EUtooltitlowars KiuHwnt. Two horseman lot King George-rodwfuri ou»ly. 1010 ft village of half, a down rude dwellings, in the northern wrl.of New.Yoik, and hailing the decrepit looking dried obf, siraalisoeoUsiy wilh mtif Mriw rodt ckihs, “Hblloa,bM r Win ; « bibeJ I heel thou Bbted ahy' ch’eattflgf ly Wgiand- sneaking ped lar at thy door to-day 7” •''‘ : "I ’;," •' “By hty apiirs !’'* pohtpOubly added' Capt. Dick, the elder of the two, “we have ridden' these last thirty miles in vaifi, if the -scoun drel be not cadght lurking in this hamlet.— Hast thou seen him, Bonnifacfl 7 Speak, man, we be in haste, 1 bid (he answer by the King’s command.” Thehesitatiiig landlord held on to the horse post, and replied, “Sire, 1 be half deaf, yet methinksT guess your meaning. Bayegal- 1 lant troops of hrs majesty after a stray ped lar, eht ■ What WbUUi you with him 7” “S’death I the' rascally gray beard ques tioneih us I* interrupted the younger of the horsemen; a braggadociaprivate,' —and wheel ing bis steed around-, he touched the tavern deeper rather roughly with His gloved hand and continued —“We desire' no questioning, old dotard. Hast thou seen the pedlar 7 We would know this, and right quickly, too.” “O be not rough, I pr’thee. A pedlar, sayest thou 7 Had he a pack 7” “Packer no pack, hast thou seen him 7” fiercely cried Dick. “Patience] master; but my memory is treacherous, and I must reflect. A pedlar with a staff, did ye say 7” “I’ll break thy head with a staff, if thou befool us,” said the bully, striking at the old man, who, rather nimbly for his looks, leaped out of the trooper’s reach. The captain then seriously threatened vio lence, and sternly demanded a reply. As if frightened into a submission, he then hesita tingly said. “o—yea—yea —now I bethink myself. I did observe a ‘sneaking pedlar’ pass here this morning on fool in extreme haste.” “Which way?—which road look he 7” exclaimed both others, “That! 11 deliberately answered the man, pointing to a trave led lane, that led from the one in which they stood. “Art sure? If not, thou shall be hung at thine own like a sign.” “Ay, an’ if that bo not the road, thou may est hang me,” observed Boniface. “To horse, then ; he is six hours in ad vance ; to horse, and a brevet to (he one of us that catches the first sight of the spy 7” l shouted Captain Dick, ahd rapidly they (lash ed away, leaving clouds of dust behird them. But ere they had gone twenty yards, the inn i keeper shook his frame like a strong man, ' and muilered : “Ay, when they catch me they may hang me ” ¥ He then glanced cautiously around, and entered the house. Meanwhile Capt. Dick and his companion spurred their beasts to a race that would have injured animals unused to their hardy life.— Mile after mile was left behind until in three hours they had covered every step that a man could have walked in a whole day.— Then, unsuccessful, they thought of return ing. — — “The infernal rebel hath eluded us. We calculated 'hat he would hasten in the camp o? Washington. We are misled, or have passed him secreted in the forest.” “Perhaps that inn keeper deceived us. — Methoughl he was not so imbecile as he pre tended.” “By my soul’s salvation! thou hast hit it ! Dolts —asses that we are 1 Did’st not thou note the nimbleness of his leap when thy hand was lilted against him 7 Judas, how will this villian triumph! Ride back for thy life, ride like lightening ” “Nay, not back ! —if he be a spy, he hath taken lhe other road ; and sent us a fool’s er rand on this. A league hence, we passed a by paih that doubtlessly intersects the high way, some distance to the westward, along the river” “Well, that be our direction. ’Ecod ! how we have idled ; nor would 1 have credited the clown with such wit ” “Ay, and now that I suspect him, I rec ollect the quietude of the village. The place was solitary. Nor even proffered the man a taste of wine.” “Ugh ! didst note his keen eye 1” “True, like ihe spy’s own, black ns jet ; 'iwas he himself, curse him. But surely our beasts need bailing, after so long a ride, and, faith, ! feel like lasting of my flask.” “Mind it not now ; wail—we must capture that fellow, and if we starve ourselves and stall our steeds. On, on, five hundred pounds and my brevet. Thine be—” “The gold for me, Captain.” “And 1 the brevet—done. This ride shall cost the pedlar dear.” “Here we gol Huzza I Tally ho I Five hundred pounds!’’ “Silence, Wolf; once upon his scent we must surprise the fugitive.’’ “Ay, quiet will I be, but five hundred pounds 7” “Jove; ’iis enough lo reward the Inking of two spies. Up, my gallant nag ! thou shall be stabled a fortnight, if |bou does thy du ty.” However, the-path was much longer than they imagined. Darkness came on, and long before nightfall tliey were compelled lo rest themselves and their beasts at a log house that opportunely lay in their way. Alien a couple of hours they pursued their object, and at length emerged on the high road, upon which, as they conjectured, the fugitive was a league in advance of them, hastening to wards the American rendezvous. John Putman, who hid so easily duped his pursuers, at the deserted hotel before men tioned, deserted because of a late foray and: murderous attacks upon it by the British, was rndeed hurrying along the turnpike wpth a pack-on his shoulders pud a staff in bis hand. Under the lining of his clothes were secreted descriptions of , the English forces lying in the vicinity,, which it ; was necessary to place in Washington's i possession, /before he could make any decisive movement. Putnam’s commission h?d thus far been successful, and u pon his safe return reposed the.equaj success °f his commander.. Therefore, knowing he was pursued,, jhe had already assumed and doffed several disguises, in the course of. one .. ; ir. !.;■ KHWiiK :Xto4jt I, ■ n i l^!l ] W*; „ . * >1 a v i* 1, ,-M r,j[ * n - » *t?n • .' 'I / iJ j.,i!j:l s:s If. i ■'.< ,!o ;?TV:t i ■ T :,I V 3- ’ TOI) ,i_> i..«T f ■,„“}* .« .<• is-itviirt owls roBB: STMOTC, & C 0„ ™ '■'. f.: ' PUBLISHERS fe PROPRIRTnog* TlOfiA COVSTY. JA., TfEljfepAY. ITORmo, 1855. •YOU. 2.... y hunted miles'irav&tj and ail length, in hia original cqalurn, .Hailed the familiar spots which, indicated his qpj)roach to the Ameri can outposts. “Thank exclaimed, “that these Iweahy limhs'iire hjßar home, Biit thrice the distance and ay ) everhiel myself be hanged'K the'ddor of an i rip Vo fulher Washingiqn’a htory, and saVe the lives' ti ‘ • • i* Mi. T' “•* > it of countrymen. “God!” He crtedj hibking Upward, “Thou who watches! (Ids struggle lor Liberty, smile upon oiir last effM( J Savb troth tyfanby thy truebelievers,” ’ \ .1 “Bnt the Be 'Up. ahon ;T must quicken my jgailalready ihese troopers may have mid are following me. Fearful is theilpprehenßions. But never flinch, Jack Pulnarn’pthiS stick shall not let thee die without aid effort 1” “Ah! did I bear a foot Tall 1 Hist I Nay, it was the flutter of kome bird, or the dawn awakening kome Waal. Stay, and I’m lured or killed, who'*'will—oh! the torture! My wife and chltdi But I have it. General Washington promised to act a father’s part towards my children, if I should fall doing my duty. It’s all right, old fellow. Halloo this is Hickory Hill, and I’m not faroff the lines. Now, feet of mine, walk !’’ In this soloquiding manner he muttered until the sound of horses feet became too dis tinct ioeBcape.hia noii.ee. ; “Thunder, can. they, be sb close 1 I cannot hide in the brushwood, Washington must have the papers by 12 o’clock to-dny; I hav ent’ time to hide, and bang me if 1 do hide like a redcoat, i’m now coward, if half a dozen Hessians be on my trail, like hounds. I’ll go on.and if my toitgue cannot sure me, by mighty Hercules, this club shall.” So he continued his journey, and came in view of the heauli.ul Hudson that in the dis tance was dolled by while canvass of several fishermen, but they boated on their way un noticed by him, who strained every nerve short of running to gain the American hed quarters. But nearer and closer capte the horsemen and he could recognize their gruff voice in boisterous conversation. Putnam tprned a curve in ihq road that rap up the hill side, surrounded by huge trees and massive rocks, every thing .combining to make ihg spot romantic. VVbilo climbing this eminence, and for the hudredth lime determining not to secrete himself, he heard will) an emotion of excitement, the dragoons within fifty yards of him; and having just rounded the hlufl", they discovered him. Both shouted with j°y- - ■ - - “Ha,! thou cursed rebel, we have got thee at last!” cried the ruffian Wolf. “Halloa, there, pedlar slop —nr by Saint George, We’ll make mince meal of thee—Halloa I" “In the King’s name halt,” commanded Captain Dick, or rather Captain Richard Holmes, a man superior