THE TIOGA COUNTY AGITATOg.
'J—
ra?’
ftc PrNlrtcllt mid Ihc pcoplo «l
at, lh«t
tie im-power .(.*> use (ho forces of the Doited
States tb secure peace in Kansas, and protect
the rights of its actual residents against armed
intervention, against the forays of
rufUmS." Had he put forth this power when
the people were called upon to elect their
delegates to Congress and to their Legislature,
Messrs- Atchison- and Stringfellow would
-have been bodied, and there would have been;
‘no Hde’d for' ihe
By Iht President of tie tfiattl of -Jlmriffcs.
VI
A PROCLAMATION. ■. ‘
Whereas indications 'exist that ipublic tiwn-.
quility pnd the supremacy of law-in the Tor
ntory of Kansas are endangered by the tfe
prehrnsible acts or purposes of-peracnspbfiih
iVilhin and without the same, who propose to
direct and' control in political organization
by force : It appearing that combinations
have been formed therein to resist the execu
tion of the territorial laws, and thus, in ef
fect, subvert by violence all present constitu
tional and legal authority: It also appear
ing that persons . residing without the Terri
tory, but near its borders, contemplate armed
intervention in the affairs thereof: It also
appearing that other persons, inhabitants of
remote States, are collecting money, enga
ging men, and providing arms for the same
■purpose: And it further appearing that
v-otnbinalions within the Territory are endeav.
oring, by the agency of emissaries, and oth
erwise, to induce individual S'ales of the
•Union to intervene in the affairs thereof, in
violation of the Constitution of the United
Slatrs:
AnJ whereas all such plans for (he deter
mination of the future institutions of the Ter
n'ory, if curried into action from within the
same, will constitute the fact of insurrection,
and if from without, that of invasive aggres
sion, and will, in cither case, justify and re
quire the forcible interposition of the whole
power o( the General Government, as well
to maintain the laws of the Territoryi.as
those of the Union :
Now, therefore, I, Franklin Pierce, Presi
dent of the United Stales, do issue this my
Proclamation, to command all persons en
gaged in unlawful combinations against (tie
constituted authority of the Territory of Kan
sas, or of the United Slates, to disperse and
retire peaceably to their respective abodes,
and to warn al! such persons that any at
tempted insurrection in said Territory, or
aggressive intrusion into the same, will be
resisted not only by the employment of the
local militia, but also by that of any avail
able fnrers of the United States ; to the end
of assuring immunity from violence, and full
protection to the persons, properly, and civil
rights of all peaceful and law-abiding inhab
itants of the Territory.
K, in any part of the Union, the fury of
faction or fanaticism, inflamed into disregard
of the great principles of popular sovereign
ly Vhich, under the Constitution, are funda
mental in the whole structure of our institu
tions, is to bring on the country the dire ca
lamity of an arbitrament of arms in that
Territory, it shall be between lawless vio
lence on the one side and conservative force
on the other, wielded by legal authority of
the General Government.
I call on ihe cilizens, both of adjoining and '
of distant Stales, >o abstain from unaulhor- 1
ized intermeddling in the local concerns of'
the Territory, admonishing them that its or
ganic law is to be executed with impartial
jus’ice ; that all individual acts of illegal in
terference will incur condign punishment ;
and that arfV endeavor to intervene by or- 1
ganized force will be firmly withstood. |
I invoke all good citizens to promote order I
by rendering obedience to the law; to seek!
remedy for temporary evils by peaceful I
means; to discountenance and repulse the
counsels and the instigations of agitators and j
of disorganize! - ® ; and to testify their a'tach
menl to their country, their pride in its great
ness, their appreciation of the blessings 1
they enjoy, and their determination that
Republican institutions shall not full In their
hands, by co-operating to uphold the majesty
of the laws, and to vindicate the sanctity of
the Constiiunon.
In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set
my hand, and caused the seal of the United
States to be affixed to these presents.
Done at the city of Washington, the eleventh
day of February, in the year of our
[seal.] Lord one thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six, and of the independence of
the United States the eightieth.
Franklin Pierce.
By the President:
W. L. Marcv, Secretary of State,
harder of Brown In Kansas.
The Kansas correspondent of the N. Y.
