replied the old divine. “I prayed to |God as oar common father. I acknowledged that ho would do justice; that it was hard for tis, poor mortals, to say who was right and who was wrong on earth ; that the very best were sin ners, and those deemed the worst by us might be regarded the best by Him. I prayed for Isaac. I prayed God to forgive him, if wron*--, t > forgive the whites, if he was right; to for give and bless all. I was choked with tears. I caught hold of Isaac’s hand and pressed it warmly, and received his warm pressure in re turn, And with a joy I never experienced be fore or since, I heard his earnest, solemn ‘Amen 1 as I closed. “We stood together for some time in silence. Isaac was deeply moved. I saw it by the work ing of his frame, and the muscles of his face and his eye. For the first time tear-drops stood on his eyelids. But, stilling every emotion, he began, as calmly as if he were going to rest; “ ‘Master, I shall die in peace, and I give you a dying man’s blessing. I shall see you no more on earth. Give my love to old master and mistress, and'— for a moment he faltered, but with concentrated energy choked down in stantly his deepest emotion as he continued, more solemnly than I ever heard mortal speak —‘and, master, if you love me—if you love Jesus—lead ray wife and children as you have led me—to heaven. God bless you forever, master.’ “We parted. I saw him no more. I could not see him hung, or pray for him, as requested t» do by others in the last dying hour. I had been with him long. For four hours we were together in his narrow, noisome cell.! How in delibly are the events which occurred in them i*ipressed upon my memory! Oh! slavery— slavery!" The citizens outside awaited anxiously the good minister’s egress from the jail, and, when he appeared, crowded round him to know the result. He looked like one jaded with a long journey He was worn down. “It is useless— it is useless—let him die in peace,” was all he said; and, seeing that he was deeply moved, and taking it for granted that he had been en gaged in devotional exercises with the dying, silence pervaded the group, and he was allowed to depart in peace. And never in public or in a mixed audience, would that minister refer to Isaac, or the hours he spent with him! No other effort to elicit information from the leader was made, and none who promised him help wore discovered through him. Tho dealh-day came. A mighty crowd gath ered to witness the sad event to which, in that place, it was to be devoted; and the military, with gleaming swords and Jjright bayonets, stood under the gallows, to guard against es cape or difficulty. Six “felons” were upon the gallows—it could hold no more—and Isaac was put on the list. “Be men,” said be, when one of the number showed some timidity, “and die like men. I’ll give you an example: then, obey my brother.” That brother stood next him. Isaac gazed intently upon the crowd— some thought he was looking for his wife and children—and then spoke his farewell to his young masters. A few words passed between him and his brother, when, saying audibly, “I’ll die a freeman,” he sprung up as high as he could, and fell heavily as the knotted rope checked hmfall. Instantly his frame was con vulsed, and, in its muscular action, his feet reached the plank on which he had stood, look ing as if he sought to regain it. His brother, turning his face to his comrades, deliberately put bis band upon bis side, and, leaning for ward, hold the body clear with bis elbow, as he said : “Let us die like him.” The authorities perceived that the terrors of the law would be lost, and none of “the good” they anticipated be secured among the blacks, especially, who filled up the miter circle of the dense crowd, if this lofty heroism were wit nessed. They proceeded rapidly with the exe cution, and, in a few moments, Isaac and his brother and their felon comrades were asleep together. Tho bodies of the blacks, after dangling in the air the usual time, as if in mockery of heaven and earth, were cut down, coffined, and carted away to their burial-place. That was an out-of-the-way old field, with a stagnant la goon on three sides of it, and a barren sand waste, covered, with a sparse growth of short pines, on the other. *■»*•»*** Of the plot, Isaac’s wife knew nothing. He had evidently thought of his failure, and com mitted no women, and as few married men as lie could. He meant, let what might happen to him, that his partners should suffer no harm. This *was evident enough from ( lus conduct. For, the first thing he did after lus arrest, was to desire an interview with his master. That was denied him. Not that the old gentleman was cruel or angry—-for be loved Isaac—but because, as he said, “lie could not stand it.” The next thing was to send for h»s young mas* tir. lie came, and to him he said: “Massa Thomas, I have sent for you to say, that my wife docs cot know anything about the insur rection, or any of roy action, I wanted to see cld master to beg of him not to sell or separate her and the children. I must got you to do that. And, Massa Thomas, when yuur father dies, I want you to promise that you will help them.” The young man promised (and we re* juice to say his word was kept,) and then Isaac, the slave and the felorl, blessed him. Never again, until near his last hour, when conversing with his minister, did ho refer to his family, and the only messngcrhe sent them was a torn liible, with this sentence rudely writ down on one of the leaves • “IVe shall Jive again, and be together.” So deep was his affection for his family, and so careful was he to ward off every suspicion from them. I met, last summer, the slaveholder—an in* telligent and humane man—-who commanded the military the day Isaac was hung. I referred to the scene. He spoke of it as one of the most moving that he had ever wit nessed, and to my surprise, though very much to my gratification, remarked : . “I never knew what true heroism was until I saw Isaac manifest it upon his seizure, trial and death. 1 felt my inferiority to him in every way, and I never think of him without ranking him among the best and bravest men that ever lived.” The record below tells of his crime, and ho will be remembered on earth as a felon; but the record above will contain his virtues, and in heaven the good will know and lore him—for Isaac was a Max, The Other Side of the Store.—Prestige says that Jous H. Store, an editor in Minne sota, was personally punished the other day for a libel upon another njenjborof the profession. There are two sides to every story and one of John's lias been kicked. i Mr. Grow stumped in Kew Hampshire the last f oar days of the Campaign, THE AGITATOR, HUGH TODNG, Editor & Proprietor. WELLSBOROUGH, FA. Thursday Morning, March IT, ’59. CORRUPTION. In his inaugural address two years ago, Mr. James Buchanan alluded to the unparalelled financial condition of the nation, and with re gret somewhat mingled with'joy, he remarked, that in the history of our Government we had never been before embarrassed by a surplus treasury. In order to get rid of this embar rassment be urged upon Congress the duty of adding to the force of the Navy, and of extin guishing the public-debt. The nation was not long embarrassed by a surplus in tho treasury. Less than one year after the reading of his Inaugural Mr. Buchan an saw the nation embarrassed in another direction. In December of that year the Gov ernment was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Treasurj.notcs to the amount of twenty millions of dollars was demanded to save it. Ever since the fourth of March, 1857, the whole policy of the Administration of Buchan an has been with n view to exhaust the Treas ury and to prevent the “embarrassment” of a sufplus. The Utah war farce, the Thirty Mil lion Bill for the acquisition of Cuba, and other measures ostensibly of national interest, have all been successful or unsuccessful efforts in the same direction. Most of those the Representa tives of the people at "Washington could watch and guard against in Congress, but another method of draining the treasury to prevent “the embarrassment of a surplus” was adopted, which the nation could not see, and which is only dragged to the light through the medium of Investigating Committees, and of this method we now propose to speak. The Report of Messrs. Sherman and Ritchie on corruptions in the Naval Department, for which our thanks are due to Senator Cameron, is a searching and thorough exposure not only of the way in which political cormorants are gorged by tho President to secure power by their aid, hut it also sljows how false-hearted and hypocritical he was iu his Fort Duquesno letter, in which he deplored the growing dispo sition to political corruption in this country. This letter was copied into the journals of Europe and paraded before the millions there, to show how corrupt were our Republican insti tutions. How jubilant will tho oligarchs of Europe feel at this exposh of the corruption of the President himself! This Report shows that contracts are awarded to the highest bid ders if they are political favorites; that the Secretary of the Navy awarded contracts to his relatives although there were others who underbid them thousands of dollars; that a man named Plitt, received $lO,OOO for securing a contract for supplying live oak atrthe most exorbitant rales to a man who. contributed a largo sum to aid in carrying Pennsylvania for Buchanan in ISSG ; that the coal contract was given'to.a man who allowed outside favorites to do the busihcsSj Who charged exorbitant rates and divided the profits among themselves, Bu chanan being fully aware of this truly Shamo cratio arrangement; that Jehu Glancy .Jones— whom the President sent as Minister to Austria to reward him for being ignored by tho honest old- Dutchmen of Berks—while in Congress, received five per cent on the contracts he re ceived for others at the Navy Department, as a reward for his influence ; and lastly .that a con tract was awarded to Merrick ‘ Action t Mft^Yonitc; With your permission I propose to say a'few words to the freemen of Tioga, ns .regards .ifflf necessity. joLaction- in. kcj.plng.the. true spirit alive inpur ranks and the danger of too long reposing npoh'tlic memory AE past vie-; toriesr It needs no argument to prove that, in any department of life, in order to insure sue-, cess, earnest, efficient action is necessary. No .sane man in these days, expects to accomplish anything worthy-of-a man without girlng.it his best efforts.* -This principle is* universally recognized .by-all practical .men... Everything which pecuniarily affects them—whatever con cerns them in a moral, social or intellectual point of view—they enter upon with a will which knows no defeat • and why should, that which affects our political welfare deserve less attention ? In my judgment, our political rights are among the first which -should receive our attention, and that it is among the first duties of the American citizen to be intelligently in formed upon the various questions which are presented before him—the wrongs which he is called upon to redress—the issues to decide through the medium of the ballot-box. Does the farmer attend to tbc affairs which appertain to his farm during two or three months of the" year and the remainder of the time give them no heed whatever? . Docs the merchant, lawyer, or physician, measure tape, plead law, or attend to the “ills which flesh-is heir to” for a brief season and then abandon their various callings to the keeping of others f Then why should any man who believes in the doctrines, taught by bis early fathers—who believes in the religion of the Declaration of lodepencence —who believes that that sacred instrument.is not merely a siring of glittering generalities— mere rhetorichal flourishes and-political abstrac tions—-who upholds the Right and condemns the Wrong—l say why should any.man who believes and feels these things give them heed only during some political campaign? I would not convey the idea that one should be fanatical in politics, that he should be constantly obtrud ing his opinions upon jthe attention of others by no means. But I would have every man alive to a true sense of his responsibility to the various duties which he owes to himself, to his country, and to those who are to come after him; and in my opinion, the greatest safeguard to human liberty is an intelligent, thinking po litical people. Tins is troo of every represent ative government. The relation which the citi zen of these United States and the citizen of monarchial Europe sustains to their respective governments are very different. Practical!y r ifc matters not to the subject of any of the great aristocratic nations of the East, whether he takes an interest in the affairs of his country or not. There all power is vested in the crowned | heads and the titled nobility. . All power ema nates from them. The hard-working man, who is nature's true nobleman, is but the passive re cipient of. whatever his rulers in the plentitude of their power ace fit to give him, lie is taxed to support a government in which he, in fact, j has no part nor lot. He fights that his sover eign may boast of victories. He labors tlmt | another may revel in luxury. lie is poor that | another may be rich ; while nothing short of a revolution can change the tendency of fais gov ernment. But such, thank Heaven 1 is not the condition of a citizen of our common country. Here we find the order of things completely re versed. Hero all power emanates from the people. They are 'the only true sovereigns.— They rule their rule>s. They have but to com mand, and every officer from his excellency, the President, to the Overseer of the'Poor, must obey their mandate, and all this is in perfect harmony with existing laws, and are m conso nance with the spirit of oor institutions. Considering these things—considering that the voters of to-day are giving shape to the fu ture policy of our government, is it not import ant that every man should fully understand the responsibilities which by virtue of his position devolve upon lum? Can he fully know the value of his vote and be in ignorance of the va rious political questions which are at the bar of public opinion of his country ? Hence if wo would preserve in purity the liberties of this people—if we would preserve in purity those great and glorious principles which we have re ceived from our constitutional fathers, and then transmit them to coming generations free from the hands of modern Goths and Vandals, is it not, honest reader, the duty of you and I, the duty of each and every one of us to conduct ourselves in such a manner that this glorious event may be secured ? And .if such duties de volve upon us, can we truly and faithfully per form them by once a year, for a brief season, giving finis subject a passing notice ? Let us then be preparing for the great struggle which will soo(n be upon us I In 1856 we went forth to battle with ourforees undisciplined, and with out previous organization. Our men were not thoroughly united, and shall we witness the same state of affairs in 1800 ? Or rather, shall we not now begin marshaling our forces for the coming contest? In time of peace shall we not prepare for war 7 Shall we again pat off every thing to the eleventh hour ? Shall wc again en ter upon a Presidential campaign with no con cert of action? Republicans of Tioga, in con clusion, shall wc be behind our neighbors in the struggle for free “lands for the landless vs, niggers for the niggerless T” Where shall the first Republican Club be organized ? Middlebury. Pra>*K. <■ a For the Agitator. Have wc a Musical Critic among us ? . The oft-repeated question, “Have we a Bour bon among us?” dwindles into-.insignificance by the aide of the more important question at the head of this communication. I think in a musical community such a thing—.excuse me Mr, Editor—such a person is necessary and a real benefit to singers, and I think we have ev idence that wo have, at least, an aspirant after critical honors among us. As evidence I find the following critique in the IVeJlsboro Demo crat of March 2d: "There were among tho members of tho Convention several exoolicnt singers, and when opportunity offered, they acquitted themselves creditably. A few cultiva ted voices however, could not be expected to conceal the defects or prevent the discords frequent in all the piece* executed by the class." That there were in tho class several excellent singers who acquitted themselves creditably, is acknowledged fay others than’our critic. Dis cords and defects there were in some not aU the pieces sung by*the class; but will our critic consider that the class was composed of mem bers from different parts of the County, mostly strangers to each other, knowing scarcely any thing about the science of music, much less the practical part of it; but all gathered together for the purpose of learning. Many of us did not get there until the second, and some not till the last day of the Convention, and could not in reason be expected to sing broken and diffi cult music—difficult both in time and tone without "defect or discord." But a* there is no way to learn such or any other music except by practice,, and as we leflbbr-homea and business and went over bad roads with no other, object in view, but to learn, it was.'hardly to bo expect cd that wo should sing as well as the aetropol- judging fromJiis ar ticle in the Democrat, the critic has been m the habit of rS&eqip'g to.' ) 1 We do not believe the rest of the audience who so generously cheered us on by their pres ence.and quarters expected this. A just criti cism I consider a great benefit to a class of sing ers ; ljut to be just it must come from a man well versed in the science of me sic.. Now I submit that it was an aqt of injustice anJ.inib erality in subjecting those to criticism who make no pretensions to be good, or even common singers, but are using the best advantages they have to become such. If gCod cultivated voices sing out of time or tone,'criticise them sharply, it will do them good; but to drag a learner—a new beginner—before the public, and criticise his faults before 'lie has had a reasonable time to overcome them, is unjust, and will in most cases have a contrary tendency. Again, the Democrat says : Fur the Agitator. “It rany be our dislike to the choruses and some of the other performances is the fault of our taste more than the character of the music.” We wish this point could be definitely settled, for if it is the music which is at fault, then Mr. I. B. Woodbury has shown bad taste and we do not wish to follow him: but if it should be or could be that the taste of our critic is in fault, then we will continue to try to learn to sing Mr. "Woodbury’s music at the risk of offending on future foccaslons the cultivated ear of this censor. | The “other performances” were a very hap py speech from Rev. J. F. Calkins and a few parting words from Prof. Fox. If he did not like them, why not criticize' them ? These are both public men. This would have been more manly than to characterize their remarks as “other performances,” leaving those that were not at the concert to guess what the “other per formances” were. On'E or ran Learners. Tioga, March 9th, 1859- Examinations will tako place as follows: Brookfield, (Plank School House,) April 4 , Westfield, “ 5 Glymer, (Sahinsrille,) “ 6 Gaines, (Furmantown,) “ 7 Middlebury, (Potter School House,) “ 8 Chatham, (Treat School House,) " 9 Mansfield, “ 11 Covington, “ 12 Blosa, “ 13 Blockhouse, I " 14 Union, (Swamp School House,) " 15 Gray’s Valley, “ 16 Roseville, “ 18 Jackson, (Diiggetts Mills,) „ “ 19 _ Tioga, ' “ 20 luwrenoeville, . " 21 Beechers Island, “22 Farmington, (Hotisei School House,) “ 25 Dartt Settlement, “20 Wellsboto, ; “27 Union Academy, i “ 29 Osceola, d “ 30 Examinations Commence St 9 o’clock. Jlone admitted after 10 o’clock. One half of all the teachers who took schools during the past win ter previous to their examination, were found wholly incompetent, were rejected and lost their wages. J refer to this to show the character of those teachers who refuse or neglect to come forward to the regular examinations. Both teachers and directors loose hy any such erosion of a good and wholesome law, and I hope the number who try to repeat this ex periment during the coming season, will be few. Under the old system there were a large number of ‘‘itinerating teachers” who would palm themselves off on one district, and faffing there would the next season, go to another and thus would teach for years ; a damage to every school and a nuisance to every community. This sort of thing is, not to be tolerated. Any teacher failing in the spelling book at these examinations will be considered incompe tent to teach a summer school. To pronounce spelling lesson's well is an indispensible quali fication. Much of the time will he devoted to ascertaining the teachev’s ability in this respect. Teachers will please provide themselves with pen, ink, and paper as usual. Ail persons'ho ceres led ; n education are in vited to attend these examinations. The Secretary of the Board of Directors is especially requested to bo present and to bring with him the Monthly Reports of teachers for the current year. fv. L. Bevxoi.ds, Co.