in some respects to his’companion. ! “Shall 1 be deaf, or stupid, or Dutjch,” querried the pedlar to himself. Open defiance is a lust resource. I But he quickly decided ns Wolf cdlled, “Halt, thou base, low pedling coward, or I’ll crop thy cars with my sabre.” Nerving his arm, he suddenly stopped and turned to meet them. “The same, by life Gods.” exclaimed Dick on observing the pedlar’s brave face. “Huz za, five hundred pounds—down on thy mar row bones and beg for thy life.” “What want ye with mel” demanded the American. “Want 1 Ask oltr Colonel—ask the gib bet on' tomorrow’s dawn. " Want! Why down spy, on thy knees and surrender!” “That I will not,” shouted the other, with a sudden energy that startled both the sol diers. Flinging off his burden, by a quick motion he caught up his club, and with the first blow shivered to pieces the sword uplif ted by the captain to arrest him. Thy steel Wolf! He’s broken mine ! Trai tor by Heaven thou shall die ! “Nay, nay, it taketh two to make a bar gain." coolly said Putman, and while the cap lain was grasping his pistols another blow from the staff discharged one of them in>the air, and so discomfited him that*for a moment he remained inactive. Wolf struck the spy’s shoulder with his weapon, but made no dangerous wound, and boldly seizing. him, the latter hy main strength dragged the burly fellow from his saddle. “A thousand furies!’’ shrieked he, “1 be lieve thou art Satan I” ' “Let this convince thee," cried the facetious pedlar, grasping the rascal’s sword, and' by a wonderful exertion, wrenched ’it from ■'him and dropped his stick. By this lime Dick had recovered, and filing his pistol, its ball entered the pedlar’s leg, causing him foe an instant to tremble with pain. . “Help," screamed the conquered bully as he felt under a severe.blow from, his sword, and then as the captain leaped from his horse to. assist, the scene became thrilling almost to excess. , , . The sword; praying useless in this close conflict, Putnam dexterously broke it in pie ces with his. foot, eod kicking jhe'proslrale soldier at the same time, grappled with Dick, who .was almost .equal to him ipisirength and courage. f .“Sk peorgq, for,raeTicriedDick..-i '• , “Gqfl, and liberty, for me IV. ..-shouted 'the Continental,; -i--) “Dog, I have thee now,” muttered Dick, clinching t he'other V throat; ■ |M Dp| Wolf; up aridaidmeiamchokinghion 1 ’" n ' ' ’ “Boast riotyet," gaspedlfieotlfof'j ite&Wer ing his hold. * ”' il - l oA “Take that I” Woir pipking B l>y a slick and hjrn i vvitn. it* , .“And lake ikpujiAif,;apdmayGodftardon me for it!” thundered the pedlar r «e bpi lifted 'toT A T 4T# V? fo- rf.T .111 ■ A'' xB- fc-IJ-i '!..!■ #m3w>>» <>W» **« Wjl ; ti-,; 7fl! .; } - y7t a ,„.. yi | v 4, ..„ 1£ J i *>;» ’ ;i ? ,<:vr? Lisa : -Tjimi-j isj» w/ftw "» ..iv/ „ MJ wmvy - r L .J. t ._U4o—» h» JJgfoofflNflWl against the sol(iier> reading ,« >yiih .btqpd, abd braids. .The mttp fell downlead,, liko an ox, before, butcher's axe.- Ai ibi-awfe) sight, the lieutenant was ap palled,, bat by, strong efforts. mamiaiped.his position*. The pair ; fouglni.athletic; etrug' gling, Biriking andjg'rqaniqg in the fierceness of their, combat. At length the spy fell on the gta*; paralyzed by the might of|li1» pow erful antagonist;’ *‘Oh,* Wash'irigtU |” he moaned,‘ “must l fail Ai length? : f\Tay—nay.” '“tCdree thydoomed Washington!” exclaimed t-he other. : "Ah ' 'this for thy fold 1 malediction ! M re tbrletf tne ; patriot,' once mofe regdinlhg suffi cient strengln to return a fearjfu|,btow, which sdnsibly affected' the captain whd yet held tightly thespy's throat, execrating Washington and His rebels to the utmost. ’ .But while his senses were receding, and his eyes becoming filled with blood, his latent strength' regained itself. With an embrace that might have smothered a bear, he caused such excruciating pain that Dick was com-, pelled to relinquish his grasp. Then he struck the soldier’s temple and both fell down. Fatigued, but not insensible, John Putnam recovered in hall an hour,sufficiently localclt one of the steeds so lately crossed by his. enemies, and mounting he .galloped, to , the. head-quarters of Washington, who immedi ately after hearing the story of bis adver.tu e, ordered the bodies of (ho victims to be buried. However, when sought only the corpse of Wolf could be discovered. Doubtless the epptain had recovered, nod