■*. W. Fr#pri#t#r.3 VOLUME 8. Is published every Thursday Morning, by R. W. WEAVER. OFFICE—Up stairs in the New Brick building on the south side of Main street, third square below Market. TERMS :—'Two Dollars per annum, If paid within six months from the time of subecri hing; two dollars and fifty cents if not paid within the year. No subscription received for a less period than six months i no discon tinuanee permitted until all arrearages are paid, unless at the option of the editors. Advirtmxmxnts not exceeding one square. • will be inserted three times for one dollsT, and twenty-five cents for each additional insertion A liberal discount will be made to those who ad vsrtise by the year. A Rough Ityine on a Rut Matter. T TIIE AUTHOR OV " ALTON 10CKK." "Leaping late and early, Till under their bite and their tread The swedes, ar.dtbe wheat, and the barley Lay cankered, and trampled, and dead. "A poacher's widow sat sighing On the side of the white chalk bank, Where under the gloomy fir-woods One spot in the ley throve rank. "She watched along tuft of Clever, Where rabbit or hare never ran; For its black sour haulm covered over The blood of a murdered man. "She thought of I he dark plantation, And llie hares, and her husband's blood And the voice of her indignation Rose up teethe throne of god. "I am long past waiting and whining- I have wept too muoh in my life; I've had-twenty years of pining As an English laborer's wife. "A laborer in Christian England, Where they cant of a Saviour's name, And yet waste men's lives, like the ver vains For a few more brace of game. "There's blood on your new foreign shrubs [squire; There is blood on your pointers' leet; There isbloOd on the game you sell squire, And there's blood on the game you eat. , "You have sold the laboring man, squire. Body and roul to shame, To pay for your seat in the House, squire, Wnd to pay for the feed of your game. "You made him a poacher yourself, squire When you work nor meat, At on: starving children'# feet; "When parked in one reeking chamber, Man, maid, mother, and little ones lay; While the rain pattered in on the rotting [bride-bed, And tho walls let in the day ; "When we lay in the burning fever On tho mild <>l the eold clay floor, Till you parted us all for three months, [squire, At the cursed workhouse-door. x "We quarrelled like brutes, and who won ders? What self-respect could we keep, Worse housed than your hacks and your [pointers. Worse fed than your hogs and your sheep. "Onf daughters with base-horn babes . Have wandered away in iheir shame; If vour misses had slept where they did, Your misses might do the same. "Can your lady patch hearls that are [breaking With bandfuls of coal and rice, Or by dealing-eat flannel and sheeting A little belew cost price 1 "You may tire of the jail and the workhouse And take to allotments and schools, Bat you've run up a debt that wilt never Be repaid us by penny -dub-mlea. • "In the season of shame and sadness, In the dark and dreary day, • When scrofula, gout and madness Are eating your race away; "When to khnncds and liveried varlets Ywa hae# cast your daughters' bread, And worn out wire. liquor and harlots, Your heir at your feet lies dead. "When your youngest T the mealy-mouthed [rector, let# yonr soul rot asleep to the grave; Vo witt find in your God the Protestor Of die freeman you fane;?'.! vont lihYC • I "She looketl a! tlie tuft of clover, And wept till her heart grew light; And at last, when her passion was over, Went wandering into the night. "But the merry brown hares came leaping Over the nplands still, Where the clover and com lay sleeping On the aide of tho white chalk hill. Such items as the following, from the Eng. lish papers, Bpcak volumes : Two girl* are in custody in Tipperary, who ooofess that they set fire to a hayrick pi order to get traasported. Accounts from Galway state that the rage for emigration in that quarter, so far from declining, seems to bo gaining strength eve ry day A clergyman who was consoling a young widow on tha death of her husband, spoke in a very serious tone, remarking that he was "ono of the few—such a jewel of a Christian ! You cannot find his equal—you know that full well." To whidh.rtie sobbing fair one replied, with an almost broken heart _"I'II bet I do;" .