Times gives the following harrowing account
of that most dastardly act of ruffianism, the
murder of Brown, near Leavenworth :
“The sight of blood seemed to arouse the
fiendish spirit of the barbarous ruffians, and
they swore vengeance tipon Brown. They
prepared themselves with ropes and other
implements for hanging, and after sunset on
Friday they arranged to lead him out. Some
of their parly then proposed to lynch him as
a compromise, rather than hang him. 7'his
was al once approved, when the rabble sprung
upon him with hatchets, arts, knives and
■ clubs, piercing, chopping, mangling kicking
murdebiko ant by INCHES. He iramedi
, nlely became senseless from the heavy blows
upon his head and fell. He soon recovered
in part and attempted to rise and escape, but
no friend dared to assist him, and they re.
pealed their beastly outrages till he seemed
literally cut to pieces. But he was still alive,
and, while his blood was flowing freely for
the liberty of Kansas soil, they roughly
seized him and tumbled him into a wagon
standing near, of which he was the owner,
and drove ten miles to Iho house of one of
the parly. Most of them were shamefully
(Jrupk‘ by this time, and finding poor Brown
stiH alive, they commenced the insolent
mockery of dressing his wounds, But drunk
aj they were, their compassion was so much
by his dying groans, that" they con
eluded to carry Him'to hi* own family, which
Wit |ess tljap a njile djstapt. A (post arms-
ble ohd devoted at tlje as*
he was thrown in uppp Apt ktiffian ’
nature was dropping il&linjftandato Shptjied
to learn of him so
a death, but hesnly|Bad jfii stre^fh lyf say,
“ They murdered me like cowards' ’ These
were -his- last-words.—Oh,-the-chilling re
flection that precious life has been
sacrificed by-tfe-most'abandoned a : nd ihali--'
c|oua.i>andpf-marsuders the earth affords,
to preserve. ifaflsasß> freedom. The>fires, of
an oflhoadic 'hell are toofolerable for those
th'riW-daftted-bSlhgrwhAsaTiearfs are cal-*
lous lo jßll.'fhat is hopefiil of f redeeming' in
nian. ' How long shall we bo left alone to
defenchourprecious
at our doors threaten us with devastation and
death 1 They have descended to lower depths
of infamy than any civilized people pf which
history beara ut record. For never before
do I remember of r,n instance where a peo
ple professing to enjoy the blessings of a Re
publics* government have cut into inch
pieces and tortured to death their prisoners
taken in warl It is without a parallel. So
glaring an event will do more than all that
occurred heretofore, to win the sympathies of
our friends and expose the calumny of our
enemies. Until eternity begins, may history
adorn the name of Brown the martyr.
THE AGITATOR.
M. H. COBB. ; :
Business,and other Commnnicatiqnsmust
be addressed lo llte Editor to insure attention.
WELLBBOROUGH, PA.
Thnrsday Itlorninp, Feb. 21, 1856.
Republican Nomination*.
For President in 1856:
Hon. SALBION P, CHASE, of Ohio.
For Vice-President:
Hon. DAVID WlLfflOT, of Fezm’a.
We have delayed the publication of this number
of Iho Agitator in expectation of the return of the
Editor, but up to the time of going to press we have
received no,yvord Irom him, and hove accordingly
been compelled to let it edit itseli. The “stamp act,*
which was to have gone into effect upon the I4th
Inst, owing to the fact of there being no paper pub.
hshed from this’office upon that day has been post,
poned one week. Delinquent subscribers will find
themselves in consequence of this arrangement, en
titled to another week's grace.
The Spring Terra of the Wellsboro' Academy com
menccs, as will be seen by advertisement in another
column, on Tuesday the 261 h inst. The reputation
which this institution bears under the present Prin
ctpul, recommends it to every parent desirous of pla
cing their children under an efficient instructor.
Cold Weather.- —We notice in our exchanges,
dismal groanings about the cold weather, some hav
ing chronicled 16 to 20 degrees below zero, as stump
ing the ‘oldest Inhabitant,* even in higher northern
latitudes than ours. Had that venerable individual
lived in Wellsboro* he would need thawing out be
fore telling the tale. The coldest point reached in
(his place was 32 degrees below zero, which occurred
on Thursday the 17th insl.
Religious. — A series of religious meetings are
now being lield in tins village. Prayer and confer
ence every afternoon, and preaching every evening
of the week at the Presbyterian Church. There is
much need of a religious revival in this vicinity, and
we suggest that it is never too early to turn attention
to things concerning the welfare of the soul. These
meetings nro constantly increasing in interest, are
composed of members of all the religious denomina
tions, and it is to be hoped they will be productive of
much good. Let all attend them who possibly can.
The Republic is in a sad strait. With an ineffi
cient Administration, and the cloud of civil war
throafnlng our western border, never was govern
ment so storm-beaten and disturbed, and yet so ap
parently weatherwire and secure. There is some
thing mysterious in the wprkinge of self-government
—something so sublimely original and grand that
the dawn of open outbreak and the warlike grouping
of healthful antagonisms, disturbs scarcely more than
the daybreak cf profound peace.
