ticCothiut Oerritson,(Vreprittors,
Written for the Democrat.
.H.FMN OF THE MOUNTAINEER.
BY'S. W. T.
. Mr cot is on. the mountain,
Where bubles ti.e fountain -
'Neath the. shade of a spreading tree:;
The world and its treasures,
'.. Its sorrows and pleasures, .
Are all left behind—
.
pistutb not my mind,
\ •
11 .That is happy as mind can-he. • •
I scorn all your glitter,.
y e v a in ones, who fritter,
In the temple of Fashion, lime ;
Your li , es have no beauty—
You do' tio.t ; y0111" duty
To frientk nor-yourselves;
Ah, culpable elves • --
To Le 62ekless of self, is crime.
When glories of morning
The world are-adorning,
And the day-god his throne ascends,
With heart free and bounding,
With voice gaily so4utlngi,
The forest I roam
That embosoms my home,
And the echoes arouse froth their dens.
With health, strength, and vigor,
I laugh at therig,or
Of the tee-king's rernOrselessstiay;-.
.11i.s rude blasts that frig rtes
The timid deer, !tighten
My joy, as I go
Through billows of snow
O'er moor-land and tarn away
The Sabbath . hells' chiming
And mitsical rhyming
Never echoed these crags among,
But thimiers'-lend craSPrig,'
And cataracts' dashing,
A reau of praise
To iteai•en'a King raise
Grander far than e'er mortal sung.
My cores are not heavy,
tai j,.ys l've a bevy,
And.tlie demon of hate my breast
e'er eaters nor scourges:
Nor passion's dark surges,
Tii:st brook no control
I):„tstr over my soul, -
And my bosom deprive of rest.-
I often feel weary, - .
But itNays am cheers,-
-.
I Light of heart as a guileless -boy;
~,,
1
Anti never zet. bteezy—
M%concience keen . east, . .
.-
Nur Providence (*.thick
NV:r a tvver betidti
-1 hare learned that :contentment 'b joy
Then here in
_hoof from c.c. , nfasion,
With my Wife and my el.dhirzh deal.;
No honors desiring, •
TO fnlle tinaspiring,
peaoefully dwell,
dech's solemn knell
Calls nie hoine td a.purer sphere.
SUN NY GLEN
- From Chambers' Journal
A LEAP IN THE DARK.
. .
One of - the getlemen who visitei Mount Si
nai in company with Bishop Clayton, hap
pened on- his return to England; to pass
through Sicily. Though by no means a per-
Son of romantic character, he had a fancy fur
Wandering about mountains, for getting be
lated in forests; and supping by the light of
wood-fires - zinder a rack. -It . was perfectl y natCral, therefore, that he Should wish to visit
Motint IOUtI at he great chestnut trees,
27, nil 'ez:4l±ll'ne that. marvellous belt of vegeta
tion,stadruirabli• described by the command
ant Dalian, which encircles the cone of the
yolcanO, and marks the point at wbich. in
general the streams of lava • are • arrested
their downward progress. _. -
Our traveller's Unroinantic name was Fen
nel, and loAlad along with him two, friends
&thsiderably younger than himself, the one
young elergyman,the other a: barrister. Two
servants, not;inudi'dtecustomed to sojourn in.
Strange countries; rough Yorkshiremen,speak
ing their native dialect in perfection,, and de
spising everything not English, Waited upon
- the triad - of travellers ; .and when they left
Catania, two guides we're hirei to conduct
the party through the labyrinth of the woods,
. gorges, glens,rayine.s and precipices which in•
tercepts the aseeut to the crater, and renders
it at all times 4n enterprise of considerable
danger.
For nearly a week before they set out, the
mountain had 'exhibited some symptoms of
internal uneasiness. Earthquakes passed like
gentle tremors beneath the city—not rocking
or, heaving up the earth —not cracking the
walls, or dismantling the houses—but just
nivitor-a tremulous motion to the pavement
tinder your feet, and at night causing the pil
low under your head to seem for •an instant
about to float away. To the Catanians,
this
was nothing : they had been used to it from
the. cradle. Their houses all stood upon lava
were built with' lava ;the detrius of lava form
ed the very soil in their gardens,, and
fruits they ate hid a rich. lava relish: In
some sense, they were half lava themselves—
cold without, fiery Within, feeling much _re-•
fleeting little, always on the brink of an im
passioned eruption, but kept from 'running
corer, except at. widely distant periods, by the
paucity of materials in their constitution'. -
Mr. Fennel, as a true Englishman, lobed to
see sights, and therefOre longed for an erup
tion ; but the Catanians assured him he
would hare to wait at least a month, in or
der to enjoy that peculiar spectacle. He de
determined to wait two months if necessary;
but in the meantime, thought it would be
'pleasant and interesting to run up and get
.a
peep at the crater. The wind blew strongly
from the west, and spun out. the dusky smoke
into long ribbons in the air.' Once or twice
in thasnight, he thooght'he could detect red
sparkS among the fuliginous vapor, which
now and then increased largely in volume,
and issued froth the breast of the - mountain
with something like, a -deep grunt.. The
young clergyman obSerred jocularly that En ,
celadus was snorting or snoring in his sleep.
