f - i' ' ’ - *iesiS initt«r andmoaii ifuteresi-i iqg «orfe«i»ttdence,' see fiwt page. ' oh* to abandon the use of volunteers on land as .ataaa,'- A decree by a general Congresß of all i the Stole* of the worlds even if strictly «M f oy helHgercnts,’ ‘which would never W*#*"*’ wemptihg privatepror Jugh’sOaa; would be 9? t# fpr giving itQp.'>BH inbat Efficient laid, ready, means of ag- of hostilities with : a maritime power. There is no other security ■ of neutral rights, against belligerents than that of .being able and-ready to maintainaod assert ' them; « Expedlencyin war overrides faith i . honor is toooften laid abide and Interest only "'rbghfded. jfengiand, a hundred yeitri; ago,' in .ylcjlailon j£ t every’right of hospitality, ami to “.every/ prihcipieof good,filth] j seised -over. .fhrea ; ; hundred French mer. \ cluutfmen in her own ports bsforo. war wii .declared or .hostilities commenced by-either < party.: 1 -Was the eider Prrra less honorable. ■ mob than PitKEaerbii ? Wamay safely come •foHhe' coEciusion that private property on the ' hi jha'&s he invested with a higher nor pii)er.^^faah|, ..ageing i^t^iiggr | ,'^) ft; i. I?.p feiteVveiil/never', he ; ',waning: to • selee.iti ] ■. . Actual war must ever. institute now rights be- • tweewbeHigorents, and must unavoidably aet •aside Ml previous treaties that may in anyway .* bumper or restrict the ftoe add' ftill action of ‘ either party. Ithas always been so, mid must/ from the very nature of things, ever continue .fq htf 50.,, If expcdlehcy dictates a .watchful Cflnsideration.of. the rights of neutrals on the •part ofa belligerent, then theytnay be acknowb edged; hut the fact of their being rogardedwill mainlydepondupOn the fear and probability ofthaneutrathecomfng'ahbstiioheiligerent.All •'doCiSedlyfrieridly Powers will ever be uied, and ' at tithes' ctetf ahuied,hy tho belligerent secure .of thoir sympathy, Treaties only fairly and tfuiyspcclfy. ti o relations of nations In a state ,of poice.. The opprobrium attending the vlo lationofeerfain general principles, but very few; . in number, yrill-in the main restrain the’ action » «t Mr belligerent; ' v cjivpediehoy, however, dictates auCh an ac -1 quiescence,’ for generally as much IS to be lost •as gained' by poisoning, assassination,' or by tbs indulgence in similar crimes; yet we a!) know that the, English Government, in 1776/ offered thirty thousand pounds sterling reward , for .tha head of Cuabi.es Edwwhd. What we : Sbould domand.ln return for any concession on •our part of natural right, la not a barren pro! mise , that .a state of war would revoke, but • Some clear'; 4nd substantial act which ’.Would' verify-’ itself by being performed in • time/bf/ peace,- and which would in it- Solf 'tend .to’ promote 'and' preserve peace. It is tli o provocatives and incentives to war ' that .wo must guard! against and check. A , means,. especially a physioal power-.at out < control, 1s in itself a temptation to use it. A Government with a largo and disciplined army' is ssen flrst tooccupy a coveted territory, and c then.to offer to- discuss ■ its claims • to' if. Another, with a large fleet, strikes a Copen " bagan .blbw/' r anriniil(itihg Jts- nnsuspcctihg, “ victim, and.teen bxptetoes./a’jesulfical regret to itaowndefencecpiiipened ;|!ttto‘takei step of such apparent harshness l,;tqwapl* a; weakap4 neutral power.,7 ; ; •; ./tTafortunalely,'the I rights of smali Powers have little eiisteuce beyond- that conferred upon them, by the mntnal jealousies of tbelr mora'.powarfnl' iieighboisf for, .when those' neighbors once get rights of - the small Powerspractically cease, being never ■ regarded 'in such casea'byeither belligerent. '. The;, only 'eqidyslent.' for Sgreeingto,»i*adbo the two, of privateers that-could be tendered •j UiSi tod 'the 1 conalderation df which.we should 'fqfamomen't entertain,wouldbe aneutraitea "tlpnofths high seas by a general disarmament ; enddismastlement of allhut a limited number ' of ships of war 'by every maritime Power. Our nerthern lakssare thus neutralized by a -■'treaty with Ehglahd. p The Black Sea Was ilm- J.ltariy neutralized by the, aame Congress .of , Parfa which deslred- to msko privateering piracy. -We only ask- forau extension ofthe inajor proposition, to accede to the hdhor;but we want a more real' and practical extension i; than that specified’by Mr; ; MAaof.- Let all be' - compelled to, improvise' their ~-hivie'a; , "after war breaks put;...than .we '•need have no fear ’ of . being unable, to hold; our own without .resorting to the,'use . of privateers. England, with her thousand , armed steamers all ready for action,.can, with ■ much complacency, ask us to use nothing to , impair hr "lessen her superiority in .cape we ,-.come to blows;, we can, with great linperturba bilily, reply to her, that we are' a peaceable people whp.hayp no desire to go to war,'anddo not busy OurselVeswith preparationsto,threaten -; Jior integrity; but thafsheseems.tb’aim'tobe ; -.k standing menace to all the; world, 'or. else she . is.psaleesly wasting her me&bs and exhausting J the resources she ought to rely upon In a time of need; bymalntainingsuch.yaat fleets, con i.. stantly increased by hew armed steamers, when ostensibly at ■ peace - with ■ all other' maritime ’ Powers'of tho world; What need has she of,'a ;'.’«eiipl;ttotcjy at Bermuda? Why should she ;■< desire, to i crowd -siioh. unwieldy . craft, on . Oio boast of' Cuba? '. Certainly not with ” khy'ivlew of.inierceptlng the agile staves A world Congress- cobid regulate the .quota of r’- each nation;ln : the police' squadrons required suppressing piracy, just as,' the Webster -1 Ashburton.treaty lmposes the maintenance of - .'eighty guns on lis towards suppressing the ’ African alavetrade. ' ,' requires. protection. Revenue’ . lawamu'stbe enforced;. We readily admit the J necessity, of a marine force being maintained. '.' ;6y, evety 'cpramorciaf and navigating Power, for certain specific purposes, not hostile to the. , " general iwes! and safoty of all national We ' . ‘.jmight take ourownnavy as h safe comparative standard of extent and efzoV A sta*d(ng«rmy, ; -—besidcieSdangerlngthe liberties hf aa-peoplc, '-is s'stahding threat at all neighbors. Wb do not. .mean in this Bense that small three which ~ it jj.necess«3r.'to maintain to keep up a proper knowledge of the art of war, andto preserve an panded to. the 'need of any occasion; \We re "far 1 to* drich aS are hiaintaiiiod 1 iri'' ,i iiHrppe. , Louis W attached this gnawing ianoer to the 'vitalspf iho peppiea of that continent,-. Eng land, In. her .efforts to maintain, her abnormal dofniaincy on the; seas, forces all other nations -- : ! to the.maintenance of otherwise unnecessarily . large Jecf?. .Unless oit; proposition for the ! ifeotraihsation of the high seasisicceded to by Prance and Russia and enforced upon England; than wa hare ; no, ( other tocoturae left than to ! > . follow-the example of the latter Power, byl . hnfldliigwsr ateatnera andateatn batterleatmtiV j ' ”Hm b in at&lneii' aea».. The crime against hu-: •' ■aaiUty la warMs not so 1 much the manner In! ',v;-lrtiieb!ftJ«?wageilasthethean>'byi»hl<!i>lt la = iftprbtraetedv'lf our privateers ehonljl prey »o ; V nit ; l eiietn|. , if commerhe ; to ,*»*£ they 'bare ppiMtf vwsito* of th*;,gra»t aimi of honorable and jnstt y ! pwj>le*, onb or theotber, '-ms& 4Bude--.ttt foot V*** before It can be #»3ear-' ' 1 ’ s , - /5- « T ►- XdtteatMaal* ••-- - * • ! '<«Jlf»..Hi**«T : BKOWi* ! *BchooT j foryoaiig' Sjliftiiti, ■ ?.i|T- : c()rner’ ; 'of Teaih Ma 'Aroh, S» ] maisi td publicby *» fHgf.4f‘ s %fyUfi^Sf?®zeuB,'an4“wfi'- : be itasUlueAby *j <“4 ! 4^‘jiW .Sift rtluwwtwiha-biTWBI *»4 . Ten PiycA/' -'. end Ptiofoee, i« a nettve at Alb*By,*odWMfo». marly * mtmenc*' toy b> tb» Mew Toft be# de- SHIPP ; TCTESOAT, AUQVST 26, 1867. ; yEMWHATIC yoyiNATIQNS. in ma,uAM r, VAGKBBi ' -• o» iToonwa oorant.. BuriiitltE ‘ CO VBT, yy'ApJ-iy-toytgat'-'gowirr.'-'' " : *AJ*£s thokpsok, ‘ Imm GAM£ COMMIIUIOffEX, /\:;; rife.'MUJiriAof..theseas. TTe mightas well at once submit to a cation efficient military organization ready to be ex- THE *oo* TEADE.p : The Americans bavitJecpaje boak-produoerts in, are sold is tils country-Jh jbifo S*# ! ''W- tn Groat Britain, wlthpiu'cb in fist. Where a fcondon puldishe r Issues an edition of 1,000, a Philadelphia, New York, or Boston publisher' would jprlftt 6,000, In fact, tho numborof reader*. with ns is ait twenty to one as compared with the same class in England:' 'Here (he’ mere announcement of a new book by, a popular .author—-nay, the mere announcement of a book with a catching or popular title—will causo a large edition to be ordered in advance. They are more slow across the water. They wait to see what the critics say of it beforo they invest their money in sb® purchase.,; With ns, too, almost.evory book is stereotyped— on the chance of con tinnous demand for it—whereby the cost of production, on a large sale, 1 is greatly di minished'. But a London publisher, afraid of risk, (though stereotyping add? less than half, to the expense,) rarely ventures to put the first edition of a book into stereotype. He prints and sells off ode' edition,' and carefully Waits to calculate the chances of another being disposed of—often losing a large sale by not being able to supply the demand as fapidiy as the demand arises. He goes to press with a second edition, haring the delay and extra cost of getting the,whole book, re-composed to the printing-office, and probably, by the time he has.'the new edition, ready,, may And that some-later novelty has supplanted It. • An American publisher with ’ his stereotypes, would catch, the market at the moment the demand arose, and instantly supply it. The fact is, London publishers—with the exemption of JRobtuumhs, sndone or two go-ahead and cheap re-pabliahers—are terribly behind-hand ln their own . business. They do things now much as their fathers did soihe thirty or forty years ago. EvenThotiAs Cablvi,*, the author, belongs so ranch to the .ild schoal, that, for Over'twenty yoarsj'he co’iitehted himself with selling his works ((n editions of I, oob.each) to Chapman & Hall, his publishers, and going to the, oxpenso of haying the type ro-set for eaehi reprint I By this lumbering process, the high selling price of his hooks was kept up, and tbeff sale kept down. • It was only a few months ago that he unwillingly Consented to have Ms works produced in' a compact forin and at a diminished price. Arid, by Hit pro cess he will obtain more profits from them in one year,' than, he obtained during all the. years which have elapsed since, they respec tively appeared. i .. Were we asked why thore are fewer readers in England than in America, we would answer, First, because for one person who can read in “ the old country,*’ twenty persons can read among us. Thanks to our generally-diffused ahd well-grounded education, almost every American, male or female, can road. Hence, the Immense circulation,of our newspapers, as compared with newspapers in other countries. A second reason why we hare, more readers is Very practical—books are very cheap bore, very costly abroad; A book which sells for a’ dollar herb would cost from five to seven dol lars in London. Here, therefore, every person 6«yr books. In England most people who are not rich only hire them. Two-thirds of the Brat edition of- an English hook aro purchased by the circulating libraries,-which hire out the books at remunerating yearly subscriptions, or, to casual customers, at the rate of six to twelve cents a volume. Generally speaking,' the run of private book-buyers in England do not usually purchase a work whioh they intend to read only onco trom curiosity. 