rents who rimed on me, aridwho, their means hefty limited, found it exceedingly difficult to secure for me such an edtwutitio as they, in their parental fondness, considered suited:l: illy natural gifts. I had, moreover, tin only sister, with whom r di'vided their love, find for whose accomplishments, in connection with my own studies, they deprived themselves not only of all cite' luxuries, but many of the necessaries of life. We grew up together in tenderness and affection, until I reach !Al Iny sayenteentilyeur—when. in the space of a fort night, both lather and mother were summoned. to an ether, and, - doubtless, a brighter world. My father was meChanician, with feeble constitution; and had toiled , beyond bis physical powers. He was seized by a prevailing malady, and although he lingered but a few weeks, the incessant night watches and other toils, which nonebut those who have attended long, upon a sick room, in which the head of a family lay stretched upon wheel- of death, -carr fully appreciate, reduced my another to a shadow. In brief, she speedily followeA hi Tha first binu' was dreadful and appaling. I felt"ittnore On account of my siste; 'a condition than 'my own. She was a slight, fair, gentle, and beauti- -fel being, and untortunately, as the result showed, she -Sad not been fitted by habit or education to wrestle •%vit.h the heartless world. She knew nothing of life— had mingled little with scriety, and was wholly huid erate to obtain a liiielihood for herself, e.xcept in some easy. and agreeable situation. This I soon discovered it was next to impossible to obtain for her. Our means were extremely limited. We were compelled, indeed, to Ware of the furniture and few trifles of silver Ware that h . id been hoarded up in cur little family, with the object of maintaining even for ashort time, un appearance of gentility. For myself, I satin saw the lonely and wretched position I occupied, and also speedily discovered how utterly unfit I was to make my way through the crowd of such a metropolis as Lon don. We had some friends, it is true, but they were for the most part in humble life, or ut least unable to reader any permanent or satisfactory assistance. "Week after week, and month after mouth, westrug tied to obtain situations. Wt , travelled from one end of the metropolis to the other at least a thousand times; feeling alone and deserted amidst the vast crowd, arid &paying atlast that we were pointed and scoffed ut, because of our frequent appearance in the streets, and . 'far reasons which at that time I could not comprehend. Probably we were deemed idle and w,,rthless, and the very shyness and timidity which must have marked our conduct and appearance, doubtless form, d a cause of scandal and distrust. 0 God ! what a life of misery I lived during those few months I saw lay sister fadiug before me, hoar after hour; I saw her without the Means of satisfying her hunger; I saw her patient and resigned as an angel; and endeavoring to jest and make light even of the miserable condition of her ap parel. A thousand demons would sometimes seem whispering at my soul. Crime and all its temptations appeared before me, and in various f and more than once some momentary companion in misery en deavored to urge ma over the precipice on which I felt I was standing. Nothing saved me but tire early les sons of my lamented parents. Their voices seemed to ring through rev ears at every crisis, and when res • ohition hesitated and faltered befure tire goiswin- , 3 of hunger and dm . pleading,s of despair, when my better genius seemed about .to fall and desert me, some bright gleam would penetrate the dark:,esa, and the phantom shape of n3,' mothar whisper, 'my sun, my son, my only sou.' " A tear trickled do•.vn tl)e cheek of the old man, as the image of his maternal parent rose above the past, and the recollection of his early sutfering,s, came back upon his memor. "But," he r::u•ned "no language can give an ade quate idea of the horror of those moments. The turf was scarcely green above the grave of the author of my existence. when my sister perished of poverty and want—mad, perfectly mad: her sail-rings of body and mind having thrown her into a brain les er. Nay; she might have lived had she been (provided with ade quate medical skill, and the comforts essential to the • sick chamber But by this time we were compelled to lodge in a damp cellar in Liverpool, having, as a last resort, proceeded thus far on our way to this country. We had heard much of it in the old world, and gath ering up the last fragments of our broken fortunes— scarcely enough to pay for two berths in the steerage of an Arnericau ship; we seised in our desolation and desperation, upon the hope of brighter prospects in the new world. Poor Annette ! She bore up stoutly to the last, and