But the Barrister, -familiar with the slang of
men about town, -maintained that there was
a row among the Titans ; and 'that Typhoeus
having got Mr. Encelodus' head intoChance
ay, was pommelling-him about the nab, and
spakitt him seek to. deliver himself '"with
fierce puffing and -contortions... hir.. Fennei
laughed at their abspgditv, which. he.did,aat
~ ~
even pretend to -mistake for wits and determ s
fined to set out early in the evening to see I
whit his own eyes as he expressed Its what. it.
was all about. At the hour appointed, the
tnulos were ready and off they went. To des
Bribe: what they saw, what they felt, *hos,.
they thought, and what they said would fill
a volume of no small dimensions. Sicily is
big, every inch, of it, with wonder; and no
writer, so farsas I know, has succeeded in
conveying, to anuntravelled reader any idea
of its awe-inspiring scenery. You know very
well that every step you-take conducts you
. Over unfathomable gulfs of tire, from which
you are separatedonly by a thin crust, which
.may at any mombnt crack and fall in.,. 'You
know that interminable beds of sulphlir ex
. tend from the great volcanic peak in Jhelum
beredleagsses out beneath the sea, and that
for thousands of years they have supplied fuel
to that prodigious fireplace, whose chimney
rises 10,000 f`s.t towards the empyrean. - You
feel mingling - with the air you breathe the
warmth of teat mighty' conflagration,. which
fote'ng its way thrsughout the earth And the
rocks, communicates a luxuriance tes'every
kind of vegetation unknown in other parts of
the world. But in spite of this knowledge,
you are led, by the example of the inhabit
huts, to put confidence in appearances, and
to imagine that those most stupendous Phle
Mean fields will continue safely for your time
"to hang floatingly over subterranean fires,dis
playing their beauty and their sublimitysitid
.concealing altogether from the ere the fear
ful eparatus by which all these splendors are
produced.
As everybody knows, the ascent of Mount
Etna is not to be accomplished in an hour or
two. If you wish to reach it by daybreak,
that you may witness sunrise froro•itssuiutnit
vou must set out early the evening before.—
if vour mules are vigorous, yeu may perhaps
find time for a short nap, a little aft-r mid
night,and recommence the ascent about three
o'clOck. In the case of Mt. Fennel and his
compauions, the mules performed their part
with great perseverence and fidelity. If you
have travelled by night in .a mountainous and,
woody-country, you must.know what an ex
citing tiring it is; what gulfs of shadow you
gaze at from time to time,straining your eye's
in vain to penetrate into their depths; what
towering precipices nod awl frown over you ;
what sounds, wild and startling, and proceed
ing from you know not what 'cause, come at
intervals through the woods,; and how your
heart teats with something very mu :h_ like
fear, but yet not Atimingled .vith pleasure, as
you spring over chasms, after the manner of
your L ir d:, an I climb zisz -gal( n; ths, face
of the eh& which seem inch Led to carry you,
up . higher than Babel's projectol tower into
the sky I . .
It was already one o'clo k,a hen t'ie guides
who are perfectly despotic during such un
dertakings, pronounced it time to halt end
take a little refreshment ; after. which, if so
inclined; the whole party, they' said, - might
sleep for two hours without running the least
risk of tot reaching the edge of the crater by
sunrise. They did halt; and while the serv
aintrivere kindling afire with dried - wood,
' which layabout in plenty, Mr. Fennelarous
ed himself with looking down the vast sweeps
of the mountain towards the sea. In' that
part of the world nobody appears to sit e up
late ; and
. at the - time to which I now refer,
the Sicilian cities had no lamps. - You con
sequently beheld nothing on shore, save dus
ky irregularities descending and undu!at
ing to the extreme verge of the shore. But
the sea,-when it bares its breast to.the stars,
has always a faint glimmer diffused - over it.
On the, present occasion, there were patche,
of phosphoresenee which,like small luminous
i-lestiashed and 'floated between.you-and the
Tareutine promontory. Science may dissipate
as it pleases the mystery of these phenomena
-but nothing can still that disquietude of the
heart with which you contemplate the waves
on fire, looking like so many glowworms .E-ev -
eral leagues in dimensions 'floating leisurely
away before the wind. - Fiom enjoying this
prospect, Mr. Fennel was called away by the
announcement that supper was ready. He
then joined his comp:111i ms, ate, drank, :and
went, Wrapped. in his cloak; to sleep, like an
Indian, with his feet towards the fire. • -
We are very clever in our way, but nature
is often to many fur us. According to their
day and generation, those travellers • were
highly scientific, knew all about volcanoes,
could dissertatelearnedly on gases, and I de
cide beforehand to an inch licsSv far a heavy
body, by whatever cause put in motion,could
'travel in fivo hours. With regard to the
guides, it was altogether itiipossildethat they
could ever be taken napping : they under
stood all the tricks of' Etna as we las he did
,himself, and could always decide whole - `days
beforehand what he was going to do reit.—
Nevertheless, he cow stole a march upon
them. Awaking with a sfart, they were sur
prised at feeling a warmth much greater than
- their wood-fire was calculated to Inirrart ; the
sky, moreover, was filled with a blood-red
I glare, which bewildered at once their senses
and their imagitiation, and the terrible ides
suggested itself to their minds that the ertip s
lion was in.full progress. Incsed, they had
but to look around, them to discover undeni
ible proofs of it. They were standing on a
knoll skirted on the side of the cone with
trees, and on the right and left,a broad stream
of fire, glowing like a furnacq, was rubbing
down into the, plains, overthrowing :every
thing in its passagess-trees, rocks, and where
it encountered therdiuman dwellings.. Nev
er did_Mr. Fennel witness anything so awful
as the red glare cast upon the woods by the
de;Clating torrent as it swept on. He turn;
ed to the guidesovho - stood beside him para
lyzed with 'terrcr: ,
" Dow are we to get out of thii situation 1"
inquired he. .
