" ..'ft
ii it j
a A niBKEIl, Editor and Proprietor,
j. TODD IIITTCIIIffSOiV, Publlsner. .
I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT THAN PRESIDENT. Henbt Clat.
TERMS-2-0 PER ASUM.
l$1.50 IX ADVANCE
YOLTJME 6.
TMRKCTORY.
MST OF POST OFFICES.
Post Offices. Tost Masters.
Cafolltown, Joseph Bebe Carroll.
Chess Springs, Hear, Natter, Ch t
Conemaugh, wiat'u.
Sensburg. Joba Tbomp.oB nsburg.
v7in Timber. .AsaH. Fiske vvnite.
r Jmuia J. M. Christy, Gallitzin.
Simlock' Tiley, Jr., - Washfn.
Johnstown, I. E: Chandler,' Johnst'wn.
T oretto M. Adlesberger, Loretto.
Sinster A.Durbin, Munster.
Pat "lie, Andrew J Ferr.1, So.qM.an.
Roseland, G. W. Bowman, White.
It Augn tine, Stan. Winrrton, Clearfield.
I alp Level, George Berkey, Rjchland.
vnnman B. M Colgan, Washtn.
Ummerhill, B. F. Slick, C'coyle.
?!mmtt William M'Connell Washt'n.
MorrisKeil, - S'merhill.
CHURCHES, 311 SISTERS, &C.
Presbyter ian Rev. D. Harbisox, Pastor.
Preaching every Sabbath morning at 10 J
a'clock, and in the evening at 6 o'clock. Sab
, oath School at 1 o'clock, A. M. Prayer meet-
iug everv 'inursaay ecum& - , o V
Methodist Episcopal Church Rv. J. S. Le
vov, Preacher in charge. Rev. W. II. 51 Bride,
Assistant. Preachingevery alternate fcabbalh
moraing. at 10 o'clock. Sabbath School at
o'clock, A. M. Prayer meeting every Thui saa
evening, at 7 o'clock.
Welch Independent -Rev Lt. R. Powell,
Pastor. Preaching every Sabbath morning at
JO o'ciock, and in the evening at 6 o'clock.
Sabbath School at I o'clock, P, M. Prayer
nieetin" on the first Monday evening of each
month 7 and on every Tuesday, Thursday and
Fiiday evening, excepting the first week in
each month. ' .
Cdvhiisiic Methodist -Rev. Johs Williams,
Pa,f0r Preaching every Sabbath evening at
2 aud 6 o'clock. Sabbath School at r o'clock,
K M Piayer meeting every Friday evening,
i 7 o'clock. Society every Tuesday evening
t 7 o'clock.
Disciples P.zv. W. Llotd, Pastor. rreach
b everv Sabbath morning at 10 o'clock.
"Particular Baptists Rev. David Jexkixs,
pastor. Preaching every fc'abbath evening at
3 o'clock. Sabbath School at at I o'clock, P. M.
Catholic Rev. M. J. Mitchell, Pastor.
Services every Sabbath morning at 10 J o'clock
nd Vtspers at 4 o'clock in the evening.
ECEXSBIRG 31AILS.
MAILS ARRIVE.
Eastern, daily, at 12 o'clock, A. M.
lVestern, at 12 J o'clock, A. M.
MAILS CLOSE.
Eastern, daily, at 8 o'clock. P. M.
Western, " at 8 o clock, t. M.
jCqjT The mails from ButIer,Indiana,Strongs
town, &c, arrive on Thursday of each week,
at 5 o'clock, P. M.
Leave Ebeasburg on Friday of each week,
t b A. II.
tt,The mails from Newman's Mills, Car
rolltown, &c, arrive on Monday, Wednesday
tnd Friday of each week, at 3 o'clock, P. M.
Leave Ebensburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays
tad Saturdays, at 7 o'clock, A. M.
RAILROAD SCHEDULE.