- Sup’t, A gentleman hands us the following letter which throws some' light on a dark subject. The writer was formerly a resident ofhthia Borough : Ge.veseo, 1r.r,., March 7, 1859. Friexu CnatsTEXAT; Dear Sir f I wrote tn yon last week, but as there has been a change in the minds of the people here about Pike’s Peak I thought I would write to you again. Last September there were twelve men selected from this County to go to Cherry Creek to pros pect, and to see what the chances were there. Six of the party were old California miners.— I will give their statement as I got it from two of the party: ■ They got there and commenced mining the first day of October, nnd mined up to the first of February-foor months. They divided their party and hired eight men, making twenty in all, yet, though they had everything they want ed to mine with, with all their hard labor they could not makc enough to pay their hired labor; and the best mines were not paying above SI per day to the man. I-then asked what were the chances for supplying provisions nnd farm ing. They say the market is over-supplied with provisions—many selling at less than cost.— There is not much chance for farming, as the land is poor and chiefly taken up by specula tors. The}' say they met 1500 teams on their way (half of them owned by speculators) load ed with provisions; 300 had their families with them—going at farming. They say there are men hired to write nnd circulate these large stories to induce people to go there, and that some men whom I met on the ears are hired by speculators who live on Cherry Creek to go around- from place to place and from office to office and advertise these large storms. I have heard a great many more dis couraging stories than I have time to write now There are over two hundred men in this county who were ready to go as soon as the roads were passable who have backed out. I think ns it stands now we had better not go. If we can not do anythmg there we had better stay away. I don t think I shall go at present. I will write to y°u m a few weeks again. Write to me at thi3j>lace. Respectfully jours. For tho Agitator. Common Schools. Pita’s Feat. .Habslsos Pabksajt. About those Thiett ington correspondent of the Jf. y y on elaborated and plausible argument for an explanation of the through Congress the thirty millions MB*v the Times editorially states os foU OWa . “An impulse stronger and more i ratnßj . than the remote suggestions of political' , tion now appears to account for the Co ional agitation. The bill granting dent control of the thirty millions of He money is a measure of speculation not It . tics. The funds thus placed at the of the Chief Magistrate who now standi his .Nsyr York organ confesses, ' “almost * looking about him in vain for a part T 0t ‘ 1 be used, not towards the purchase of Got i 4 simply to set on foot a grand scheme for bo -J* up Spanish bonds in Europe at their B depreciation, and raising their market tak>? forcing the Spanish government to parti, 4 in full or surrender Cuba as an equiv a i eat _., 5a r The Kansas Legislature has passed w providing for an election on the fourth in March, to decide for or against holding convention to form a State Constitution, decision' be favorable, an election for fittj gates to the said convention will be held o»i. first Tuesday in June. The convention rj meet on the first Tuesday in July, at dotte city. The constitution framed bj’fij, convention shall be submitted to the vote people on the first Tuesday in October, ft. officers under this constitution shall be on the first Tuesday in December. FARREI, HERRIWG^S - PATENT CHAMPION SAFE, LATE PI3IE AT BUBCQCE, lOWA, Dubuque, Jan. 7,135) Gents: lam requested by 3lr. T. A. C. this place, to say-to you that on the morning 4th inst., about 3 o’clock, his store took fire, aad-v, entire stock of goods was destroyed. The heat so suddenly intense tbs& none of the goods could sibly be saved; but fortunately his boobs and which wero in one of your Champion Safes jre.ijs preserved perfectly. And well they may be Champion, for duriirg’ the whole conflagration was one incessant pouring of flame directly upontj. Safe which contained them. And still upon opes;;, it, the inside was fouad to be scarcely warm, the outside was most severely scorched. Youwtnj N. A-. McCLCBE.' 1 Herring's Patent Champion Fire and Burgbr-IW Safes, with HALL'S -PATENT POlVHi’f! PfiOOf LOCKS, afford the greatest security ef any in ;;j world. Also Sideboard and Parlor Safes, ofglegut workmanship and Anion, for plate Ac. FARREL, HERRING A CO., hare rumored from 34 Walnut SL, to their new store, No. dig Chesty; St., (Jayne's Hall.) where the largest assortment Safes in the world can bo found FARREL, HERRING & CO., C 29 Chestnut Street, (Jayne’s Hall) Alarch 17, I S 3 9. PMla'Mphti. PETERSONS’ CHEAP AND COMPLETE EDITION 0? The Waverley Novels; BY SIR WALTER SCOTT, CART. The works of an author like Srott cann.it be too exlev lively diffused. No one can rise from a perusal of hu m tings without having been instructed as ircll'as The cause of religion, virtue, and morality finds an airocm on every page. It has been well observed byaa alilemi eloquent American critic, that **Jf ever wnterdeserved tu> verbal citizenship, it was Sir Walter Scott. I7e w