1 , What arocalied «trade sales,” among pub lishers, are held on both aldea of the water. In England, a publisher, who has several forth! coming works, invites the lending members of the trade to, dinner, (usually at the Albion tavern, in Aidersgato Street,)-and, after he ha? duly turtied and iced-punchedthetn, venisoned and champagned them, roast-beefed and ported them, plum-puddiuged and madeiraijd them, he hands around specimens of his books, ahd offers them at a certain discount under thetrodeprlcei , esiph .of his'guests ordering or “subscribing” (as. it is called) for as many copies as he may require. ,The copies on band of previously published books (called ‘'remainders”) are 'disposed of, at the same time, In like manneri Sometimes two or three publishers, not very largely iu business, unite in giving'the dinner! and, as tharway to John Bull’s heart is through the operation usually succeeds.] , Withus the matter is much the same, even down to, the dinners- The trade, sales takj> place -In the spring' and autumn of each year,' a regular auctioneer' officiating, and are yet limited, we believe, to Philadelphia and New York.' In the latter place the next salp trill commence bn September Bth, and that Useful and well-conducted journal, the Nop York Pohhthtre’ Circular, Informs us that “the catalogue Is one of the largest ever Issued, and includes the names of most of the, principal I publishers in the Union j the lots aro very li | total, offering favorable''opportunities to buyers, and several modifications, as suggested at a meeting held during the spring sole, have toon made in the regulations. An especially interesting and novel feature on the approach ing occasion will be the public display of spe cimen volumes, to which a majority of cori i tributors hare consented. In order that buyers | may hare abundant time and convenience I for ascertaining the particular description of books mentioned in the catalogue, it has been determined, lb accordance with a very general desire, to furnish sufficient accommodation in tho.sales-robm to exhibit at least 12,000 vo lumes, and from present indications this capa city will not be more than'sufficient.” -it odds: “It wilt be remembered that speci men volumes must include not only copies of each'separate work, but of each separate work In its different bindings.” At the Now York salej tiio Circular further, tells us, the, Phila delphia publishers figure as follows: 3. B. fitFPiscorr & Co. have entered throehundrtjd and sixty-ninelots, and will exhibit seven hun dred different specimen volumes; y. B. Pp tEbso* one hundred lots and six .hundred add eighty-four specimens. W. P. Hazard two hundred and flily-two and live hundred and twenty-one. E. H. Butler Sc Co., one hun dred and. ten lots, composed of one hundred and sixty volumes, In fine bindings. Jaspke Hahdino & Son, n lot of Bibles in seventy-five different styles in 4to, and Blakobabd & Lea, in Whoso contributions are as many atone hun dred and forty-four volumes of, standard medi cal works., To show the extent of the.deal ings, w.e have jto say that, at trade prices, the invoice,of Phillips, Sampson, & Co. amouqts to nearly $60,000. • "The forty-ninth• Philadelphia trade sale, (including * books, stationery, paper, blank books,, &c.,) wilt commence on Monday, September 21st, and the mere catalogue fills an Bvo. volume of "884 pages. It Includes bpoks offered fo,r sale, tothe trade,”, by one hundred and one, publishers, from varlohs parts of the Union—principally Philadelphia, Boston, and New' York—sod stationery from thirteen wholesale honseS. Making a rapid summary of this catalogue, we perceive that Philadelphia ‘sends .forty 'contributors to this sale; New York, thirty-nine; .Boston, fourteen) London, (in England,)-Hartford, .sardSalem, three each) Albany, two; while Louisville, (Ky.,) Springfield, Dayton, (Ohio,) ■New Haven, Baltimore, Hallowoll, ■Williams burg, - Lancaster, Reading, and Knoxville, (Tcim.,) respectively contribute one. The publishers who occupy the most space in the catalogue are the Appleton's, of New York) Bkilups, Sampson, 8c Co., of Boston) 3. B. LippiscoTT 8c Co., Leavitt, 8c Allen, Derby & Jackson, Hakpf.es, and STErsozg, and Town send, of New York; Goran 8c Lincoln, of Heston t aiid T. B. Peterson, If. P. Hazard, Paret Hc McMtitAii, Blanchard 8c Lea, and Lmpsav 8c Blaxibton, of this city. ' ' The sale will occupy several days, and the ’goods - disposed of will realize a very con •lderable amount indoed. ’When (he accounts shall bemadoup, we may be able to state the results,- ‘ ■ , '’■', Mom* at'Mjto; coshubtoham t ; Mr.' ( BkabV6»i>, the Surrogate, deeded yes terday, at NcwYork, that MiSf CusNisoHAH ms,not married to the (ate tUaycY Bo*P£M> and that, therefore* hi* property shall bo divided amonghis blood .relations. It would die carfdof to inquire how far.thfs decision hasbeen Ihflnenocd by Mrs.CbnnntairAk’s re. cent ''g&iiipt (With the ald c/ Dlttrict Attor ney ttati iad Dr. U«t) tbpaai Otronotber wacau’e child M Bimbtu’s Jeglftlßate helr. m*y jjSe'OUt ofthe Surro- Aiaa dditWiift]- A>»f«Artm>hto|i.-:t}iht Mrs. Cooi*iiLk*,la l»g»fiplirite i «prd<lad»d” * Mt B^urni.'*widowi the chfll could not, oo any pretence, obtain his pro petty, nor be In • position, ttpder any elreum staacea whatever, to claim it. JUDGE WIIiWbT’S SPEkCII. .We Jjaye taken flome.frou6le'-in‘ : ,ol)taiulng a SoTOographlo’jepoif taken of ftbe-iopeulug speech of Judge Wakor, tho Republican can didate far Governor;' delivered last evening at Jayne*s Hall,- and accordtbglyepread it before our readers this morning. Regarding it as Important that there should be ‘ no conceal ment in politics, and utterly putting out of sight the idea that the doctrines of our adversaries should he hidden from tho light of day, we having done by Judge Wilmot what we hope to bo able to do By »U men; that is, letting him. speak for himself, and after that, holding him strictly to the re cord. "We have said beforehand that the can didate of the Republicans was making a des perate contest; and his speech last evening convinces 11s that ho ibois himself that he is makidg a hopeless one. ’ Wo remember well when he did make a great speech j when his heart was in his subject; when he was inspired by the truth; and that was when he upheld the very doctrines, of which he is now the busy and the bitter detainer. To find him now, with all his considerable talents, waging war upon a man for his religiou, and fight- Ing the shadows of a diseased or dishonest apprehension— for- it is a disease or ■ a dis honesty to tell us that we are in danger of the slave porter in this country—ls what we never expected ,to behold iu ono. who has mode a boast of bis abhorrence, of deception and of falsehood. When he passed out of the ranks of the Demoeratic party, be it recollected, he did not go out as an Abolitionist, nor as a Whig. There was only one party he was in the habit of assailing more bitterly than the Abolitionists, and'these were the very Whigs Whose votes ho is how so earnestly asking. In'his speech last evening, Judge Wilmot tells ns that the Democratic State Committee have sought to evade the discussion of the slave question—indeed, have’decided that it shall not be talked about.' This is a sarry equivocation. The slave question—the Kan sas question—has been discussed, and decided against Hr. Wumot 'and his iilends. The bleeding wounds of Kansas ary hot only staunched, but stopped. All the Committee did was to refuse Mr.' Wumot the opportunity of re-opening these wounds, and of re-iighting the elements upon which he expects to ride Into power. Even while he Was speaking to his par tisans at Jayne's Hall, he knew that tho next Governor of Pennsylvania, General Packer, was speaking at York, and taking tho bold, brood. Democratic ground, that the majority ol the people of Kansas, as well as the ma jority of the people of this State, should rule! Tho “labor” portion of Judge Wil mot’s argument Is a good deal like the story told of tho showman who had a wax figure cast of Baron Trench:, tho celebrated prison-breaker, but afterwards made it represent in succession, Bolivar, Santa Anna, General Jackson, and finally General Tavlor. The very same declaration, that.this country is controlled by the slave holders of the South, Mr. Wilhot has made against the iron masters of Pennsylvania, and the manufacturers whom he assailed while ad vocating tho tariff of 1846. Then, the iron masters and manufacturers were tho great aris tocracy of tho land—then thoy were tho barons and bounty-mongers—now it' is tho slave holders! Tbo origiuality of tho idea almost surpasses the eloquence of tho orator. Judge Wilmot is restive under tho name of an Abolitionist. He’denies that ho desires to disturb tho institutions