-r*yail■*' T'DIH '7'' ' BLOSjfSBURG, COLUMBIA THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1851. Ml J ran freeport Actutivucr. That the public may make up a just judg ment in relation to the transactions connect- ed with the rebuilding of the Freeport Aque duct; I wish to make a full and fair expose d of them through the press. I shall confine myself principally to the testimony placed j upon the public record—will any nothing but what the facts in the case will justify, a This structure was erected by the com monwealth to convey the water in the | canal across Allegheny river. Is situa , ted one mile above Freeport, where the Kis l kaminitas flows into the Allegheny. Was consumed by fire on the night of the 12th of ! May, 1848-. Rebuilt between that time and iJje Ist of July following. The manner in which the public raeney was disbursed and receipts taken, left a strong impression upon u£ minds o[ many rtf life citizens In that viciuity, that the trans actions in 'disburring the public money were neither fair nor honorable. Being elected to the Legislature friMft Westmoreland county and living in the immediate vicinity of the aqueduct, I took with me to Harrisburg cer tain facts, in order to test the fairness of these accounts as settled and fifed -in the Au ditor General's office. Upon examination it was found that the suspicions of these men were weH founded—there was strong evi dence of fraud. The Two houses having raised a joint committee to examine into the management of the public works, these facts were placed in the hands of the committee. After sub poenaing several witnesses, they took up the subject on the 7th of March, 1849. The foN lowing is an oxtraot from the report of the committee made to tha House of Represen tatives on the 9th o.f April, and to be found in tha 2a Vol. of their Journal, page 671: "The attention of the committee was first drawn to the consideration of the manner in which the public money had been expended in re building the aqueduct at Freepott, on tho western division of the canal. After an examination of the chock rolls filed ir. the Auditor General's office, Daniel Hawk, Jo seph Alter, William H. Stanley, Peter Ford, and \Vm- B. Gibson, workmen at the aque duct, was sttbpffineed, and Alex. Power, lata supervisor, notified to appear before the com mittee forthwith. The witnesses having ap peared, Mr. Power not being present, were examined on the 7th day of March. "By the chock rolls for May and Juno, 1811, and filed in the Auditor General's of fice as having b.son settled, it appears that -.qkutiaHiawV, fjgtittilb is credited .9. days' work in May fat one dollar and fifty' cents per day, thirteen dollars and fifty cents, and twenty six days' work in June, at one dollar nnd fifty cents pet day, thirty nine dollars, both baing receipted by Hawk's sig nature. "From the testimony it will be soon thai Hawk swears he only worked sixteen days in June and July, and received but 24 dol lars; that tho signatures to the two check rolls are his; that be Bottled with James Morgan, who kept tho check rolls and paid the hands y and that he did not examine them closely when he signed them. "Joseph Alter is charged on the check rolls for -May and June, 4848, as * having re ceived for nine days' work in May, nine dol lars, and twenty two days' work in June, twenty seven dollars and fifty cents. He swears he worked nine days in May, at one dollar per day, and received the money from Jamei Morgan when he signed the check roll foi that month ; that he worked ten days in June, for which he was to receive one (Toi ler and twenty five cents; that he received but seven dollars as yet, for his wotk in June and that Morgan has refused to pay him the balance due. "VVm. H. Stanley is charged on the check rolls for May and June, 1848, with having received for eight days' work in May, at one dollar and fifty cents per day, twelve dollars, and twenty six days in June at one dollar and fifty cents per day, thirty nine dollars. He testified to but one days'work in May, at one dollar and twenty five cents, and bat two days in Jane at one dollar and fifty cents per day, making four dollars and twenty five cents in all, which was settled by a man named Hanes, who was boss, by giving him an order, that was afterwards paid by James Morgan, cleik and paymaster for the super intendent. He swrars, also, that when he signed the May and June check rolls, be thinks they wero filled up only with the I three dayg !:? worked; that had ihey pres ented the appearand !. he f now did hc s ' ,ould have observod it, "Peter Ford is charged on the check roll for June, 1848, with having received thirtv J two dollars and fifty cents, for twenty six days' work, at one dollar and twenty five cents per day. He swears that ho received but sixteen dollars, for sixteen day's work, at ono dollar per day; that he worked fif teen days in June and one in July; that he called