But however secure our institutions may bo, nr
seem to be, the signs of tho times are unmistakabie-
Thc present is the lime for action. It is unwise to
sleep when great interests are at slake. However
much men may wag their heads and smile incredu
lously, Freedom was never in greater peril. The
Union is not in danger, for that, except in name, has
ceased to be. The Union breathed its last when the
Fugitive Slave Law breathed its first. That mea
sure converted the dividing line between the North
and South into on impassible gulf. There is no
Clay to bridge that gulf with an unwise compromise
now. Tlie tree of liberty strikes its roots northward
and westward. They wili never reach out and
bridge that gulf. As the tender shoot seeks the
light, so those roots seek fur nourishment in a more
genial soil. There is room enough for their growth
in the valleys and in the clefts of our rocky and
somewhat inhospitable clime. Tho Union! lot it
pass, but like true men, like the sons of noble sires,
let us keep watch over the interests of Freedom.
‘•We arcojyosed to slavery in the abstract,” say
the indomitable leaders of of the Democratic parly.
•‘We are opposed to slavery in the abstract." Ay,
abstractly bm not really. What do they mean by
“slavery in the abstract?” In what doesubstracl
slavery differ from slavery as it exists ? Is it a theo
retical abstraction to which they are hostile? Will
some of these political metaphysicians explain ?
Wo aro opposed tu murder “in the abstract,” that
is, we are opposed to the violent taking away of hu
man life. It is throng, therefore we are opposed to
it. Those who framed the lex talionit were clearly
opposed to roanqUying “in tho abstract;" they were •
so much opposed to it (hat (bey agitated the subject
and enacted laws to prevent murder by punishing
the murderer. ( Their opposition to man slaying waa
real, not feigned. They did not wail to see if legis
lation would offend homicides, but drove strait at the
wrong and put their opposition on record.
We are opposed to stealing in tile abstract.. It is
wrong; therefore wo oppose it. But those who en
acted penal laws to punish and prcycnl theft did nut
slop to inquire whether action would offend thieves I
No I they salt that theft was wrong—that it end an.
gerod the peace of society—that it destroyed the
security of properly. They Were opposed to theft
“in the abstract.”
It is wrong to deprive man of any ofhla inaliena.
bio rights without joat, cause.. Slavery daee so de.
prlve man of bis inalienable and just rights. Hence,
slavery i» wrong. This may be discueaing tbo ab
alract question.'
But it is the duty ot mankind to pursue 'evil and
dart it out from tbo land. - Alt wronga sre evllaj
slavery la a wrong and hence, an evjl. Therefore,
: : EDITOR.
llo! (or Kansas!
it duty of mankind slavery de
rtfdj it in the lanlU\ * i sfi
We think it UyfjWie are in rejidiness to maintain
relive ffjjtf'fff this subject of
•Wary, on sucdgtonnif. If it improper to lejnsiate
for"ttSral reformln one^ireclibnj'uia proper mall.
,Goffwax.lheAral.law.given-ffixing.lbo»weepof-um
voraes, and UielrconstUpqnl yprldejlmreandjpare/.
Jlo.oreateffimn anAengraftadWhlsiaitarer-itprin.
cipla of lo evilin e*ery. form. ..Butman
is fraif. Tempted to stray from the paths indicated
by bis better judgement, fid'wanderstVdm flis'&urw,'
-Yet-U-fsllsont (hatsome-chodseVirtoertlHerthiin 1
yjee; themajority of enlightened men so and.
Idthtni it ia given to restrain tfae viciook' and so'
protect-society.- And-so,-man ma; not-draw-a. line
between this .and ihp.wroiig,; and s»y,rT , ‘lhis wrong
doer shall offend against justice and humanity with
impunity, but that, shaJUn no wise go free, -There
are no exceptions to Heaven’s rules.
He, then! who professes to be opposed to slavery
in thc.abstract, denounces it ns a wrong, end is mor
ally bound to hunt it down. “Suffer evil‘(hat good
may cpme,” was annihilated centuries ago. To
suffer it to fortify itself and to extend its hateful
sway without opposition—.is to do wrong,-
Slsvery being wrong, what freeman will lamely
stand by whilo Atchison -and his minions plant it
upon the free soil of Kansas 7
Scioim.—Wo have been Airmailed with the par-
t'rcularsof a auicidc committed in Deerfield township
of this Co., on Monday the 11 th inal. The unfor
tunate victim was h laborer by tbo name of Sells
Bronson. About 3 o'clock in the morning he was
discovered to bo absent from bed where he had re
tired aa usual; alter tome search he was fonnd sus.
pended by the ncok with a rope fastened to the joists
overhead. He was dead when found, having from
all appearances been in that position for several
hours. He had made a previous effort to destroy
himself, but only succeeded in indicting a dangerous
wound upon his arm with a knife.
Accident, — A serious accident occurred a few
days since at Stony Fork, reselling in the death of
Mr. McNeil. The deceased was engaged with oliiors
in running- logs dawn a slide; while freeing some
logs that had become fastened, tho Workmen above
started a log which striking him in its descent man
gled bis leg in snclt a manner as to render amputa
tion necessary, during which operation 1 of shortly
afterward he died.
Another. —On Tuesday last, Mr. Henry Sherwood
Esq. of this Boro,’ while taking a sleigh ride, his'
horse became frightened mid ran away. Mr. S. was
thrown violently to'tho ground and' had ills leg bro
ken in the fall. He was' conveyed to his residence
and medical attendance called.
North Western Land Aoenci. —The Directors
elected in accordance with the provisions of the As
sociation, by the four towns which had sold the groat,
est number of Shares op to the Ist of January,
having met at Chicago, report the affairs of the As
sociation to be in a high degree satisfactory. ' '
Owing to an unfbrscen difficulty the drawing has
been postponed. The closing of several Land Offices
by the Government, has prevented the location of
Land Warrants, in consequence of which the Di.
rectors have delayed the distribution till about tho
first of May next.
CosMoroUTiN Art Association. —Tho drawing
of tho prizes has been postponed until tho 28lh of
February It is stated that the snow storms in Jan
uary so delayed the returns from the Secretaries,
that the drawing has been deferred to the date above
mentioned, at which time it will positively take
place.
Major Jones's Courtship. —We have re
ceived from the Publisher a copy of the above work,
and after a careful perusal, pronounce it to be Ihe
drollest book of (ho season. Tl;e Major In his let
ters, holds op men and things in a style entirely oru
ginal, ond verifies the truth of the old adage relating
(0 the 'course Of irOO love never running smooth.’*
It is just the book lo have a good laugh over, besides
imparling a little wholesome instruction in the art
of courUhip. Buy it. Price 50 cents a copy. Pub*
listicd by T. B. Peterson, 103 Chestnut Street Phila
delphia.
Godey's Lady's 800/;.—The March num
ber of (his excellent Magazine is on our tabic, as
usual we find it in every particular, fulfilling the
design of the publisher?, lu make it the first Ladies*
Magazine in the country. The steel engravings con.
laincd in each nnmber amply repay the cost of Ihe
whole. Back numbers can at any time be supplied,
also numbers for the previous year. Three dollars
per single copy. L* A. Godcy, publisher, 113 Chest,
nut St, Philadelphia,
Peterson's Magazine, Tor March hifrbeen
received. It is filled as usual with choice reading
matter, engravings, patterns, embroidery, &c. Wo
see no excuse lor any lady being behind the Himes
and fashion,” when for two dollars can be obtained
all the latest improvements. Send and gel it
The Last Call!!
After the ISlh of February, 1856, the Aoitatoii
will be published on the pay-down system. The
system will bo rigidly adhered to.
A number of considerations have contributed to
the adoption of this system at the present time. It
is incumbent upon every individual to pay his hon
est debts. The well-being of society imperatively
demands this; and, with proper economy, every man
ordinarily can do this, provided always, that he re.
ceives for his labor, value received.
City papers liove adopted the pay-lown system
almost universally, and with the happiest results.
It always proves two things: bow many of the pa
trons of a paper are earnestly in favor of holding
the laborer as “worthy of his litre," and how many
wish to aid in the support of their county paper. It
will, in this case, show how many friends the Agit
ator has among its 1000 patrons. We havo no anx
ieties concerning the' result. Many men have ex
pressed themselves warmly in favor of the project—
in fact, wc hare (bond but one man with the face to
oppose iU
What farmer will sell his produce and wait for
his pay until the produce is consumed 7 What tai
lor will make garments to order.with the under
standing that he shall be paid for them when the
garments shall be worn out 7 Yet how many find
fault if required to pay for their county paper in ad
vance 7 Is it cheaper to pay at the end of the year 7
On the contrary, it is not so cheap; for, if payment
is delayed three months, even, Die subscriber is re
quired to pay 50 cents additional. Is the use of one
dollar for three months worth SO cents 7 All Know
Getter than that. Then why do some men prefer to
pay $1,50 for their paper, when three or six months
reviously they might havo had it for one dollar? -
The pay.duwn system is just to both patron and
orinter. There is no profit in a large subscription
list, nearly one-half of which consists of nun-paying
subscribers. On the contrary, it is a damage to all
parlies and especially to the publisher. At one do),
lar per year, the profits on one copy of this paper
■mount to about one shilling'. Therefore, on evefy
non-pay ing subsoriber, we lose 87 cents, Tim ques
tion is now, whether it is belter lO Send the paper
and lose 87 cents, or to retain Iho paper and save a
like sum? Upon doe consideration wo have con,
eluded to save the 87 cents. ‘ <
Willi in the last six months, the publishers have
paid a debt of more than $lOO, which was not in
c'ontempiatidn when the paper was eatablhised. To
do (his, has required great effort Had oar subscri
bers paid promptly for their paper,'this eq'ro; weuld
paid wi&tat much effort Tfaoukhlesii
tiblishodSio a firmt&sis, the paper labors under am-'
-bußunjeats whicfffbe,pay-down system will profci:,
IMrerptfre. o—, . ‘ : ;
AWe to not expert to detain all oar old subscribers,,
UoKanHcipatomtgttat -tailing off. It is bettered
that the paper has many warm frienda in this conn.
• lyrwi«n»(iH>o^«ettt)e-in-replacing~allth(l«rwtlir
for which it has been paid haa expired. When a
■subscriber- His-papcrf heitiayihffcr
thallijs subscription -JfJia wishes to
continue n; lef him remit the money'to our address.
Thoso-who-aroin-arrears will-imtch oblige ns by'
sendjng us theaipounl at UiOyeatljesl opportunity., ,
-It-is desfrabh! that 'dt subscriptions to tmsVpapfer
“Plfs “o. Vba.lji—pf Isunary. of.weh year.
Thuseveryman will set Ijmo toppiy lor his
paper. ThetspproicbVog ’CdlßfweehS' will afford
an excellent opportunity to settle up old dues and
subscribe for another 1 year. "We-urge upon oar
friends hip ncqcusity of- assisting us by . their active
co-operation-, pur list should not be suffered to fall
off.’ An excitingPresidehtial'Campaign is athamj,
and through the agency of Uie press alone, can the
cause of Freedom be pleaded before the people. As
to the stand Which the Agitator -baa tahen in- the
.battle tor Liberty and Gooff Order,,its present apd
fiaat bfiar witness. ’ Its future course may be ualcu
iled by its past. _ It has steadily opposed rum and
slavery always) it will ever be found the champion
of tho oppressed and the fearless advocate of every
thing New, that promises to benefit MAN.
SOBB, STURROCK &, CO ?
Publishers of the Agitator.
The following named gentlemen are authorized
to collect dues and receive subscriptions for the Ag
itator. Their receipts will bo regarded as pay.
ments. v
Wm. Garretsom Tioga.
J. D. Potter Middlehury Center.
G. W. Stanton Lawrencevilte.
Da. J. C. Whittaker Glklund.
John Sebrino Liberty.
O. F. Taylor .Covington.
Victor Case Knoxville.
W. W. McDoooall Shippcn.
Isaac Plank Brookfield.
Jno. James Btossburg.
C. F. Culver Osceola.
O. H. Blanchard. ... ‘ Nelson.
E, A. Fish Mainsburg.
Samuel Phillips .l' Westfield.
Wh. M. Johnson Daggett’S Mills.
A. Barker Ogdensburg.
Q. M. Stebbins Crooked Crock.
Isaac'Spencer Maple Ridge.
Snow on the Northern Railrodi.
The editor of the Binghamton Daily Re
publican slates the incidents of a trip lo
Northern" New. York, and the condition of its
railroads, as follows : ’ j
"After passing a very quipt night at Sian
wix Hall, in Home, we repaired in
son to the depot, where we found a powerful
t,eamofybur engines attached to the train,
preceded by a noble-sized snow-plow, occu
pied by some half-dozen men, with sherds,
dec., ready for a start. We were soon un
der way, most gallantly pushing through the
piles of snow which had accumulated upon
the track during . the previous forty-eight
plow indignantly tossing the drifts
aside to the right pnd left, until We entered a
bank so high (hat it could not be thrown
aside, when she would toss it over her head,
and, compressing it on either hand, would
open a passage for the following train. ]i
was a noble sight, and a scene of great ex
citement to many. Some of our passengers
amused themselves by going out and riding
from one station to another in the'plow,
which was constructed in tho form of a ca
boose, and would hold a dozen or more. At
one lima it seamed almost as if wo wore to
be buried, for the snow was so high on either
side of the cars as to make it quite dark—as
if we were passing into a tunnel. However,
thanks to Providence and the power of steam,
we were not stalled. Bui such piles of snow !