of the South, and defies any man to prove that ho is anything but a Statos-rightu man. Wo answer him out of his own mouth, and in his own speech of last night. Wo point.this community to his abuso, his ridiculo of the South, and of its people;’and then ask how this calumny and ribaldry compare with tho daring assertion that he is a Statcs-rlghts man, and not op posed to the peace'of the Union ! He is an agitator—n'eltliermoro nor less—andhis speech of last evening proves him to be so. Garri son himself could say as much with as decent an approach to tho truth., The ghost of the Wilmot Proviso is intro duced with very poor discretion, as if to furnish another proof of his States-rights sincerity. That Proviso did more to disturb the country, and to alionato the different States, .North and South, one from tho other, than anymeasure that, ever was introduced in Congress, apart from the geographical party of last year. It was the cause of tho loss of thousands of lives in our war with Mexico, by wjUbliy delaying appro priations for onr troops, and it cost the coun try millions of dollars, It did not give us an inch, of free territory—not a rood. Oregon was free by the laws of Nature beforehand,and that Territory would pot have boon organized when it was if President Polk bad not re garded the Proviso as an absurdity, and signed the bill. How many votes will Mr. Wilmot obtain upon such a record 1 His rehearsal of this Wilmot-Proviso story, which ho has told to Bradford audiencos until it has become as familiar as his old free-trade spoeeb, shows the paucity of tho materiel upon which he trades. Judge Wilhot’s allusion to General Cass is most unfortunate. He was in the Convention which nominated General Cass in 1848, and pledged himself to support him for President. This was after the Proviso—and yet, with this pledge in his mouth, lie wont hmno to Brad ford, and showed Ids sense of tho wrong he was doing by stealthily coming forward for another candidate at the very last hour. This is notorious history. , The assault on the Supreme Court is char acteristic. The man giving utterance to this tirade against that high and sacred tribunal has himself been a judge on the bench; and yet, even from that elevated post, has not hesitated to thunder his decrees to his parti sans. Now he comes forward, and in this con servative city, in the midst of a population devoted to law and to order, takes issue with the Supreme Court of the land, and delibe rately tries to bring it Into contempt! What more, after this, could ho do to en title himself to reprobation and contempt? How completely this example harmonizes with tho revolutionary courses of those men who have acted with him, and .who, only one year ago, sought to pull down" the whole fabric of our Union ? And this is tho man who says he is for the rights of tho States 1 The man who tells you that the judgments of your Supremo Court are not binding or worthy of respect, asks for your votes, and tells you that ho is tho friend of harmony among the people I On tho Kansas question Judge Wilkot shows his hand oponly. Ho don’t want peaco thoro. Ho is sure, Hums. will bo no peace. There will bo no settlement. Peace inKansas wHI bo tho death of him. Such men as Judge Wiimot only exist upon war and violence, and Governor Walker must be hung, drawn, and quartered for acting fairly in tho election of delegates and in submitting the Constitution to tho people. Tho speaker’s silence on the will of the majority in Kansas was significant. With somo remarks about Americanism, he come to a close, and his audience dis persed. Such Is a midnight glance at this somewhat extraordinary speech of tho Republican candi date for Governor. Q3r~ Wo fake pleasure in catling the atten. tlon of the msmufacturera, artists, &c., of our city to the advertisement of tho "Maryland Institute for the promotion of the mechanic arts,” to bfe found in another column of this publication. That excellent institution will open its annual exhibition In the city of Balti. more, in its beautlftil and.spacious hail, on the 29th September proximo, and will continue for four weeks: Inasmuch as the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia will not hold a fair this year, that of the Maryland Institute will afford our me chanics, &c., a fair field for competition in the display of their useful and beaufffbi handiwork. We learn that at the exhibition held at Baltimore last year, aeveral gold and silver medals were awardod to the manufacturers of Philadelphia far the surpassing excellence of their produc tions, and that her felr daughters were also awarded the highest premiums for superior needle-work. . ,We coainend this matter to our industrial population, both because of the benefit which must inure in a compensating way, and of the noble end accomplished in promoting tho highest degree of excellence in American pro ductions. 1 . amuskment*. , .AqA»Rkr or. Musio.—ln a few days, the, vo oal and instrument*! performers of the Promenade Oonoerta must-, T»»t» this temple of; the lyrie mate, to make way for the Grand Ballet Taupe now en rputf from Europe, Wl* thel? beantlful representation* . the forthcoming mason of fhe .Academy wilt be inaugurated.. . f ... We recommend the pnblio, while they may,’ to avail themselves of the few remaining evenings of tb« Conoeitt, THE TRESS.—PHILADELPIIIA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1857. correspondence. FROM WASHINGTON. [CoiTesjttodence of The Press.) WAftHiKSTOK, August 23,1857. The seeoohte ftosk Htofttogua and Central Ame rica, wbfoh are touting nbOut in this city, are con* fllctiog in almoat every respect; who to acknow ledge, or which story to reeoivo as tho truo ono, seems to be the embarrassing question presented to the Administration. Captain Canty makes his appearance on the stige ;as the organ of Webs tor And his associates, and with pretensions to the po rtion of representative to this Government from Nioaragua To nieet and combat bis efforts, are Senor Iriasari, the Guatemallan Minister, who very modestly puts himsolf forward as the Nicaraguan Minister too, and the parties interested in the Old Ship Company. My Information just received from Monagua, in the interior of Nicaragua, and where the dictators, Martinez and Jeres, hold their Go* vernmont, is adverse to the report that Webster and company have had granted to them a charter for a new Ship Company. Ou the contrary, Mar.' tinea and Jeres, over their own names, have pub lished to the world that their grant has been to tho Old Ship Company, and to nobody else. However, it matters not to whom the grant has been given, for civil war begins to threaten. Mar tinez is the loader of the LeonisUv, and Jeres of the Chaxnorista faction. Embittered dislikes are growing each day more apparent between them, and already serious difficulties have occarred be tween their adherents. Chilton, the liberal, in creases in popularity, and can, I am credibly in formed, muster a force of six hundred men when required. Martinez and Jeres not only refuse to aqoede to the wishes of Webster and company, but they also, in order to gain favor with their own followers, rojeob the clAims set up by Costa Rica. The latter State has secured nothing for her sacrifices in the war, unless England, by private arrangement, bos paid the war debt she incurred; yet if GhiUon Is joined by Walker, which I prophecy will be the case be fore the next frost, she will again cause the tocain, of war to resound through the neighboring States, of Honduras, Uautetaala, and Son Salvador, pressed on by British influence, and aided by British gold.j I am no filibuster in theory or practice, sod don’t know that X have any sympathy with the instltu-. tion. Nevertheless, the fact is not to be disguised! that a moiety, at least, of tho Nicaraguan people, 1 from every account, prefer Walker's, or rather.’thq American rule, to that of general this or that/ whether of their own raising or imported from thq .mongrel population of the adjacent States. I don't know whether It has ever been stated, but in looking over an old book I loarn the fact that the English claim with reference to Honduras has been denied by one of tho first English statesmen. Edmund Burke, in his history of the treaty defining the English privileges in. Honduras, written at the time and published in the Annual Register of 1762, says: * 1 Spain consented not to disturb the English in their occupation of cutting logwood, and permit them to occupy suoh buildings as may be necessary to thorn in this occupation. Great Britain on her side stipulated to destroy tho fortifications which hod been erected on that bay. By this artiolo the English acquired a solid right in this long-contostod trade, but soemod, at tho same time, to lose all tho moans of proteoting it. The right wo claimed wcS not a right to tho territory, hut only a privilege of cutting and tailing away this wood by indulgence . To have insisted on tho right of erecting fortifica tions would hBve boon making the strongest claim to an absolute, direct, and oxolusive dominion over tho territory itself, a point to which 1 do not find that our most extensive,claims have ever Seen carried Montgomery Martin, the historian of the British Colonial Possessions, must, I think, so far as au thority goos, give place to Burke on this subject. X. Y. [For The Press.] the post office The sot of 36th January, 1857, Pam. Laws, p. 5, grants the oonsent of the Commonwealth “ to the purchase by the United States of America, from the President and Directors and Company of the Bank of Pennsylvania, of tho lot of ground and banking-house thereon erected, with the appurte nanoos, situate on the wost side of Seoond street, ex tending westward to Book street, bounded on the north by Lodge street, and on tho south by Gold street, in the city of Philadelphia, jor the purpose of a post office.” . If the deod from the bank to the United States complies with this act of Assembly, it must contaih the limitation u for the purpose of a post office” and ibis would seem J mit tbo property to such use until the Legislature removes the restriction. < T. D. i A Defaulter Arrested on a Charge of Robbery!. {From the OblcAgo Democrat, August 20.) ] Our readers