on Mt. Power, the superintendent, and James Morgan, clerk, for a settlement; that they exnminod the oheck roll together, and found the number of days correotly stated in it; that the amount [sixteen dollars) was carried out in pencil mark; that he signed two chock rolls at the request of Morgan, who gave him a due bill for the money which ho paid, a month Of two afterwards; ; that at the time o( signing the check rolls > there were only sixteen days marked on i them. i "Wm. B. Gibson is charged on the check i roll for May, 1848, with the receipt of thir ■ teeti dollars and fifty cents, for thirteen and a 1 half days' work, and on tho June roll for the same year, thirty dollars for twenty days' .JHUII.LIJ Jiiiii.l. / "Til ;i I . iirrnmr 11 l wotk, at one dollar and fifty cents per dny. He swears that he received but thirteen dot- J* lars in all; that he worked but one day in June, and eleven or twelve tn May, at one 1 dollar per day ; that he was taken sick in June and thus prevented front working ; that j he signed two oheck rolls for Morgan, who paid him ; that he did not examine lire rolls k closely when be signed them. • "From the foregoing abstract from the testimony which the committee have deem ed proper to incorfforate in their report, it will be seen that false returns have been made to the Auditor General of moneys pur j. porting to have been paid the witnesses, who I were employed in rebuilding tha Freeport Aqueduct, and by this means in these five instances alone, the sum of $137 50 have been abstracted from the Treasury. But j five laborers have been examined out of j some twtr or three hundred mat were em ployed on the work.—From numerous let ' ters received and other informal information in pa-session of the committee, they think it altogether probable that a much larger amount, upon oaTeful examination, will be , found to have been drawn from tha Treasury in the same manner. The committee are induced to bring this matter to the notice of the Legislature, not becaase of the sctual loss sustained, but because of the grots vio lation of the joint resolution approved tbe JBth day of March, 1837, entitled 'Resolu tions relative to the superintendents of mo tive power and disbursements upon the canals and railways, which forbid tbe ob taining of any receipts from any person for any ilebt due by the commonwealth, with out the actual payment of (Tie money. In some of the instances referred to, the check roUs were signed at tbe Tequeet of James Morgan, and a due bill given by him for the amount, and in sU of them the number of days, the per diem and the aggregate amount have been increased after tbe signatures were obtained. James Morgan, who kept the check rolls and paid the hands, suddenly disappeared from his place Of residence, shortly after a subpoena had bsen issued for him, as will appear by the testimony of the sergeant-at-arms. The committee would recommend a close examination by the Au ditor Genoral, of the amounts paid on oheck rolls on the work. From the testimony of Joseph Alter, Peter Ford and Adam Holli day, it will be seen that a much larger quantity of timber was purchased than was required or used in the construction of the aqueduct; the two former estimate the sur plus at one hundred thousand (cot, and the ■fJttoWr as sufficient to build three additional aqueducts; much of it in rafts that had not hosi) touched, a large part of which was af terwards floated to Cincinnati and there sold, according to the testimony of one witness, at eight couts per foot." Here was CTirifmdd sufficient to satisfy the most skeptical, that the accounts of Mr. Power, a- filed, were unfair. Upon thi- ev idence the Auditor General, on the 29th of May, 1849, opened his accounts, as far ms they related to the re-building of the aque duct; appointed the Hon, John C. Knox commissioner to take the testimony in relation to them, and the undersigned agent on the part of the Commonwealth to furnish it. On examining the check rolls it was found that there bad been between five and six hun dred different men employed at the work. It was found on making inquiry relative to them that some'of them were dead; others had left the stale, and that matiy of them could not be fuund at all. I however suc ceeded in serving a subpoena upon two hun dred and three of them. One hundred and eighty seven ol these appeared before the commissioner. The testimohy was taken in the presence of Mr. Power, and his friend General Levi G. Clover, assisted by Attor neys Riddle, Donely, France and Neobit. It will be found in the journal of the House Representatives for 1850, vol. 2, page 704. [HerO follows a list of the amounts each witness received for his services at the re building of the aqueduct, together with what he is purported to hare received by the check rolls. There are one hundred and eighty seven of these, but they are all alike except in amount, and we give ibe follow* ing as samples. The whole amonnt of er rors is #3,638 92 :] • Error. John Woods received #l6 00 Amount as per check rolls 39 00 James Lowe received 56 00 Amouul as per check rolls 70 00 ■ ?4 00 i Isaac Kopnte received 19 00 Amount a* per cirec*'oils 56 00 * ... 