" We don't know,” ; they replied ; " we hive
never' before been placed in such circumstan-:
ces. But we must snake some moveihent,and
that speedily, too, or we shall be burned to
Cinders where we stand. Look ! the lava is
,Coming : and those vast trees are bending
and cracking at its touch like floe grins."
" Well," replied the traveller,' " lead the
way—you must know it better than we:-
that we may get out into the plain country
befote the fiery streams meet below, and hem .
us in." • . . .
"You are right.," declared the guides ;"for
the lava is pursuing the course of- two ravines,
-which have • their confluence below yonder
hill .;• and if ire fail to -poecede them, we are
lost."
Thejokers of the morning were not at all in
clined to joke now. The lava was sending
its intolerable heat, before it, warning them
Tney knew too well that the lits - a-streatns
now separated would meet and • mix before
morning, and leave not one _ inch -ct the
ground they now sto,.‘d on untluotletl by fire.
Yet all be-sitated to plunge down they know
not whither in the dark. While they liVed..
•while they breathed, something like a mira il
cle perhaps might occur to preserve thern.---
They would therefore hope, and defer takin:!
the fatal plunge tth there should be nothing
else left, them. It soon - eaine to this ; the
fiery circle became contracted, the heat and
the sense of suffocation intolerable, and at
length the young cleroyman, with a mixture
• .,
'of horror and resignation in his countenance
volunteered to make the first plunge. In
spite of the volcanic glow, Lis face assumed
the Itne-of death as he appri-lached the rock.
He did not dish forward—he did• not throw
himself headlonghe Turned around, and
clinging to the rook with his hand-,remained
there suspended fora moment, and then—
, What was that noise ?--tlist.• of a body
dashing against the rochs--"-dovin, down
fearfuiry into some unfathomable gulf. The
survivors shouted in agony, and besought
Lim to reply if he still 'lived. But no an
swer. Mr. Fennel then said it was his _turn.
and in the same way he committed. - himself
in-o the debtl aof air. There was another
pause of si•sAnse • and agony.. Again the
-u vivors listened ; again no answer came.—
Then followed the barrister ; and after that
pell•rnell, rushed down servants and guides.
and there was silence.. They had all taken
the leap in the dark, and were they on the
sho i'..5 of Acheron ? The preeipice, if I mar
ihorri.iw an Hiberianism for the occasion, was
1 no precipice at all, but a very .shallow rock,
with soft, grass growing upon its base. Why,
then, did they Who Liapcd not answer I They
thought they were going Co inevitable death,
and that thought for a moment paralysed
them, so that they did not recover the use of
speech for several minutes.
_Those minutes
had appeared an age to those who awaited
a reply. But, long as the time seemed, there
elapsed, protably, only a few seconds between
the plunge of the-clergyman and the si . rnul-
Isneous spring of the servants guides. What
aroused them at last .was the lava•glow,tlish
ing ton them from the rocks above. They
rose with a feeling of indiscribable gratitude,
mingled with fear, and bait - sued forward over
the plain. They were not beyond the reach
of the Etnean surges, and therefote" pushed
along with eager speed till they reached the -
point where the lava streams tnnst soon hare
their confluence. They dashed through the
gap-they ascended the rocks on the Fide of •
the Catania, and soon stood upon a high ter
race before the city Walls, Tom whence they
beheld Etna vomiting foith its- • smoke and
thunder those red torrents, . which, at, wide
intervals, desolate and fertilize the plains of
Sicily, suggesting ideas of immeasurable an- "
tiqUity, since all that part of the island has
been gradually created by the mountain.—
"With sobered feelings, , and curiosity thor !
oughly quenched, Mr. Fennel set sail, On the -
following day, for England; where : he often
spoke of his leap in . the dark. . .
K WE ABE ALL EQIJ4tL =FORE GOD AND TUE CONSTITUTION."---.l"ames I:gnat:man,
Montrose, :insipt-eljanua ountii, genie% 41jursaa gorning, 1857.
that inevitable death was near - unless they es
caped from it by miraculous celerity: Down
the mountain, therefore, they went leaving
everything behind them but the iron-shod
staves which they carried in their bands.—
The landscape previously So silent, - was now
filled on all aides with fearful noises—the bet- -
!Owing of terrified herds, the s'houts . and
shrieks of human beings, the Sudden bursting
up of flames herd and there, as the torrents
reached some combustible matters, the tomb
ling down of rocks; and the crash of forests,
as the irresistible lava forced its way through
them. Every moment tile glowinz flood. rose
higher and higher', until it overflowed its
banks, and began to diffuse itself over the
rocky plateau along which the travellers
were rushing towards the distant city. - At
length they came suddenly uponthe edge of
a precipice, down which they looked, Inc
could discern no bottom. On the right and
left Was the fire ;- in front, a gulf of Unknown
depth ; behind,the lava rolling towards them
terriffie rapidity, scorching in its ad
vance, trees, grass, nay, the very earth, which
it absorbed and liquefied by its indescribable
heat.
"Are yoil ignorant of this cliff?" inquired
Mr. Fennel ; "or may we Lope to .ave our
live by thrOwing ourselves over I" •
"It lies entirely out of our, usual track?
replied the men, " and We have never seeu it
betbr6."