will recollect the Merchants' and Mechanics’l3asik of this city, of which Dr. L. B. Booue was president, and Stephen Bronson, Jr;, cashier; the directors being composed of , some of the mostprominefltmen in our oitv, such as Hon. James H. Woodworth, late member of Congress frohei this district, si e * Esq'.,’ produce mer chant, and a number of others. .The bank dm, 1 business In the very hasdsttue mar bid front build ing on Clark street, whlchwas built by Dr. Boone; next door to tho banking house of Messrs. George Smith A Co. ] The bank failed In November, 1854, but was re suscitated again under the immediate direction <Jf Mr. Woodworth, who worked faithfully to arrange the business of the institution and pay all its lia bilities. It was finally wound up, and did not re sume business again. •' Stephen Bronson, Jr., was the first cashier of the bank. Ho had previously been in the banking business wlthH. A. Tucker, Esq., of thlsoity, ana possessed the full oonfidenco of the direoiors of the new institution Into whiohhe went, and, in reality, was intrusted with almost the entire management of the business. Banking men and others, how ever, .with whom Mr. Bronson had dealings, sodo detected certain littlo weaknesses in him which made them cautious in their business transactions with him; and longbeforo the denouement of tho present affair, they were suspioious that all was not quite right, and guarded themselves accord “ft; far and to what extent Mr. Bronson “feath ered his nest,” previous to the present affair, we know not, but soon after the failure of tho bank a very large deficit in tbo assets was discovered, which it was impossible to account for. ; In order to explain how the defiolt originated, Uls necessary to state, that connected with the Mer chants’ and Mechanics 1 Bank was the Cherokee Insurance Company of Georgia, which was in reality owned by the bank here, the notg s being issued and redeemed at a discount over the counter of the Merchants' and Mechanics'/ 'When the lat ter bank failed, and after Mr. Bronson hod retired from the coshiership and left the concern alto gether, it is charged that he took from the safe of tho bank notes of the Cherokee Insurance Com pany to the value of $52,000. The alleged larceny was not discovered until the Merchants' and Me chanics’ Bank commenced business again, and this large amount of bills began to como home for re demption. This again caused embarrassment to the bank, and no doubt prevented its being suc cessfully resuscitated. In Addition to this amount, Mr. Bronßon is re ported to have appropriated to his own use * sum of $23,000, in the notes of the Bandy Hill Bank, Maine, another institution, the charter of which he had negotiated the purchase of, and which was' owned by the parties who were interested in the Merchants and Mechanics' Bank of this city. This appropriation was not discovered till subsequently to the other, and caused still greater embarrass ment to tho directors and managers of tho Mer chants and Mechanics' Bank. In fact, we loarn that Mr. Brouson's conduct has proved financially ruinous to ono, at least, of tho directors of the bank, n gentleman who in truly high-minded and honorable, and who. soonor than that his good name should bo tarnished, stripped himself of his property to repair tho wrong and injury done to the depositors and other creditors of tho bank. : The whole amount of Mr. Bronson’s alleged larcenies are thus $76,000. Of this sum he was mode to disgorge, some timo since, to tho amount of $41,000, still leaving $34,000 of whioh he de tains possession. Since his operations with the batik, Mr Bronson wont into the hardware business in this city, but gavo it up shortly after the discovery of his trans actions with tho bank. Ho afterwards retired to Minnesota, whore ho has been carrying on the lumber business on tho Mississippi river, opposite, Bt. Paul, whore he has an oxtensivo saw mill in full operation. He was arrested at that place a few days slnoe, by Officer Williams, of Messrs. Bradley A Co.'s detective police, and taken across to Wisconsin. There he attempted to elude his cantors by employing a lawyer to get out a writ of habeas corpus. This would not work, however, as the document upon whioh he was arrested was a requisition from Governor Blsscll, of this Stale, on a charge of grand larceny. Tho officer threat ened to place the irons upon him, when he said if he was taken like a gentleman he would go along quietly. Bronson was a member of good standing of one of tho leading ohurohes in this city, ana of the same denomination as most of the directors of the bank; yet it did not appear to infiuenoe hirti lathe lonsb in his career of trfokory and fraud. He is a * wily fellow, and it is said that on his way down the < Mississippi ho showed it In his method of playlhg i cards with parties on board. It was impossible to 1 get on the weather side of him. He was up to all . the tricks and changes of the game, and oould , cheat tho eye-teeth out of the Mississippi boys. Mr. Bronson arrived in the city ofi Wednesday ' evening, in charge of Mr. Williams. He was to , have been examined befero Justice Jltitiken yes terday, but the examination did not take place. [From the Wheeling (V*.) lotelllgencer, 22d lost.) Three Men Killed Lightning—Suicide for We learn from a gentleman just arrived from Marshall county, that on Monday lost tbo barn of Mr. Wm. Henry, on Fish Greek Hills, near Belton, was ftrook by lightning. Three men were killed, acdthe bam audits content* totally destroyed. The men wore engaged In threshing with a m*. oblne inside the barn when the electric fluid struck the cylinder of the thresher. John Neely and Jo* seph Young wen instantly killed. * There were some half dozen persons in the bam at the time, among them Mr. Henry himself, whose injurlos by the shock have since resulted in his death. Th& unlooked-for accident, which deprives the commu nity of three of its best citizens, has east a gloom over the whole neighborhood. We are reliably Informed that on Monday last a young girl, namod Earlwino, whoso father resides on Fish Creek Hills, in Marshall county, committed suicide by hanging. The cause of .this carrying out of a desperate resolve is .disappointment in love. She obtained permission to, go to a clearing near her rather 1 ! house to gather hark for kindling wood, tad was observed to take *wpe with her. She remained out longer than was her/ eastern. and seateh being instituted, the unforta&st? wm found gospepded to a Umb of a tree, UfeW Miss Earl wine wm about eighteen years ofegd The super* stitious people in the neighborhood wthldnot allow her to be buried in the ohurob-yara, and her r* mains were appropriately Interred at the crojs roads, in aeeoraange with a heathenish oustom and an obsolete Uw. Philadelphia, Aug. 24,1857. NEWS BY TELEGRAPH. FROM WABJUNOTON. (MMUIi PSWIIOS TO i®» WSB.J WashmotoN, Ang. 2i,1857 Wk. T. PsflUW, Ueq., bu not yet been removed from tho Sixth Audltorihlp. The change will take placo in a few days, I have no question, and some gentleman from Virginia, probably Dr. Tits, will be appointed to the vacancy. There has been exhibited, for some time past, consi derable Insubordination jp the bureau of the Sixth Audi tor, and whon the succession is inaugurated, I am in dined to believe there will be many removals. It is certain that the Secretary of the Treasury is determined to quench the spirit of insubordination which haa'so often manifested itself there, by the removal of all, if necessary, down oven to the messengers and laborers. It behooves the parties Interested, then, to look carefully to the record they are making. Judge Black left town for Berkeley Springs on Satur day evening fast, with the inton tion of remaining there fora week. Secretary Thompson has gone to New York. Mosss Kkllt, Esq-, chief clerk, is acting Secretary. Many members of Congress just elected have, within thelaatdayor two, called upon the President to con gratulate him on the general approval his Administra tion meets with in the South and Southwest. The Secretary of the Interior presented the following case'to the Attorney General: A person filing a caveat and paying $2O, demands, in one cose, the return of $lO, aad others, on paying an additional $lO, making $3O in the whole, and without doing any other act, demands a return of $2O. The question Is, Whether the Com 'mlariofcer of Patents is authorized to refund the amount claimed In either case. Judge Black recapitulates the points of his decision In these words: 1. The payment of a duty upon a patent or caveat to the credit of the Treasury la not a pledge or deposit of the inouey, but on absolute and unconditional payment. 2^Xf v the patentee or caveator afterwards demands the money to be repaid to him, he must show that his do maud for It is founded in some law, within whose terms he can bring his case distinctly and clearly, 8. There is but one provision in the act of July 4th, 1838, authorising a duty once paid to be refunded, ana that provision la found In tho third sentence of tho 7th section. ..4, That sentence authorizes twenty dollars to be re tulftSd, not to a edveator. il6r to one who has made “an Incomplete application,’’ but to a person who lias taado an application, which is perfect enough to be examined, and which, In point of fact,'has been examined and re jected, . 6. 7i follows that a party who merely ales a caveat, payfag the legal duty 6f twenty dollars, cannot with .draw the caveat and demand a return of ten dollars. Some tlipe since agent John Mokrooxsav drove en croaching whites from the Raw half-breed lands in •Kansas.’Several squatters’ houses were burned. In dlefenent* for arson were sued out against him in 1855, fnd.Jtoferen review of the case the Attorney-General direct* that snollt prosequi be entered. uso. W. L. KtnWBLL,or Virginia, has been appointed to s. firet-tiaas clerkship In the office of the Secretary of tfrfffoasurj, vice Ouas. F. M. Kidwsll, deceased. Mr. Meek, of Pennsylvania, declines the appointment of superintendent of Indian affaire In Utah. The remaining portion of the Choctaw orphan trust lands are to bs offered for sale to the highest bidder. Sealed proposals are to be- received by the land officers In Mississippi till the first of November. .The Attorney General has ordered a nolle prosequi in the case of the agent Montgomery, who removed squatters from the Indian coast lands, and destroyed their habitations in Kansas. Tho Southern mall brings no New Orleans papers. Tflp papers received from intermediate points furnish no news of importance. [SPCCUt.] Hon. W, F. Packer at York. York, Aug. 24.