17 00 John Gallagher received 2 00 Amount as per oheck rolls 28 62J VVm. Stephenson received 14 50 Amount as per check rolls 40 00 , Jos. E. Ross reoeived 7 75 Amount as per cheek rolls 39 00 Geo. Wilkenson received 20 00 1 Amount as per oheck rolls 43 25 j 23 25 i Now, fellow-cttixens, you have before you . tho case made out on part of the common- I wealth, as far as tho check rolls are con , corned. Three thousand six hundred and thir ' ty eight dollars and ninety two cents drawn ; from the public treasury, upon the reeeipts of\ ! men, who upun their solemn oaths, swear that i they never received it. Is this not strong evi dence of fraud f of a plundered treasury i c Those were not men kicked off the canal, • but men ot character, standing as high in i the rank of society as any Other sat of men s in tho commonwealth. About one third of the men employed at the work appeared Truth and Bight—God ami our Country. r. before the commissionet. Had I been able i- to hare procured the testimony of the bat n anee, I bare not a doubt but that i could 9 hare piled up $6,000 note in the same it way. it We come now to the manner in which the 0 money is accounted for. Charles Fouser a swears that he rsceired 76 cents more than his receipt upon the check rolls called for. j A man by the name of Scott, one or two . dollars also. But the principal witness, on t the part of Mr. Power, i* a Mr. Morgan, 1 who appears upon cheok mils as olerk aad . foreman. He swears that the money was i put into his possession to pay (he hands ■ : (which was a direct violation of law,) that he kept it in the collector's safe and carried the key; that when he paid out the first package of money, amounting to $4,000, ' there were S3OO thAt he coefd not account tor; That there were h gr?at Mtoy transient boatmen ahd emigrants at the work, who worked from two to five days, would draw frOm two to five dollars, according to the number ot days they had worked, perhaps leave a balance of 25 or 50 cents in his hands, and leave without signing the check rolls; that he paid out some ss,oo on this kind ot accounts; that he paid out for mate rials, contingent and travelling expenses, $1,000; that when he came to settle np his accounts finally, there were between five and six hundred dollars short, which, togeth ■ er with the foregoing, were placed upon the chtek rolls as days work. I have something to say respecting this testimony. . He first swears to the check. rolls—that they Were all right; that these men worked so mahy days and were due Kb much money, when lie knew U was false. In his testimony before thaodmmtikiooer, as printed in the journal, he (feears agate that they are right, when the commonwealth prtved by near two hundred witnesses, that they are false, and he in the body of his testimony admits their falsity, by endeavor ing to make up the discrepancy between the testimony and the amount upon the check rolls. J. V. Criswell had two horses employed at the work 'or which he received s7B. These were used as express horses. David C. Scott (who upon this occasion signed himself David Scott,) appears upon the check rolls as a foreman. He states thai part of his time he was employed travelling. Ho receives $55 50, at the rate of $1 50 per day for hi* services. Gen. Clover was also a general runner—''going at times, night and day." He made out a bill of his exjietises and was allowed them by Ihtfluditor gener al. Theso sums are over am', above the amount purported to be paid out by Morgan for travelling expenses, &c. It was important in order to strengthen the testimony of Morgan, that some of these boatmen and emigrants should have been produced—none of them were—none of them can be. The aqueduct was twenty seven days in being rebuilt. James Morgan appears upon the check rolls as having drawn $l3O for his services. James Morgan, second, $52. James A. Morgan sl2. Notwithstanding this Mr. Morgan has since presented to supervisor Ulam a bill of over SBO jfor services aHedged to bo done at tho re-buifling of this aque