CRESSON STATION
TCest Bait. Express leaves at
':8.57
A. M.
A. M.
P. M
P. M.
A. M.
P. M.
P. M.
P. M.
A. M.
P. M:
A. M.
Phila. Expre&3
" Fast Line
Mail Train
li Pitts. 4 Erie Ex.
" Emigrant Train
East Phila. Express
" I'ast Line
" Fast Mail
Pitts. Erie Ex.
" Harrisb. Accom.
(Don't stop.
9.57
-0.48
s.s
7.34
4.5.")
8.40
1.53
7.08
5.13
11.27
COUXTY OFFICERS.
Judges of the Courts President, Hon. Geo
Taylor, Huntingdon; Associates, George W.
tasley, Henry C Devme.
Prothonotary Joseph M'DonaH.
Register and Recorder James Griffin.
Sheriff John Buck.
District Attorney. Philip S. Noon.
County Commissioners Peter J. Little, Jno
Campbell, Edward Glass.
.Treasurer Isaac Wike.
Poor House Directors George M'Cullougb,
veorge Delany, Irwin Rutledge.
Poor House Treasurer George CTK. Zahm
Auiitor William J. Williams, George C
K. Zahm, Francis Tierney.
County Surveyor. Henry Scanlan.
Coroner. -William Flattery.
Mercantile Appraiser Patrick Donahoe.
Sup't. of Common Schools J. F. Condon.
EBEXSBIRG BOB. OFFICERS.
AT LARGE.
Justices of the Peace David n. Roberts
Harrison Kinkead.
Burgess A. A. Barker.
School Directors Ahel Lloyd, Phil S. Noon,
Joshua D. Parrish, Hugh Jones, E. J. Mills,
favia J. Jones.
EAST WARD.
Constable Thomas J. Davis.
Town Council J. Alexander Moore, Daniel
0- Evans, Richard R. Tibbott, Evan E. Evans,
illiam Clement.
Impectors Alexander Jones. D. O. Evans.
Judge of Election Richard Jones, Jr.
Assessor Thomas M. Jones.
Assistant Assessors David E. Evans. Win.
D- Davis. -
WEST WARD.
Constable William Mills, Jr.
TWn Council John Dougherty, George C.
Zahm, Isaac Crawford, Francis A. Shoe
ker, James S. Todd.
inspectors G. W. Oatman, Roberts Evans
. Judgt of Election Michael Hasson.
4an Assessors William Barnes, Dan-
EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1864.
Snakes of America.
Some thirty or forfy years ago, the
country lying along the Niagara river
used to be very much haunted by these
forbidding reptiles, but the progress of
civilization, including the arrival of the
omnivorous pig, has nearly rid the district
of them. The pig is the great snake ao
nihiiator, devouring serpents of every
manageable size wiih avidity, and seeming
to enjoy immunity, from the poison so
fatal to other auimals. A French gentle
man, who has a larvae property in a newly
seliled district in yesLern Canada, told
n$e some years ago, that he had just
purchased a large herd of lean swine to
send to his saw mills there, for the purpose
of exterminating the rattlesnakes, which
were very numerous, and much dreaded
by his workmen. Turpentine, externally
applied, has been successfully used in this
country for the treatment of snake bites;
but it has been asserted, lately, that alco
hol, taken inwardly, in dose3 large euough
to produce total intoxicalion, is the only
sure remedy. .