—Gen. Backer, the Democratic can didate for Governor, spoke here this evening to an im mense audience, at the usual Democratic county meet ing. He waa in fine he&Uh and spirits, looked exceed ingly well, and spoke with great ability. Hundreds of men who voted for Fremont last year will rally to the standard of the three P.’s—' 1 Packer, Poansylrams, and Peace." . FURTHER FROM EUROPE. ARRIVAL «f the CITY OF WASHINGTON. IMPROVEMENT IN SUBMARINE TELE GRAPH STOCK. PROPOSED VISIT OP QUEEN VICTORIA TO PH A SHE. MURDOCH, THE TRACKMAN, A PASSE NO M. Nkw York, August 24. The screw steamship City of Washington, Captain Petrie, arrived at this port at five o’clock this alter noon, with Liverpool advices to tbo 12th Inst. Her dates are no later than the Anglo-Saxon’s, but further intelligence is furnished. The City of Washington brings one hundred and twenty-fivo passengers, including Murdoch, the tra gedian. The papeta furnished for tho press were received too late to he sent South by tho evening trains. Nothing farther In reference to the submarine cable expedition is furnished. The shares of stock had im proved from £l2O discount to £3O. It was ansounced that Queen Victoria will probably visit the Trench camp at Chalons. The ateamsrsOltyof Manchester, of the Liverpool and Now York anl Philadelphia Steamship Company’s line, (2,100 tons birden,) and the Queen of the South, of the European and American Steam Bhipping Company’s line, (£,220 tons,) together with the clipper Lightning, have been chartered to convey troops to India. Definite intelligence of a rupture between Sardinia and Naples was expected at London. Lettenj received from Oporto state there will be little or no wine produced this season, and prices had ad vanced coftaiderably. The* “ Tournament" won the Sussex county race, -Whioh on the nth Inst., at Lowes. Tqe ‘Americas hprsft, Lecomte and Prioress, who were an nounced as competitors, did not run. ARRIVAL OF THE NORTH STAR. Possibility ol a 10,000,000 Loan.-»The Close ©I PnrH«nXent.»-f*rlores* Fourth, in. the Sue* sex County Race* York, August 34.—The mall steamer North Star, from Southampton, with London papers of the 12th Inst., arrivod here to-night. ft was thought probable at London that tho session of Parliament, would close on the 23d Inst. The American horse Prioress ran for the Sussex county Cup, at the race which took place at Lowes on the 11th, and came in fourth. The London Tims' City Article of tho 12th says: “Funds showsu increasing heaviness. The possibility of a loan of £10,000,000 sterling being required to be raised by the Home Government for the Bast India Cou - psmy was ths chief apprehension which weighed on the stock and money markets. Tho question, however, is not so itnai&ent as to cttu»e a serious depression for the moment.” MARINE INTELLIGENCE. The North Star passed the steamer Ifarmonla off Stilly. | FROM MINNESOTA. The Constitutional Convention-Application •< ‘‘Lynch Law”—The Crops. St. Paul, August 21, via Poscqui, 24th.—The Con stitutional Convention progresses slowly. Some points of difference bare bees harmonized, while upon others mote prominent, such as the apportionment, universal .suffrage; etc., it U thought the delegates will fall to flgrfe. Tho Republican members are iu favor of but one Constitution, while the Democrats are bent ou the submission of both, as best subserving the Interests of the people. The Convention will probably agree to-day upon the submission of both. Three half-breeds, who kilted a German near Gull Lake, last week, were forcibly taken from the sheriff, nstf Little Falls, and hanged to a tree. Tho crops of Minnesota, notwithstanding tho grass hoppers, were never in a better condition than duriug tbo presect year. Suspension oi the Ohio Life and Trust Co. New York, August 24 The Ohio Life and Trusl Company haa suspended. Yarious rumors are in circu lation, and great ©xtitoment prevails among those in terested. The National Agricultural Fair* LauigfjtLK, August 24.—The arrangements for the National Agricultural Fair, which Is to he held at this placo next week, are nearly complete. Contributions of stock and implements are arriving from all sections of tho country. Hon. franklin X’iorcc, John C. Breckinridge, John A. King, and Robert C. Wickllffe, Lord Napier, and others, have accepted invitations to be present. Health of New Orleans. Nbw 08L8438, August 26.—Tho health of tho city continues good. Only ninety-seven deaths occurred dorlpg the past week. Submarine Telegraph Fleet, i IVisiftxaiox, August 24.—The following message baa beeuyecelred from John Kendall, esq., superintendent of tbs Southern lino: Moktgomkry, Ala., Aug. 24. The announcement of the arrival of the Submarine Telegraph Fleet may be seat gratuitously to ail stations ou the Magnetic Telegraph (Morse’s) Line. Failure el m Rochester (N. Y.) Banking House* RoqbSstkr, New York, August 24.—Messrs. Brewster k, Co,, private bankers, havo failed, owing to advances madeAo tho firm of Ely As Co., which failed some days sines. 1 ' Their liabilities are not large. marine intelligence* The City of'Washington reportshaving passed, on the 2Qthinst.,lat. 47 deg. lon. 61 deg., ship Forest Queen, bound West. On the 23d, lat.. 40 deg. lon. 63 degrees, steamer Fulton, from Now York, for Havre, and at the same time the ship Ashburton, from Liverpool, for New York: Rlarkets. NbwOelbsns, Augustat.—Cotton. SaleaofWObale* to-day, at for middling. Flour continues with • declining tendency; prices $6 BTe|6. Red and mixed Wheat quoted at $l. Mixed Coro at 80c. Oats dull at 48c. Mesa Pork buoyant at $26 60. Qa* Explosion* — Davy*a Lamp .—Wo recom mended recently, upoh the authority of a scien tific gentleman of Baltimore, the use ofSix Humphry Davy’a safety lamp in all confined places of leak age of common inflammable gas. We are told, however, that the only “Safety Lamps” now made are for the use of miners, do., and arc too heavy and expensive for ordinary use. The “safety” of Sir Humphry’s lamp consists merely in the envelopement of the flame in a gauze wire cap of some two to threo inches in diameter. These could be made and applied to tbo common house lamp, we apprehend, at very little coat. Will not soine of our enterprising lamp-makers or gas* fitters get them up '* The general use of gas, and the frequent aooldents that arise from Its explo sions, require that safety lamps should be kept wherever it Is used, aud that they should be used wherever gas eaoapes. [For the Ftfse.l . 3 Political Notices. As the time has Marly arrived when oar politi cal meetings are to be held, the delegates in each precinct of the respective wards should have no tices ntfhiished of toe meetings to be held on Mon day, August 3Ut, at 74 o’cloofc, to elect Judges and Inspectors, who are to conduct the eleotiogs to be held on Monday, September 7th, at 74 d’etook. The rules require that public notice should b? giv* en of the time and place of meeting. SPEECH OF JUDGE WILMOT. The Wilmat Pro viso — Slavery—Southern Am tocracy—Outrages in Kansas-'Americanism, and all things pertaining thereto,except the lat- ter , discussed fully. Jayne’s Hall was woll filled last night by those curious to loarn tho views of Mr. Wilmot, the Re publican candidate for Governor, on the political topics of tho day. Beck’s band was in attendance, and eulivenod tho proceedings with several beau tiful airs. At precisely 8 o’clock the Hon. David Wilhot, a stout, portly gentleman, dressed in black, with a travelling shawl thrown carelessly u V « r aruJ ’ was up the ma * n altio of tho hall by Gborgb Rush Smith, a well-known Harrisburg statesman, and Louis Blanche, a well known Harrisburg letter writer, all appearing happy in each other’s company The meeting was orgazmed'by the appointmentof Alex. H. Freeman, Esq., chairman, with a large number of assistants as vice-presidents. Mr, w ilmot was introduced by ex-Mayor Gilpin, and spoke as follows: 1 Fellow-citIZEHr : I appear before you to-night, conscious that I snail not t> e able to meet the ex pectations of this large and Intelligent nudience, and I therefore invoke your indulgence and your kindest oh&rity In the unpremeditated remarks which I shall make. In the first place, there should bo & full understanding between us as to the relations wo bear towards each other. lam a stranger before you I have sot tho honor of knowing one In a thousand of vour popu lation. It would be impertinent, therefore, in me to appeal to you for your votes. I have no claims whatever upon you. I bavo been placed before you by a portion of tho people of the State as the representative of a principle, and those who bavo placed me in that position regard that princi ple as of vital importance to the well-being of our common oountry. If, upon a careful examination of the principle involved, and of whioh I stand as (ho representative, It shall be found that that principle is essential to the preservation of public liberty—to the individual well-being and Happi ness of the Amerioan people—then I have a right to Invoke your most earnest aid in behalf of that principle and the candidate who stands before you. It, in short, you see in the principle which is put forth and is represented by myself, that which Is vital to your own interests—a principle upon which the renose and highest interests of yourselves and your ohildren depend—then in standing by me you stand by yourselves, and it is in this view alone that I appear before you. I invoke no man’s suffrage unless he believes in his heart that by supporting me he supports his own highest interests. We are told by a portion of the people—indeed, by tho dominant party, through their leading men—that we have no right to discuss this question of slavery. In the vronunciamiento put forth recently by the committee of the self-styled Demo cratic party, assigning reasons why their candidate