duct, which Mr. Ulam reftised to pay. One thing more ftul I dismiss Morgan. —lire hairman of We investigating com mittee, issued a subpmna fcvtotr. Morgan, in onler to have bis testimony taken before the committee. The sergeant-at-nrms called at his house in Cambria conuty. He was told that he had started that day for Harrisburg; but upon inquiry it was found that he had gone west. He did not return until about the adjournment of the legislature. Why this absenting himself from home thus sud denly 1 Why pretend to be going to Harris- I Ibnrg when he proceeded in a contrary direc tion J If these transactions were fair and honorable why not appear before the com mittee 1 Was his testimony not yet ready ? I come now to the surplus material remai ning after the aqueduct was finished. It was disposed of, but Mr. power in settling his accounts, rendered no account of it. There was nothing upon the record to show to whom or for what ir had The auditor general knew nothing about it. Mr. Adam Holliday in his last testimony before the committee, says : "There was timber enough left to build thtee more aque ducte. Some rafts had not a stick taken out ef them, others had a few pieces taken out." Mf F?ld s!ic IS)'!: "I should think at a .moderate calculation there feet of timber brought to the aquedsct, which was not used in its construction; about 50, 000 remained in raits without being disturb ed." This timber was disposed of in the following manner, as appears by the testi mony taken before the commissioner; A.' W. Lane got <4O feet at 6 cents' per foet, ssl 20. Wm. B. Carver MOO feet of plank, scantling, Ac , for qualifying Morgan to the check rolls and a few brick he furnish ed. Wm. M. Souther $77 worth, besides a crook reft at something near S7B mere. Da vld Leech got near 100 logs, also two creek lafts. John Kerns got two lots of timber, one as pay for taking not old iron, the other in pay for boarding—he kept a boarding r house. In paying off the hands they gave ! him timber in lieu of it. Fetor Ulam got $lO 50 worth. There was a lot of this tim t bor left on' Hare's Island above Pittsburg , Mr. Wood in his testimony estimates it at i 4000 feet. Anthony Marvin says he should not hive thought it worth SIOO. Bnt Mr. Ford 1 j an old lumberman, who ha* Tun the river I since 1807, who says be examined it, esti —no^i—i—i i mates it at SIO,OOO feet lineal, which at 8 • cents per font would make it worth SBOO. 1 This, Gen. Clover, the collector at Pittsburg, i a public officer, bought for S2OO, aod after wards gave S4O extra. When tho timber i was laying at the aqueduct, Clover says in ■ his testimony that "Abner Lane proposed i to me to join him In buying the bal ■ anco of the ti m ber after the aqueduct was finished. I told him I war in the em ploy of the commonwealth, and I did not think it right to go into such a speculation." It seems from the testimony pf Mr. Gen. Clover, that Mr. Power settled part of his accounts with him, btlt by what authority I am at a loss to determine. I can find no law, no precedent for such a •course.—Had the part settled by tho general been settled by tho auditor general and placed upon the fite, as the law requires, it would have sav ed the Oomrttonweahth the trouble and ex pense of resettling this part of them. The balance of the timber was given in charge by John A. Steele and John V. Criss well to run it and return tho proccods to Mr. Power. They took it to Cincinnati and sold it to Bailey, Lonstaff k Co. Mr. Ma lone, ono of the firm, appeared before the commissioner and testified that they had bought of Stee la and Ciisswell, in 1848, 88,350 cubic feet of timber, at six cents per fool, amounting to $5,752 75, also tho ca bles upon the rafts at sls ; that they gave SSOO dollars in hand, and notes for the bal ance, to be paid afterwards. Now it wa9 known that this timber had been told, but there was nothing in relation to it to be found among the accounts of Mr. Powsr, as settled by the Auditor General. After the investigatipn had been commenced, Gen Clover appeared before the committee and gave an account of two notes deposited in bank, amounting to $2,744 70, leaving a balance of $3,032 99 unaccounted for, to which if wo add the S2OO paid by clover, mokes $3,232 99. Criswell appeared before tbe committee; seemed to know nothing definitely about it; said Steele and himself ran it to Cincinnati —sold it to Bailey, LbngstalT St Co. at 6 cents per foot—got SSOO in cash—gave two notes to Clover—balance went to bear ex penses Three thousand two hundred and thirty-two dollars and ninety nine cents to run 8t'350 feet of timber 529 miles. It did not cost SSCO. I come now to the old iron. There was a large quantity of iron in the old aqueduct. It was scattered along the river.