could I have kept her alive until the sea breeze bad funned her fainting spirit., and the salt air nerved her feeble frame, she might at least have reach ed these shores. But her gentle heart broke beneath the vicissi:odes of a cold and bitter world, and the fair you.n creature who had been brought up with so much tenderness' and love, died in a loathsome cellar, with no losing to cheer her last hours, save a wretched and miserable brother, who was scarcely able to se cure to her lifeless form respectable burial. And yet, in the wisdom (Zan all-wise Providence, perhaps her early and painful death was a 'mercy. What could she have done—what might have been her destiny in u land of strangers "In two months after I stood by the death-bed of my . sister, I landed in these United States 1 was then bat twenty years of age, but I must have looked much ,drier. I was haggard and worn, and the rosy hues of youth had utterly vanished from my features. "On my way over. I had told my sad story to a low passenger, and on parting with me in New York. he gave me more than he could afibrd, a few dollars; to kee t , me as he said, from the poor house, or worse, until I could obtain employment. Butt what employ ment. could I obtain ? I knew no trade; possessed lit tle strength of body: and had a vagabond look, more in consequence of the wretched plight of my wardrobe, than because of any revolting aspect of. features. For three days I wandered through the streets of the great city of the new world, an object possibly of curiosity to some, probably of contempt to others. The fourth night I sought, as I fancied, the humbler part of the city, with the object of economizing my means as much as possible. And here another misfortune. "During- the fitful slumber incident to my condition, I was rubbed of every farthing ! Imagine my situation! a stranger in a strange land, with a broken spirit, a despairing mind, and utterly penniless. My brain reeled with its reflections. Reason tottered, and des pair gathered over my soul, black and terrible ! Life seemed to stop ! Thu blood rushed madly through my veins ! Crime, also, appeared, and with a still more dreadful aspect I My own thoughts writhed like scot pions, and [ felt as if my hour had come ! In vain the images of the past struggled for a place the frightful picturez—in vain the faint voice of conscience whi.'pered within me—in vain the still small voice cried "forbear, forbear !" Thu various means of sui cidecrowded rapidly upon me, the knife, the dagger, poison in its various forms. "A single plunge," the demaa whispered, "and the spirit will be at rest."— The struggle was a dreadful one, but the future was as night, nuta ray rose above its midnight of horrors.— The felon's fate might be, the prison, the gallows, the gazing crowd, the heartless executioner ! "These, all these, may be avoided," urged the demon. "A single plunge!" and with this thought I nerved toy trembling agitated spirit, nod moved towards the Hudson. Rap idly,l,,bmitend on. Tito world about was disregarded. The dark, deep waters of the river were now in view. A few steps more, and the spring might be made. And yet my resolution wavered not. A ; single plunge, I thought, aad all will be over. sharp shriek rang through the air. Starting, with an involuntary motion, 1 turned; within u few yards of mo was a lovely child. unconscious of danger, and crawling slowly and playfully across the street.— A few yards. further, and a cairiage with two excited horses came dashing on—the driver in vain endeavored .to check the speed of the furious animals, or change their course. The terified mother stood at a window above, and from her the shriek had come. Another instant and it would have been toe late ! But, thank God ! thatinstal.: was all sufficient. The danger was imminent,and the el:ace:Ps such as would have made any other than a mad min pause. Suzh a pause would have been fatnl. As quick as thought, I rushed to and rescued the child; and thus was not only an uat of self-murder averted, but I became in the hands of Providence an instrument in preserving the life ofan only son—a darling, cherished, idol boy. "From that hour the shadow passed Faun my spirit. Thefiend abandoned me. Thu bright features of my dead - mother were again glassed by memory in my soul. Wretched and lonely ns m!e condition was, I ikaribm, it was my doty *Jive—l saw that the mean. kt and most abject might in the hands of Providence, be :s(!itsided. to noble uses. change came over the spirit ofmv dream." My fortuaei speedily improved. The father of the rescued bey became my patron and my friend. More than for. 1r yams have gone by, and I now am beyond the reach iCfverldly want. But can YOU wonder that with such an incident is thy early history; my spirit will some— times rowsad when visiting a solemn spot like this, and bending °reran grave of some v. retched victim of despair." - FOR PRESIDENT, JAS. B UCHANAN: Subject to the decision of THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION FOR GOVERNOR, FRS. R. SHUNK: Subject to the decision of THE DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION qr . ..l)e Oath) Morning Post. THOMAS PHILLIPS, EDITOIt Pi 1 TSBURGICWEDNESDAY,--DECEMBER LAY AND ANIIMASONIIY.