion of School Directors.
In a few weeks, the voters of this county
will be called apon.iu their respective districts,
to cast their votes for two or more School
Directors, who, in conjunction with their asso
ciates already members of the board, are to
manage the educational interests of their re
spective townships for the ensuing year. This
being the case we deem it a proper time to
say something upon th.it subject, and here let
us heartily recommend an article upon this
question that appeared a few weeks since in
one of our village papers, excepting the clos
ing paragraph which v/as so highly complimen
tary to one of the editors of this Educational
column. We hope the readers of that paper
will give good heed to the advice then given.
Directors are,we believe, the only officers in
the township that ure required to labor with
out pay, but they are not, tkcrefort required
to perform duties that are of little or no im
portance to themselves and their fellow citi
zens,far otherwise. Their acts are of more con
sequence and have more to do with the best
interests of society than most other town offi
cers., Why then they arc expected to labor for
the welfare of their neighbors and the ad
vancement of education without pay, it is not
easy for us to discover, but such is the law.—
This being the case it is frequently difficult to
find the best, most suitable men who are wil
liug to serve as School Directors, —perhaps it
would still be the case if they were paid,
but, be this as it may, it not unfrequeutly hap
pens, that the most unsuitable men in the
whole township are elected to that office, —
whereas, in our judgment we should have the
very best meu that the township affords.—
Their duties are responsible, aud often require
the exercise of the best judgment—the wisest
discretion and the soundest wisdom. Their
acts hear upon the well being of the children
of the country, those who have no legal power
to complain, if not justly dealt by, who can
not, by law, call those to account who defraud
them of their rights. The duties of Direct
ors are manifold and many times difficult of
performance,—they are frequently brought by
the faithful discharge of these duties iu colli
sion with their neighbors, who feel that every
cent paid tor education of the youth is so
much money thrown away,—who deem all
money paid for building comfortable School
Houses, as so much extorted from them by the
school law and its officers. Directors shonld
therefore be men who are willing aud deter
mined to do their duties, to labor for the best
interest of the cause of education ; men who
will not be driven from their right convictions,
because some complain or find fault, men who
will administer the law faithfully but judicious
ly, who esteem the well being of the youth of
more consequence than mere money.
One important duty that Directors are call
ed upon to perform, is the location of School
Houses. This mauy times requires more nerve
than ail our citizens possess. In many of oor
districts, where new houses are to be erected,
there arc more schools than can well be sup
ported, and more than one are needed. Now
the country is cleared and the roads are good,
to locate a house so that one or more old
schools shall be discontinued, and some inhabi
tants who have always lived near the school,
half or three fourths of a mile from it, fre
quently introduce as a bone of contention into
the neighborhood and calls forth denunciations
against Directors, which they are not willing
to incur, even if they feel that right requires
the thing to be done.
The selection and adoption of a series of
text for tho schools is a delicate task,
and oue from which many directors shtiuk, or
j rather oue which they utterly refuse or heed
lessly neglect to perform, but a duty, enjoiued
by the law as positively as the employment
of teachers, and one which is of great impor
tance to the advancement of the schools.—
These and other duties devolving upon school
directors, require our most intelligent, judi
cious, prompt aud independent men for their
faithful performance.
The practice of electing men as directors
who have no direct interest in the schools is a
very bad one, as it seems to us, candidates are
sometimes selected because they are large tax
payers, aud will consequently oppose raising
auy more money than just enough to keep the
schools open four months, sometimes because
thev are opposed to the building tax, some
times young men are elected who have no
families, merely to bring them before the pub
lic in some official capacity. Any one can see
that such school officers, as a general thing,
will injure the system. They have uo desire
to improve the schools.
Men should not be selected merely because
they arc heavy tax payers, still there should
be those on the board who will be called upon
to pay large taxes ; they have a pecuniary in
terest iu the matter at heart, and if good men
in other respects, a portion of the board should
beloug to that class. The poor man has as much
interest in our common schools as the rich, aud
perhaps more; he too should be represented on
the school board. No man should be elected
because he is rich or because he is a poor man,
but because he is a good man for the post,
and will perform his duties as director faith
fully and fearlessly.
Let the electors see to this matter in season,
and bring forward their good men for this im
portant, but payless, position. Let all classes
who have direct interest in the schools be rep
resented, so that all shall feel that their inter
ests and their rights will be protected, and the
schools of the district be improved; select men
who will provide well for the schools in every
department, by levying tax judiciously, and
expending it profitably, but with proper regard
to economy ; who will locate school houses
properly and build them substantially and with
refereuce to comfort and convenience—men
who will see that we have good schools.
PRENTICE says he has heard of but one old
woman who kissed her cow, but be knows of
many thousand youn? oues who hare kifsed
very great culrcs