—The prin cipal part of it was collected by the State hands and delivered at Graff & Linsday's wardhousc. This Gen. Clover purchased from Mr. Power at one cent per pound. Mr Morehead, of Freeport, offered two and a half cents a pound for a large quantity of it, but was asked three cento, bought a small quantity at this price. In the language of the General, "I purchased from Alexander Power all thd old iron and castinos I could find along the canal and river, for which I was to pay one cent per lb. I gathered up 17 or 25 tons." Now mark the transaction. One public buys the public property from anoth er public officer, both watching over the public interests. Suppose there were 15 tons of this iron,which would weigh 83,6oel'is It was sold to Graff & Linsday at 24 cents per potlnd—bought at one cent. In this tiansaction he would pocket $504. The amount this iron was sold for did not pass to the credit of the State until after the inves tigation ; neither was there any thing in re lation to it in the account of Mr. Power, J. F. M'CULLOCH, ■ Qf Westmoreland. WOMEN'S DRESS. Mrs. Cclia M. Burr, a clergyman's lady thus philosophises upon the subject of Tur kish trousers and short gowns, in tho last number of Mrs. Swisahelms paper : " On my last vist to that pleasant study in Brooklyn, I was obliged to return in the rain, and as I had to walk nearly a mile before reaching a carriage stand, my groy-headed philosopher had ample time to enter into a dissertation on tiro subject of dress. 'Fitness' said ho, looking very sevsro and uncompro mising as he seated himself in the curve of ray umbrella handle, and rested his elbow on the dog's nose that formed the ornamen tal finishing, 'fitness is the chief element of beauty,' in fact there can be no beauty in a thing which is not fit and appropriate for its intended use. Now, according to this rule, what do you think of the drasa you have ont' Here he looked up in my face in a. fray that made me feel very uncomfortable and began an inventory of what I wore.— 'The bonnet itself is well enough, it is straw and could bear a rain without being spoiled, but the fluted crape lining is good for noth. ing, it is beginning to fali now from the ef feet of the damp air upon it, and those long floating ribbons which yotf dignify with the name ef strings, what are they good for, But to be forever in tho wayl now flapped over your shoulders by a gust of wind, then into your fare, then about your umbrella handle, a drop of water epoils them, and tbey need replacing oftencr than every moon, even if you have<the good luck never to be caught in a shower. Then you have fifteen yards of silk at least in yow dress ; a gust of wind has just seized it and now you will have an opportunity of judging of its fitness;' there it goes with a flap and a twirl, and now the ample skirt is wrapped once and a half about yon ankles, and you can form A very accurate idea of an Egyptian mummy undergoing the pleasant recreation of a walk The shawl "ia of no conse quence" any way, if originated probably in S spme vague notion of protecting the person • before the art of oitling and making clothei , was Understood, and so has been ottdufei with all its inoonveniences, swathing tin r arms and impeding motion ever since i Vonrs at the present moment, has one cor' I ner blown over the top of your bonnet ■ another trailing on the pavement, and it t third upon which yon retain a resoln te hold ts puffed out into a miniature bsHrrOtt over ; your left arm ; the shawl evidently belong* to space, and tho sooner it takes wing for that destination the better. But all that has gone before is fitting and commodious in comparison with what follows.' Here the impertinent little creature leant forward at:d for the space of three minutes contemplated my pedal extremities, wofnfty bedraggled skirts, and tho pavement with its half inch layer of soft mud— *Cldlk-ffaUeee? mitf'tuted he at length between his teeth, thiji cottin hose, and a quarter of a yard itt depth, hearen only Only knows how many in breadth, of wet muslin and silk switching about the ankles of a woman in delicate health, and /possessing the most fastidious tastes, and ho sprang from his seat and dis appeared with what sounded very like an emphatic " damn," but was itt reality no doubt merely the French diuble, Sttcli an episode you may readily imagine set me thinking, and eo I hope it will you, whether after all there is not home truth in tho