u
'A
1.' ,.
BY S, B. ROW.
CLEARFIELD WEDNESDAY; APRIL 23; 185G. '
VOL 2 NO. 37.
: ; - 'A PRETTY LOVE SOXG.
' ' ' ' '"T "WHOV? . '
;X J.jvo jo tho simplest way '
The thing I feel to Veil; "' ,'
Yet if I told it all th day, ' 7,'
-You'd iieTer gueii how we:l.
You are mf comfort and my lijbt ;
My very life you sceui ; . .. ,.,'
"I think ot you all day; ail night'
''Hi but of you I dreem, '
ThTO' pleasure in the lightest word
That yoa can epeak to mo ;
My soul is like the Aeolian chord,
' And Vibratos still to thoe.
T never read the lore-song yet,
' So thrilling, Tend, or true,. ' '-. '
; But in tny own heart I huve met -
Some kinder thought t,f ycu.
I bleas the shadow on yonr face,
The light upon your hair; . . ."
1 like, fur hours to ait and truce . ' .
The passing changes there ; ,'
,.I love to hear your voice's tone,
. Alt bough you should not say,
A single word, to dream upon
. .IV Lett thai bad died away. .
0 '. von are kindly as the beam -.
That warms whVre'ir it plays; -
And you are gentle as a dream '
' Of happy future day; '
And you are strong to" do the riht, '
And swift the wronir to flee: ' 1 1
And. if you were not half so bright, "
You're all.the world to we.
HOLY PLACES IN BETnLEHEM.
Srvin tho Xew York Observers .
The site f Bethlehem Id peculiar. It stands
upon a hill ami is surrounded by other hills of
equal height. Some of these are terraced, to
tho summit, ftnd being thickly set with (be fig
TtnJ olive, havo a charming appearance In
i'.rmer time, when be science of cultivation
was better understood, and the people were a
ble and willing to adorn ami enrich the land
this must luve been one of the most beautiful
regions iu Palestine, and it is pleasant to mark
it as so inviting a place for the advent of the
Lord of Life. In ancient times, the whole
country round about this, though rooky, and
apparently barren, ns rnuth of the land of Ju
dea appears to be, was rendered exceedingly
productive, by means of terraces, and must
have abounded in grapes, fig and olives.
Tbess, with bread, probably constituted the
principal part ot the food of the inhabitants ;
their living is sssentinlly the same at this day.
The village of Bethlehem- rorcraimr from
twelve to fifteen hundred souls suls these
people have and the Christina traveller enters
it's struct it is mostly on one long street, with
painful reflections, as he thinks of being in the
tlty of David and the nalire place of the son j
of God, while the peopln are wholly given to
idolatry or sunk in. superstition so gross and
nensua.1 as to make their views of the way of
life by Jesus Christ as dark and dangerous as
If the light of the gospel had never broken iu
for a single moment oa their minds. A few
yeirsago there were several families here who
followed the lalso prophet Mahomet, but eo fre
quent and so fierce became tho difficulties be
tween them sad the others, who bore tho name
if Christian, that the Fasha took a very sum
mary mode of settling the disputes he drove
all the Mahometans out of the place, and tore
down their bouses. If this was a hard, it was
a very effectual mode of disposing of a irou
blesome subject, and it shows to what a depth
of sutjectlon the inhabitants of this sacred
country are reduced. Xow the Bethlehemites
are, all of them, Roman Catholic,G reek and Ar
menian Christians, living in no betier harmo-'
x:j cf feslinj with one another than they did
with the Aabs, but the- are restrained by the
arm of power from outbreaks which disturb
the pence of the town.
They have their three convents within tht
same outer Walls, known by the names of the
several sects, and each claiming the sanctity
thai belongs to the possession of the Holy pla
ces. Ia the same, great enclosure also, is a
Tast edifice, supposed to be tho church built
by Helena, the celebrated mother of the Em
peror Constautine, though others say that her
church was destroyed by the Moslems, and the
present temple was erected on the same site.
And this church, it is held, is built on the spot
vhere our Lord was born. Under the church
I entered tho chapel in which they showed us
the pretended manger, or rather one made to
represent it, for the original, they say, was
carried to Home, in which the infant Jesus
was laid. A few feet from the manger is an
aJtar, occupying tho spot where the Magi stood
when they offered their gifts of gold, frank-in-;enso
and ruyrrh. A brilliant star, to repre
sent the one which stood over the place;"whcre
the voting child was," now marks the spot
where it is believed that the Saviour wa9 born.
Ia my travels in Italy and tho East, I have
Mteti found that the stables for the cattle are
KUed tip with comfortable places for beds, af
ter the niiuuer of the berths on shipboard, and
la them the men who have the care of the hor-
are accustomed to sleep. If tho hotel is
f all of guests, any one would prefer to- take a
bid v.i the stable where he would be protected
Jrom tho night air, rather than lie out, and it
vas not, therefore, so uuusual and trying a cir
cumstance, as it appears at first view, that Jo
seph and Mary should be compelled to take re
fuge for the night ia the stable. The same
cause, the registry of all persons who belong
ed originally in Bethlehem and must now rc
sort here to be taxed, or enrolled for taxation,
might have brought others bere the same
-rran 1, and made the inns inadequate to fur
nish beds. And It is not an unusual practice,
even now., in this same country, to use -enc half
cf the hou;e for a stable-; and, tfce. otL?r for the
family, while there is no sign, of a partition be
tween them, I have slep$ iu this way myself,
and as one manger had no horse before it, An
tonio occupied it for his bed, and made no
complaint of his lodging. Tho neighiug of
one of. the horses awakened me in the night,
but Antonio, whose ears were much uearer to
the animals, did not hear it.
But il Joseph and Mary had been persons of
wealth and consideration, undoubtedly "room
in the inn" woul?l have Tecn made for them,
and the fact that they were constrained to re
sort to the stable, and especially under their
peculiar circumstances of trial and peril, shows
the humiliation to which the Son of God be
came subject, in taking upon himself the form
of. man ! , - . , , : .
And now wo are ia the midbt of those scenes
which have been the occasion of conflicts in
volving not the peace of the Bethlehem com
munity' only, nor of this Holy Land only, but
6t nations and the world. The present war,
convulsing Europe and thrJateDing the stabil
ity of thrones and dynasties, had its origin in
the 'miserable contests among these miserable
religionists about the possesion of these pla
ces, which they suppose "are Menti2ed as hal
lowed by' the birth of Christ. If the disputing
parties loved the Saviour rfnl chi5shed his
spirit, there would bo more apology for the
pertinacity with which' they cling to the spot
where his infant : form was laid, nud I confess
to a strong feeling of sympathy with those who
are powcrfullj' moved when they ' stand on
ground, that is memorable for such an event as
this. But the quarrels of these superstitious
people were so incessant and violent, that the
government, and a Mahometan government at
that, was compelled to interfere, and to appor
tion to each its share, strietlv lot-bidding ail
interference of one with the other. Thus the
manger is in the bauds of the Roman Catho
lics, and the Greeks and Armenians have noth
ing to do with it. The altar of the '.vise men
is common to all, but may be used in regular
turns. The altar over the star belongs exclu
sively to the Greeks and Armenians, the for
mer having the precedence. Around the star,
sixteen golden pendant lamps are kept con
stantly burning, of which the Armenians have
six, the Greeks six, and the Roman Catholics
four. Into the great church, the possession o(
which is divided between the Greeks and Ar
meninns, these monks enter by difT'ereut doors,
and maintain their seperate worship within the
samo walls; The Roman Catholics have no
other privilege in it, but to pass through on
their way to the chapel below. Bnt the divi
sion of the holy groumt is carried even further
than this, and the cave w here they pretend that
Joseph and Mary were hid, previous to their go
ing to Egypt with the infant Jesus, belongs to
the Romanists, while that of the shepherds to
whom the angels appeared, is given to tho
Greeks. But if anv of these three contend
ing sects could get power, they would quickly
drive out the oilier two, and such will be the
result when the French take possession of Tur
key, and in behalf of the rpe of Rome, as
sume the protectorate of Falebtine, which will
then he a Roman Catholic Sec.
But how changed the birth-place ot Jesus
from what it was on that night when Mary took
refuge here. Th "Grotto ot the Nativity,"
as the place is now called, is a gorgeous chap
el, and thirty-two elegant lamps, the gifts of
sovereigns and princes, shed lustre over the
polished marble manger and gilded nltar, and
the paintings that represent the Magi offering
theirgiftsto the holy child. ' Here the pilgrims
from other lands were prostrating themselves
before the altars, and when they had finished
their devotions, I followed them tip into the
church where the priest gave them the sacra
ment of our Lord's Supper from a basket of
bread, talking and laughing witli them as they
received it, and now and then slapping them
on the back, in the excitement of his glee!
Blessed Master ! do they thus degrade the
mystery of thy death on tho very place of thy
birth !
- And then with feelings more of disgust than
of reverence, with a sort of sieKuess ot heart, I
was led to the cell of Jerome, where he lived
for years and translated the Old Testament in
to the Latin tongue and then to the tomb of
Easebius, and still on till we were shown the
spot where by Llerod's order the children were
slain. And here the folly of tradition became
intolerable, as the rnonk showed us the skele
ton hand of one of these little ones, set in a
frame and covered with gauze. I turned away
relieved to get out of the presence of such fel
lows, and anxious to be allowed alone to wan
der and meditate among these scenes that are
more sacred to me than to these relic-monger-ing
monks and superstitious pilgrims.
l it akklin was au observing and sensible
man and hia conclusions were seldom incor
rect. .He said that a newspaper and Bible in
every house, and a good school in every dis
trict all studied and appreciated as merited
are the principal supporters of virtue, mo
rality and civil liberty.
A lady made a complaint to Frederick the
Great, King. ot Prussia. "Tour Majesty,"
said ehe, "my husband treats me badly."
"That is none of , my business," replied the
King. "But he speaks ill of you," said the
lady. "That," he replied, "is none of your
busing sa."
.. , THE WIDOW'S BEAU. ...
Service had commenced in the neat little
sanctuary, which the inhabitants of Harlem
had consecrated to tho service of God. The
minister had read the psalai3 and scripture
lessons, .and had repeated the first line of the
opening hymn. The eyes of the people were
fixed intently upon him, for. he was not only a
sound and eloquent preacher, but he was a fine
looking one, too, and thus enchained not only
the attention of the true, but the false worship
pers. The house was very still tho clear,
melancholy tones of the preachur were the on
ly sounds that throbbed on the balmy golden
air, which the midsummer's Sabbath morn had
breathed into that holy place. .
Tho first syllablo of the second lino was
trembling on his Hps, when a rustic at the
door, and the entrance cf two persons, a lady
iind a gentleman, dissolved the charm, ,1a a
second every eye turned from the pulpit to
tho broad aisle, and watched witli more than
Ordinary interest, the progress of the couple.
A most searching ordeal were, they subjected
to, and when fairly and 'quietly seated iu the
first pew, immediately in front of the pulpit,
what a nudging "of elbows there was ay, and
how many whispers, too. ' y :r, " ;. , , .
- In vaiu the sound, the good,, the eloquent,
the handsome Mr. B. sought again to steal the
attention '6T1iTsL carers.' They had no eyed,
no thoughts for xinybody elso but widow C.
aa 1 widow C.'a young geutleinauly and dash
ing attendant.
How she had cheated them. Hadn't, she
said she didn't feel as though she could ever
wear anything but mourning? And iu spite
of these protestations, hadn't she come out all
at once, dressed in white, and walked into ihe
church in broa.d daylight, leaning on the arm
of'ayoung gentleman.
Yes, indeed she had. She would have plead
guilty to all these charges, grave ones as they
wwe and to the lsthow many witnesses had
been subpaeuaed ' She was actually dres5od
in white, with open corstge, displaying an el
aborately wrought chimtrite, drapery .sleeves
trimmed with the richest Mechlin lace, under
sleevcs of the same expensive material, with
a white lace hat with orange-buds and rloweis,
with kld gloves and light gaiters such was 1
the description every lady had on her tongue,
to repeat over as soon as the service was ended.
And the gentleman he was dressed in style
didn't lie wear white pants of the latest pattern,
and a white vest, and a coat of "satin finish,"
and white kids, too; and didn't he sport a mas
sive chain, and didn't be gaze often and lov
ingly on the fair features beside him ?
Ah, yes, he did so, and there was no further
room to doubt. Widow C. had cheated them.
She had won a beau, laid aside her mourning,
put on a bridal attire and was going to bo mar
ried in church. But who the beau Was, and
from whence he came, it was difficult to solve.
Services proceeded. The choir sung and the
minister prayed and preached the people won
dered when the ceremony would take place.
But to their utter astonishment they were
left to wonder.
For when the benediction was pronounced,
widow C. and the strange gentleman walked
with the rest of the congregation quietly out
of thexhurch. When they reached the pave
ment, he offered her his arm very gracefully,
and she placed her hand very confidentially on
the beautiful coat sleeve, as they passed on.
What a morning that was in Harlem ! What
a world of conjectures, surmises, inquiries and
doubts rolled over and over in the brains of
not only gossiping ladies, but sober, matter-of-fact
gentlemen. The like of such a thing
had never occurred in the annals of the village
there was something new under the sun a
lady had a beau, and nobody knew it.
Widow C. didn't your ears burn that day 7
And we wouder they didn't drop ofl ; surely
they must have been crisp and crimson-
The Rev.Mr. B. preached to a crowded house
that afternoon ; no compliment to him, though.
Every one was sure the wedding would take
place then, but everybody was sadly disap
pointed ; and if tongues had run at railroad
speed before, they travelled then on electric
wires. The minister might have preached in
Greek that day, and the sermon would have
been quite as edifying. . But one subject occu
pied the village mind the widow's beau.
It actually seemed, too, as though the lady
tried to make all the talk she could. After
tea, arm in arm with the strange gentleman,
she walked the wbolo length of tho village,
and away out into the country, and never re
turned till the moon was high.
"A nice looking dress I guess she had,"
drawled out grandma W. as she listened to the
story of tho handsome widow's wanderings.
"Im glad I hain't got to wash it, all drabbled
up with dew, as it must have been ; but I don't
'spose sho thought or cared a word about it,
she's so carried away with him. But I'll give
her a piece of my mind the first time I have a
chance ; sec if I ion't."
.. But tho good old dame began to fear she
would never have r the desired chance. She
hurried through her washing en Monday, and
hobbled over to the widow's as soon as possi
ble, but the door was lockod, and one of the
neighbors said Mrs. C. and a gentleman w ent
off in a carriage, nobody knew where very ear
ly in the morning "Yes, and never got home
nntil nine o'clock in tho evening." Look out
i widely ! your gluustcr 13 ca the carpet.
If she knew it, apparently she didn't care,
for the next day phe went a sailing with her
beau, and the next day rambled with hira off to
the. woodlawn, and the next forenoon went with
him in a carriage to the railroad station ; and
.there- not only wept as she parted from him,
but actually embraced and kissed him !
What iu broad day light !" exclaimed
grandma W. "Well, if I ever heard or seen
the like on't." f :;; : . - --
Little Nell, the old lady's, youngest grand
child, wondered to herself if it was any worse
in broad daylight than at other times. . Per
haps you will wonder, too. We did at least.
There was a large attendance that afternoon
at the weekly meeting of the villago sewing
society. E very body went that could iossibly
leave home. And what achattering there was
when the bustling of assembling was over.
Thcro was but one topic, but that was all-engrossing
th widow's bcati for the gentle
man must be her beau or at least ou,gkt tr be.
; Everybody had something to tell, something
to wouder at. But suddenly every magic tongue
was hushed; an universal stroke of palsy seem
ed to have fallen on the group as, looking ux,
they perceived the very lady about whom they
were conversing so cageriy, standing in jthe
doorway. - ... .. . ; ' ,
"Good afternoon, ladies," said she in her
usual quiet way; "I am glad- to see so large
and happy a gathering. ; It is a beautiful day
for our meeting." ; ;
; And then she proceeded to the table, and
helped herself to a block of patchwork, inqui
ring for the sewiug silk, which having receiv
ed, she sat dowu in the only vacant chair, and
commenced hemming a red bird with a yellow
wing on a very green twig which latter had al
ready been hemmed 0:1 to' a square piece of
white cloth, and the whole when completed,
Mas designed to form the twentieth part of a
bed-spread. She seemed all engrossed with
the bird's bill, aud spoke to uo one. Every
body wondered if sho had heard what they
were saying when she came in ; but her placid
countenance soon reassured the mjM fearful,
and every one longed to commence a person
al attack. ; .. . , " '
Old grandmother W. was the first to venture.
She meant to do up the matter very delicate
ly, and in so round, about a way that the lady
would not suspect her of curiosity, .So she
began by praising Mrs. C dress. . .. . .
"Why, it's really a beauty. Where did you
get it 7" ... ..".'.'.''
"I bought it." " -
"I fere t" inquired tho old lady.
".No.": . - ;...' v :
."Where then V :-' "J - -
"In tho city, last spring." - -
"Ob, you did, did you 1 But I thought you
was never going to dress in anything but black
again?" . . - ;
AU scrutinized tho lady's face in search of
a blush, but it continued as usual, while she
answered "I did think and say &o once, but 1
have finally altered iny mind."
"You have, eh! What made you I"
"Oh, I had good reasons."
Here the hearers and lookers-on winked and
looked very expressive at each other.
"But did you not spoil your beautiful white
dress the other night, wearing it away up to
the burying-ground i"
"I did not wear it."
: Here was a damper for the old lady. Sho
had such a long lecture to read on extrava
gance, and she determined to do it, too, when
unfortunately for her eloquent strain, Mrs. C.'s
dress hung up in her wardrobe all the time,
and she had wont An old black silk. t
After a while the old lady took a fresh start.
She would not be baulked again. Sho would
find out all about that beau before she went
home, "that she would." She 'tcgan by say
ing "Your company went away this morning,
didn't he 7"
"He did." . !
"He did not stay very long, did he 7"
"Xot so long as I wished him to stay," was
the reply. And how the ladies did look at
each other. It was as good as .a confession.
"When did he come ?"
"Saturday evening."
"Were you looking for him 7"
"1 had been expecting him for a fortnight
or more."
"Why, du tell if you had then, and you
never to'd on't cither. Had he any business
in the ph'ce T"
"He had," replied the widow.
"What was it 7" This was rather more di
rect aud blnnt than the old lady had meaut to
put, and she forthwith apologised.
But the widow interrupted her by sayiug
"O, I'd as lief you'd know as not : ha came
to see me." . .
O, widow C, your good name did go down
then. Be careful what you say next, or you'll
have only a remnant of character left to go
homo with, and remnants go very cheap.
"He did, did he 7 and he . didn't come for
nothing else, then. But was you glad to see
him 7" queried the old lady..
"Indeed I was. It was one of tho happiest
moments of my existence."
"Well, well," said the old lady, hardly know
ing how to frame the next' question ;' "well,
well, he is a very good-looking man, any way.'
"I think so, too, and he's not only good
looking, but he's good-hearted one of the
best men I ever knew," observed the widow.
"You donH say so! But is Jho rich 7? .
, "Worth a hundred thousand or so,'' said the
lady earnestly. ... -
"Why, du tell if he is," Why, you. will live
like a lady, won't you T But , what is his
name 7" inquired the old lady, whose curiosi-
ty was new raised to a high pitch. . ,
."Henry Macon." . . .
'. .-"Macon 1 . Macon ! why, ; wasn't that your
name before you was married 7"
"It wai.'f V.
"Then he's a connection, Is he ?". . ,
"'."He is."". . r'- '. ' . - ? , .
.""Du tell who he is then. .Not a cousin, I
hope. I never did think much of a marriage
between cousins." (. s. r , - ,
"lie is not my cousin." .
"He isn't 7 Xot vour cousin ? But what
connection is he 7 Du tell now 7"
"He iz iny youngest brother !'y . " .
If ever there was rapid progress made in
sswingand knitting by any circle of ladies, it
was by thoso composing, this society, for the
text fifteen minutes. .Xot a word was utter-
ed, nor an eye raised. Had the latter been
done, and the roguibhi and expressivo glances
seen which passed" between Mrs. C-.and the
minister, who, unobserved, had stood on the
threshold as a silent spectator and a curious
hearer, perhaps .mind you, tvc only saj- per
haps they might have guessed more correctly
the name, character, standing and prrfession
of the widow's beau. . ' "
1101ISI1 PKIESTCK AFT IX FRANCE.
Froiu Galignani's Messenger, March 5th.
An extraordinary trill ha, during the last
month,'occnpied the Court of Orleans." The
facts of it were these ; A Mile. Bnlnois, who
was born in 1772, inherits from her parents,
who were large landowners and manufacturers,
a very great fortune, an 1 she increased it by
her economy, and ' l.y carrying on for some
years the manufactories which they had estab
lished. Her education, however, was very
imperfect, and her intelligence by no means
great, and she was very superstitious. Some
priests and Sisters of Charity wormed them
selves "into her confidence, and, nnder the
guise of religion, gained a complete ascendan
cy over her. In ISIS, having retired from
business, she, by their advice, removed her
resideuco from Sarcus, her nativo place, in
the department of the Oise. to Tours, which
then possessed the reputation of being a very
religious town. . ..v
She had two persons living with ber ono a
sister of charity, the other the daughter of a
man named Leveque, who actod as her stew
ard ; but after a year or two another Sister cf
Charity inslilledherself in tho house. Shortly
after her arrival at Tours ho purchased an old
convent of the Feuillans, and took up her res
idence-in it. She was there constantly sur
... .' . ... , , , .1
oundedbv priests, and they pleased her great-
1 : , . , Cl ,
v by saying mass in her chapel. . She was 1-
" j. j. . .A x v i -.v i. !
o a frequent visitor at tho convent ol tho i e-j
rou
1
so
tit Saint Martiu, a branch of the great house of
Picpus at Paris ; sho moreover, after & while,
charged Father Philibert chaplain of the con
vent, who was her own confessor, Tvith the
management of her property. - In 1823, in
com pliance with tho recommendation of Father j
Philibert, tho nuns, tho Sisters of Charity and
priests who surrounded her, she took up her
residence in tho convent of the petit Saint
Martin.
She then transferred to a priost who was the
representative of the Convent of Picpus, the
proprietorship of Les Feuillans, acknow ledg
ing that she bad "sofd" the place to him for
10,000 fr., though inreality, no Mich sum was,
nor any other, ever paid. Some time after he
executed deeds, by which she "sold" for 180.--000
fr., to the Bishop of Chalcedonia, Superi
or of the convent of Picpus, a valuable estate
at a place called Mennevillicrs,and she acknow
ledged having received the sum In question in
cash ; but not one farthing of it was ever re
ally paid to her. . In addition to this she gave
or soldto Leveque, her steward at Sarcus, all
the teal property she possessed there ; but this
man was to a certain extent, the pmlcnom of
the community of Picpus. Difierences subse
quently arose between him and the community
as to the manner in which the Sarcus projverty
should be divided between them, and these
difierences came to the knowledge of Madame
Balnois' family.
They were greatly surprised to learn that
she had made any disposition of her property
at all, as they knew she bad fallen into a state
of imbecility, and as they had supposed that
the religious community iu which she was at
Tours would, as her natural protector, have
prevented her from doing anything f the
kind. They instituted inquiries, and were as
tounded to find that ihe had done away, not
only with the property at Sarcus, but with the
estate at Mennevilliers, and Les Feuillans at
Tours. - They immediately took proceedings
foi having her placed under interdiction, and
one of tho law courts, after making inquiries,
and subjecting her to interrogatories, declared
that she was undoubtedly so imbecile as to be
incapable of managing, her own aifairs, and it
charged one of her nephews with the adminis
tration of them. This was in January, 1847,
and in July, 1843, the poor lady died, .ner
nephews and nieces, as heirs at law, then took
proceedings before difierent courts to obtain
the restitution of her real property ; snd the
remit of thi' TVS that the Bishop ol Cbalcedo-
j villiers, the community -of . Picpas to restore
i the convent of Les Fcuillans, and Levtque
nearly all the donations and purchases which
he pretended ha I been made it Sarcus.
But these restorations were only of the real
property, and her heirs found that from the
time she want to Tours op to her death, the
rents of her houses and lands, the capital bhe
had possessed, and the sums she had received
from various resources, -bad -gone into the
hands of Hie authorities of the Convent of Lo
j Petit Saint Martin. As Veil as they could
j make out, the total was C28.000 fr namely,
581.&91 fr. in capital and 211,000 fr. in rents,
They accordingly deniandad the restoration of
j that 'sum with an addition of 100,000 fr. as
j damage. -To enforce their demand they bro't
I an action beforo the Civil Tribunal of Orleann
I again.st the Bishop of Chalcedonia, as superior
j of do commuuity of Picpus,-and against
' Mraes. dc Beaussais, Jobert, mesie, and
j Coiuirin, superiors of the convent of Petit St.
j Mailin, Uuring the time-.Mile. Euinois was in
j it. But tho tribtmal decided that the persons
could ;not, for various technical reasons, be
' sued as the represjitutives of the community,
, and dismissed theactiou.
, It was on appeal against this decision that
the iiiatter was brought before the Imperial
Court. The representatives of Mme-Btiluois,
alter contending that the personages in ques
tion were responsible for the Picpus communi
ty, adduced a number of facts to prove that
their aged aunt wax in such a ciate ef mind as
j not to be able to dispose of her property, and
j that the priests and nuns by w hom &ho was sur
!;oimdcd had taken undue advantage of that
j state to despoil her. ,
f Oa the part of the Archbishop &nd the other
defendants it was vehemently denied that they
had exercised unfair influence on the old wo
man to get her property from her, aud it was
biatod that they appealed to the Court ol Cas
sation against the judgments ordering them to
restore Les Feuillans and Mennevilliers ; also
that the decision with respect to the Sarcui
property coucerned Lcvequo and not them.
j On tho part of the Archbishop it was further
represented that he is the spiritual and not the
temporal superior of Picpus, and consequent
ly not responsiblo for its temporal acts; and
on the part of the ladies it was urged that they
wero not responsible in law. Jho counsel of
the defomlants, however, delivered a glowing
eulogium on the Archbishop of tho Ficpue
commuuity. The Court, said .that the first
point it had to decide was whether or not ths
Archbishop aud the lady superiors of the com
munity were, snder the circumstances, the
proper parties to proceed against; and it de
cided that they wore, and that consequently
the decision of the Tribunal declaring the con-
i trary must bo quashed. With regard to th
I merits of the case, the Court said that the
facts alleged were such as lo call for inoaJrv,
. .- . . . , . '
and it aothonzed the plaintiffs to produce
t .
proof of their allegation, . -.
A Fkfe Ficot. We learn from the Trvt
Democrat, the organ of the Sham Democracy
of Mifflin county, that the Democracy of that
county have a free fight oa hand.
The Democratic Commissioners of the ccun
ty contracted quietly with Messrs. Myers and
Gutshall,of Carlisle, to bnild a Jail for S 20,
000, contract was closed, 100 citizens of the
I county have published a card in the DtmccnJ,
alleging that H. K. Noll will do the samo work
for $13,000 according to the plan and specifi
cations of the Commissioners, and these citi
zens pledge themselves that he will give abun
dant securit-. Mr. Win." Macklio, of Mc Yey
town, says in a card that he will do the work
for 517,000, and ive ample security.
Mr. Samuel U oilman, of llarrisbnrg, has au
thorized the Democrat to say that he will put
up a better building on a better plan than the
one agreed on for the sum of S 20, 000. Re
monstrances are circulating all over the coun
ty, and the people are signing freely against
this last out-rage of the Sham Democracy.
Tiir First PRESBYTfcBUx Cutrcit, in this
country, was organised in Philadelphia abont
the year 1098. Its first pastor tvis Rev. Jeda
diah Andrews, who continued to exercise ht'
ministry in" that charge until his death, in
1747. The first Freabytery was organized un
der the name of the Presbytery of Philadel
phia, abeut the year 1705; and the first person
licensed and ordained by this body to preach,
was Mr. John Boyd, In the following rar.
The first synod was formed in Philadelphia ia
1717. The first general assembly was held in
Philadelphia in 17?3, and was composed of
fonr synods and sixteen Presbyteries.
That is a beautiful figure of Wlnthrop's, la
reference to our Constitution, w here he says :
"Like one of those wondrous rocking stones
raised by the Druids, which the finger of a
child might vibrate to its centre, yet the raigfet
of an army could sot tnovo it from its place ;
our Coustitutlon is so nicely poised,-that it
seems to swsy with every breafh of passion,
yet so flrtnly based in the hearts and affections
of thi people, that the wildest f terras of trea
son ecd fanaticism break over it in vaia.f
.There . were in the ,1. S. Kavy, during tb
past year, 48 resignations, 45 dsa'bs, 12 dif
misials, 45 dropped, and 128 phce 1 on ffce re
titea er reserved bet, "