should not meet mo in discussion, they declared that it waa improper lor the people of Pennsylva nia to listen to a discussion of this question, and assumed the right to dictate what the people should hear and wbat they should- not hear. They assumed this] great function, and, for aught I know, they may assume hereafter the right ' of selecting for you the hooks you shall read. I maintain there is no question that is not open for discussion in this country, and that it is impossible to closedlsoussion on this question of slavery. They mightas well attempt to arrest the sun Hits course. By the law of nature, every man. so long as he is free, will resist wrong and aggression. We read of a vain and presumptuous prince who ordered hisoren tures to carry him upon tho sea shore and there com; manded the tides to recede and go b&ok from his au gußt person, and this committee might as well try to do the same as to stop thought and discussion upon a question which so nearly affects the interests of the American people as this question of slavery. It is no abstract question. It is not merely a question of right and wrong—a quostion of morals, although it lays at the very founda tion of morals and publio virtue—it is a ques tion of most practical interest. It comes home to the business and bosoms of every man in this country. Suoh is the character of the ques tion of slavery as presented to-day in our Govern ment. Why, it Is a question of political power, and is not that a praotical question for the Ameri can people? It 1b a question as to who shall control tho Government of this Republic, and shape its policy. Shall this great inter est of slavery control it? Shall it be con- trolled by a few hundred thousand men who chance to he the owners of this species of property? or shall it be controlled by millions of freemen? That is tho question! I think it is a practical question, and that it comes homo to you and your children. Indeed, it comes nearer than I have yet shown. It U a question between two conflicting systems of labor— whother labor shall maintain an honorable position in this country, or whothor it shall sink into degradation and dishonor. Is there any morbid, sickly sentimentality about such a question ? It is a question of civ ilization or of barbarism—-whether the glorious standard which surrounds us shall be carried on ward over the fertile fiolds of oar territories, or whether that civilization shall stop, and a species of barbarism take possession of the lands—whether civilization,foundeduponprinclplesof right and jus tice, and public order, in which toe mild and whole somo law is made the arbitrator of men’s right, shall prevail, or whether that civilization, in whioh the nowie-knife and the revolvers are the arbitrators, shall turn the rights of men, and settle controversies and disputes—whether great national questions are to bo discussed and decided inyonr halls of Congress upon principles of reason and right—whether the bludgeon is to determine them there. I pro ceed to disouss this question, then, as a prao tical homo question. Permit mo here, fellow-citi ions, to repel the slanderous assaults that are conti nually mado upon me through the columns of a venal, subsidized press; for I toll you the slave power poisons all the channels of publio opinion, and tho press of the self-styled Democracy (they have no olsim to the name) abandoned every prin ciple that characterized its early history, and gave it position and recognition in this country, and is under the pay of the Administration for defending the,oause of slrve labor, and resisting tho cause or free white labor-tbat press is continually seeking to cast odium upou rne by representing me as one wod oed to theories and Ahitraotirieas or an impractica ble character, which, if they could bo carried, out, would be subversive of our institutions. They say that I am a ranting Abolitionist; that I desire to makewaropon the institutions of the land; that I sock to overturn the institutions established In our sister States. Now, I pronounce this a gross and unfounded slander upon my character and principles. I defy any man to point to any act In my life, or any declaration that I ever mode—and Ibave talked much upon this question —for there is a respectable sixed volume of my print ed speeches and letters on the slavery question, which, under the most violent construction, will warrant such a charge. lam a State-rights man— one of the old Jeffersonian school—upon that ques tion. I hold that we have no power under the Constitution to meddle with the question of slavery in the States. I hold that slavery rests en tirely upon local State laws, and that wo have no more right, by any action of ours in Congress, to affeot the institutions of slavery in Virginia th&n the Virginians have to affeot the institutions of Pennsylvania. It is a different question whon we como to slarory In theTerfitories. We have aa good a right to be heard there as they have. Wo havo a common property In our common inberitnnoo, and are to be governed by the general Legislature or Congress of tho Union, and in that body we have a right to have our voice hoard in determining the character of the govern ment whioh should be imposed upon them. At the risk of appearing egotistical, indulge me in a brief history of this thing known as the Wilmot Proviso. I desire to present It to you as a full and perfect explanation of my position on the question of slavery, and also for the purpose of showing you the shameful departure from principle whioh nas cha racterized the action of the Democratic party within the last eight or ton years. They are the most shame ful and profligate abandonment, of principle that ever characterized a party under Heaven. You will recollect that, In laid, we were engaged in a war with Mexico. The President seut a message to Congress asking that body to put at his disposal two million* of dollars to enable him to negotiate a peace with Mexico. Tt was apparent, from the prostrate and conquered condition of Mexico, that it was not for the purpose of purchasing a humili ating peace with her, but that the monoy_ was wanted as the first instalment in the acquisition of territory. Upon consultation with fnonds in Congress, who mostly belonged to the party of which I was then & member, I doth named when the bill came up, which, by the by, was on tho last day of the session, to offor an amendment, providing as a fundamental condi tion to tho use of the money appropriated, that noithor slavery nor involuntary servitude should evor exist upon territory acquired in virtue of tho appropriation. That has now grown into treason, do you understand? and to-day J would bo afraid, if I attempted this, that I would bo tried upon a charge of treason, because when you come to constructive treason you can make treason out of almost anything, Thoy did so in Lancaster and Kansas, and they would do so in Philadelphia to day, for the same cause, if they had the power to do it How do you suppose this nefarious proposition was mot by your representatives in Congress? Why, every man from the free States, with the exooption of two, Douglas andMoCler uand >4 of Illinois, voted for it. Tho slave power had not then contrived and vm not threatening destruction to every public man who stood in the way of its demands. On the day of tho final ad journment, and half an hour beforo that time, the proposition was taken up in the Senate, and John Davis, of Massachusetts, took the floor, and desiring perhaps to defeat the appropriation and embarrass the Administration who had got into the war, aud might, as be thought, get out of it the best way they could; he‘talked until the hour of ad journment, so that no vote could be taken. But I have the authority ot General Cass for saying, that if ho had pormitted a vote to bo taken, tbo amend ment would have reoeived the vote of every northern Senator, together with the votes oftho Senators from Delawaro, and I know this, that General Cass, in tho Senate cham ber, and in pointed terms, rebuked Mr- Davis for the course he had pursued, telling him that he had been instrumental in tho defeat of one of the moat important measures ever brought before Cougroaa; and ho declared to, me that it was ground from which no nrothern man could recede, and no man ought if he could. See how this Simon Puro Domoorat was entrapped. In 1847 this question was considerably agitated throughout the oouniry, so muoh bo, that Pennsylvania foil called upon through her Legislature to pronounoe her voice upon it, and in a series of resolutions in structed her Senators and requested her members of Congress to stand by then Ilmot Proviso. Every man in the House, on a full y ote of over ninety, voted for it, and in the Benato it would have been passed unanimously had not Senator Bigler request ed the yeas and nays, in order that he might put himself upon tho recant in favor of the Proviso. About thii time the slave Interests combined, and threatened destruction to over? public, man who favo-ed this principle. In 18$8 a President was to be efeoted, and General Cass wasp prominont can didate for the nomination. It was a great campaign. On one side was the Sonth, de claring that she would support no man who was in favor of this principle; and on the other was tho North, who demanded an endorsement of it as a test of orthodoxy. It was in this emer gency that General Cass sat down and read the Constitution again, and hit upon the fortunate dodge, in his Nicholson lottor, of the dootrlno of sauattor sovereignty, which, I affirm; had never before been heard of in this country. This doctrine, which originated in tho necessities of a Presidential candidate, has now become the great constitutional law of tho country. Per mit me to say hero, that this doctrine of squat ter sovereignty never did reoelve the endorsement of the Democracy of tho South. I defy any of the leaden of the Northern Democracy to find such an endorsement. It mu denounced the very mo ment tt came Into Congress by the leading men of the South •as a humbug. They said, if we are to bo legislated out of the Territories, let it bo done decently; lot Congress do it. We have a precedent for that; hut the idea that the Territories, acquired from Kexlco.are to be held by the Mexicans, Indians,and a mongrel race, and we voted out of them, under this of pcpular'flovereignty, is more than i we bargained for; ? ' - Mr.Wilmat continued In this strain for sozue ! tuuc/and then camefto Bred Scott decision, : he expressed';the following singular views; “ The third dodge to get rid of the Proviso was , to declare it unconstitutional, which the/ on!