idea that fitness is an important element of beauty. £rom tkt Sullivan County Democrat PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRACY. The Word is in every body's mouth, but the meaning, we fear, is not In every body's understanding. Jn fact, our own ideas— profoondedly acquainted as an editor, of course, is with all subject*—our own ideas were rather vague and misty, until a few days ago, when We sal down deliberately, and put our thoughts to work. Tlten tho mists rolled away, and the subject shone out beautifully clear and distinct. Progressive Democracy is obedience to a universal law—the law of progress. Nature herself is but a "name for change the change of progress, or the change of decay- When sho ceases to progress, she begins to recede—changing still, is never conserve* tive. This work governs all ber works. In inotganio nature—the world of matter without life—the law is mere change, per petual change. Our globe is the grand theatre of this Mountains are imperceptibly. .W inevitably, carried by particles intolifteocean, tobuTld tip now con tinents where waters once rolled. Rocks— the very hardest—are disintegrated by air and water, and converted into fertile soils, or being removed by torrents to some new locality, and united again by cement, calca reous, or feruglnous, they become rew rocks of another specimen, to be disinteg rated again in their time, by air and water. Inorganie nature knows no "conservative" moment. In organic nature—the living world, ani mal or vegetable—the law is change also. But it is lite change of progress and decay . progress to a certain point, then inevitable decay. From the moment the seed is planted the tree begins to progress. Year by year it rises In slatiirtj, increases in girth, approaches nearer and nearer the fatal point whore progress ceases, and decay beins.— The animal body—of man or bruto passes through the same inflexible process, obeys the sgme law. But there is another grade of nature higher and nobler than mere animal matter —the human mind. There the law is pro gress—progress without decay—perpetual progress. How faint is the dawning intelli gence of the infant 1 how gradually the mind expands! yet how certainly, how certainly it becomes the intellect of the full grown man 1 How certainly is it destined—as Rev elation assures ns—to be in a future life, in definitely progressive. To apply these reflections to our subject. All human institutions, nations and their governments obey the universal law. Re publics, empires, and kingdoms have "strut ted their hour" on the world's stage and passed off to be seen no more, except in history ; yet all have left behind thorn the same testimony—a period of progrcs-, fol lowed by a perjpd of decay. Many nations and governments dot the Earth's surface now, but all are changing, slowly, gradually, inevi ably. We may not see tho actual movement, any more than we do the ma jestic procession of the equinox, but when we look at the point where they where a few centuries, or a few years ago, we know that they have moved. Take England, fur instance, whose constitution is supposed to | be moored 'to conservatism itsell. What was her government eight hundred years ago? what was she two hundred? what was •he fifty? All unljke her present self!— Possibly China may be referred to in objec tion, but we know too little of tnat govern ment to cite her against all other experien ces, historical, and actual, ot to suppose her an exception to tinman nature. In nations and in governments, absolute conservatism has never been, is no where now, and, we may safely infer, can never be. Are our institutions an exception?— Are they an exception to the onivortal law? We think not—we are euro not. Tho laws of natr.ro—of human nature—are invariable one inflexible. Perhaps the- instant we ceatte to progress, we shall begin to decay. Mhhy of us—most of us—are perfectly satisfied with our institutions, and am wil ling to retain them precisely as they are [TWO Pillars *r Aim* - NUMBER 17. ———^ n, yet it cannot be, it will not be. Many of us ts —meet of us—were satisfied with the Jef id fcrsonian platform of foemoctaoy, and wil te ling to stand on it, now.smlhvbr. Bat it - rould no? be, and has not been. Much has r- already been changed, and mnch is now un t, dergomg change. , n The current of progress, like that of time, d is on—on—irresiStably on, whether we wish Ft it or not; however, we straggle against it, ;h it will bear ns along. Democracy, like all it things else, is necessarily progressive; and, s although the nktne progressive Democracy it is of recent iutroducli..p # the thlftg designs -0 ted is no novelty. From the lime of Jar- J PERSON, new tenants have been continually 1 added to the creed of the Democratic party, 1 new pratrticos oonttnnally introduced, and t what has been must continue to be. The t Blau alio .