Idu not pretend to describe. Mr. Fennel's
feelings at that moment, because he has left
behind him no record of them. It is well
known that extreme danger' often tenders
men silent ; they do not converse, do not dis
cuss their means of escape, do not communi
cate their fears; their mental powers appear
for the; Moment to be annihilated-they only
feel. -13nt what feelings are theirs! gill Sur
ilt nod appeared to be on fire. The earth
was retidetiine• on every side ; the sky over
head glowed 'like alum:tee-mouth and cloud
d nse, charged with igneous particles, and
emitiug an intolerable stench, were precipita
ted upbn them by the west wind. To be
seoratiel to death, or suffocated, appeared
now inevitable, unless.they thre - W themselves
over the precipice, and so delivered • them
selves from such a fate *by suicide. While
.they were meditating or this idea, the earth
under them 'began to rock Violently. It
shook : there a wild. crash ;..he rock
patted and yawned, and they beheld a red
streak making its way eastward through th e
crevice. They fled, not knowing:whither, to
wards the left ; but their progress was soon
arrested . by the heat thrown out by the lava.
All thoughts, all eyes, were now directed
towardS the precipice : should they dash over
arid, by a leap in fie dark, either deliver them
selvesfrom the. most fearful of deaths, or -put
xn end to their agonies at once I With sen
'diens w hi c h h a tile•ali 'description, they ap
proached the cell,N. of time rock, and looked
Over it- Could they &scan anything below!
No; all was thick jatkheis, suggesting no•
fathomable depth. They would remain there
fere where they were, in the bcpe that the
lava might rise no higher, and that when the
light of day shall' make its appearance,they
might see sonic aced e of deliverance.
this hope tI e guides dissipate 1.
tom' The following conversation between
two jolly sons of Erin, one day not long since,
has a point . to it.
I say, Jimmy, did iver you see such a
summer as this, at all
•
..‘"Faith, an' I have.'
‘i Do ye_tell me that now I Whin!'
Last winter, be Sabers!'
From Porter's Spirfoof the Times
.4.4.KANSATRIAL
One of the chief pleastires of practicing
law on the frontier is, as technically styled,
going on the circuit. All restraint is doffed ;
good humor, anecdote, and merry laughter
reigns supreme. This-is so; whether on the
long horseback rides,seated group arcund
the hospitable county fire, or in, the amusing
incidents of the court room. It is of. one
of these court roots incidents that I am now
about to Write.
*ln one of the eastern cotiuties of 4rkansas,
there lived, sonic years since, two limbs 'of
the law. Vanmeter and Hedge Triplit. The
first was a sober-sided, 1(311g-faced collector,
whose invariable rule was. to bring slit in
one week (whether the unfortunate was friend
or foe) after.the claim was put in his hands
for collection. This course brought all of
the plaintiff, to him, and naturally caused
the defendants to blaspheme whenever his
name was mentioned. The second prized a
friend, and felt friendly 'to all defendants,
whether on criminal or common law side
of the docket; was for any one who could •
smile aloud, with a gustn, - ; and were this not
so, Vanmeter was too much of a recluse,with
out.apy of the milk of hunian kindness, - rind
it afforded a peculiar pleasure to devil him
about.
Britton Ward gave hls:arite, one day after
date, to Manson Morehouse, administrator
de tonis -wm,of the estate of Andrew "anteing,
'deceased, for two hundred and ,fifty_ dollars,
for a valuable consideration. 'Before the ink
was fairly dry, Varimeter had it in his hands
"to collect as an attorney. True-to his prece-,
dents, the sheriff, in. less than a week, was:
commanded to summons Brit Ward to ari
pearbefore the next term of the Circuit
Court to .answer. e After the. Ferrice, the said
Brit wits in a most doleful condition as he
Went "'bobbing around," to see what could
be sot on foot in time for that execution
which was a coming. Ile. after a long time,
saw blcdge Triplit, and stating his Case; ask
ed lled , e," if there was any 'consolatory law
kivering that case ?" "Oh,
r es," said hedge:
w hat will von give me to get you out of
it ?" sir, Mr. Triplit, anything you'll
say that's in reason ; just say what it is to
be, and I am the man to pay it."
•• Well, sir it is an easy case, if yoti will
promise to let me stop_ with you free of
charge, tate good care of my horse, and al
ways have something tomartn a*man in win
ter, and co)! Trim in summer, 11l clear ;on of
all right, claim or demand rt. - m.lllst you for
Or on :ieCO:lnt of the aforesaid note."
Now, Dr. Triplit, jilt do it, and you can
board at my house the balance of time ; you
and all your consarns ; and I'll oblige my
self to hive a little of the critter, the last day
the morninf..." With a knowing wink, he
turn.-d off, perfectly satisfied of Ttiplit's in
einclbility, an.l
Sutileielit to the day is the and was as
good a guide for Triplies. philosophy as a
lover of ease would search fur. So no one
was troubled any more about fur it fur , the
time.
Circuit Court came on ; vat:A jun. em
i„inneled, swt rit and cliarge'd; State ;locket
dis i oosed of. His Honor, Jaineg Fussell. on
tr.kittg up the civil docket; called out., " Al
an-ou.N.lorchouse, administrator de Louis.. non
of the estate of Andrew Latti ng,' deceased, re.
ltrt n Ward—Debt.—Vai.m. ; ter for plaintiff
an.' Tiiplit for - difeudant." Vanmeter. ad
dressed the Court, saying he supposed no re
al defence would be made, as the action' was
upon a notz - of band ; nor hadn't been in law
these Many days ; the note was not barret:l
by the statute of limitations, consideration
was expressed upon the faee of the instru
ment, it was not on account of a usurious or
g'anting transaction; in a „word, thre was no
fraud about it, and no rood reason why the
note should not have been long since paid.—
And, if your Honor please.s, I ask a judg
ment. •
Mr. Triplit thought, if his honor pleased,
the !gentleman was somewhat too fast ; if he
'would get himself .slow enough for an Ar
kansaw. dirt road, and take-a look at the pa
pers in the case, he would find the " general
issue," filed to his declaration: As to the
gentleman's:ability to see what. defence could
be•tuade, had nothing to do, but
suppo:ed he would recollect it as vividly as
other defences hitherto made, 'of Which the
gentleman br.t now- enumerated so glibly.
