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- 1 a worn upon tlio Altar of God, eternal hostility to every form of Tyranny over the Mind of Man." Thomas Jefferson.
PllINTED AND PUBLISHED BY If. WEBB.
y iohimc IIg BfrOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COMTY, FA. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1839. Number 35.
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MATIIBWS AND THE FRENCHMAN.
Among the many foreigners with whom
Mr.Mathcws was intimate was a M. P lie,
who frequently visited us after our mar
riage, Monsieur P lie and his wife a
pretty English woman, had been married
several years, but no child had blessed the
otherwise happy couple. At the time we
became acquainted with them, in York, the
lady had given promise, and in due time,
the critical period had arrived which was to
complete their happiness, as they believed,
by a more powerful bond of union. On the
evening when the event was expected, and
Monaieur P lie hoped to become a father,
he invited himself to dinner with us, desir
ing to divert if possible, the intensity of
hit feelings front the little less than agony
of suspeuce which he experienced lest his
dearly belovod wiTo should fall a sacrifice
to het situation. It was almost impossible,
even, while witnessing the husband's suff
ering, not to smile at the ludicrous expres
sion he gavo it.
Mr. Mathews urged him to tako more
wine than the habit of the abstemious
Frenchman would have allowed him to
drink at any other time, but now ho seem
ed glad to use any artificial means to sus
tain himself. A second bottle of port had
produced aV'ter dinner before any intelligence
from homo t cached the anxious husband,
wheu lo ! is he was sipping a second glass
of newly opened wine, a servant from home
was admitted, almost breathless with haste,
and announced that his mistress was " put
to bed with a fine boy I" The rapture of
the father was as whimsical as had been his
dread. Ho was flying off to sec his first
born; when a prudent message fiom the doc
tor was added, recommending Mousieur
P lie not to return immediately, but to
wait, satisfied with present intelligence un
til summoned. To this he reluctantly sub
mitted; and reseating himself, indulged in
his futuro prospect of added bliss. Noth
ing had been wanting but a son lo perfect
the interest of hi life; one child was suffi
cient for their mutual wishes; indeed, as he
observed, a largo family would not be de
sirable, or consistent with his means; and,
as he and his wifo wore no longer youthful,
it was not probable that any very serious ad
dition to hia family circle could be expected
-ho was, in fact, the happiest of men.
After a short interval, the servant appear
ed once more, to acquaint Monsieur his
master, that, since his first message, "Mis
tress has got another bairn !"
Surprising was the news, and somewhat
damping, we thought, to the happiness and
satisfaction which the first intelligence so
indisputably occasioned. However, after
tlio first ejaculation of surprise, Mons P
He inquired how his wife was, and on
being assured there was nothing to fear,
stid that he would soon bo allowed to sco
her, bo appeared to tesign himself to hit
two-fold blessing observing : " Well, well,
it cannot be prevented it is one more den
I expect rnais I not repine two shildrtn
a" ono time i rather inconvenient el very
e pensive '. mais n'tmporte, I cannot help
f 'm-1 moost bo resign to it."
In this manner he philosophised while he
sipped his wine, looking into the fire at tho
samo time, in a musing attitude; now and
then, however, taking out his watch, and
again expressing his anxiety lest his " dear
wife" should be in danger. We had some
difficulty in preventing him from appearing
at his house before the ruling powers
there thought proper.
A third time his messenger rushod in,
mora agitated and pale than at the first.
He appeared to bring fatal news, for his
eyes seemed almost bursting from their
sockets, and his whole appearance was tru
ly alarming to us all.
Well 1" wo simultaneously exclaimed,
" how is Madame J"
"She's as well as can be expected, doc
tor says; but "
" But what I" asked the agitated hus
band. But she's .gettin another bairn !" re
plied the messenger.
Annosserc shild.W' cried the astonished
Frenchman, starting from his chair, and
pushing his hair back from his forehead,
with a " Wheugh !" as if sudden heat had
distressed him. In truth he looked less in
sorrow than in anger at this unseasonble
augmentation; and after a second pause in
seeming reflection, ho suddenly assumed a
resolute manner, as if from stiong effort of
mental decision; buttoned up his coat rap
idly; called for his hat; forced it with a blow
down upon his forehead; drew in his breath;
and 111 a calm yet determined voice, as he
hastened out of the room, oxclaimcd, as if
in soliloquy, " I must put a stop to dis bu
siness I" Memoirti of Mathews.