Rattlesnakes occasionally grow to a
great size, although the varieties found in
the more Northern Stales rarely attain a
length of more than five feet. A singular
and hoirihle encounter with a very large
one took place in May, 1S59, near the
city of Peoria, in the State of Illinois.
bout 6ix miles from Peoria, at a place
called Prospect Hill, there stood at that
time the ruins ot a country hotel, near
which were two brick cislcru3, which had
been partially covered over with boards
for some time, while out of use. The
proprietor of the place drove oat there
oue day with his wife, for the purpose of
pultiog the flower gardeu in summer trim,
and while engaged in his work, he foued
that he waoted some bricks for edging the
walks. .He uncovered one of the cisterns,
which was dry, and about six feet deep,
jumped into it; and began to pick out some
loose bricks from the wall and throw them
to the top. While so employed, fiixlinij
j his work somewhat impeded by a piece of
p'ank partially imbedded in the c!a3' at
the boitm of the cistern, be tore it up
with some difficulty, and threw it out. At
the same lime he heard the spring of the
rattle, and saw, to his borror, a large ser
pent coiled up in the hollow where the
plank had lain. lie had no weapon; the
c'slem was' not more than five feet in
diameter, and it would have been impos
sible for him to have scrambled out of it
without exposing h'mself to be struck by
the 6nake, the springs made at bim by
which be managed to parrj with his heavy
boots. Hearing bis trios, his wife ran to
the edge of the cistern, but was overcome
with fright, so a3 to be uoable to render
bim any assistance. At last the rcan,
seizing his opportimiiy between the iunges
of the enraged reptile, made an effovt to
le;ip out of the cielero, in doing which a
i loose brick came away in his haod, with
which missre he struck Ins assailant on
the bead and killed, or at least stunned
it. I hen, with the assistance ot his wire,
he climbed to the surface, when he faint
ed away, from the excitement caused by
the terrible coTiflict. The snake, which
f was taken dead from the cistern, proved
j to be seven feet long, and had thirteen
rattles.
A friend of mine who Uvea for ten
years in CaMIornia, where the largest aud
most formidable kind of rattlesnake the
croiaJas horridus of the herpetologist is
raiher common, told me the following
story :
He was about leaviog a spot where he
had been encamped for some weeks, when,
in getliog his traps together, be missed
some small articles, for which he instituted
a search by tossing up and removing the
twigs of hemlock pine which had for Some
. m -a m a
tune iormed nis coucn. xnis process
revealed to him the horrible fact of two
huge rattlesnakes- coi'ed up under the
thick, matted twigs, where they had been
probably for weeks.
In one of the Southern States, a feather
bed, while airing on some bushes near a
farm-house, was slightly torn y or rather
the tick was. It was patched on the
bushes while sunning. Not long afterward
the sleepers on this bed were troubled
with dreams of snakes, and often its occu
pants actually believod a snake was in bed
with them, and would bounco out of bed
in great alarm, but would return after a
vigorous but unfruitful search. Two years
after, a daughter was married, and took
the bed home with her: yet its sleepers
continued to be troubled with visions of
snakes, and an occasional search was insti
tuted for the intruder. Four years after
this marriage, the farmer visited his
daughter, and was put upon this bed.
About tea o'clock, he was heard calling
for his son-in-law, "John! John! come j
here quick a snake is in my bed I
Lights were had, and though every nook
and corner was searched, no, snake was
found. All retired again, but were soon
startled Dy the old man s crte? for help
and lights, as if he was holding something
with all his strength. John weni to him
thinking he had a nightmare, but to bis
surprise found him wide awake, and hold
ing something under the covering with all
his might. After searching under the
cover, it was found to be a snake on the
inside of the tick among the feathers. IC
was pulled out and found to be quite
strong and active, and about seven feet in
length. Now, the question is, how did
this snake subsist among the feathers, as
it must have been there for six yea's
without food of any kind, or water? The
licking was new when the hole was torn,
and there never had been but the one
hole in the bed until the one was cut to
puU the snake out. '
The mystery and dread attaching to the
snake family has, in all ages, been a source
of apocryphal exaggeration. , Most of the
American woodsmen with whom I have
met in my wanderings have a vague faith
in a reptile called by them the hoop snake,
wbich, according to obscure authorities
quoicd by them for they never have seen
ooe themselves revolves itself into a
circle when about to attack, and, holding
its tail in its mouth, trundles itself like a
hoop upon the iotruder. They -will tell
you. even, how the bold buuter wiil
sometimes pass his deer-knife quickly
within the circumference of the hoop as
it wheels past, so that the snake cuts itself
in two upon the blade by its own rash
act. It if needless to say that this variety
of the serpent tribe is purely imaginary.