retraced his path, on the remaining horse. John Putnam lived to an old age, but after this achievement left the army and joined the Quakers. Nothing can be adduced against this personal friend of Washington, but his mind look a religious bias, the peculiarities of which ure also respected in so honest a man. It wns the blood, bo said, of the man killed by his own clenched fisl that ever after tinged his thoughts with melancholy,'' A CALIFORNIA EDITOR The Eastern papers having announced as an item of California news that there wos-.aft editor residing in that Slate who had actually: killed but one man for a year, and .who had been shot at but six limes during that period, the editor of the Golden Era, published, at Sun Francisco, 1 pronounces the alaletpenta wilful libel, add complains of the urt-Vella bility ol correspondents generally, and the ignoranenof _ thqi particular al. ' rowed Wmstelrfo be'imposed upon BpstinlT'n malicious slander. ’He then goes on to relate, in a pleasant style, the real life-history of a California editor, us follows : “In order that we may more fully demon strate the manner in which a California editor passes his time, and the pleasing incidents that daily occur to him, we will sketch a brief outline of his duties and the style in wVtch he executes them every twenty-four hours. — First—gels up in the morning al ten o’clock; dresses himself, puis on Itts bat, in which arc six or seven bullet-holes, and goes to a res taurant for breakfast. ..After.brenkfast, starts for the office to look over the papers, and dis covers that he is called a scoundrel in one of them, a liar in another, and a puppy in anoth er ; he smiles at the pleasing prospect of hav ing something to do; fills out and despatches three blank challenges, a ream or two of which bp always keeps on hand, ready printed, to save time ; commences writing a leader, when as the clock strikee-eleven a large man with a cow-hide in one hand, a pistol ip the other, and a bowie-knife in his bell, walks in and asks him if his name is ; he an swers by knocking the intruder down two pair of stairs with a chair. At twelve o’clock, finds lhal his challenges have been accepted, and suddenly remembers that lie has a little affair of that nature to settle at (be beach lhal day at three o’clock goes out, kills his man, then comes in and dines on stewed griz zly. ■ Starts for the office, and while going there gets mixed up in a street row, and has the heel of his boot shot off by accident; laoghs to think how beautiful it was done; arrives at his sanctum, and finds an “infer nal machine” upon the. table; knows what it is, and merely pitches It* out oft he window; writes- bn article on ‘'moral reform," and then starts for the lhealrO; is attacked on the corner of a dark alloy by three men, kills two of them, and lakes the other to, .the sla lion house. Returning to the office al eleven o’clock at night, knocks a man : down who attempts to rob hiem -killer dog with a piece of paving-stone, gets run over by a cab, and has the tail of his coal slitted with, a thrust from a knife, and two bullet-holes put through his beaver ash?steps within.his own door; smiles at his escape ; writes until two o’clock, and then “turns ip,” with the happy con . sciousneas of having two dpels to light the nex.i.day, ( Np wonder that California editors , are objects of jealousy,., Hereafter our east ern cotemporaries will please do us the justice . of believing no, correspondent who rpay inti mate anything at variance with' conclusions i which may be drawn from the above pic ture.* 1 ' * We are horn for a higheir world lhan that of eafth ; there is a realm Where rainbows nefe? Tade— where ifie slats Will be out be foVhs, like islets’.tha't slumbdr bh the ocean, and Whdrb the beings' 'that pass' Wore us like shadows, will stay.in our,presence for everl.!’ ‘ >'■ ' '•' ! - 1 . i/AOVylookibgi at thecutlobltie* irv Banfaum’St ld a . couple of large sea-dogs aftergaziiigat 'them wilhwonder, inquired) of :» watft who ’stood near,;ifth(tj .barked? ■; ‘iNo, Madairrj-'siid (he wag, “their ‘bark is on the sea.’” .•„ •• :!r» JhL*; Si VPq^a^’S*W»B^B^r I Jit -y: .1 f'fll Sw’nV*? ,*•*! -> :>7 T}i -■ p4‘ .-'Ud' !MBS* SMITH’S CHARITY. —i. ~ ; . 