From the Washington Metropolis.
WHERE ARE WE.
This is a question every true lover of his
countr', and ofits.fr'ee De-noeratic institu
tions, ought to put to himself. Arc we
where the Revolution put us have wo ad
vanced in Republican principles, and retain
ed tho simplicity of our form of govern
ment or have we lost sight of the funda
mental principles which alone can sustain a
Democracy ? These are serious matters for
consideration. True is it tint "the price
of freedom is eternal vigilance." Mankind
are naturally ambitious, and prone to usurp
power not belonging to them and the hon
est and unsuspecting portion are constantly
in danger of being the tools and dupes o!
the crafty and knavish. Hence it is that
those who are so desirous of obtaining great
wealth, often, are not scrupulous, to a very
great extent, as to tho means by which they
attain their end ; and so they but enrich
themselves, they care not how many they
impoverish. If they can keep within the
lino of the law, they consider themselves
free from all moral censure, and this is the
reason why moneyed incorporations are so
extremely dangerous to a community. A
Republican Government is one very simple
in its operations, plain to be understood,
and needs no aid of foreign ornament to
show its beauties or usefulness. The fun
damental principle of our government is.lhat
"all men arc created free and equal." We
repudiate the doctrine of the divinity of
King's, or that one man in society is, ex
cept by his own conduct, better or worse
than another Democracy and Aristocracy
are antagonistical, and whithersoever one
goeth, there the other cannot come
Where are we in relation to these matters ?
Is there no Aristocracy among us ? No dan
gerous moneyed oligarchy that is sapping
the very foundation of our free government?
Are wo all free and equal ? Is tho hard
working mechanic, who toils from the rising
of the sun even unto the going down of the
same, in the enjoyment of the same privi
leges and immunities as the merchant,
stock-jobber, and bank director if he is
not, then is there something radically
wrong then is our government departing
from the true principles of Democracy with
which It first started into existence, and it
behooves us to ask, where are we ?
Is thero not throughout our republic an
J aristocracy of wealth mora ignoble than the
family aristocracy of Great Britain 1 Is no
our country filled with tyrants who oppress
and grind he poor to tho very dust; and is
not the power which belongs to.tho people
gradually stealing from the many to the
few ? 13 not fraud openly and violently
attacking, day by day, those sacred palla
diums of freedom, tho ballot boxes; and are
not moneyed incorporations gaining supre
macy by the basest briberies and corrup
tions ? Can these things go on quietly,
and our form of government still remain
that of a democracy, or in other words, can
its constitution continue healthy with such
diseases preying upon its very vitals? Is
it not time for every freeman every man
who loves his country and its glorious in
stitutions every man who would not base
ly be- a slave to rouse up in the majesty
of his might, and crush beneath his feet
these foes to his peace and his happiness
Is it not time for every man to put the
question to himself, and ask as recards
republican form of Government Where
are wo I
MEIIEMET ALT
(From 'Letters on Egypt,' by Prince
Puokler Muskau) At our evening meal
the viceroy related many interesting ance
doles of tho timo when ho first assumed
the sovereign power in Egypt. When I
expressed my regret that he had not taken
measures to preserve thorn as matters of
history, he made this remarkable reply :
"Why should 1 do this ? I look back with
no pleasure on that period of my life, and
what would it profit the world to be made
acquainted with a soiies of struggles, of
privations, of artifices, and of bloodshed?