None of the American naturalists make
note of it; nor is the story of the wheel
movement worthy of any ipore credence
than the theory surmised by many ancient
fishermen about the salmon, which, they
tell us, achieves its wonderful acrobatic
leaps by catchiag its tail in it? mouth,
and suddenly letting go for a spring.
Daniel Webster's Childhood.
Children are very apt to forget two
things. They are, apt to foiget that all
great nieti were once children, and that.
while they themselves are young, they are
laying foundations for the ialure. ft is
exceedingly interesting to look back upon
the history of such- men as Daniel Web
ster, and see what he was about what he
was thinking of, what he was doing, how
he was occupying bis lime when he was
a schoolboy. The first time Mr. Web
ster's eyes fell upon the Constitution of
the United States, of which he was said
to have been the chief expounder and de
fender, it was printed upon a cotton pock
et handkerchief, according to the fashion
of the time, which he chanced to stumble
upon in a country store, and fur which be
paid, out of his own pocket, all the n.oney
he had twenty-five cents J and the even
ing of the. day he obtained this copy was
wholly devoted to its close and attentive
perusal, while seated before a blazing fire,
and by the side of his father and mother.
What dreamer on that night, in the wild
est flight ot his imagination, could have
foreseen the result ot that incident, and
marked out the career of that New Hamp
shire boy !
When Daniel was about seven years
old, his father kept a house of public en
tertainment, where the teamsters who
traveled the road wece in the habit on
obtainiug a dinner and feeding their hor
ses ; and it is said that the incipient ora
tor aod statesman frequently eutortained
his father's guests by reading aloud out of
the Psalms of David, to the infinite delight
of his rustic listeners. Iudeed, it was
customary for the teamsters to remark, as
they drew up their horses before the
Webster House, "Come, lei's go in aud
hear a Psalm from Dan"
A few days after Daniel had entered
Exeter academy, he returned to hii boarding-house
in the evening ic a desponding
mood, and told his friends that the city
boys were constantly laughing at him be
cause he was at the foot of bis class and
had come from the backwoods. His
friends endeavored to cheer him by ex
plaining the regulations of the school,
telling him that the boys would soon tire
of their unhandsome conduct, and that he
ought to show himself above their foolish
ness. Mr. Nicholas Emery, who was the
assistant tutor of the academy, was also
made acquainted with young Webster's
troubles, and as he had the . management
of the second and lower classes, he treated
his desponding pupil with marked kind
ness, and particularly urged him to think
of nothing but his books, assuring him
that all would come out right. This ad
vice was heeded, and at the end of the
first quarter, Mr. Emery mustered his
class in line, and formally taking the arm
of young Websxer, he marched him along
from the foot to the extreme head of the
class, exclaiming, meanwhile, that that j
was his proper position. Such an event
had for many days been anticipated, but
when actually accomplished, the remain
der of the class were surprised and cha
grined. This triumph greatly encouraged the
boy Daniel, and ho renewed his efforts
with his books. He did Dot doubt that
there were many boys in the class as smart
as himself, if not smarter; and he looked
with some anxiety to the next quarter.
The day arrived, the class was mustered,
and Mr. Emery stood before it. The
breathless silence was broken by these
words : "Daniel Webster, gather up your
books, and take down your. cap."
The boy obeyed, thinking he was about
to be expelled from ' school, but sorely
troubled as to the cause cf such calamity.
The teacher saw this, and soon dispelled
the illusion. He said:
! "Now, sir, you will please report your
self to the teacher of Jhe first class; and
you, young gentlemen, (turning to the
class,) take an affectionate leave of your
classmate, for you will never see him
again
That teacher is still living, is a man of
distinction, and was ever a warm friend of
his distinguished pupil.
In his fifteenth year, he was permitted
to spend some months with one of the
more prominent clergymen of the day. the
llev.-Samuel Woods, who lived at Bos-
cawen, and prepared boys for college at
one dollar a week for tuition and board.
During his stay with Dr. Woods, he was
apparently very neglectful of his academic
duties, but never failed lo perform all his
intellectual tasks with great credit. On
one occasion, the reverend tutor thought
proper to give his scholar. Daniel a scold
ing for spending too much of his. time on
the hills and alonar the streams, hunting
and fishing, but still complimented him
for his smartness. The task assigned to
him for bis next recitation was one hun
dred line3 of Virgil ; aod, as he knew his
rilastcr had an engagement on the fallow
ing morning, an idea occurred to him,
and be spent the entire night poring over
his books. The recitation hour fiually
arrived, and the scholar acquitted himself
of his hundred lines, and received the tu
tor's approbation.
;I5ut I have a few more lines I can re
cite," said Daniel.
"Well, let us have them," replied the
doctor; and forthwith the boy reeled off
another hundred lines.
''Very remarkable," said the doctor;
''you are indeed a smart boy."
'But I have another hundred," said
the scholar, "and five buudred, if you
please !"
The doctor was of course astonished,
but. bethinking bira of his engagement,
be begged to be excused, and added
"Dan, you may have the whole day for
pigeon-shootiDg."
m m '
The llavenporls Outdone.
A correspondent of the London Morning
Post says that the Davenport "manifesta
tion" of tying aud untying is an old trick
among the Indians ot the northwest coast
of America. He was traveling in Oregon
in 1S4-1, and met a certain Thomas M'
Kay, who had been in the Hudson Bay
Company's service. This M'Kay told the
following story of an adventure of his
some years before :
"There was a camp of the Nisqually
Indians near ours, and among them was a
famous medicine men, or conjuror as you
would call bira. That chap could tell
everything that was going to happen for
a hundred years to come, I believe; so
Mr. Ogden determiued to consult him.
Well, we all weut to his lodge, which was
made the same as the Sioux made theirs,
with poles covered over with buffalo skins.
His, as well as the others, was round, in
the shape of a sugar-loaf, about twelve
feet across and twelve feet high, and at
the top of it be had got a parcel of bells
hung. There was nothing in the lodge
when we went in, only him squatting in
the middle ot it, and a bundle of buffalo
robes lying against the wall of the lodge.
These we afterwards lifted up, and were
sure there was no one hid under them.
Mr. Ogden told him we had come to con
sult him as a great medicine man about
something that we wanted to know. He
was almost naked, having nothing on but
an old buffalo robe over his shoulders and
a cloth about his loins.
"After Mr. Ogden had spoken, he went
through a lot of maneuvers and antics,
which he called 'making medicine ;' and
then, although it was a perfect calm, not
& breath of wind moving, the lodge com
menced rocking violently from side to
side, at times almost lying prostrate, as if
it were blown down by a gale of wind,
and then rising up and going down on the
other side, and all this time the bells
clanging.and clashing and making a ter
rible row ; then all of a sudden everything
became perfectly still, and be told us to
go outside and see what was on the top of
the lodge. When we went outside, we
looked immediately for some one Dear the
lodge, but there was not a soul, and no
one could have been hid, for it was on
quite a bare prairie, and not a bush near
it. We looked an the top of the lodge, as
he had told us, and there was a white
crow, which certainly had not been there
when we went into it.
"So we returned to him and told him
what we had seen ; then he said, 'Now tie
me up as close as you can, so that I cannot
get away, and take your own ropes for
we thought it was a bit of humbug, and
we were going to use his old ropes, so we
got our own good lassoes and lariats (horse
hair rope?,) and took his buffalo robe off
him aud tied him up ; first, we tied his
hands behind his back; be was squatted
on his han4s and heels, aud we tied his
legs together, and his hands to his legs;
then we tied a rope around his body, and
tied Lim all of a heap a3 it. were, and
knotted the rope at every turn, so that
one would think that it would take a mau
at least half an hour to turn him adrift.
Well, then, somebody proposed that we
should tie him in the net; this was a seiue
net that we had at the camp; so we rolled
him tip in it, knotted the ends together,
and also secured them again with rope.
He asked us to put his knife near him;
this we did, layiug it down about a yard
from him, a3 he was lying looking like a
ball of net. He told us to go out of the
lodge, and not to look in again until we
heard the bell ring.
"When we got out, we looked on the
top of the lodge for the white crow, and
had hardly noticed that it was gone before
we heard the bell. We rushed in, and
there was the old beggar seated in the
middle of the lodge as we had seen him at
first, with his buffalo robe on, and looking
as if nothing had happeued to him, and on
his shoulder was the white crow. He tbeu
told us to go out again, and this time we
were out perhaps five minutes but when
we went into the lodge again, there he was
tied up, looking just the same ball of net
as we had left him the first time. But
the white crow was not to be seen. He
told us then to untie him, which we did,
and a precious long time it took us to do
it, for he was so firmly tied and knotted
up. After he was free, he sat for a short
time, apparently to recover his strength,
and then began making medicine again,
whereupon, as before, the lodge waved,
the bells rang, the white crow came in
aud flew in rapid flight, circling around
the old man's head, and when all became
still again, perched itself upon his shoul
der. Then said be, 'Now you may ask
me what you want to kuow;' so Mr. Ogden
said, 'Ve wish to kuow when Mr. M "rav
ish and his party will be here. The
answer was, 'On the third day from this,
at half an hour before sunset, you will see
him and his parly coming down the hill
The next question was, 'Where is he now?'
The answer was, 'They are earappd upon
a certain creek,' naming it. lie was then
asked, 'What has delayed them so long V
and he answered that they had beeu de
tained in the mountains four days by
suow. Well, sir, on the third day from
that, just about half an hour before sunset,
sure enough there we saw the party com
ing down the hill, and when they got into
camp they told us that three days before
they had been camped on the creek that
was named by the old man, and that they
had been delayed in the mountains' four
days by snow."
m m
B&.The problem of suspending life by
freezing seems to be accumulating data.
Perch and mullet have been carried from
Lake Cham plain to Eastern cities, frozen
perfectly solid, and on being put into a tub
of water have come to as lively as ever.
A female convict in Sweden is in ice on
experiment. A man was found lately in
Switzerland, who gave signs of life after
being frozen for nine inouth3. Tha pow
er of stopping while the world goes on
may be the next wonder. Ice houses may
soon be advertised with comfortable apart
ments for skipping an epoch, or waiting
for the next generation.
J56TA young pupil in the Don-resistant
school of philosophy was once elected to
the Legislature, of course from ono of the
interior counties. True to his principles,
he drew up a bill abolishing all punish
ment for crime, and then prepared anoth
er prohibiting people from committing
crime!
WSfA. policeman, on night duty, says,
"lt seems to me that with many young
men the most approved method of wind
ing up the night is reeling it home."
The coal fields of Pennsylvania
have yielded on an average, two hundred
and thirty thousand tons of coal per week
for the last three months.
B&. Capt Speke, the traveler, is said to
have been accidentally shot in September.
NUMBER g,-
The Sisters.
Thej were two sisters r one was fair,
Witti yellow lights in her wbtj hairv .
The other was dark, and in1 her eye
Lurked the sultry fire of Southern skies. ' "
They both bad lands, these sisters two,
Broad in eitent, and fair to view.
With towns and citie?, on hill and plain,
And rivers which flowed to greet the main.
The fields of the one with wheat and corn -Swayed
in rbe breath of the wind at morn. '
Her son3 at tbe plow and anvil stood.
Or wielded' the ax in the shady wood. - '
She built ieat' shp3. that pver the seas
Sped on tbe wings of the ocean breeze.
Fleets of these in ber ports found room ;
Her factories bummed wiih the busy loom.
There men and women, early and late,
Laboied to earn the bread tbey ate.
Her children flocked to her schools to learn.
Knowledge profound and Wisdom stern.
In the autunm months, she stood in the field.
Laden with fruits of the harvest's yield.
In granaries built thro' long years of peace
She gathered the wealth of the earth's in
crease. And the winds which blew from her snowr
. hills
Were not more free than her people's wills. :
II.
The swelling slopes of the other shone whiU
With cotton blooms in the hot sura's light.
Under the shade of ancestral trees
Her sons and daughters lived at ease.
The dusky bondman, stalwart and strong,
Toi'ed in the fie'd the whole day long.
Hard anl sinewy were his hands, '
His muscles were like to iron bands.
A modern Samson in strength was h,
Shorn of his glorious' liberty.
Sometimes a patient song of toil
Fell from his lips 113 he tilled the soil.
Sometimes at night his yearning eyes
Turned to a star in the Polar skiesV
And a hungry longing for Freedom gaT
Wings to the feet of the dusky slave.
But pitiless blood-hounds on bis track
With their deep-mouthed bayings droT him
back.
In the foul market-place he stood,
The bondman sullen and stem of mood,
And like a chattel was bought and sold
A human being, for so much gold.
Down the ricer : afar on it3 wave;
What are wiie and child to the slava I
III.
Then rose on the air a sudden cry,
l K.e tnunaer rolling along the sky.
From the burning lips of the North it cams
Rebuking ber Eister'a tin and shamo . ' '
Stronger the dread tornado blew,
Darker tbe gathering tempest grew.
In senate chamber and halls of state,
Loud and long was the hot debate.
Then the Northern s'ster called to her sid
A man for hi3 prudence noted wide.
Rut she of the South with fierce replies
Flashed defiance out of her eyes.
Then shouts of 'War" on tbe winds went
forth
'War'' from the South, and War" from th
North.
The trumpets blew, and the lond drums beat;
The dumb earth quaked with the tread of feet.
To-day the cannon thunder loud ;
And, yonder, see the battle-cloud I
To-day earth's altar-steps are red
Wiih the precious blood of heroes shed.
Look on those swelling mound3 that ris
They are a nation's sacrifice.
May it atone in God's jast sight,
And wash our garments snowy white ;
And kiudle in the East a ray,
The dawn of a broader purer day I
Ax Odd Beyelatio In the rebel
papers appears a proclamation from Jeff.
Davis, as President of the Confederate
Stutei, recommending the people of those
States to celebrate the annual festival of
thanksgiving on the I6th inst. This is
fcr no particular event connected with
the war, but is stated in the preamble to
the proclamation to be iu accordance with
custom, which reuflera it proper "that tba
people should from time to time assemble
&c. This festival of thanksgiving is a
purely Northern institution; emanating"
from that hated New England which Jeff,
and his followers want so badly to leavo
:out in the cold." Yet here we see tho
rebels themselves, shut out from all asso
ciation with thc.North, and warring des
perately for a separate nationality, paying
homage to the force of Northern customs.
President Lincoln issued his proclamation
lately, fixing Thursday, 2-ith inst., ai tho
usual day of thanksgiving, and no sooner
was it received at Richmond than Jeff,
responded, by issuing his proclamation,
fixing Wednesday, 16rh inst., for thanks
giving. He could not exactly coincide
with President Lincoln, of course, but ha
came as near to it ca he possibly could.
The peoplo of tho North ought to b
proud that the cavaliers ot the South tho
copy after and imitate their "cuitomi."
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