but until hammered into him, was perfectly
ignorant. "If your honor please, I ask 'a
jurv:' Mr. Vanmeter thought it a useless
waste of time. - " Never mind, Mr Vanmeter,
I know, or think T know,bow to: manage my
cases, and when I desire- your advice, will
call on you. fur it. Yes sir, as piteously as
did the - Roman youth when struggling
against the angry Tiber, upon his more stal
wart companion: So . (stretching out .both
hands towards hi= adversary, with one foot
in advance of the other,) never mind, never
mind Mr. Vanmeter ; if your honor please, I
ask a jury." While the Sheriewas summon
ing the jury, Mr. Vanmeter was carefully ex
amining the writ ; the. return • upon it, the
declaration ; and seeing no fault,- would
have felt easy were it not for that noncha
lance o f Tripli t's having seen it before, , and
felt its effirct ;• the same principle that makes
a burnt child dread the fire caused Lim to
rook wild.
.
The jury were soon selected from among
th e bystanders, sworn and seated on a horse
trough, turned bottom Upwards by the, sher
iti-Just under-the
was
of a large tree, in a
horse lot, which was coneidered the place to
" come into court!' at the summer, term. ,
" Put your case . to the
_jury, Mr. Vaume
ter"—which was as follows :
Gentlemen of the Jury : This zi an ac
tion of debt brought upon this instrument,
which I sill read to you—' One day after
date I promise to pay Alanson Morehouse,
administrator de bonis non, of the eAtate, of
Andrew tatting, two hundred and fifty dol
lars, for value receired—signed--and to
'which the general issue is pleaded. I am
sorry the defendant's Counsel has forced you
here oh that bard trough;
,thereby consu
ming the time of, the court and our time,
when we nre so anxious to see our families.
And, gentlemen, having perfe& confidence
in your intelligence and honesty, I will leave
this case with lou" and this honorable caution
less I may desire sway a word after the gen
tleman ooncludes.
Mr. T. arose, and with a cool, studied dig
nity,k carefully and shiwly examined the writ;
flora and back. The deelaratiort underwent
a similar examination, And with an easy move
ment, pitched them over.on the far side of
the table. This managemeit got thci court,
jury; spectators, and last though not.. least;
Vanmeter, very Much interested for the de
velopment.. "From the cut of his eye,; some
thing was " rotten in Denmarit "; hut, what,
and where ? " Gentlemen of the jury, I re
gret exceedingly to expose my friend, Mr.
Vanmeter;: but the circumstances of this
case are Ruth that my duty forces me 'to ;do
so. lam astonished the gentleman:.should
have braved the just indignation ..of this
'Collet • should have so disregarded the mak
;elity of the law, and the respect 'due h jury
of his c )untryinen, as to have brought a suit
without the slightest particle of right; Or real .
cause,of action. Did the gentleman. expect
to bconboozel this Court and jury ? Did he
expect to - go rough shod over my client and
myself, under such cir cumstances Why
gentlemen, behold the instrument upon
which this actiott is founded : ' One day af
ter date, I promise to pay Alanson ..More
house, administrator de bonie non! .De
Lo
nir turn! What is that ? Is it English ?
No. Is it Greek 1 . No.' Is, it Hebrew ? No.
IS it Fr e nch, or Italian, or Spanish ? No riot
that either; .Weil I'll tell you, gentletheri
the jury, whit it is. It. is Ch octaw, - and
means • defendant having heretofore paid
said plaintitias the honorable Court will
instruct you."
.As Vanmeter was in the act of rising, the
court gathered his ponderous spectacles be
iween die thumb and forefinger of his left
hand, and raising them very much to .the re
lief of -nasal organ, said : " Yes, gentlemen
of the jury, that is what it means. You can
taw the c ve."
As soon as n vote could he taken,
.tlie jury
returned : We, the-jury, find for the deßn
dan." •
" You are discharged gentlemen. Mr.
Clerk, charge the costs of.this suit to the
plaintiff's attorney ; and Mr. Sheriff, take
Mr. Vanmeter in custody, and unless ho will
treat his honor, and the officers of his hon
or's court, tor the contempt just proven,keep
him in custody." • -.
The sheriff took him, and as he started,
Van commenced muttering F omething to
himself ; finally; I heard something that
sounded like" it, is folly to he wise.".
THE LAST OF AITELETRATEp
THIEF
The late steamer brings us news of the
death of Vidoeq, the celebrated ex thief and
thiefestcher, whose ' Memoirs," published in
1829, mace his fame . -almost world-wide.
The truth of the old adage,
." Set p thief to
catch a thief," was never proredslian in the
case of Vidoeq, who, after a Most brilliant
career as a thief, burglar and nighwaynta ,
is( ff
adjured his evil assosiations, and became at
once celebrated a's - A: equally brilliant nd
unprecedented Iv s . tiecessful ;detective, : id;
during the time h ffi
e hell the.oce of Chi of
the Paris. Afuncinal Police, -was the terror of
alt evil-doers.
in those-days it was always the policy of
the government to have always at the head
of are Central Bureau of Pole an ex-thief.
Vidocq tau somehow superseded by Layout,
an equally expert, but less noted reformed
rascal. hereupon M. Vidocq set up on his
own uri.-ate account, and detcted hime4f to
the eilcidation of such invsterie of rascality,
as, for certain . reasons, the sufferers or parr
takers therein found it. exp,Aient to . keep
from the knowletze of the, public and the
government. He made:it• his business to
hunt up and restore letters,' which, in recip•
ient hands, compromised the writers ; to keep
watch over ;the morals of wives at the in
stance of their husbands, or husbands at the
instance of wives ;._to trace up private robbe
ries in respectable and fashionable circles,
where the restoration of; the stolen articles
was more an action than the exposure
of the robbil—in short ho was a private de
tective. In his employment he was very
successful, bringin7 to its duties a thorough
knowledge of-liuman, nature; great kneenness,
activi:7 and decision, and the utmost,secrecy.
En such services he acentuulated in .a few
years a considerable fortune, and then tetired
entirely froth active life. He has been living
for many years in the Qar:rtier Poppincourt,
in the midst of poor people, in 'great obscuri
ty.
His last act as a private detective was
the -recovery of a part of a sum of 150,009
francs which had been stolen from striCl!,
merebriiit.
The loser, a middle aged man, of unprepos:
ees4ng exterior,laid the case before Vidocq.
" How old is your -cashier ?" asked' the
thfei-catcher.
Twentv-ifve years of age. But lam con
vinced that he is not the thief; 'he has lost
also, a very considerable sun]."
" Are you married I"
e. y es: ,
"how old is your wife! Is she pretty! Is
she virtuous I"
"My dear sir, my wife h a model of virtue
and propiety. I 'eau have no personal doubt
of her—" •
"Perhaps not; but you say your book
keeper is twenty-five years of age, and your
wife is pretty—those are facts—is it not so?"
"Yes—if I must say so my dear wife is
"But.! I don't-want any buts. You desire
to recover your money r
" Certainment." •
" You have faith in me?"
"The fullest."
• "Bien! .Now; go you home, and imme
diately prepare yourself to start on a journey
of some, ays. Meantime arrange some method
by ycliloh I 'may,unpreceiyed, gain - a lodg
ment 'ln your house:
The. merchant departed on his- journey
giving his wife duo notice. Vidocq concealed
himself in a closet of the house, whence he
could watch the acticmt of his client's wife.
lie hid sorne - time to wait.
At length she ordered supper to be brought
into her private room, and close upon . the
supper followed a • rather handsome young
man. .
"He is
. gone, Arthur !" said the lady' to
the young man. "But I fear that he sus
pects us; or at least you!"
To this Arthur, the book-leeper, made an
answer by . some assurance of ittachment,
and proposition.
, "Let ws fly to America. Thew we Can live
in peace and happiaeis." .•i . -
At these words Vidocq emerged from bis
place of concealment, saying to the wretched
pair in his peculiar.way—
"Be quite still; my children, or I will beat
your brains out.' Where is the Money you
have appropriated r
There wtta a Momentary
"There Are but 100,000 franc s left," falter
ed out the woman. - • • - • • .
" In . truth 1"
1 will swear.
." Don't trouble yourself, Madam.; but give
Me the money:"
She opened a secret drawer in . heruritini
M
desk,, and took thence • the oney, Banding
it over in silence to VidOcq,.whom both.ln.W.l
recorinized.
-"Now, then, let all this be forgotten by
yau, madam. - Say nothing to your husband
of what hhs occurred. From me , - he will
never . know it. . . .
" And tas for .you," turning to the book
keeper, "let ma have your hand; my Kuung
friend."'
So saying he took from.bis coat pocket a
neat 'set of shackles,.and placing then] iipon'
the wrists of the overwhelmed criminal. Ile
took him to Havre atil placed hitit upon a
vessel just .sailino fur America.
If you come back, I will have you in the
galleys for life, you scoundrel
Returning to Patis, - . he called upon the
merchant and banded him 100,000 francs.
" Your book-keepey was the thief. Ile, had
already, spent 50,000 francs in.-rioting with . a
depraved wotnan," said the impurturable Vi
dociv . •
-He is now on his way to America, and be
yond the reach.ofjustiee.'.' - -
The woman kept her: secret; and the mer
chant, whose .jealous suspicions had — teen.
aroused by' the questfons of Vidocq, -Was
the happiest of husbands. •
..
Nothwithstaoding his complete retirement
Vidocq was of an ambitious temper, and covet
ed'such honors as he could attain. In his will
be made provisiotrfor an extensive funeral cor :
tege, by. directing that a great nuinl.lr of hi
boring men should . receive three fr!itic:: each to
attend his corpse . to the grave.
PROCLA2LITIOX TO THE PEOPLE
OF LAW EA'CE.
LEAVENWoRIII, July 15th,1807.
I have learned; that a considerable number
of the people of Lawrence, in' this. Territory,
have adontefl, as they claim, by a 'pop
vote, a charter for,th'eir local government.
4.copy of, that charter his been - placed in
my hand; upon comparing it with that
granted by the 'Territorial Legislature; last
winter, L find that they differ intentionally
in many essential particulars. The new car
ter, "then, set up not only without any author
ity of law, but it..direitt and open defiance of
an net of the Territorial legislature - .on the
same subject. , •
On this point,
y our committee l whose
Views have been adopted by you ; make the.
following statement.: • •
.-
"Under ordinarycircumStaners the-more reg
ular method of proceeding would be to obtain
a charter . from -the Territorial authorities. As
the Territorial government, howerer,-in no sense
represents-the people of liansas,-.was not elected
by them, and .can have no right to legislate for
them, we cannot accept a charter at its, hands.
And, as the State government has not, as yet,
deemed it advisable to proceed to the organiza
tion of local and municipal governments, we can
hot obtain a chatter from it.- There is' thefore
left us only the atternativo of a chaster spring..
ing directly from the • people, or a . continuance
in our present unorganized condition. •.•
•'Under these eircutusiances, you have seen.
fit to instruct re: to present a charter, having dis
cussed its provisions in a preliminary assem,
51age, and now propose,to submit it to a fall
vote of the people for approval or rejection.". -
It will be perceived that the authority of
the territorial government is here distinctly
denied, and whilst that of the so-called State.
government-is acknowledged, it concedes that
no charter has been granted try them. Indeed,
it i 3 a fact that, although this so-called State
Zovernment has; in itself, no•legal existence
or authority, yet You asked and failed to re
ceive a charter frZm them.
•
Under these circuinstance . you have pro
ceeded • to - establish - a govert;Ment for the
city of Lawrence, in direct defiance of the
Territorial government, and denying itsr-exis
tence or authority. You have granted to the
city governrirent: the authority. to select a
Mayor and Board of. Aldermen, City Alssessor;
Treasurer, Justices of the. Peace, City Mar
shall, &c. You'•have granted. to the. Mayor
and Aldermen most exten.sirie - powers, includ
ing the right to levy and `coiled taxes Con
real and.personal property within the limits
of ale city, whether belonging to residents or
non-r6z:idents, and all the other po - v:•ers usual
ly incident to city government.
You have imposed upon all these_ officers
the duty of taking- . an oath to support this
so called State Constitution, thus distiactl
superseding, so far as in ykiurpower ' the-Ter
ritorial govern nit, created by . the Congress
of the United States. Y.ou .have Caused - these
proceedings' to be primed in lia:ndbill form,
and have distributed them, as.l am informal,.
throughout the Territory, with the iie . w
to ii.-
cite the other cities, towns and
~.counties of
Kansas, to establish insurectionary govern
ment, thereby placing the people of: this Ter
ritory, so far as in your power, in open-con
flict with the government of the united'
States. • • -
The more considerable, portion of your par
ty having induced your Topeka legislatUre to
enact the laws urged by yon, creating mun
cilia' government, you have even in defiance
of their authority, which you profess to an
knowedge, proceeded to create such a goier
mentior Lawrence, and are now urging oth
er localities to panne a similar course: Your
evident purpose is to' thus involve the whole
Territory in insurrection, and to 'renew the
scenes of bloodshed and civil war. Upon
you, then, must rest all'the guilt and respon
sibility of this contemplated revektion. You
will be justly charg eable in law and -in con
science with all th e b blood that may be shed
in this contest", dud upon - you miistlall the
punishment. •
You „havis eleeted your officers under this
charter, and instructed them to enter upon
the immediate discharge of their !Jul ie s, in
eluding the adoption of ordinances and the
execution thereepinder an authority having
in itself no leg,al4xistence, and egablished in
direct defiance of the government of the
United States.
•
From all these facts, it is obvious, if you
are permitted to proceed; and especially. if
your example should be followed-as urged by
you in other ; places, that for all-. practical
purposes in many 'important particulars, the
Territorial govitrnMent will Nf oVertbrown:
The charters granted by that gcmartitnent ter
Similar purposes will be disregarded and the
justices of the peace and other offices acting
under their authority, will be brought neces•
earily.into conflict and celision with these
ifiiing to net under a te-
30,
Dolan&
so•called offices ci
ent authority..
The Territory , in thus be Iniolved in in
extricable confusio and litigation; the value
of your property ' greatly depreciited, an 4,..
your titfes,transferi transactions and contracts
will be subjOcted o endless and,coitly dial
pure; and all will uffei froth this' insurreni'''
tion, except the la Yera wholave Stimulated
this movement. A. government founded on
insurrection and us rpation•wilibistibstituted
for that establish by the autlwrity . of . Con
gjess,•and civil* will be renewed theingh;
our limits. -.lf yo r authority to'llet in this
matter for the city of Law rene.e is permitted"
a situijar authority must be acknowedged-itt
every other town , : county, mid :result"
in inevitable and - st disastrous cotitliCt ; and,
if successful, the eiritorial government MI
overthrown in det 1, as is your, p present pie.
Pa. , ' - '
You were distin tly inforined in m inau
gural address of AI y last,lhat the validity of
1 ;'
the Territorial law was acknoivedegd by the
government of the United States. and-gust
they must and vie; ld be carried, 'fiat° exec&
tion under my oat of o ffi ce and the instruc
tions of the Pesi nt of the United Scat*
The same informa on was repeated. in va
rious ii3dresse.s ma o by . me , throughout the
Territory. At.the a cne time, evey assurance
was"given you die , the rights of. the pooplo
informs on
this TeriitOry,und r the law to - estabiish their
own State' govern ent' and frameitheir, own
forms prescribed the government of-your
country, social insti utions would be acknowl - •
edged and protect . : - . -,
If laws have en enacted. by the_ Ter=
ritorial legislature %I/Lich
,are disproved - of by.:
1
a majority of the people of the - Tetritory, tini
triode in which they- could / elect a new 'rerl.
ritorial legislature and repeal those iaws, was
also designated. Either° are any grievances
of which you have- just right to complain ;
-the lawful, peacef manner in which you
could remove them, in • sir} o t
ordirkition the
i
government, of your country, was alsdpointed
out: . •
You haire, how,
the laws of Conn(
government erec ted I
sing to acknowledg
jected by Congrese r l
exist only by succes
..
in from all your.
3^trle , rioul' oaths
State legislature ; w
a charter, proeeeded
•nrent of your own, b
and revolution. Th
require from all you
so , called Topeka Sta
in putting in-operatic
that;.
A rebellion , so ini uitions and necessarily
involving . uch awful consequences, has never
before di-:graced any age or - country.
Permit me to clll your attention; .still
claithing to be eitiztins of the United States,
to thelesults Of yourevolutionary proceed
ing,3: , Ton are inn gurating *rebellion and
revo:ution; you are isiegar.fing tke . laws of
Congress and of - the Territorial government,
, and defyilig their uthority4 you are cOn
-1
spirinr , to overthrow he government of - the
United States in this erritory. --- --_
Your purpose, if e rried
_into_effect. in. the
mode designated b . you r by
_putting your
laws forcibly into es: cation,, Veuld involve
you in the quilt and rime of, qeasen. You
stand now fellow citi osopotti - are brink' of
an awful •prt.:.ipice, a d it, becomes my duty
to with vou ere you t aker the fatal leap into
the gulf "Le.:ow.
,If a rfiroceedinga are-,not
arrested, you will ea'essarily, 'destroy , 'l` e
peace of this Territo7; and_iiivolve 14111 all
the horrors of civil W r. t11..A ern' VyonOlien,
before it is too late, t recede from,' the pent- ;'tion in Which- . on now- stand
ous position i
~.
I appeal once mole to your reason and
c t
patriotism I ask Yo 6 in the. name of our •,
common country, in he, name of the Con
stitution of the triion,'.to desist from this re
belich, I appeal oiled More to your lore i - cit
country, to your regaid for, its peace, prosi
perity sod reputation, :our! affection foz,.your
wives and :v..‘:!dren an to ell those pat riotic ?, '
motives which ought Ito influence American
citizens, to abandon tilts contemplated revel"-
(talon. If you - have !wrongs ;redress them
throUgh the peaceful-i strunientalityr of :the
ballot-box, in the mode reseribed by the ;awe
of your country. . • -
• ' As al! arguments heretofore so often ad:..
dressed by me to 1 y.0n,k.14.ve failed is 'yet - to
productt any effect uPeni you, .1 -- have'deemett s
it necessary for your_ safety, and that of thh
Territory,- and to save 4: i -from the perilous., consequences of your
town nets,, under the
authority vested lame by the President of thci
United States; to order an adequate force of
the troops of the Unites: States intciyour im
mediate vicinage, toiPerform the painful duty
of arresting your- revollitionttry proceedingi.
Let me implore you not to compel - ine to ap;
peal to that military - poirer 'which is_required
in the lad re-art,-,to pr tectrt 'is oeg9vertiment
of your country.. You nnOt carry your re
bellious purpAses into e 'ect without coming .
into nnavor hle and o u conflict lath die
troops and .' •ernment of the United States. Let me 7 . adjure . ou, hen, once more, to
'l4
aband o n - tleoo proceed ngs _before you' in
valve yoursef i ves in the icritne,hf treason, and
subject the people of Lak - rence to all the bor t
rors and calamities pf,ihsurrectionhnd civil
war. If you will now de.-fist from the projected
resolation, thj past, will.be forgotten a, fat:
as pracueable; but if . on persist in ruttish:it
aloe laws and caaryin:6 theni into execution;
thus defying and super- in.,: thegovernmen!r
of you country', tlis''cle, lo ,rable eunseque . conse q uences; -
must be upon your ow heads ind'thoNi of
your associates. ' It.wilt be . thy purpose, if yeti'
stilt persist, to spare all loodshed - ea fat-iii
practicable, and subjectltbo_ leaders and `pro:
jectors of this..revolutio.'ary.movetnim(fi l dirk'
punishment prescrik,d '- law. - : .- I vill accom
pany die troops to I.ikii• once with' a view to
prevent, if possible, an' contliet; l ancr, in die'
i s
sincere hope that the re ottitimattryMoventlitit
contemplated by you : a il now ari - nea r ly
..
nomplished, viiili era it is too !Me t be - aNsu. -
Boned by you', . - . ..• ','• : -
If you' can he 'Widen ed by no other w...,f,
fives, the Oident feet tliat:the r , power of vyti-,
1
eintnentla - alie4nate to; Prevc(nrilie'iiacau.:‘,
pliOrnent of yOtir -purse ; should lanai
you to .. desiit frotu Olean. proceedingcs . - - ..-,-- 1:--,
That the.samahverr ingProviderfee.odi(i=.
bolds iu bis,banda Oia: t nltiny o r our. t so 4- ‘ , 44 -,
c ountry, _ way - rio t . , 1,4 iitiO , ~y,iiik.:,44itik td - •
peace, and intim - ice y , to - atukidOtt thisla-*
tal auterpriae,ii:tbe at wish; of
1
citizen, : - - - ----,- -'I
,'-• 44foieribil cifilAnsaaTetiitt* -.--
er, Chosen : to .disrega4
.3 and 4, abbe Territortnt
14. it, and whilst !votes' -
a State Government re-,
and which_ean therefere
:fill rebellion, and exiet
fficers the perilous and
o support -the_ so-called
ich 'refUsed to grapqmi
to create I local goyern
aed only on insurrection
r. very oath which you
; officers to support ypur
I • Constitution, is, violated
an a, charter rejected by