It is enough if posterity shall know that
Mehemct AH has neither birth nor favor to
thank for what ho has become ; my history
shall only begin with the moment when I
first awakened this countiy from her sleep
of centuries, and commencid for her a pe
riod of now existence. It is strange, con
tinued he, 'that of 17 children, I should be
the only one left. Nino of my brothers
died in infancy, and this was the cause of
my parents bringing me up in an unusually
tender manner. I was often laughed at by
my comrades, who used to cry 'If his pa
rents should die, what will become of Mc
humet All, who has nothing, aud is good
for nothing ?' This made a deep impress
ion on me, and, as a boy of 15 years of age
I determined to conquer mysslf I often
fasted for days together, slept as little as
possible, and had no rest till I excelled all
my comrades in bodily exercises. I recol
lect once, in stormy weather, rowing for a
wager lo reach a little island, which is to
this day my property. No one succeeded
but myself, aud before 1 did so, all the skin
was torn from my hands ; but the pain did
not abate my ardour. In this manner I
endeavored to strengthen both mind and
body till, in the little war of our village, I
found moro serious employment. In my
19th year my father died, and a wider field
soon opened itself to me. Some great ex
cesses had been committed by Greek pi
rates in our neighborhood, and my uncle
received orders, at the instigation of sever
al powerful Turks, to take the command
of a small vasscl of war of the Sultan's and
go in search of them. He could not refuse
obediency but represented to tho Pacha
that ho should be entirely ruined by being
obliged to leave his homo at this time, as he
had no one to whom he could entrust the
management of his affairs. At the samo
time he pointed out his incapacity for such
a command, and took occasion to mention
me as an enterprising young man accustom
ed to war. He succeeded in convincing
the Pacha I desird nothing hotter, and
had tho good fortune not only to defeat the
pirates, but after a short pursuit to board
their vessel, and take as prisoners all who
remained alive. For this action I was, in
my 20th year, appointed a captain in the
Turkish servce. Snch a rapid rise occa
sioned of courso much envy, and even awak
ened the jealously of my uncle, who, some
time after, I know not with what intention,
cot me sent off to Egypt. How litllo did I
anticipate the destiny awaiting me there,"
" BETTER LAUGH THAN CRY I"
So says wo. There's no use in rubbing
one's eyes and blubbering over all " the ills
that flesh is heir to." Red eyes caused by
any thing but brandy, or its kindred, are
scandalous looking affairs. The best way
s to " stand up lo tho rack," and take tho
good things and tho evil things as they come
along, without repining always cheering
yourself with that philosophical ejaculation,
' better luck next time I"
Is dame fortuue as shy as a weasel ?
Toll her to go to thunder, and laugh her in
the face. Tho happiest fellow we ever
saw slept upon a plank and hadn't a shil
ling in his pocket not a coat to his back.
Do yon find disappointment lurking in
many a prizo ?" Then throw it away and
laugh at your own folly for so pursuing it.
Does fame elude your grasp? Then laugh
at the fools that arc so often her votaries.
She's of no consequence any how, and nov
cr buttered a piece of bread, or furnished a
man a clean dickey.
Take our advice in all circumstances to
laugh " dull care away !" Don't be in
hurry to get out of the world. It's a veiy
good world, considering the creatures who
inhabit it, and is just about as full of fun as
it well can be. lou never saw a man cut
his throat with a broad grin on his face, it's
a grand preventive of suicide. There
philosophy and religion too, in laughing
it shows a clear conscience and sincere graV
titude for the good things of life, nd ele
vatcs us above the brute creation- So here
goes for fun and we'll put in for our shaie
while the ball is rolling.
Goshen Democrat
THE
BETRAYER'S DREAM.
BY B. L BULWEK.
For weeks he know nothing of this earth
he was encompassed with the spectres of
a terrible dream, All was confusion, dark'
ncss, horror a series and a change of tor
ture ! At one time he was hurried through
tho heavens in a womb of a fiery star, girt
above, below and around with unextinguisl:
able but unooasuming flames. Wherever
he trod, as he wandered through his vast
and blazing prison, the molten fire was his
air. Flowers, and ttccs, and hills were in
that world as in ours, but wrought from one
lurid and intolerable light; aud scattered
round, rose gigantic palaces and domes of
the living flame, like the mansions of. the
city of Hell. With every moment there
pissed to and fro shadowy forms, on whose
countenances was engraven unutterable an
guish; but not a shricK, not a groan rung
through the red air; for the doomed, who
fed and inhabited the flames, forbidden the
consolation of voice. Above there sat, fix
ed aud black,a solid and impenetrable cloud,
Night frozen into substance 1 and from the
midst there hung a banner of a pale and
sickly flame, on which was written " For
ever." A river rushed rapidly beside him.