-WC published on Mon day morning tho two letters of Mr. CLAY, in reply to , onto inquiries propounded by the antimasons, and the accompaning. remarks of the Globe. The editor of the Gazette, and other pseudo antimasons,who wish to sell their party to the Royal Archer, arc attempt ing to deceive the pablic into the belief that Mr. Clay withdrew from the Lodge in 1824, and that since that time he has held no communion with the masonic or der. We have the means to show that this is false, and refer thepublic to the following article from the Lancaster Examiner, to show how utterly destitute of truth is the assertion of Mr. Clay and his partisans that he has not hail any connection with masonry forthe lust nineteen years - We suppose the Gazette will not question the respectability, or veracity of the Exam- Leer; ithas been the text book for its party, and has always supported pure antiaro... , anry, with more ferocity Ithan any other journal in the state. If it is right in its remarks about Mr. Clay, how can the Gazette, claim ing, to be an organ of the antimasons, urge its parry to support such a man? And if the letter or Mr. Clay to the Grand Lodge, dated Sept 15, 18:31, is genuine, how will it reconcile Mr. C's. declaration that he has had nothing to do with masonry for the last nineteen years, with the plain, hottest truth? As the editor of the Gazette is now a champion of Mr. Clay and has undertaken to prove to his party that they can coo scienciously support a royal arch mason, we hope lie will consider it worthy his attention to notice tht.s,'n ti mant: of the editor of the Lancaster Examiner, nil also to explain why Mr. Clay should "rezrei tremely" that he could not attend a masonic long after be had withdrawn from th-.. Lodge. From the Lancastt,r HENRY CLAY AND ANTIMASuNRY.—Mr Clay, last fail, wrote au insulting letter to the untimavon s of In diana, alleging there was 110 warrant in the constitu tion, fur asking his sentiments on the AlthiCCE of ma sonry, and therefore declined giving a can& 1 answer. Subsequently, with the hope of securing the anti ma sons. and iirduciair the abandonmen t of Mr \Vol. hia Lodge going associates published a "certificate" of his demillal from Lexington Lodge. His masonic friends thereupon =ore !oast manfully that he had ' - se. ceded" from masonry, and urged antimasons to give op Wirt and support him for President. The antimasuns were not to be deceived into a sup port of the - political gambler" of Kentucky, and the labor of the lodge was for nothing. In [Addition to the.e facts. we publish the following reply of Mr Clay to the Secretary of the Grand Lodge. invitinz him to be pre sent at the installation of the Grand Master dect. It is takdn from the Kentucky Argu-,.: "DEAR SIR: When your note of yetuertlay was delivered, I %,‘ Company and did not attend to the request for an a•i. swer by the bearer,ur it sh )uhl have been sent, I 'e gret extremely,thal l rannot allenrifo Ike ec , :mon mentioned by you, in consequruce of - other en••aL-r -m wets. With great respect Yours 'Frilly, Ashland, Ist Sept., 1331. 11. CL It will be observed that the above note is dated but a few days previous to the meeting of the Baltimore Convention, at the period when his masonic partizans were most active in attemptinz to convinne the anti masonic party that Mr. Clay a as opposed to masonry, and that it was their policy to settle on him fir the Pre sidency. In the "rcply" we hear noehing of his sec, a- SiOlt from the lodge, nothing of his - demittal" in 1 el•-!4. which he hai paraded to the world, as evidence of los having ceased to sin. How much must this d..vel opment sink Mr. Clay below even his former charac ter for pofligacy and deception! Let his man worshippers bow the knee and rejoice in the infamy of their idol. The anti masonic party envy them not. His attempt at playing a d •serate game with our cause and party, for the benefit of the Lodge, is nut less marked by its profligacy than its fully. EgiPA . good old Antirnason, who has adhered t u the fortunes of that party fur the last fifteen years, was the otherday, reading the letter published by oar neighbor of the Gazette, eulogising, Mrs CLAY for getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning. and "sometimes churning the cream, and always salting it." lie said that that was nothing to boast of; his wife, who is over 50 years of nge, gets up at 4 o'clock; has the breakfast forthe faun . iy prepared before daylight, and always churns the cream. but nevcr salts it. however, salts the butter, which in th 3 opinion of her husband, is a much better plan than the orn attributed to Mrs. Clay by the editor of the Gazette. This antimason wants to know what reward he shoald receive fur his wife's smartness, if Mrs. Clay's performance with her butter andcream will induce rig:ll to support her husband fur office, who were heretofore opposed. THE CRY.AM.