Wo never have seen their like before, and
hope not to see such again. In Rome, Ad
ams, and some parts of Watertown, we
found the sidewalks beaten op a level with
the tops of the fences; while, in many in
stances, the front yards of the houses were
filled up to the same height, forming’a com
plete barricade to the front door; and the
prospect is fair for more lo come. Such a
winter as this has not been experienced in
these parts for many years past.
“Tho Rome and Watertown Railroad, as
all other roads, especially north and south
roads, has been completely blockaded for
days together. The Sackelts Harbor road
bos been under cover for six weeks or more,
and we learned last evening that they did not
intend to open it till spring, as they lost far
less money lo have it idle than to run it du
ring this winter. We have not heard very
recently from the Ogdensburgh Railroad, but
our last information,' two weeks ago, was
that ii had been shut up for two weeks, with
no prospect of its being open very soon.—lt
has been a hard winter on railroads every
where.”
Desperate Affray in a School House.
—The Lebanon (Tenn) Herald , of the 12th
inst., gives the following account of a terri
ble and fatal fight in a school room, Wilson
County, in that Stale:
Thp most distressing homicide we ever
heard of, occurred in this county, about seven
miles northeast of Lebanon, on last Monday
morning, a week ago, between Rufus
Watson and his three sons on the one side,
and two sons of John New on the other.—
The unfortunate difficulty occurred in a
school room. Young New, aged about 19
years, was shot through the breast and ex
pired immediately; and his little broiher,
some 13 or 14 years of age, was almost lit
erally cut to pieces—receiving no less, we
learn, than seventeen dangerous wounds,
every one of them penetrating ip the hollow.
Strange as it may appear, he is still living,
and hopes are entertained'of his recovery.—
Rufug Watson received the contents of a
pistol loaded with bird-shot, in tho breast,
but was not materially injured. Tho diffi
culty. grew out of an old:grudge that has ex.
isted between, the heads of the respective
families.
Watson and his sons were tried at Tay
lorsville on Friday lasi. On hearing ihe evi
dence (he Court held them lo bail in the sum
of $4,000. One of the hays was bailed out,
bul lha other (wo ami Ihe father failing in
give bail, were committed to jail la await,
their trialat (he next lerm of the. Circuit Court.
As the matter is lo undergo judicial inves
tigation, we refrain, nl- present, from giving
the particulars, VVe roajr remark, however,
that in our opinion, the evidence in the- base
will prove it to be one of the most horrible
end heart-rending affairs that ever occurred
in a civilized community.
t
I FPOJX 1
? —tl|uiFAx, 'February 17,1856.
■-.! The Royll.mail sleiitphip Canada, Capt.
’.Lang,j.ftonuLiverpoofcpn the anernoon.or
‘February’ 2d, v at 4 o’clock ibis
.morning.
. She brings no.in(qlligence_of the Pacific.
The Gollins'sfeahiship-* Atlantic arrived out
at Liverppol _at6:ls a. m, on Thursday,
the 31st January,
the central' American question.
Tlie 'London Horning Advertiser has the
fpljpiyipg.annbuncemeni:
‘‘We hear tbalatjtn interview
which Lord Clarendon and Mr. Buchanan
tiadfogelher at Foreign Office on Tues
day very angry words passed between them
rela’tivb to theCcntral.American question.’’
TIIE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
The dispatches of the Russian Govern
ment, completing and confirming the tele
graphic announcement of the unconditional
acceptance of Austria’s propositions, were
received at Vienna on the 23d ult., and a
courier immediately conveyed them to Paris
and London.
A memorandum embodying the proposi
tions had been signed at Vienna, and sent to
Paris and London,
It is reported (hat the Congress will meet
at Paris on February 17th; that very little
time will be lost in (he discussion of ihe sub
ject, and that th? whole mailer will be brought
to a conclusion by February, 25th.
The signing of the preliminaries prior to
the opening of the Conference now only
awaits the arrival of the Turkish Plenipoten
tiary.
It is slated that Prussia refuses to agree to
the conditions exacted by the Allies prelimi
nary lo her admission into the Peace Con
feregees, and that consequently she will be
the Conference, but be invited
to sign ihtMHtaldeed of settlement.
Baron and Count Orloff are the
Russian Plenipotentiaries, assisted by Messrs.
PilofT and Fenton. Lord Clarendon repre
sents England; Marquis D’Azeglio, Sar
dinia ; Count.Buot, Austria; M, Walewski,
France ; Dervish Pasha, Turkey.
A short armistice, it is thought, will be
forthwith agreed upon.
The British Parliament had assembled.'
■The Queen’s speech is quite meager, and
does not mention American affairs.
No news of importance from the Crimea.
Presence of Mind
A gentleman who reached Dayton by the
Tuesday evening train over the Indiana Cen
tral and Dayton and Western Railroads, re
lated to us a little incident of the night’s trip,
which showed extraordinary presence of
mind"on the part of the conductor, who was
its hero. Both the night trains the eastern
and western, were out of time, and were
obliged to keep a look out for each other, but
the locomolive’of the train bound east was
unprovided with a lantern, and hence on the
poriof its officers, more than ordinary re
cautions were necessary. In this dilemma
the conductor took his own lantern and-W«nt
on ahead, the train followed slow behind.—
The conductor was some distance in advance,
when by some accident, his lantern went
out, just as his ear was struck by ihe noise
of Ihe Western train rspnllv approaching.
In this dilemma, what was to be done I
The night was so dark that he could not be
seen, and he was certain that he should not
be able lo raise his -voice above the howl
ing wind and the noise of the passing tram
so ns lo attract the attention of the engi
neer, His first resort was a club. He
seized one and threw it at the locomotive,
now cloa* upon him, but the wooden missile
glanced off from the iron of tho engine, with
out making a noise perceptible even to him
self. The train was (lashing past. Even
while he drew his next breath, ihe lives of
hundreds might be put in peril. Bui one
thing could be done, and the thought of it
occurred to him. Taking his own lantern,
he hurled it at the lantern of the passing
locomotive just as it came opposite to him.
Fortunately he hit it. The crashing glass
and the extinguishment of the light startled
the engineer. A sharp whistle was heard—
the brakes were shut down—the train, stop
ped. Everybody was safe when, but for
the throwing of that lucky lantern, scores
might have been killed and wounded.—Day
ton Gazette.
Tlic Colcl Weather and the Peach
Tree.
A wide of opinion exists in the
country as to the effects of the late cold
weather on fruit trees, and semi-tender shrub
bery. .The Louisville Courier says that in
Kentucky “the injuries to young fruit trees
and nurseries is beyond calculation. Near
ly, or quite all the fruit trees budded last fall,
for this season’s growth, have been destroy
ed, and the losses in some nurseries near the
city will amount to several thousand dollars.
In one nursery, from which wa have heard,
some seven thousand dwarf -pears have been
killed, and thousands on thousands of young
peach trees ruined. The loss in ornamental
trees and shrubbery has also been quite se
vere. The few fruit buds that escaped the
former severe weather, have been effectually
killed, and it is now rendered certain that in
this vicinity at least we are to have none of
the finer and more delicate fruits next sum
mer. It is feared also (hat many well grown
and bearing trees have been greatly dam
aged, if not entirely killed.”
We l-rusl this melancholy view' may prove
to be erroneous.
The Speaker.—Nathaniel P. Banks,
Jr., is a native of Alslead, New Hnnpshire.
He was bred to the trade of a blacksmith, and
worked at that, and in a machine shop until
he was more lhan thirty years old. Ho Ihen
commenced ihe study of law, and before his
admission to the Bar was elected a member of
the Massachusells Mouse of Representatives.
In 1851 he was reelected lo the 1 House, and
was chosen Speaker of that body, which sla
lion he filled with distinguished ability for two
years. In 1833, he presided over the Mass
achusetts Constitutional Convention, the lar
gest and ablest deliberative body assembled
in that State for twenty-five years. He is
about 40 years of age, of slender, bul erect
and musculnr fiigure, with dark hair,inclin.
ing lo gray, decided aspect and <}uiok motion.
Indian trouble* In Florida.
Since the attack upon Lieut;
party, that portion of Florida along ih e t 1
dian River and in the vicinity of Fort Mv
has become very unsafe for whites, Sin
glera from the Fort, or adventurers j n PU[9 ? J
of game in those wild, but hitherto pe ac ,r,!l
hunting districts, are fired upon by y e i|
miscreants concealed behind trees an/;,. ° L *
dbapparal. “ m lhB
We have just received authentic hf
lion of another attack equal in au rocky/"
that committed upon Lieut. Harlsuff’a tLj?
It is a letter from an officer dated: "
Foht iff, IBsg
An eitpress has just arrived from F ort
Doynaud with news of another Indian out
break, - A party of woodcutters, consign,
of a corporal and five men, were fired at (,y
twenty Indians, four miles from the m,,
One man only ; escaped (he slightly wound;
thereat were massacred, and twelve mul«
killed.—Lieut, Lamed, Second Artillery, d|.
redly went in search of the savages,
though he scoured the country around oolt
sign or trace of them could be found, and
strangely enoA the dead bodies of the men
were also missfflg, nor was there any trace of
blood, but tho country is so much nnder water
ihnt blood could easily be washed away. On
his return Lieut. Webb, Second Artillery,
and a party went out. They, 100, explored
every place, but without success ; so the' cate
remains a mystery. The Indians were sup.
posed In bo headed by an old chief named
Okchan.