Ho stooped to slake the agony of his thirst
the waves were waves of fire I and, as
he started from the burning draught, he long
ed to shriek aloud, and could not I Then
he cast his despairing eyes above for mer
cy, and saw on the livid and motionless ban
ner " For ever."
"A changocamo o'er tho spirit of his dream."
He was suddenly borne upon the winds
and storms to the ocean of an eternal win
ter. He fell stunned aud unstruggling up
on the ebbless and sluggish waves. Slow
ly and heavily they rose over him as ho
sunk : then camn tho lengthened and suffo
cating torture of that drowning death the
impotent and convulsive contest with the
closing waters the gurgle, tho choking,
the bursting of the pent breath tho flutter
of tho heart, its agony and its stillness 1
He recovered. Ho was a thousand fath
oms bsncath the sea, chained in a rock
round which the heavy waters rose as a
wall' Ho felt his own flesh rot and decay,
perishing from his limbs piece by piece;
and he saw the coral banks which it requires
a thousand ages to form, rise slowly from
their slimy bed, and spread, atom by atom,
till they bacarao a shelter for the levithain;
their growth was his only record of eterni
ty; and ever, around and above him, cam
vast and mishapen things tho wonders of
the secret deep; and the sea serpent, tho
huge chimajra of the north, made its rest
ing place by his side, glaring upon him with
a livid and death like eye, wan, yet burn
ing as an expiring sun.
But over all in every change, in every
moment of that immortality, there was pre
sent ono pale and motionless countenance,
never tur.iing from his own. The fiend
of hell, the monsters of the hidden ocean,
had no horror so awful as the human face
of the dead whom he had loved !
The words of his sentence had gono
forth. Alike through that delirium and its
most fearful awakening, through the future,
through the vigils of the joyless day, and
the broken dreams of the'night, there was a
charm upon his soul a hell within him
self, and the curse of his sentence was
never to forget !
TRUTH.
" As for the Truth, it endureth and ia
always strong. It livcth and conqueretb,
for evermore." 1st Esdras iv. 38.
Theories which thousands cherish,
Pass like clouds that sweep the sky ;
Creeds and dogmas all must perish ;
Truth herself can never die.
From tho glorious heavens above her,
She has used her beams abroad,
That the souls who tiuly love her,
May become tho sons of God.
Worldlings blindly may refuse her,
Close their eyes and call it night;
Learned scoffers may abuse her,
But they cannot quench the light.
Thrones may totter, empires crumble,
All their glories cease to be;
Whilst she.Christ-liite, crowns the humble,
And from bondage sets them fret.
God himself will e'er defend her,
From the fury of her foe,
Till she in her native splendour
Sits enthroned o'er all below.
YOUNG MECHANICS.
There is no class of the community upon
whom the future welfare of the country
more essentially depends, than upon the ris
ing generation of young mechanics. If
they are intelligent, sober, industrious, and
consequently independent, able and accus
tomed to judge for themselves, and govern
ed in their own conduct by an enlightened
view of their own best interest if they aro
men of this sort, (and it is for their fathers
to make them such) the mechanics will
form the strongest bulwark of our free in
stitutions, and the best hope of the Repub
lic. Try. " Let a man sit down at the foot
of a great mountain," says Dr. Johnson,
" to contemplate its greatness, and he will
be ready to say, 1 can never go over it; tho
attempt is futile." Yet on a secondary
thought, he concludes the task can be per
formed, not by one mighty leap, but by suc
cessive steps, and by tho simplo process of
putting one foot beforo the other
Again: "The chief art,"says Locke, "is
10 attempt but little at a timo. The widest
excursions of the mind aro made by short
flights frequently repeated; the most lofty
fabrics are formed by the accumulation of
simplo proposition." Drops of water con
stitute an ocean; sands make a mountain,
and lha rooks arc not worn away by a sud
den force but by continual droppings.
Death From a Cornstock. On Monday
last, near Shuylkill Sixth and Lombard
streets, as a lad of fourteen years of age,
named Pollock, was engaged in some ac
tive play with some other boys, in getting
over a fenco in a hurry, he accidentally fell
upon a sharp upright corn slock, which en
tered his groin, ami caused his death in
twenty-four hours after. A more singular
cause of death we have seldom heard.
U. S, Gazctlt.