1 * BY ELLEN A3IITQK, ‘‘lsifTthat seamstress come yet?” Smith 1 ,"os she spoke, leaned over the balustrade, calling down the staircase to the fodfmah.” " 9 ' ' “No; mum.” '“I dedlare,” rriulterdd the lady, but quite toud ‘ert'dugh for the servant (o'hear, “that lazy thing pught to be turned off*. It’s eight o’clock’ already. A ‘pretty day's work it will be, begup on -hour. John,” and she raised per, voice,to ajouder key, “be sure you te|l the coachman to be around by eleven, for I’ve got to go collecting for the poor with Mrs. Huntly, this morning.” She left the. staircase as she spoke, and passed to her chaipber,.-where she ex peeled to spend the nest two hoqrs in dressing lo go out. , - It was a cold, wet morning in March, and while this scene was transacting in the elegant mansion, a thinly clad, delicate young girl was feebly struggling against-ihe rain on her way to Mrs, Smith’s. She had been awake for half the night, tending her sick • sister, who lay dying of consumption, in the com fori less-and fireless room which they occupied together, up three pairof stairs, inn narrow, ill-vcnlilaled alley. ■ For breakfast she had eaten nOrhing but a dry crusl, and drank nothing but a cup of coldwaidr. And how, with a'faded summer shawl, apairofthinWorn shoes, and an umbrella that o.iily Half pro lected her, she was braying the inclement weolher In order to do Mrs, Smith’s, plain sewing at a dollar ami a quarter a week. T’he bell rang, and Ihe rich lady, throwing on a splendid dressing grown, went to the head of ihe.stair case. “Ah ! that’s you at last, Miss Jones, is it ?" she said, sharply. “A full hour,behind time. Recollect, Miss, what I told you. I shall keep my word, and take off a shilling for every day yoq are so late. Go at once imp ihe back room, whero everything is wailing for you.” Too broken-hearted to remonsiraie, the girl did ns she was directed, and look her ploce in an apartment, which, as it-was to be occupied .by seamstresses, as Mrs, Smith said, was from motives of economy, never more than half warmed. Here the girl sewed in damp clothes and wet feet, all day, (here not being warmth enough at the fluo to dry either, and'at night went home through the storm to her sick sister, and the cold, unfur nished room which they occupied. th-it . mornine Mrs. Smith, -protected from the rain by her comfortable carnage, drove about ostensibly to collect for the p6or, but really to indulge in gossip, and gratify her vnnily by being called benevolent. While exhibiting her splendid tablets, on which to write Ihe names of the donors, and expatia ting sentimentally on the sufferings of the indigent, she tool, good earo lo say nothing of the needle-woman she had left working at starvation prices,' in a cold, unhealthy room. The next day the seamstress did not come nt all. Mrs. Smith was highly indignanl, especially as a piece of work which she had particularly wished to be finished wasincom pleie. “You may (ell Miss Jones if she comes again to-morrow,” she said angrily, late in the day, “that I don’t want her services any longer. People who work for me must be punctual.” . . When the footman went, back into the kitchen, and rehearsed- the message with which he had been charged, there was a gen eral outcry among the'servants. “Peard lo me,” said the cook, “dat some of de rich hah no hearts at all, deed it does. Dat poor child was almost starved yesterday, and looked as if she had the ager ; and she has a poor sick sister a dying of, fhe con sumption she says. Ef 1 was you, Jim, I’d tell missus she might turn her off herself, 'deed I would.” And Dinah, thoroughly aroused, flounced around the room indig nantly. But tho seamlress never returned to receive her dismissal. The exposure of the preced ing day had brought on a violent inflamma tion of the lungs, and she was now lying in a high fever, and drawing her breath in ago ny, by the side of her dying sister. Here, about dusk her landlady found her accident ally, both having been too ill to summon as sistance. It was the charily of this woman only less indigent than themselves, that saved the two sisters from perishing from cold and want.— For that they lived long enough to consume their hard earning. The violent inflammation soon carried of the seamstress; and her sis ter speedily followed her. One day, while -Mrs. Smith was making calls, her luxurious carriage passed a pauper funeral. The sight of the cohrse pine coflih made the rich Indy shudder, as she rolled'by ; and she told all her acquaintances that morn ing how inexpressibly she had been horrified by the sight. “It is dreadful to think how many poor people there are,” she said, “and .in 1 spile, too of ail we are doing for them. There must be a great deal of improvidence and la ziness to cause it. Only lo think. I had a seamstress o week or two'ago, who because ! reprimanded her for coming late to her work,, left in a pel, and I haven’t! heard of her since.” < - r At ihe Judgrndnt Day, proud jady, you w hear of Her.- „ Vain indeed, is the charily, that gives pub licly io the pqor out of pur abundance, if ,we; neglpc l the greater charity of'sympathy with ihe indigent and suffering wi\orn ,we actually kpow. , '’ ' , Confidence contributes mdre ioconversa lion lhan wit or* talent. 1 ’ 1 aim, rti 0 B i-H V.V.M .*<) ■h iif r rt-' 1 ; .1 >■*v ti ■ ' T ] !,' JilLtJth 1 ' i ©ommimtcatfotttf. COMMON SCHOOLS. Wo. S. ’ h theme that often starts the sweat, ifj it does not the thought? of the.people, ,Wo htjye thought touch on the-modes; of sustain ing Common' School? by. the slate. That a stale is under the highest obligation In this cqilnty to provide for the education of her people is, we.suppose a settled question. Our very existence,’ as well os pother,,dignity, and independence among,the nations oif the e'afth, depends on the intelligence of the people. Nine out-of ten in oil our rural districts de pend on the Com mop Schools for oil the book learning they, will ever obtain. Ignorance of letters, becoming general in this country, wou Id lend to consequencrs in oil our social, busi and civil relations, disastrous beyond the power of shrewdest statesmen to calculate. State established and stale patronized schools for the education of the masses, therefore is a question settled with the people of this coun ty and commonwealth. The modus operand! is' I he great question with us. How shall we educate the people! The part of that ques- tion lo be considered in this letter is, MVhtre shall tee get the funds. ■ We have no large school fund like New York and Connecticut and some other states. The property of the people is the only educational fund Pennsyl vania has. On this growing fund, thus in* vested in the securest possible bank, the pro prietorship of the people, this state, like all states of this union, relies for the promotion and security of all public interests. Of these interests, Pennsylvania has none, more vitally connected with her future prosperity than the education of all her children. But how shall this fund be touched for Schools ? is the deli cate question. On no other tax, probably do the people feel mote sensitive than the school lax. Wo do not despair of seeing the oppo sitibn to this tdi subside. We are certain that the citizens of this county are beginning to appreciate the importance of universal edu cation. Tho cost of ignorance is quadruple that of education. When this is seen, ns it will be by all the discerning eventually, then no lax will be paid so freely as the school tax. On this subject allow us to use the language of our worthy Stole Superintendent. “In .establishing a system of Common Schools, the Legislature were only obeying the Impera tive injunctions of the Constitution of Penn syluanin. Their necessity to the preservation of this instrument is obvious and imperative. -Yirlup. inletliaenpo nnrt i-».*ti, nra »tio l fn-.n lion of our Republic. Without those our in stitutions must perish; with these i|iey can be preserved. Education by the is sim ply, the work of self preservation. Not a intellectual culture, but that Iruej- educa tion, based upop th£ judicially established fact lhai Christianity is ihe law of the land, and the Bible is ihe foundation of true know- ledge, the text book alike of the child and the statesman, the charter and bulwark of civil and religious freedom. 1 All classes are inte rested in a general education. But the agri cultural, mechanical and laboring classes, the true stamina of a Commonwealth, will realize in the Common Schools a surer power than wealth itself. Here alone labor will find the means of elevating itself to that just and hon orable position intended by the Creator. It is to be regretted, therefore, that there are still those who are so blind to their true interests, ns to oppose any system that would call on them (or taxes; though they would (Hvor ed ucation if they could be specially exempt from their equal part of Ihe burden. There are those in this day of activity and progress, | who bravely deny the right to lax them for < the purpose of educating the children of others, j Freely do Ihdy pay their taxes to construct | roads and bridges w hich they may never trav- i el, court houses and prisons which they may never enter. Qr if they grumble at those taxes (hey swallow their wrath. But how ; much greater is their interest in the education of the rising generation, because in that edu cation, more than in the strong arm of the law, do they find safely and protection for themselves and properly. Like on angel of mercy this true intellectual and moral train ing, precedes the action of the law, rfhd averts from society many evils which no human law can'even wink at, much less abate.” We have altered, by curtailing the language used by the honorable Superinlendant, but we believe have been true to his sentiments. It is only left for us now to stale the manner in which our School money is raised and- dis bursed, and in our next letter we will stale our objections to, some of the practical work ings of the plan and suggest what appears to us an improvement. Heretofore the appro priation from the general fund of the state, a fund denied from an equal assessment on all the property of the stale, has been gradu ally increasing from 100 to 300 thousand dol lars, at the earnest recommendation of the friepds of education, among, whom none were more importunate that many County Superin lendants, the legislature the past winter ap propriated 300 thousand dollars for Common Schools. This money after paying the ex* penses of-l he' School depart mental Harris burg and (he salaries of these County Super intends nts will be divided among the several districts according to Ihe number oflhcir till able inhabitants, n much larger sum (his year than they have ever had before, arid owing not a little to the appointment of Gdbnty So -1 perintendohts. "The condition of each i tiiet receiving their quota of thw'nppropWa ■ tibn’is thftf they keep free public schools In’ 1 Operation bt least four months. The balance ! of ' money reqtiired to keep' those hoots going in each district four or ten months, if the [ directors please,' fs to be paid m the form of 1 a‘School tai levied by trie Directors upon © rv# pv -W •.t 11 ' , i <7 m. 9. TAXES. [ 'he properly of the district equally,. To the Impractical working of this, tax, we.'h£*e «pp»s objrkiiioqij wo shall iH ’ *nw itfi ournext letter. jr*t'.n* , 'ht»'oo ~£>ri^i c » n W BOoiUHNty; BWv«g»V'»i rrwJ-i-.t in.fi Bm> > t-Fketi* •JeiMdnx-il SILVERY.—PABTAJH) PREBEJIT. Mr. Editor Jo my. last venia rhn«! lakeh-pfithe subject' Of fcla<fe?y;' lirthis article 1 ! Ibtßnd'to’Vonrythi^^mli^J It has bfleri been' ; rertrarked bythote'WhO' observe the "sign* Of (he times;” lhaf Ptktfi; sylvania is far-behihd many of- h6f ! SlStef slaiesjn learnirtgrprogrtMaridrerortri. ‘T&fcja! knowing ones claim thatthP"Old KCystonC* has always been in the rear of New England and Now York onall these things whlchbavb a tendency to elevate mankind, and that sits' is now fasi fulling back of many intbe wdstf As proof of this theiy cite to the facts; that in the convention which declares that "these cola oniea are, and of > right ought Uo be, free And independent stales, ’’ the delegates of PendsylJ vania, or at least a-partof-them aclually re* fused to Sign that sacred DECLARATION, which is .now annually .’commemorated by the,display of cavalry ond the poiio. of cpn* non, by the songs of freedom and.the yphe,<| mence of orators, by ppppals to tbe.peopJp and prayers to Almighty God; and. fanber, that this stale -has for the last .twenty years been tjie strongest bulwark of slavery io.lhe northern states —that she has stpod the faith* ful guardian of the basest propositions touch, ing the subject of slavery, that havp been fab ricated by the. southern representatives ip Congress. gw' However strong this argument may seen) in condemning the course- of JPennsylvapia, (here is one point in which it i#false, and (hot is, that she has always been in the rear- 09 the question of human liberty. Whoever.