-annul eesSpcehsml this lew of t progtess, who refuse td obey this trresistablo , necessity, soot fiutl themselves—as many t eccollent Democrats have—sdrift on the ; puty waves, and are, after a while, picked i up by thO other great parly, now called t "Whig"—which progressive also, follows in the wake of the Democracy. How many i Democrats of this class—clinging fondly to > the name—entertaining many if not .all i their ancient principles—how many such > Democrats, could we point out, who are acr r ing with a party entirely antagonistic. In t fast, a conservative Democrat—ono who f stands still while the party moves onward— nocessar.ly sooner or later ber fh's a Whig TIIK END OF LIFE. It V MRS. R . S. NICIIOtV '' fie rived all the number of bis years and they were three score years an 1 ten." An old man sit by the window, For (he sprint was drawing near; f At d ihe corse of the .load old win er i Had gone to the tomb of the year! The sun ight soft and unclouded, S'reamed in o'er tho oaken floor, ' And fretted wi h gold, the dark pa isls, ' Quaintly carved in the ancient door. I The hands of the old man trembled, , lliif beard was frosted and thin, And chill as the heart ol December Was the heart that was tolling within: 1 Like embers half quenched and dying On a desolate hearth at night, , Burned the ashes of life in nis bosom, As he sift in tho spring's clear light. He looked on the young buds swelling, ' . And a tear o'er bis wrinkles strayed; fie 0 J| °' The forms oi his innocent chitdren Sho nightly had folded in prayer, i And laid On the soft lap of slumber, f With tender and motherly pare, Rose up in the old .mail's vision- He saw that one tired and slept, Like a lamb, by the side of its mother, Where a willow leaned over and wept. ' One son had wandered fnm virtue, The father in spirit had yearned To giant him forgiveness and blessing, But the prodigal never returned; Another had wedded with mammon, And worshipped tlte Prince of this world j And one 'neath the Cross had enlisted, ( And fought where its banners unfurled. ' A daughter, the fairest and dearest, i * In loviinesß walked by his side, j I Nor envied the lot of her sisters. Who dazzled with beauty and pride : Her voice, was Iter hearts sweetest music, ' When from tho bloat volume she read, ' That brightens the valley of shallow And smooths down the path to the dead For all his affliction and sorrow— For all his misgivings and grlbf— For the night of his doubting and darkness | Ho found in its pages relief. His life has been checkered with spdness, ' And as it drew nigh to its close, ' Ho longed for that borne of the weary— The land of immortal repose.! : Tho old man sat by the winilow—, As'the sun dropped low in the sky, His spirit, with silent rejoining, Went up to the mansion on high! Another green hillock in summer, Received the baptism of dew, And down in the dust of tho valley, He rests by the tender and true! Goon JOKE ON A WIDOWER.—A corres- • pondent at Holly Springs, Mississippi, tolls the following, and vouches for ill truth. It is the best joke wo have heard lately. It i appears that a widower in that town, of u somewhat gallant disposition, had been or cusomed to visit the residence of the widow M whether to eee tbe amiable widow herself, or her lively daughters, our' infor meut did not knew. Que l r las 14 kefeaul the family party hard at work on some gar ments of cloth. Tho girls were sewing, end the widow was pressing the seaMra. Tim widower "hung up hie hat," as usual end took t;ia seat by the fire; just at tjut moment it happened that the widow had done wtin the pressing iron fnlgo, ot tailor's goose ) She sat it down on the hearth, and called to the negro mar. in a loud voicd—'Jake! Jake! come and taki out Iku goose!' Tho widower started up with astonishment ' not knowing whst to make of this abrupt order. 1 'Jake do you hear me." again eaclaimsd / tho widow. r '1 beg your pardt n Mrs. M.' reid the wid . owsr with visible agitation, 'but pray dim', t call Jake—if you wish mo to leave ynnr 1 house I will go at once, and without the m -1 terieronee of servants.' 1 The fadie* roared with laughing, and it • took some momenta to explain to the ch.y_> rinod widower his mistake. He bss u " . been known to visit the widow M in that memorable evening. s .!fv
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