/ , discovered some three or four years after, and which it took the Supreme Court several years more to ascertain, and which they only lately ex pressed iu the Bred Scott case. This dodsiop was what you might have expected—it wag the legitimate fruits of the' triumph of wn'or in the late election. Why, ail his. ory proves, a that whenever aq unsound .princt plo is recognised and upheld in politics, the judiciary will adopt and sustain it; and I woul d risk my life on it.* that if X held the power of this Government for five years, 1 would make the Supreme Court reverse its decision and give judg ment the other way. Understand me; I bow to the decision of the court, and say, as a citiien, let Bred Scott go back to slavery, but no tribunal under He&ven can control my conscience or judgment. ” Mr- Wilmot, after enlarging considerably upon tho probability of the Supreme Court reversing their decision in the Dred Scottcase, at Kane future day, because all courts, particularly those of Penn sylvania, were in the habit of doing so, proceeded to discuss slavery in connection with white labor, and show that It humiliated and degraded it. From this he fused to Kansas, and charged the Democratic press throaghoot the country with con cealiog the real state of affaire there. The eon otttoix of affairs In Kansas was much worse than had been represented. The Missourians, armed and accoutred, had crossed over into Kansas, and at the point of the bowie knife and month of the revolver had set the laws at defiance, robbed the settlers of their rights, plundered them of their property, and violated their wives and daughters, it was now said that quiet was restored in Kansas, that the disorders bad been corrected, and that under Governor Walker a fair expression of tbc popular will would be had. He knew better. The apportionment bill had been framed by the Legislature under the control of the pro-slavery men, and nine towns containing a ma jority of the population, and all free State men, had been assigned three representatives, whilst fourteen counties contalningthe pro-slavery popula tion and the minority, bad been allowed tweny-nine representatives. Was this fair and right? Mr. Wiimot’s remarks on Americanism were as tonishingly short and incomprehensible. His qnalifioations were so numerous that hit position on that question could hardly be understood after his explanation. He said that the latter he wrote to the Altoona Committee on the subject of Ameri canism had been carefully considered, and he was willing to stand upon the principles and views there laid down. He believed every word he had there uttered was true, and that every principle therein avowed was sound. He did not wish to be misunderstood. He would not raise the arm of an intolerant proscrip tion against any portion of the people. He would never judge of a man’s virtue and morality by the accident of his birth; he would as soon measure a man’s character by bis foot But he wished to say that he felt, ana felt it powerfully, that there was a malign foreign influence at wo/k in this country, and, with the help of his God and his party, he would counteract it. • Mr. Wilmot after this relapsed into his Abolition tirades, and continued antil fie was obliged toclose to take the 11 o’oloek train for the west. The hall was nearly empty when be concluded, and a faint cheer was given as he left the building, by the few who staid behind. THE CITY. The Philadelphia Poet Office—Where shall it be Located?—Jfxom all the indications of public opinion in regard to the proper location of the now Post Office in this city, which have fallen un der our notice, we are led to believe that if the question was put to vote, whether the Post Office should be located at the Pennsylvania Bank building, or at some point further west, a decided majority would pronouncq against the former site. Various other localities are proposed; but not being the advocates of any interest, we do not desire to single out any particular one of them for special commendation. It is now stated that the operations commenced upon the bank property have been suspended by order of the Government, so that the whole question is an open ouo The advocates of a removal of the Post Office to the Custom Houso building have recently obtained from the well known architects, Messrs. N. Leßron and G. Kongo, an opinion decidedly favorable to the prac ticability of adapting the latter to Post Offioe pur poses, accompanied by plans, drawings, estimates, Ac. The proposition is to remove the ro of ami ali the interior above the first floor, and to convert the interior into a grand hall. The six columns which now adorn the northern and southern end of the extorior are to be used to support a gallery at each end of the interior. A glazed partition, ten foot high, being a passage on each side of at least eleven feet, is to be erected in the centre cl the hall. This is ,to be perforated with windows for tho delivery and reception of letters, and for all other transactions with tho pub lic. This would leave an area of five thousand square feet inside of the enclosure. It is proposed to cover the building with a light roof on the “Polonceau principle,” with a skylight running from end to end; to remove the platforms on the exterior, and to construct stairways to ester the building inside the edifice from the pavements on the sides; to so arrange the basement that mad] wagons could be driven into it from one side, entering from Liberty street, and out of it upon the other, returning to the some streot, and thus avoiding Chestnut street. It is asserted that re-fitting the Custom House in this manner would cost much less than making the necessary alterations in the Pennsylvania Bank building. The Firemen’s Parade,— The firemen of the city yesterday mode an imposing procession—one of the most respectable we have ever seen. As all our readers are aware, the object of the procession was to indulge in & little creditable display, and at the same time inaugurate a very handsome monument recently erected in their lot in Odd Fel lows’ Cemetery, by tho Northern Liberty Hose Company. The day proved delightfully aospi dlbus, and the firemen assembled in all the strength which our readers might suppose from reading the programme and the list of participating companies in our issue of yesterday morning. The line formed, according to previous arrange ment, upon Arch street, and as they marched along the proscribed route attracted attentive observa tion. They were all attired in citizen's dress; many of the companies, however, wore themufonn costume of block coat, pants, hat and cravat, re lieved by plain white Marseilles vest and white silk gloves. The different companies were desig nated by badges worn by their members. Some of these were in good taste; others very much the reverse. The Northern Liberty Company; for instance, wore pieces qf black satin ribbon, a foot long and two inches wide, having the name of the company upon it in gold letters. The Hibernia* wore % blank silk badge over their hats, upon the front of which was printed the name of their company, while the num ber of each man was displayed in the rear. Tho Southwark Company displayed the same affair, excepting that their hat badges were made of light purple silk. The Vigilant Company made an admirable appearance—the members wearing white hats, while affixed to the left lappel of each coat was a silver bullion button, from which depended two handsomo tassels of the same material. Other eompanic; displayed, for tho first time, their new badges, which, by the way, all the fire row dies, who feel inclined, will immediately copy, as there Is no law against copying unauthorized insignia. The Handdn-Hand, Assistance, Dili gent. and other companies also made a fine dis play. There waa very little show in the way of banners, but a fine variety of brass bands lent a sufficiently inspiriting influence to the oooaslon. The procession, which occupied about fifteen minutes in passing a given point, arrived at tho cemetery at about half-past four o’olook, where all united in admiring the beautiful shaft of sculptured marble which will stand a silent sentinel over those of the company who may bo laid there to await the morning of the Resurrection-. Alter the discoursing of some choice music, Mr. Charles M. Neal detivored a very acceptable ora tiou. That it exactly suited the tastes and fancies of his hearers was abundantly proven by the hearty applause which greeted his every point. Indeed, Mr. N. so highly gilded the avocation of the fire man, and paid so glowing a tribute to his manliness and self-saorifioing spirit,that weshail sever again pass oven an old fire-buoket without remembering his culogium and lifting our hat. At the close of the oration the gratified hearers again formed into line, and retir ed with the same decorum which hod marked their approach. They disbanded, according to the programme published yesterday, at Franklin square, blessing their stars that Providenoe had vouchsafed them so propitious a sky. It will be remembered, by way of contrast, that Franklin Lodge, which arranged an affair of the same nature at the same cemetery, was three times disappointed by heavy rains. Oar firemen remembered this fact and felicitated themselves accordingly. From the handsome display made yesterday we can draw an inference us to what will be the grand parade in October next, when not only the Phila delphia department, but those from distant quar ters will participate with ns; and we feel confident that a very fine affairwill be tbe result. We never wore more convinced that the fire department of this city is tho host in tho country than we were when following in the wake of yesterday’s pro cession. There are a few innovations needed, however. One of these is a badge, to be created by act of Legislature, like the seal of the city or the sea 1 of any of our courts, a badge to coun terfeit which shall be a penal offenoe, and whloh would be the means of preventing the rowdies who run to every fire, from being identified with the respeotebte membora of tbe department who hold them in abhorrence. We yet hope to see tbe plan adopted, but even with its Imperfections in organ ization, and its inability to protect itself from impo sition, we prouounoe tbc fire department of Phila delphia as by far tbe best in the Union. Poisoning Coj*.