|s acquainted with .our history is aware qlf, the fact that Pennsylvania, in her colonial led the van of the “Old Thirteen 1 ;’ as.tjjeyi marched on toward the uncultivated fields of Democracy. Penn— the founder of the State —the man whose heart burned with love and patriotism, and who tried to kindle the torcif of liberty by the living fires which burn in tho souls of men,, planted, to uso his own lan guage, “a free colony for all mankind" ; and he breathed into the souls of his people the immutable fact, that governments should bo instituted among men by the dictates “of uni versal reason.” ■ The counsels of this noble hearted philan thropist look root in the hearts of the.pebple. From one of the lofty spires in Pennsylvania, the first clarion note of freedom was sent vi brating along the rutiled water of the Dela ware, as it moved on to mingle with-the,dash ing waves of the old Atlantic. . yes, as long ago as when our fathers, who fought the bat tles oP the Revolution, were lying quietly 00 the breasts of their mothers, or with buoyant hopes playing about the yards of those log buildings which were pjaced indiscriminately among the half-cleared fields, surrounded by their thick dense forests which then skirled tho ocean, tho bell, which was, and for aughf I know is yet hanging in the belfry of “Ipde. pendcnce Hall,” had placed; upon it by the directors of Isaac Morris, this soul stirring in* scription—PßOCLAlM LIBERTY THRO’. OUT THE LAND AND TO IALL THE PEOPLE THEREOF. - . Whether the descendants of Mr. Norris, who thus early consecrated Pennsylvania ip liberty, aro now living in ibis slate or not, f am unable to stay ; but judging from the.re turns of elections during the past few years, I should say if they are, they probably reside in Wilmot’s Congressional District. But Ihe sequel is not yet told. The primU live course of Pennsylvania—when she first moved off in politics, is seldom compared with her course for the past few years. The Jeff erson Proviso-, which is familiar to every school boy, received the vote of Pennsylva. hia in 1784; while our own David Wilmpl in 1848, 'vas denounced as a “traitor” pod ‘‘fanatic,” by four fifths of the Democratic presses of the state, for offering Iq Congress a proviso, precisely, like Jefferson’s, onjy.lhaj one applied to territory .lying issippi, and the other to territory, lying: Yes, there are those in this talk of patriotism a nd. phi lap th ropy r to figure largely in politics, who oyight iq blush and turn black as (hey hear ihpqaoto of Wilmot. But I pass (his without comntqni, indulging only in, one question. If those presses and those men had lived in lfB4 in* stead of 1848 and 50r-do you suppose they, would have denounced Jefferson and those men from this state, who vdlc.dfor hit provito, as they did denounce Wilmot ,for offering a similar proviso 1 .... , • Among tho prominent inen of the old (fon gress that framed the Cd'nstbutton, were (Sour erneur Morris air'd James Wilson of. Penpsyj. vania, Mr. Morris in speaking of tbe.slaye., holder having a right to vole for his slayst« said—“ Slavery is a nefarious institution, ,It was the curse of heaven on the it prevailed. Compare the free, regiopp ,of the middle stales, where n rich andnpblp cut. livatioti marks the- prosperity and. happiness of the people, with the misery and ppyptty which overspread the barren wasteq.pf Vir ginia, Maryland, and the ofhqr.siatesi haying slaves. Travel through thewholeconUpept, and you behold the prospect cdniinaatty .vary.* ing with the appearance and d ; sappearanco of slavery ,. r The,admission of,.slaves into the- representation, when fairlyesplaiped, comes to this, that (lie inhabitant of )Georg|f and South Carolina, who goes to. (j)e qoaaf, pf Africa in. defiancp of the most sqpfedjawpof humanity, tears away his. fellpyy,srpplurps from their dearest connect ions,.,ant) damps them to the most crue) bondage,-shall, harp more votes in a government msttiuipd fpr the protection of the rights oT citizen of Pennsylvania, anf,',Jsrspj, who views with a lautjable horrprpQnejarippy a practice. ’,f.*, * And what.U theprp? posed compensation' to, ihe northerh staleyfpr a sacfiftpe of eygry,,principlß*of, righl n jBv«i|y of humanity i i.hemselyes to .march their miltUa-for fense of ihe souihern stales, agamal.lhpsp ■ very slaves of whom they complain,,. ; . ! t yXhe aoul of, Morris was qllye lq.the eyijj* of slavery, apd had the .sppih proposition, the tho language of ope pf yhoso tevered when "slavery 'fwooljß pot country. And where, is there a sunnprter of Pierce and' Douglass, who cAn,J*aa tfiiq sesJW.’teeanevwt
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers