i - -- ' - i
' ' " ' - " " , . , . n.. . . i i in - -- ----- ,
BY S. B. BOW.
CLEAMTELD, PA., WEDNESDAY, APE1L 28, 1858.
VOL. l-m U:
Written for the "Raftsman's Journal."
MEDITATION IN A GRAVE YARD.
There is a sptrit in the passing breeze,
A soul inspiring and etherial spirit ;
'Tis in the shining gun, and in the storm,
And in the thunder-cloud, and in the stars.
-nd in this field of bones, that houso of God
. spirit that lifts up the soul or men,
And makes it feci and own its magic power,
.And gird itself for meditative thought,
To muso upon Jhc present, past and future. '
.And hold converse with nature, and with God.
Here by the ashes ofnij dearest friends,
.And by the sepulchres of sainted dead,
.And by that temple of most holy God,
AVhere he in mercy sent his spirit down -To
quicken deathless souls, yet dead in sin,
And give to every one their blessing meet,
I sit me down to meditate my end.
A few short rolling years have passed away
ince I, a stripling, at my mother's knee,
Waspleased with fancies, tho'U of future years.
A few more rolling years will pass away
And here among the dead, and food for worms,
This body, now with youthful vigor warm, "
Will moulder and return to kindred dust,
l'erhaps a few years longer the grey stone
May whisper to the careless passer by,
The dust of an immortal, mortal man,
Who left a friend behind, reposes here.
A few years moro, and that grey stone itself
M ill also crumble into dust again.
And name, and place of rest be all forgot
And yet when other years shall pass away,
And other age? shall succeed those parsed,
I'll stand again on earth, and iinny lot.
Tailed from the grave, and from ray sleeping dust,
To live immortal in eternal youth.
The "last of earth,'' the dying statesman cried.
The phrase is eloquent, but not correct.
The earth will-be renewed for man's abode ;
And tears, and pain, and want, no more distress
The happy dwellers on this earth of love,
And ages. ages, ages on shall roll.
And no more change shall pass upon me then,
For change hath died, and time itself hath died,
Or passed perchance unto some other sphere,
Where time and change may live a little longer.
LotiAS.
A SHOT FOR A "WIFE;
OR, A DOUBLE DISAPPOINTMENT.
It was rather late wheiMr. Thomas Twillet
awoke, one particular morning last summer,
lie sat up in bed and yawned, and rubbed his
eyes spitefully with his knuckles. Then he
laid himself down again, but not to sleep; for
lie had fixed his eyes intently upon a very ser
pentine crack in the ceiling overhead, upon
which he continued to gaze utiintermittingly
for the space of full five minutes. . It appears,
however, that his mind was not occupied with
the fissure in the plaster, but was, on the con
trary, engaged in reflecting upon a breadi
which had suddenly opened . between himself
and his former friend and intimate, Mr. Nathan
Gutter. For weeks their friendship had been
weakening, but not till the night previous was
it completely annihilated, at a party which
was attended by both young men.
The cause ol the difficulty was a woman
a young woman nanted Eugenie Erwig.-
"The conduct ol Nutter last night," said
Thomas Twillet to himself, his eyes still bent
upon the ceilrng, "is more than I can tamely
endure; it is more than I will endure. His
endeavor to monopolize the attention of Miss
Erwig, knowing, as he well does, that my af
fections are all centered in that young lady,
cannot be looked upon in any other light than
that of being a studied insult tome. Nutter
shall hear from me ; he shall know my opinion
of his acls,"and he shall desist from proceed
ing further in a like manner. DearEugenie!"
exclaimed the young man, after a few moments
silent thought, "ere long, I hope to make you
all my own. Beautiful being loveliest of the
ex affectionate heart twelve thousand dol
lars !" and a soft benevolent sort of smile was
bestowed upon the insensible ceiling as he
concluded his broken cj;icrJations.
A few moments after he sprang to the floor,
and proceeded to make his toilet.
"I will see the misguided young man at
once!" said he; 'I will confrout Nut'er, and
prove to him the baseness of his course ot ac
tion." When he had partaken of his breakfast,
Thomas Twillet went forth in search of his ri
val. He had walked the distance of a couple
of blocks, when, suddenly, he espied the very
person he wished to find, coining rapidly to
ward him.
"I was about to call upon you," said
Thomas, "and this nieetiug is quite oppor
tune." The air of Nathan Nutter was plainly hos
tile as he answered :
"And I was on my way to visit you. I have
'something to say to you, sir."
"Very well, sir very well !" exclaimed Mr.
Twillet, in a supercilious tone ; "I also have
something to impart to you. Let us turn
down this street; it is deserted, and we shall
be uninterrupted."
They walked on for a few moments in silence.
"Last night, sir," said Mr. Nutter, at length
opening his batteries -upon the other, "last
aiight, your conduct was such as to call for an
.explanation. I now call for that explanation.
I wish to know, sir, why, knowing as you do,
iny attachment for Miss Erwig, you presume
to thrust your attentions upou her on every
.occasion T" -
. Mr. Twil.et stopped slrort in his walk, and
looked at the other with amazement, mingled
Mtl rising anger.
"I hardly know what to think of such impu
dence!" cried he, as he started on again. "It
is your attentions to the lady, sir, which are
offensive to nic."
"Ha! ha! Goon, sir; I am Astonished at
nothing in you." '
"I will go on. And I will say, sir, that your
Attempts to steal the affections of one to whom
1 am attached is contemptible. Miss Erwig,
sir, has longxbeen the object of my love ;,I
intend to marry her."
"Then allow me to say you intend to do
something you will never accomplish. She is
mine, sir, and I will never be frustrated in my
designs by you." -
"Don't be too positive."
"I will be as positive as I please, sir," cried
Nutter, who bad worked himself into a pas
sion. "The whole object of my seeking for
you was to say to you this : I intend Miss Er
wig shall be mine, and, consequently, desire
that you will no longer interfere in that
quarter." .
'Have you Been commissioned by Miss Er
wig to tell me this 1" asked Twillet, in a tone
f scorn.
"That hag nothing to do with the matter."
"Pardon me, but it has everything to do
with it."
"Then I am to understand that joq will
continue your attentions to her."
"Most assuredly."
"But, I tell you, you must desist."
"And I say I will not."
"Beware, sir? You bad better reflect."
"Beware !" repeated Twillet, in a contemp
ttionstone; "and of what should I beware?
of whom should I beware 1 Your threats are
contemptible ! I don't care that for them !"
and he snapped his fingers very iusultingiy
under the very nose or the other.
"Don't don't do that to me !" cried Nut
ter, in accents of anger, "1 am not in a mood
to hear much rrom you."
"Oh, such words can't frighten me ! And
now, that you have spoken, I hava a word to
say. You must give up Miss Erwig.'.'
"What, I!" exclaimed Nutter, in amaze
ment, "I repeat it, you. You must gtvo her up
at once." .
"Never!"
"Then, sir, the consequences be upon your
own head." - -
"Mr. Thomas Twillett uttered theso words in
a menacing tone of voice; his mind sugges
ting at he moment a vague idea of something
of a tragic nature which he might be compel
led to resort to in case his opponent remained
obstinate.
"Ha! ha! the consequences!" repeated
Nutter, in a tone of disdain ; "what do I care
fo.r consequences ?"
"It is a serious matter, sir, more serious
than you imagine."
"To you, indeed,it may prove so, but for
myself I have no fear."
"There is but one way, I sec, to settle this
affair," said Twillet, at length ; "we must
fight."
Nathan Nutter clenched his fists, and scowl
ed fiercely.
'Come on !" said he, with a smile of irony.
"I'll give you all the satisfaction you wish.
There is a fine spot, where wo can have it all
to ourselves," and he pointed to a vacant lot
a short distance ahead, surrounded by a high
fence.
Thomas Twillet smiled derisively.
"Think you I would, resort to such ignoble
means V he cried. "No, sir, you mistake
my meaning."
"Coward! You refuse then, to do what
yon yourself proposed 1" .
"No, sir!" exclaimed Twillet, with a hero
ic air! "I mean that you shall fight me with
deadly weapons. Blood blood alone can set
tle this!"
"Let it be as you say ; I am not to be daun
ted ; I wil fight you whenever you will. The
death of one of us shall decide who shall win
the lady !"
"Very well, sir. You shall fight. Select a
friend; for you shall hear from me before
night."
"The earlier the better. I will be prepared."
Arriving at a corner, they bowed stifily and
separated.
The same day a challenge was sent and ac
cepted. Seconds were appointed, .and the
belligcrants anxiously awaited the time of
meeting. ' -
They were to meet at a retired spot on Sta
ten Island. The weapons were to be pistols.
The distance decided upon was fifty yards.
The time set for the encounter was next morn
ing at seven o'clock.
That night, be it privately spoken, neither
slept. Both wrote affectionate letters' to their
relatives, and both regretted a hundred times
that they had ever seen the young lady for
whose sake they were about to brave so much.
But having gone so far, they. could not now
retreaf.
At the tated hour both parties were on the
field.
After saluting, the seconds retired together
a short distance and proceeded to load the
pistols. The principals viewed the opperations
wtth faint hearts and pale cheeks. Both en
deavored to assume an air of nonchalance ;
but it wasa failure. Still, neither one attempt
ed a reconciliation.
The two seconds, having concluded their
arrangements, returned. Each one spoke a
few words of encouragement to his friend, and
then they took their stations. The weapons
were placed in the hand of the adversaries,
and the fatal word was spoken.
The explosion of two pistols rang -out upon
the air, two loud shrieks were heard above the
noise of the weapons, and two forms a moment
after were prostrate upon the bosom of the
earth.
The seconds rushed to the assistance of the
fallen men.
It was soon discovered that neither had been
touched. The seconds were the first to ascer
tain the fact, and it took some little time to
persuade the two champions that it was indeed
so, Nutter asserting in a positive manner, be
tween his groans, that the bullet of the other
had gone completely through his body, and
Twillet for a considerable time affirming that
his brains were entirely blown away. Finally
however,they were induced to believe that they
had been .mistaken, and arose to their feet.
The seconds declared at this point that the
law of honor was satisfied, and hoped that a re
conciliation would take place. The rivais in
terposed no objection, but on the contrary
hastened to carry oat the suggestion of their
friends.
They shook hands, uttered the most profuse
expressions of eternal friendship, and started
upon their return to the city. .
"My dear Nutter said Twillet, as they
walked along arm in arm, "I presume yon no
longer have the least intention of claiming the
hand of Miss Erwig."
"My excellent friend," rcpliend Mr. Nutter,
"yo'u are certainly laboring under a great mis
take in supposing anything of the kind.
However, I cannot doubt that you have sur
rendered all pretensions in that quarter !"
"Far from it ; I intend to urge my suit more
vigorously than ever."
Both frowned, but recollecting what tbey
had just passed through, and fearful of bring
ing about another similar performance, they
prudently forebore to give way to anger.
"Well," said Nutter.after quite a long pause,
"I see that we are in about the same position
as we were before wo came here, and our diffi
culty is not yet settled. But let us proceed
in an amicable manner to a final arrangement
of it."
"Agreed. But how do you propose that it
shall be accomplished V
"In a very simple way, and one which we
were blind to overlook yesterday,"
"Well, let me know it."
I will it is this: wo both, I think, love
Mi Erwig." "Ji '
"I think wo have fully proved that this mor
"But it is not to be snpposed that Miss Er.
wig loves both of us at least with the same
devotion."
thiak you are quite correct there."
" n ell, let us go to her and declare our love,
and let her decide between us at once."
"Capital ! Why did we not think of that
before ?"
"Then you concur in my advice 1"
"Most assuredly,"
"But it must be understood that her decis
ion shall settle aU difierences between. us r
You promise to bear no malice if you are not
.the favored one ?"
"I do ; and I hope you will act in the same
way."
"I certainly will. And now for an interview
with the lady."
That day Miss Eugenie Erwig, a very beau
tiful and a very sensible young ladv, was sur
prised from a visit from Messrs. Nutter and
Twillet, who, shortly after their arrival, pro
ceeded to acquaint the young , lady with the
object of their mission.
Mr. Twillet opened on the topic.
"We have called to-day," said he "for a
particular purpose."
Miss Eugenie bowed, and listened attentively-
'
"I think I may say, for a very particular
purpose ;" added Mr. Twillet, somewhat em
barrassed ; "and we wish you to do us an espe
cial favor."
Mr. Twillet having arrived at this point
looked for encouragement at Mr. Nutter ; Mr.
Nutter smiled and nodded approval, and Mr.
Twillet continued :
"Yes, Miss Erwig, you can do us a great fa
vor indeed."
Miss Erwig opened hgr eyes a little wider
with curiosity and astonishment.
"I shall be happy to oblige you if in my
power," said she.
"The truth is, then, to come at once to the
point, I love yon !"
"We!" exclaimed Mr.Nutter, quickly, "ire
love you !"
"Kight," said Twillet; "he is correct ; we
love you !"
The young lady heard with unfeigned sur
prise. "What," uttered she, "am I to understand ?
I do not comprehend you."
"As I have said," replied Twillet in a ten
der tone, "ire love you. You cannot be igno
rant that for some time past we have both paid
you much attention, and have both no grea
ter wish than to win your heart and band. 1
have for gome time been aware of my friend's
passion ; my friend has for some time been
aware of mine. We naturally enough looked
upon one another in the light of rivals, and
and I am sorry to say J it led to an estrange
ment between us."
The speaker paused for a moment and look
ed again at bis late antagonist, as if inquiring
whether or not it was best to reveal all. Mr.
Nutter's countenance informed him that such
a revelatiwn was perfectly correct..
"Yes, Miss Eugenie," Mr. Twillet resumed,
"it led to an estrangement which soon became
the deepest hatred. And this morning this
very morning a duel. was fought by us on
that account !" '
It gradually became quite clear to the young
lady what was the purpose of the two young
men before her; and, as Mr. Twillet ceased
speakirg, a merry twinkle in her eye, and a
slight smile which she could not entirely sup
press, would have revealed to any one less in
fatuated than fliey that she was exceedingly
amused at what was passing.
"Is it possible!" she exclaimed, with feign
ed alarm ; "but neither of you was injured f "
"No, no ! Very fortunately, we were not.
It then occurred to us that the best way would
be to leave the matter to your impartial decis
ion. Therclbie, we implore you to state in
the boaring of us both, to whom you are de
termined to yield your heart. I assure you it
shall be as you say without further trouble ;
you need not fear that we will meet in hos
tility, whatever your decision may be. Our
words are pledged to that effect !"
It was with difficulty that the young lady
could suppress her mirth while Mr. Twillet
spoke. When he had concluded, she contin
ued for a few moments silent, her eyes bent
downward, while the two lovers sat, eagerly
expecting an answer.
"Your request was quite unexpected," she
said, at length, as if deeply impressed with
what she had beard, "and I cannot undertake
to give you an answer, at present, as you de
sire. I hope you will indulge me in this. I
must have time to reflect upon the matter.
But if yon will come again, one week lrom
to-day, I will give you my answer then."
"Very well; we submit."
They bade her an eflcctionate adieu, and
departed.
On the day appointed, the two young men
met and started for the residence ot Miss Er
wig. She was alone, and, evidently, expec
ting them.
"You see," said Mr. Twillet, "we are punc
tual, and all impatient to learn our fate. Let
me inquire if you have yet come to a decis
ion V - '
"I have," said Miss Erwig.
"And what is it T" they asked eagerly.
"It is," answered she, with mock serious
ness, "that I cannot, for my ' life decide be
tween, you. No; I assure you I love you both
equally well. But, in order that your minds
might bo put at rest, I determined upon a
course which I am sure will prove' satisfactory
to you both. 1 married an other "
"How!"
"I married another but, he is here, I see."
A door opened, and a gentleman advanced
into the room.
'Gentlemen," continued the lady, "my hus
bandMr. Matthew Millet."
Mr. Twillet was struck dumb. Mr. Nutter
was struck ditto. For a moment they gazed
blankly at the newcomer, and then they seized
Jheir hats, and, without so much as returning
the salute of Mr. Matthew Millet, they hurried
from the place, a peal of merry langhter fol
lowing them, which rung in the ears of each
for week niter
It is gratifying to know that the young men
havo survived the shock.
Didn't Take the Papers. In Cincinnati,
a few days since, a man who resides within
twelve miles of that city walked into the Citi
zens' Bank for the purpose of obtaining a sum
of money which be had deposited there several
years ago. Iiffagine his feelings on learning
that the bank had failed six months ago ! ' He
had not even heard of the extraordinary finan
cial panic which recently swept over the conn
try with, eucb a levelling influence.
WADE ON DOUGn FACES.
Jon. B. F Wade, in a speech delivered in
the U. S. Senate, on the 13th March ; daguer
roetyped the race of doughfaces in the follow
ing style :
'Your allies, the doughfaces of the North,
in my judgment, are the most despicable of
men. The modern doughface is not a charac
ter peculiar to the age in which we live, bat
you find traces of him at every period of the
world's history. He is void of pride ; he is
void of self respect ; be is actuated by a mean,
grovelling selfishness that would sell his Maker
for a price. Why, sir, when old Moses, under
the immediate inspiration of God Almighty,
enticed a whole nation of slaves, and ran away,
not to Canada, but to old Canaan, I suppose
that Pharaoh and all the chivalry of old Egypt
denounced him as a most furious Abolitionist
(laughter). I do not know but that they blas
phemed their God, who had assisted the fugi
tives from labour to escape. I have no doubt
at all that, when some Southern gentlemen of
the Gospel come up to preach to the North,
they will say that the Almighty acted a very
fanatical part in this business. .1 am afraid
they will 6ay so ; for He was aiding and abet
ting in the escape. But amidst the glories of
that great deliverance, even feeding upon mir
acles of the Almighty as they went along,
there were not wanting those who loved Egypt
better than they loved liberty ; whose souls
longed for the flesh-pots of Egypt ; and who
could turn from the visible glories of the Al
mighty God to worship an Egyptiau calf.
These were the doughfaces of that day. They
were not exactly Northern men with Southern
principles ; but they were Israelites withEgyp
tian principles. (Laughter.)
Again, when the Saviour of the world went
forth on His great mission to proclaim glad
tidings of joy to all the people of the earth,
to break every yoke and to preach deliverance
to the captive, He met with the same class of
men in tho persons of Judas Iscariot and the
chief priests. In the days of our own Revo
lution, when Washington and his noble associ
ates were carrying on that struggle to estab
lish justice, and to secure the blesssings of
liberty to themselves and their posterity,
they met with the same class of men in the
admirers of George III arid Lord North.
They are all of the same class false to the
education of their fathers false to the great
principles which have been instilled into them
by their mothers from their birth willing to
do anything that will minister to the cupidity
of their masters, let the consequences be
what they may. It is this class of men, aided
by close aristocracy at the South, that has en
abled the minority to rule with iron hand the
majority, since the organization ot this Gov
ernment. I have endeavored to daguerroc
type these men for tho benefit of future ages ;
for I believe that, like the Indian tribes, they
are disappearing. You have put tbem to very
hard service, sir. They die faster than the
Northern negroes in your rice swamps politi
cally, I mean. You put them to service that
they cannot stand. When you ask them to
vote for a fugitive bill, they may do it once,
but political death stares them in the face.
When you ask them to go with you for the
repeal of the Missouri restriction, you find
the same state of things. And now, worstf
all, when you ask them to fasten upon their
fellow-men, : in a Territory of the United
States,a Constitution which that people abhor,
I tell you every Northern Representative who
participates in this act is not only politically
dead, but he may thank bis God if he escapes
with that. . -
But theSenator spoke about a degraded class
in our great commercial cities. I have to con
fess that there is some truth in that. We have
a degraded class in the cities.. Theatre the
offscourings generally of the OUsJjy orTd men
who come here reduced to beggary by their
ignorance ; reduced- to beggary by their vice ;
ignorant, vicious, dangerous. I do not deny
it. They are incidents to all large cities ; but
the Senator should not complain of them.
They are the chief corner-stone of yonr polit
ical strength in tho North. Find me the vi
cious ward of any city that does not uphold
your system of slavery, vote for its candidates,
support its measures and labor for its men.
No, sir; you should not complain of this vi
cious population. In truth and in facttthey
are about the only stay and support you have
there now, and you ought not to traduce them.
From their very natures they attach themselves
to you, and 1 do not think by any treatment
you will be able to drive them off'. They are
naturally with you ; they were slaves in their
own countries ; they do not know anything
else than to be the understrappers of some
body ; and when they hear that there are slave
holders contending with freemen, "you find
them with the former all the time."
"Not Quite so Bad." The Bellefonte Dem
ocrat tells a good story of Sam Bike, who had
been down the river this Spring, with a raft.
Returning home, he stopped at a tavern, where
quite a crowd was discussing the Kansas ques
tion. Sam had not slept the previous night,
and was about squaring himself out for a
comfortablo snooze, when one of the loudest,
turning t him, said, "Here sits a Lecompton
man, I'll bet the liquor for the roora."--"Dono
!" says bis opponent, who was anti-Le-compton.
"Now then, lriend," said No. 1,
"in order to decide this bet, will you be so
kind as to tell ns whether you are a Lecomp
ton man ?" "What makes you think so?"
Sam asked. "Because, sir, you look like one ;
I can always tell them by their looks," replied
No. 1. Sam answered, "Do I J Well gentle
men, I was on a raft from Snow Shoe to Mari
etta; I have been drunk for two weeks; but
I had no idea that I looked at hard asthal,"-
Tbe Lecomptoner paid tho liquor, and sloped.
The essence of modern democracy of the
Buchanan school seems to be that all labor is
base and slavish,, and that the free white far
mers and mechanics ot the North and West
are really in the same degraded position as the
black chattels of the South. Gov. Hammond
regards all laborers as mete "mud-sills" for
rich aristocrats to tread upon ; and The Wash'
inglon Union says that "those who talk about
the 'free labor' of the North, and parade it as
contradistinguished from slave labor, are the
merest quacks in political economy. Of
course, it is but natural that with such senti
ments as these the Administration should wish
to force the Lecompton Constitution upon the
people of Kansas.
' It is said that the cost of printing Emory's
Report of the Mexican Boundary Survey a
work which no one has read, and few have
even seenwas f 277,800 ! ' :
A Beacb of Opihiohs. We present below a
brace of Southern opinions ot Wm. II." Sew
ard, the distinguished New York Senator.
The first is fiom the Clark county, Virginia,
Advertiser, and the other from the Washington
correspondent of the New Orleans Delta.
The Virginia estimate oi the man runs thus :
"The country should look with more anxie
ty and interest to the course of Wm. H. Sew
ard than to that of any man living. Ho is a
man of mighty influence. In an important
sense be is the representative man of his age.
His influence over the northern mind and
control over the northern mode of thought is
almost unbounded. lie is regarded here as
an honest man in that highest sense. He is
living for ages to come not for the present
moment. He has a disposition to find, and
ground himself on the right, as be knows that
only will endure forever.
"The expression is very common among Re
publican members here, that the Republican
party is destined to become the great nation
al party of the country ; that the south will
all come into it, "when it learns that tbey do
not meditate any interference with the insti
tution as it exists in the States; and the south
will relinquish . their claim .and desire to ex
tend beyond their present limits."
' The following is the . view orthe New Or
leans writer:
"I have a passion for Seward. He comes up
to my idea of "Rolin in the Wandering Jew
the most delectable devil that was ever drawn
by human pen so cool, so clear headed, so
indomitable, so relentless in the pursuit of his
fiendish purposes. Seward traverses the seem
ingly tortuous, but really straight line of his
ambition, with tho unerring certainty of foot
steps that characterize a rope-dancer ; never
missing a step, and keeping his agle eye
steadily fixed on the goal before ;him. The
balance-pole by which he preserves his equi
poise is that cool, big bead that bulbs out a
bove his narrow shoulders. If he becomes
our next President, and disunion docs not im
mediately follow his election, I willwager that
ho will so beautifully honey-fuggle both South
and North, that the people will pronounce him
one of the best Presidents we have ever had.
But I begin to think there is little danger of
his obtaining the nomination. He is too great
a man, that is, if he is a man and not a devil!"
Asothee Failcbe. The President has not
succeeded in carrying a single measure thro'
Congress. - He has been defeated on the Army
bill, defeated on the Deficiency bill, defeated 'J
on the Lecompton bill, and now he has been
defeated on the Pacific Railroad bill. A great
deal of influence, ingenuity and address have
been expended upon it during the last 'four
months, but it was put aside till December
next, although Mr. Gwin, who had" the meas
ure in charge, announced that such v. vote
would tie considered by him as conclusive a
gainst the construction of any road to Califor
nia. . Of the" forty-seven Senators present,
twenty-five voted for the postponement,includ
ing eighteen Lecomptonitcs and twenty-two
in the negative, one half of whom were anti
Lecoropton men. Thus it will be seen that
this favorite measure was killed by a Demo
cratic opposition, and the President again sub
jected to another of tho many humiliations
to which he has,been exposed since the mes
ing of Congress. The administration, as sucn,
is now as powerless there as before the conn
try, and the developments of every day ctaly
serve to render its weakness more visible and
painful. There never was such a fall before,
in so short a time. When Tyler abandoned
the Whig party, and renounced the principles
by which be accidentally reached the White
House, he must have foreseen the consequences
of that defection upon a Whig Congress, and
therefore was prepared for the repudiation
which followed so justly and swiftly. Mr. Bu
chanan claims to have maintained his Demo
cratic integrity and consistencv, and yet the
Democratic majorities which greeted his inau
gural address, as the advent of an auspicious
Presidential term, and as insuring future suc
cess, are now melted away into minorities, a
vowing nothing more than bare toleration for
those in power.
Geasd Desigs. On Saturday last, all New
lork was agog with the ceremonies of break
ing ground, in their new Central Park, for the
ejection of a new reservoir that is to surpass
in capacity any artificial lake, in the world
The reservoir commences at the corner of Eigh
ty-sixth street and Fifth avenue, alongside of
the present receiving reservoir. Jt will be
100 acres in extent, and will contain 1,029,880,
Wo standard gallons of water. The contrac
tors will receive $614,208 77 for the work,
which they expect to complete in three years
The design of it is to contain water to supply
the city in case of any accident to the water
works which would prevent the nsual flow of
that element to the metropolis. The Mavor, in
his speech at the breaking of the ground for
the new work, said :
"On our new lake of the Manahatta, no in
considerable navv might ride, and find "ample
room'and verge enough" on its surface to float
at anchor. Even the noble Niagara, the ad
mirable master-work of the genius of the la
mented Steers, might ride here on the waters
of this lovely lake ; and, by its side, the colos
sal Pennsylvania might be moored, and cover
less than the fortieth pait of the lake, while
every other vessel of the American Navy, with
the starry flag of the Republic streaming fioufj
the peak, mightjie moored around."
"It is impossible," said a Lecomptonite to
an anti-Lecomptonite "to say where your par
ty ends, and the opposition begins."
"Well sir," replied the other, "if you were
riding a jackass, it would be impossible to
say where the man ended and the donkey be
gan." " " .. :
Did you not tell me sir, you could hold the
plow T" said the "master.
"Arrah ! be aisy now, said Pat ; "how the
deuce can I hould it, and two horses drawing
it away from me ? but giYe it to mo into the
barn, and be jabers I'll hould it with any
.boy." -.-': ,.' -
An Irishman, writing from Ohio, says it is
the most elegant place in the world. "The
first three weeks," he says, "you are boarded
gratis, and after that you are charged nothjn;
at all. Come along and bring the children." ;
1 ASOTHEE OOTEAQE COMMITTED AO AW ST THE
South. An attempt is being made to intro
duce Northern shad into the rivers of Alabama.
This is supposed to be a part ot Eli Thayer's
Southern colonization scheme
ORIGIN OF SLAVERY.
Mr. Bancroft, in the first volume of bis His
tory of the United States, gives an account of
the early traffic of the Europeans in slaves.
In the middle ages, the Venitians purchased
white men. Christians and others, and sold
them to the Saracens in Sicily and Spain. la
England the Anglo-saxon nobility sold their
servants as slaves to foreigners. The Portu
guese first imported negro slaves from West
ern Africa, to Europe, in 1442. Spain soon
engaged in the trafficyind negro slaves abound
ed in some places of that kingdom.." After
America was discovered, the Indians ofllis
paniola were imported into Spain, and mads
slaves. The Spaniards visitrd the coast of
North America and kidnapped thousands of
the Indians whom they transported into slave
ry in Europe and the West Indies. Colum
bus himself kidnapped five hundred native
Americans and sent them into Spain, that
they might be publicly sold at Seville. The
practice of. selling North American Indians
into foreign bondage continued for two cen
turies. Negro slavery was first introduced
into America by Spanish slaveholders, who
emigrated with their negroes. A royal edict
of Spain authorized negro slavery in America
In 1508. King Ferdinand himself sent from
Seville fifty slaves to labor in the- mines. In
1511, the direct tariff in slaves between Africa
and Hispaniola was enjoined by a royal ordi
nance. Las Casas, who saw the Indians van
ish away before the cruelty of the bpaniards.
suggested that the negroes, who alone could
endure severe toils, might be further employ
ed. This was in 1518. .
Sir John Hawkins was the first Englishman
that engaged in the slave trade. In 1652. he
transported a large cargo of Africans to His
paniola. . In 16-37, another expedition was
prepared, and Queen Elizabeth protected and
shared in the traffic. Hawkins, in one of hia
expeditions, set fire to an African city, and
out of 3,000 inhabitants, succeeded in seizing
260. James Smith, of Boston, and Thomas
Keyser, first brought the colonies to partici
pate in slavery. In 1654 tbey imported a car
go of negroes. Throughout Massachusetts,
the cry of justice was raised against them as
malefactors and murderers ; the guilty men
were committed for the offence, and the rep
resentatives of the people ordered the negroes
to be restored to their native country at th
public expense. At a later period, thr -were
both Indian and negro slaves in Massa
chusetts. In 1620, a Dntch ship entered James
river, and landed" twenty negroes for sale.
This was the epoch of tho introduction of
slavery in Virginia. For many years the
Dutch were principally concerned in tha slave
trade in the market of Virginia.
Deep Plowiso. We are U too apt to fol
low blindly in tho beaten track. The first
plow was a tough, forked stick, whereof one
prong served as a beam while the other dug
the earth as a coulter. Of course, the plow
ing was merely scratching necessarily sov
It uld have been preposterous to expect the
plowman of Hcsiod's or of Virgil's time to
turn up and mellow the soil to a depth of fif
teen or sixteen inches. Down to the present,
age plowing was inevitably a shallow affair.
But iron plows, steel plows, sub-soil plowsv
have changed all this. . It is as easy to day to
mellow the earth to the depth of two feet as
it was a century ago to turn over a sward to.
the depth of six inches. And our fierce, try
ing climate, so different from the moist milder
one of Great Britian, Ireland, or even of Hol
land and the Atlantic coast of Germany,,
whence our ancestors migrated, absolutely re
quires of us deeper plowing. Drouth: is our.
perpetual danger. Most crops are twenty to.
sixty per cent, short of what they mould have
been with adequate and seasonable moisture
That moisture exists not only in the skies a
bove, but in the earth beneath our plants.
Though the skies 'may capriciously withheld
it, the earth never will, if we provide a rich,,
mellow sub-soil through which tberoots can
descend to the moisture. The hotter and dryer
the weather, the better our plants will grow,,
if they have rich warm earth beneath them
reaching down to and including moisture. We
cannot and need not plow 60 very deep each
year to assure this, if the sub-soil is under
drained that the superabundant moistnre or
the wet'season docs not pack it. Under drain
ing as tho foundation, and deep plowing as the
superstructure.with ample fertalizing and gen
erous tillage, will secure us averago crops,
such as this section has rarely ever seen. Our
corn should average from fifty to seventy bush
els per acre ; our oats still higher. Every
field should be ready to grow wheat if requir
ed. Every grass lot should be good for two
or three tons of hay per acre. Abundant
fruits, including the grape and pear, should
gladden our hill sides, and enrich our farmer's
tables. So should our children seek no more,
in flight to the crowded cities, or to the wide
West an escape from the ill'paid drudgery and.
intellectual barrenness of their father's lives,,
but find abundance and happiness in and a
round their childhood's happy homo. 7A
Working Farmer.
Costly "Pictces" The Government paid-
for lithographing and printing in colors a sin
gle ox, for the Patent Office Report, $ 10,5797
for a similar service for one bull, $10,576 ; for
a cow, $7,500; and for a horse, $5,579. Total:
for the four pictures, $34,22.8,. That's Itmt
way the money goes- .
The New Salem justice who fined a man $G,
for kissing another man's wife, last week, ia;
the same who imposed a fine of $6, not long
since, for malicious mischief in tying a basket,
to a heifer's tail. So the tariff or both theso.
amusements is fixed for the New Salem peo
ple. - '" '
A Cceiois Diffebesce. A Maysvillo -cor
respondent indicates a curious "point of difler-
ence" between the administration "of James
Buchanan and that of Pharaoh, at memortv
ble period ; the latter bad corn is the national;
crib, the former has only a Cobb. .
Buchanan, an old Federalist, has two. old
line Whigs (Toombs In Senate,, and Stephens
in uie uouse) as his leaders in Congress, whtfa
Wise, Douglas, Reeder, Forney, and the other
Democratic leaders who elected him are now
his opponents ! ! ' ' . '
The hard times which have of late prevailed
havo filled the ranks of the English army.
Since October last, 86,000 men have: joined
the military force of Great Britain, and enlist
ments are progressing at an avers go of 7,000
per month '' : ' -
4
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