Repeated scouts have been sent in every
direction through the country from Fort Oet.
naud sipce the affair with Lieut. Hartsutf. and
though they have frequently seen Indian ft o g<
they never have seen any trace of ( /, B / a '
dians themselves.”
Rifles amd Bibles.—Henry Ward
Beecher replies very successfully to the ,V
F. Observer's objections to his celebrated
remark about the superiority of Sharp's nflji
over Bibles. “Where limber is to be felled.”
says Mr. Beecher, an axe is better 'has a
Bible. Nor is it detracting from the mem of
the Books to say so. if a child is /earning
its figures, an Arithmetic is better than a
Bible. At sea, for purposes of navigation, t
book of logarithms is better than a Bible.
Or would the reverential editor of the- Obur.
ver tell the sailor, bewildered by stormi.
and now about to take an observation mil*
first bright day, by looking at the sun ana
using a sextant or quadrant, (hat the Bible
and the sun of righteousness would be far bet
ter for finding his latitude and toneiturfe ?
This wonld not be a whit more absurd than
the pious sentence in the Observer about the
sword of the Spirit being belter for (hedefenss
of Lawrence against armed Missourians thaa
is any rifle!
if the walls of the Observer office vera
tumbling down, would the editor be stiocsed
to hear his mechanic say that brick and mor
tar were belter than Bibles (or repairing them!
In times of n riot in a city, will notthe knowl
edge that a company of soldiers is marclnnj
down upon them, with Mayor Wood at their
head have a more salutary moral effect unon
them than to know that the editor of the .V.
F. Observer was coming to read them some
chapters out of the Bible I If thieves and
bdrgfars are to be morally reformed, the Bible
is the fountain of right influence. Bui white
a thief is picking your pocket, or a aurciat
is prying open your door, would vou treat
him to a Bible or a police-officer I
Serious Accident the Sunbury a
Erie Railroad. — About one o’ clock on
Monday as ihe Sunbury & Erie tram was
approaching ibis place, an accident occurred
which nearly terminated in the death 01'one
of our citizens. When a few rods below the
biridge spanning the river, one of the wneeu
of I he tender broke and a piece weighing -U
pounds was thrown Ihronjjh the front window
of the smoking car striking Charles D. Emery,
a member of the Williamsport Bar, just above
the left eye. On raising him up no sign oi
life-was preceplible, but after a lapse of soma
lime he gave evidence of vitality, wnen ne
was conveyed to' the Eagle Hotel and Drs.
Crawford and Rhodes colled. On exanunO'
linn it was found that his skull was not broken,
but very serious injuries had been received by
the concussion. The injured man remained
in a slate of partial insensibiliy until atioui
five o’clock on Tuesday morning, when nit
reason returned. At the lime of the accident
Mr. E. was sitting by the front window smo
king, and as the fragment passed it struck him
only a glancing blow, otherwise death would
have been instantaneous. At the time of
closing our pnper his symptoms were all t
vorable for recovery. —Lycoming Gazette.
Unconstitutional. —Everything that fa
ciliioles ihe escape of slaves has been pro
nounced,-we believe, unconstitutional, a
(his view of Iho case, we allege the freezing
over of the Ohio River as decidedly uncon
stitutional, and we would call the attention 01
Congress lo ihis matter. It breaks aotrn
one of the middle walls of partition Detween
Slavery and ihe Geniile land of freedom ,
tnd slaves are availing themselves of this
unconstitutional freak of lha. weather ana
river, and making their escape without any
compunctions of conscience. We hear ru
mors of numerous escapes, and so insecure
is slave property regarded now that many
masters near the river are sending their
slaves into the interior for sale or safe keep
ing. The moral character of Jack Frost
and the tendency of his atfons need inves
ligation. The lynchers of Brady should ex>
nmiee into this matter, as it is doing more
against the peculiar institution than he ever
did. Where and drs
rest of the Pollowatomies I —Cincinnati Ga
zette,
Search for the Pacific. —The Siean'*
er Alabama was despatched by Mr. E.
Collins, on Saturday last, to search for d 0
'’trussing Pacific. On Monday, Lieut. Haris
tein-, who commanded the expedition in search
of Dr. Kane, obtained permission from the
Secretary of the Navy to fit out the Arctic
in search of the missing vessel. Accordingly
the Arctic left under his command the same
day, well titled with provisions, sails Ate- 1°
cruise for the Pacijio or any disabled vessel!'
The Arctic is the same Vessel sent in scare
of Dr. Kune, and peculiarly fitted for over
coming any ice she may encounter,