—The editor of the Gazette sticks to history about Mrs CLAY attending to the labors of her dairy, but varies the duties which he said she perform ed, and now, instead of insisting that she "sometimes churns the CREAM and always S ALTS it," he brings for ward the Rev CHAS. ELLIOTT to pore that MN Clay salts her butter. We would nut wonder if she did, but it was not her management of butter that called forth the admiration of our neighbor of the Gazette; be lauded her custom of salting her CREAM. This is the "cream of the joke," and Deacon White can't slip out 11. substituting buller fur cream. If he has the right thus to change the whole pith of his compliment to Mrs Clay, the public may well doubt the truth of the whole story, and set it dawn among the wishy - washy, skim-milk affairs that federal editors are continually originating fur the purpose of glorifying their great men and woman. ILLINOIS-1 HE CANAL, &c.—.. friend writes the St. Louis Republican from Springfield, 111., tliat "the en gineer, employed by Gov. Davis, is satisfied with the ork thus far on the canal, and that $1,G00,000 will conplote it. It is so stated here, with great confidence, b) those who profess to have the beat knowledge of the facts, that Gee. Davis regards the work in so favorable a light that he will advise our bond-holders to advanc e the money to complete it—more especially us he believes the securities for the funds proposed to be advanced are ample, as the bond-holders will be protected in their acquired rights by the courts of the United States." SHIP BUILDING ON THE LAKES.—Twoncy five new vessels with an aggregate of 4,000 tons, have been built on Lake Erie and the other upper lakes during the -present st - neon. Cost, $240,000. Wo.)IAN'S .11.tairrs.—Th e hill passed hi the Senate ofthe Lellislature of Tennessee, at itiyAent seitsion, securing to married womeu the use and enjoymint of their own property, has been negatived in the lower Horse. This is' whig justice and whig gallantty.— Such a law might cut eif one of their sources of spec ulation. 'The gross revenues of the State of New York this year will be nearly three millions of dollars which. after paying all expenses of Government, interest on debt, and repairs on public works, will leave a large surplus. BISHOP HUGHEs recently delivered a Lecture in New York 0:1 the subject of Civil and Ecclesiastical Power in Governments of the Middle Ages. The Lecture is greatly eulo4ists.l in the papers. Speaking of die Union the Civil with the Ecclesiastical Pow er, tne Bishop remarks: "If the C hawo sinned on this subject, tt4 ant ready'-to c .1c,.d0, it cannot be denied, on the other hand, that, in their regard, the iniquities of their t.•tth era have been visited on their children to the third and fourth generation. There is certainly no dendmination of Chri,tians that has so littb. reason to be in love with Charell.and-State-unions, us the Catholics. In inait Catholic coo :tries theniieire4, that union holds their religion in a slt.,].cies of dezrading bondage." 'An Alton, Illinois, paper save: The locomotive on the Springfield and Meredosia railroad has bean en tirely abandoned, and in its stead horse power alone is used. We are satisfied, from wh it we have heard, that the road cannot be kept up, that in all probability it will not bring in April next any in we than what the iron is worth. iril s ,The friends of HORACE 13:NNE v uro making strong etEirts to have him appointed to the vacant seat on the bench of the Supreme Court. The Philadel phia Forum, in speaking of him, says: "For high legal attainments, and a life of integrity as spotles3 as should be the ermine of Justice, Mr. Binney may challenge compari 3U/I with any jurist in 0 , 2 C country DISASTERS ON LIXE ERIE FOR 1843.—The Bel- EdoCouunrreiul si‘cs a list of the disao.ers on th e Luke during the sea-on of Navigation, ‘Nliich includes fourteen ship, brigs and schooners, one propeller, and oat, ordinary ,teritner, all lust. in whole or in part, or much damaged in hull and car;o. The loss of life was trom the schooner Erie, at Michigan ei , y. in kprrl, of the captain, Gardner, and Tice lin•: , ; anti C. urn Il„• gels Su,ah A:llrica,onthe 13th of lktobt r, capiain Brad ley and A London paper will give Rime hl a of the hn;