—A great excitement pre vailed In the Nineteenth Ward yesterday, iaooo sequenee of a family named WUhudt exhibiting symptoms of having been poisoned. The family reside in Front street above Montgomery. On Sat urday, they purchased, at a neighboring grocery store, some articles, among which were sugar and cheese. On Sunday, Mr. W., his wife, and three children, were taken very ill and exhibited unmil takeable evidences of having been poisoned. It was at first attributed to tbe cheese, but from the fact that one oftite children who were itt had not partaken of tho cheese, it wa? concluded that tire poison was in the sugar of which all had eaten- It is also rumored that a portion of the fanntfw the grocer who sold tho sugar, and member* of another family, had also suffered from the sa®e cause. Mr. Wishardtfs fomfly were not considered, yet out of danger yesterday morning. We teftra* ed last evening that six families were poisoned in this neighborhood during Saturday. Young Men’s Christian Association.— Tb® monthly stated meeting of the Young Men’s Chris tian Association was held last evening, at 8 o’clock, la the lecture-room of the Central Presbyterian Church, at the southeast comer cf Eighth and Cherry streets. The attendance of members was quite Urge. Iu the absence of George H. Stuart, President of the Association, Mr, James Graham waa called to the chair, who opened the proceed ings by reading a portion of the twentieth chapter of Proverbs. An impressive prayer was then made by Mr. D. S. Stein met*; after which a brief but very able and interesting essay on “TheDatyof Personal Effort ,in the Salvation of Bonis,” waa read by Mr, Myers, one of the members.’ This es say elicited a very'animated discussion, which waa participated la by a majority of those present. The reports from the committees on employment. Ac., exhibited the amount of good work performed in obtaining situations for young men, strangers la the city, and providing them with soluble places of worship. After the transaction of some unim portant business, tbe meeting adjourned. More Visiters. —ln addition to those pre viously referred to by os, we learn that the Junior and Rainbow Fire Companies, of Heading, Pa., are diligently employed in making preparations to join in the Firemen’s Parade in Philadelphia la October next Oar city will, no doubt, be visited by a very large number of fire companies from abroad on this occasion. ; s Teachers’ National Association.—To-mor row the meeting of tbe Teachers of the United States will be held at tire Controller's Room, Sixth and Adelphi streets, for the purpose of organizing a Nation*! Teachers’ Association. . Foard of Directors of the Fire Department,— A meeting of this body waa held teat erasing, at the room in North street, above Fifth, but no business of any public importance was transacted. Found Dead.— About soon yesterday Mr. Potter waa found dead in a chair, in Fourth street, above Brown. The eanse of his?death is not known. Coroner Beltran, was telegraphed 4er to hold an inquest. Union County Legislative Convention.—This body met yesterday afternoon at the Court House, John S. Painter, President, In the Chair. , Thirty-five delegate were present. . The nominations were then read, when the fol lowing were added: Oliver I. Search, Joe. R. Kaglee, Abraham Eng lish, D. 11. Styer. The following were withdraws: Joseph R. Lyndall, Robert Pierce, Albert F. Hopple, Andrew Drummond, A. M. K. Story, John M. Riley, John Baker, William H. Geyer, John F. Preston, Charles E. Graeff, Charles F. Jones, Frederick Emhardt, Samuel D. Sidebottoa. Mr. George Moore moved that a committee of fire be appointed to apportion the county into legislative districts. The motion was amended to seven, and agreed to. The following was the com mlttee: Thomas Dickson, Joseph Shantz, B. F. Taylor, Wo. H. Kemble, Hiram Cozater, Charles Read, and Erastus Ponlscn. On motion, the Convention took a recess of ten minutes. The committee on apportionment reported as follows: First, Second, Third and Fourth Wards, three members', Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Four teenth Words, three members; Fifteenth, Twen tieth and Twenty-first Wards, two members; Six teenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Wards, two members; Nineteenth, Twenty-second, Twenty third and Twenty-fourth Wards, three members. The report waa accepted and the committee dis charged. Mr. Erastus Poulson moved that the Convention take a recess of ten minutes, daring whiob time the delegates representing the different distriot* retire and recommend the candidates for whom they want the Convention to vote. This gave rise to a de bate, which was participated in by several dele gates. A delegate offered an amendment that the Con vention proceed to select a candidate for the First, Second, Third and Fourth Wards, which was also debated for some time. The amendment was agreed to, and the motion as amended adopted. The Convention then proceeded to ballot for can didates for tbe First District, composing Pint, Second, Third, and Fourth Wards. Messrs. Eras tus Poulson and James Work were appointed tellers. The following waa the result of the vote: H. L. Smith . . 31 J. D. Bayne 0.1. Search . . 29 A. Siddona T. K.Warem . . 20 J.R.Kagtee C.H.HUI . . . 18 J. B. 0» . H. F- Mansfield, 1. Messrs. H. L. Smith and 0.1. Search having re- Oeired a majority of the votes east, Were declared the notelnece. < . The Convent on then proceeded to another ballet, as follows: Wares - , .33 {Hill .1 ... Vt Thomas H. Waram was declared the nominee. At this point the delegates from the Second Weed withdrew from the Convention in a body. The Convention then proceeded to ballot !br a candidate for the Second district, composed of the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Wards—the delegates from the Eleventh voting first. The following waa the result: Abraham English .24 Wm. W. Taylor . . 4 David H. Styer .. 23 Dr. 3. Malone ... 3 David W. Sellers .29 Jonathan Bullock .. fi Lewis M. Green .. 10 L. R. Fletcher ... 1 Nathan Spering . . 1 Robert Bethel! ... I Ohas. M. Wagner 2 Henry Slmpsun *. . I Messrs. English, Styer, and Sellers haring re ceived a majority of the votes, were declared the nominees. On motion, the Convention proceeded to ballot for two candidates to represent the Third District, composed of the Fifteenth, Twentieth* and Twenty fourth wards. The ballot resulted as follows: Geo. F. Gordon H W. Graeff . . 29 { Wq. H. Clayton . . 36 j Cyrus C. Moore . John S. AUison, 6 Moure. Gordon And Grfteff were declared tie nominees. The Co&Tentlon then proceeded to ballot fox can* didates for the Fourth District, composed of the Sixteenth) Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Wards, as follows: George Seed . . 21 \ T. S. Chandler . 1 W. M. Middleton . 2 C. A. Allegood . 22 J. T, Finlelter. . 17 | Robert Pierce . . 1 A. Green, 6. Messrs. Reed and Allegood were declared the nominees. On motion, the Convention proceeded to ballot foT three candidates for the Fifth District, com posed of the Nineteenth, Twenty-first, Twenty second, and Twenty-third Wards. The Convention then proceeded to ballot with the following result: Jcr. E. Eldridre 33 James Taggart . . t Chas. F. Abbott . .29 M. Johnson ... 4 G. Gibson . . . 20 G. R. Fox ... 18 John Baker . . . 1 J. F. Preston . . 1 Sami. D. Sidobotiom 1 Messrs. Eldridge, Abbott, and Gibson were de clared the nominees. On motion, the nominations of the Convention were made unanimous. A vote of thanks was then returned to the offi cers i after which the Convention adjourned, to meet at the call of iho President Attempted Suicide. —Yesterday afternoon an unknown white man, who was arrested by Officer Clark, while laboring under a fit of mania-a-potu, made a v ery desperate attempt at suicide at the Central Police Station. He tore up several bask notes, and threw a very valuable watch away. He made a vofry ugly gash is his throat with a rarer, and suffered considerably from the loss of blood. He was removed to the Blockley Almshouse, where he remains in a very prostrate condition. Fin 9 in July. —The whole somber of fires of all kinds—including not only the target, but those of the most trivial character—which occurred in the consolidated city of Philadelphia during the month of July, 1857, was fifty-seven. The total amount of loss by the burning of these properties was $17,330; insurance, $11,825; clear loss, $5,505. The Explosion at Halifax. The Acadian Recorder gives some particulars of the recent explosion of the Merchants’ Powder Magazine at Halifax: AH along Water and Granville streets the effeoU of the exploaioa were visible in shattered build* mgs. The force with whioh stones were driven against the stores near the water’s edge actually surfed the bungs from the hogsheads. The Naval Hot. pital is considerably injured. Strange to say, one of the largest stones which reached Mr. Benton’s house was driven through the trunk of one of the large trees north of the premises. A fine new building near the Magazine wharf intended for a steam-mill, was completely sweet away, as also a wharf in connection. The otokes 1 w . l j uf property injured, eitent unknown—ma ohinery disarranged, Ao. The housee np the hl!l to Alderman Jenmng’i, and all in the neighbor hood, more or lea shaken. The oEoem’ quarters sustained a complete riddling. There U not a whole saah or window in that fins building, a stone weighing nearly three hundred weigh* was driven and carried awayVmal i? Bwn i? lek and Gottingen ”«.u *non o/iitanlS” ".recosK whioh left a short tWb7 V wn-knotm JtnnW ?tld?y “art ’ **" 01 d J*rt«aSTrtt
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers