. . Jl'" A 1 WE GO WHERE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES POINT THE WAY ; WHEN THEY CEASE TO LEAD, WE CEASE TO FOLLOW." VOLUME VIII. EBENSBIRG, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 18-52. OTHER 31. x ii i ll i - J IJSSB T K It 31 S. The "UOUXTAIX SEXTIXEL" is publish ed every Thursday morning, at One Dollar and fifty Cent rer annuul if P'" m advance or within three months ; after three months Two Dollars will he charged. No subscription will be taken for a shorter period than six months ; ami no paper Trill be discontinued until all arrearages are paid. A lailure to notify a discontinuance at the expira tion of the term subscribed for, will be cousid- red as a new engagement. ' S, ADVERTISEMENTS will be inserted at the following rates: 50 cents per square ior the first insertion; 75 cents for two insertions ; SI lor three insertions ; and 25 cents per square ior every subsequent insertion. A liberal reduc tion wade to those who advertise by the year. All advertisements handed in must have the vroper number of insertions marked thereon vr they will be published until forbidden, and charged in accordance with the above terms. Bh,All letters and communications to insure attention must be postpaid. A. J. It II El . EXPEIUEXCE. BT MAJOR TATTEN, I S1TED STATES AUMT. About the world I've journeyed much, I've traveled far and near, And my experience is such As you shall shortly hear. Iv'c seen the worst I've seen the best. Of (so called human kind,) Where all are Uisily in quest Of what they never find. I've known a man who robbed the poor, And yet was rich himself, Who drove the beggar from the door, With silver on his shelf. I vo seen a judge who justice sold, Have heard a gamester pray, And knew a wife who did not scold Upon a washing day. A lass I've seen just turned fifteen, (A blossom partly blown,) W ho really did not care 1 ween, To be a woman grown. gaia, I've seen a seedy maid, (Oh Godfrey be it sung !) Who did not seem the least afraid At being reckoned young. I've known a lawyer plead a cause, Who never sent a bill, And known a doctor (not of laws) Take his prescription pill, I've known a tradesman speak the truth, I've heard a parson swear, And knew a haekman once, in sooth, Who charged but lawful fare. I've known a parson play at whist, Who would not play at loo ; And knew an abolitionist Who did a slave pursue ; To lavish on his offspring wild, A miser hoard his gold, And see a mother leave her child For stranger hands to hold. I've seen a maiden who had slid, Who had a modest air, And seen a belle who (seeming) did Not know that she was fair ; Once on a railroad 'twas my lot To get a passage "free," And on a steamer once I got A decent cup of tea. And I have seen once in my life, A husband, be it known, Who did not treat his neighbor's wife Some better than his own ; And also seen III be (don't wink) As gentle as I can Some time ago, it was I think I saw an honest man. A Broken Home. A short time since, we left the cherished idol ofour hearth-circle in the full promise of health and life, and returned but to see him die ! Our home is desolate, for its purest light has faded out. Willie is dead ! 0 God ! how we loved the boy ! lie was a cliild of more than rare promise a brave, beau tiful, noble hearted being, and all manhood in every pulse. His mind was almost masculine, and he wrestled with death, with the calm pa tience and judgment of maturer years. Would that in the spring time he had gone to his long night-rest of death, when the flower and the leaf and tiny blade were bursting out from their earth sleep to clothe the fields in beauty. Bat it matters not. He wandered not alone through the dark valley, "for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." The warm sun-beam and rain drop of spring-time, will deck the res ting place of the little 6leeper in smiles. Little will he heed however, either sun-beam or cloud on earth, for there is no winter shadow in the eternal summer sky of bliss. Blessed hope that death is not an "eternal sleep'" .The beautiful tenement of a soul of tiro summers, will mingle with its pillow of arth ; but in the silence of night-time, we shall listen to the tripping of little feet, and the low whispering of a silvery voioe to the sweet rus tung of two little angel wings, and feel the pure touch of a tiny palm upon the feverish cheek. One of the Btrongest links of earth has been bro ken hut to bind us the closer to Heaven. God's ill be done ! The little playthings are all put away. A Jep tide of bright hopea has been rolled back MPon th heart Crushed and broken, we bow to the storm that has swept our hearth, and Jnank God that there is a better world then this w the child. Willie, our own loved, beautiful, gentle jood night ! Cayuga Chief. A Down East Sham Uattle Many years ago it was a custom in the State of Maine, in most of the towns, to celebrate the memorable event of the surrender of Cornwal lis, by 'going through" a mock performance, representing thai important fact in our country's history. i The little towwf Waterford, ' situated ' npoh the banks of the broad and majestic "Crooked River," resolved not to be behind hand in so great an affair. Accordingly a meeting was called at the old Town House, on the "Hill," to make the necessary arrangements. Deacon Moses Jones, as he was called, was chosen to enact the character of Washington and 'Squire 'Bijer Wood the character of Cornicallis. The under officers, soldiers, &c, were to be selected by the selectmen, whose duty it was to furnish uniforms and pay such other expenses as the affair should incur. Now as Messrs. Jones and Wood are the prin cipal heroes of the sketch, a 6hort description of their characters may not be deemed out of place. Deacon Jones was a wealthy farmer, proud and religious, (at least he thought he was,) and was on the whole a very worthy man. The worst thing about him was a bad habit he had acquired of taking "a drop too much ;" but then this was not thought a great deal of, for every body in "them days" took "suthin" occa sionally. 'Squire Wood was the village lawyer, very aristocratic, but, withal, a very clever man. The 'Squire imagined that he knew considerable more than his neighbors gave him credit for. This may safely be set down as his greatest fault. Both the 'Squire and Deacon were proud of their positions in this great affair, and both meant to do their best. The morning of the great day dawned beau tifully. The Deacon, dressed as General Wash ington, and mounted on his "iron gray," retired with his men, dressed as "Continentals true," at an early hour to a grove near the village, where the ceremony was to take place. Cornwallis (pro. tern.) was also up and dres sed before fight, and stationed himself, with his men dressed as Britishers, behind the "Hills." The programme of the day's performance was as follows. The two companies were to meet in front of the tavern, on the common, exchange shots, skirmish a little in which Cornwallis was to be most essentially whipped and then ingloriously surrender ! At early dawn thousands poured into the little village, to see the fun and celebrate the great day. Punch, rum-flip and ginger-bread were in great demand. At 9 o'clock the two companies marched into the villuge and arrayed themselves into fighting position, reminding the spectator of the time when "Brave Wolfe drew up his men, In style most pretty, On the plains of Abraham, Before the city." The two commandeis were greatly excited, and Washington, I regret to say, was in any thing but a fit condition to "act out" the great part he was to perform. He had been drinking freely all the morning, and now, when the in teresting ceremony was about tj commence, was so "tight," or, rather, Zoose, that it was with difficulty he could sit iu his saddle, lie, how ever, did not know but what he was "all right," nor did his men. Cornwallis was not intoxica ted, but a little agitated, or, rather, elated. Everything being ready, the companies ex changed shots. Bang 1 whang ! ! bang ! .' went the guns, while the two commanders yel led like so many stuck pigs. "That's it, (hie) my brave boys ! give it to 'em, the owdacious red coats !" bellowed Wash ington. "On, Romans !" yelled the excited Cornwallis, who had seen a theatrical exhibition ouce, and who remembered the heroic appeals of the Thes pian belligerants ; "breathes there a man so dead that wouldn't fight like thunder !" "Go it, Continentals !" down with taxation on tea 1" bellowed Washington in a very patri otic voice, and narrowly escaped cutting his horse's car off with the flourish of his Bword. The fighting now ceased, the companies were drawn up in a straight line, and Cornwallis dis mounted and presented his sword to Washing ton. "Well, old boy," said the immortal, as he cuffed hio horse's ears with his cocked hat, "what 'n thunder do you want ?" "General George Washington !" replied Corn wallis, "I surrender up to you myself, sword and men I" "Yes, General," said Cornwallis ; "the Erit ish Lion prostrates himself at the foot of the American Eagle !" "Eagle! Eagle !!" yelled Washington, roll ing off his horse and hitting the fallen Briton a a tremendous blow on the head with the flat of his' sword ; "do you call me an eagle ? Take that ! and . that ! ! and that ! I .'" yelled the in furiated Washington ; "7Vehaps you'll call me a eagle agin, you mean, sneaking cuss !" Cornwallis was down, but only for a moment, for he jumped up and shook himself, and then, with an entirely unlooked for recuperation on the part of a fallen foe, and in direct defiance of historical example, he pitched into "Washing ton like a thousand of brick, and, in spite of tke efforts pf the men of both, nations, succeed ed in giving the "immortal" a tremendous lick ing. So that the da' that commenced so glori ously most tigloriously ended. For many years after. the "Surrender," there was a colduess between . the Deacon and the 'Squire, but as time rolled on and their locks became frosted o'er with white, they learned to call it a "joke." Both are living now, and whenever they meet they smoke their pipes and talk about "that 'are scrape" like a couple of good, jolly old men, as they are. lioston Carpet Bag. Louis NnpoUon. We recently conversed with an American gen tleman who had just returned to this country after a residence of several years in Paris. He says that the French people generally, ; while they regard the covp d'etat of Louis Napoleon, as a bold, high handed and unprincipled mea sure, are nevertheless indisposed at the present time, to venture upon any change apprehen sive that a new revolution would place the Red Republicans, in power, and would plunge France into a fearful condition of chaos, confusion and civil war. They hope that the Prince President, now that he has been sustained by so large a portion of the population, will gradually relax all measures of rigor, permit the return of all the leading political exiles, exert himself to the utmost to promote the arts of industry and peace, and really and earnestly strive to soften the prejudice which exists against him, in the minds of the most of the leaders. The other parties, moreover, the Orlcanists, the Legiti- j mists and the Moderate Republicans, are not j prepared for any new struggle, and hence would j rather have Louis Napoleon wher e he is each believing that a time will come when a blow j may be struck with safety, for the success of j their particular principles and favorites. A very large class, including the shopkeepers, the j manufacturers, and the bourgeoisie generally, are anxious for repose, almost at any price. They are not satisfied with Louis Napoleon, and re gard his recent conduct as moustrously tyran nical. But they contend, better this than worse. Better a strong government than a feeble. Better a usurper with the popular en thusiasm to sustain him, than a feeble dynasty with constant scenes of rapine and bloodshed. With reference to the opinions of the English and the Americans, they smile, shrug their shoulders philosophically, and beg to be permit ted to manage their own affairs. They say that they fully understand the disease, they know the character, the whims and caprices of the patient, and they are therefore better qualified to treat him than one who lacks this knowledge. J and does not see the facts as they are, but who judges from imperfect information and at a dis tant point. Wc confess that there is something in all this, and we may add that our friend an ticipates no change in French affairs, unless Louis Napoleon should be assassinated, which is regarded on all sides as by no means improba ble. Philadelphia Inquirer. IVegro Sentiments, j There i3 nothing more amusing than the cor ruscatioiis of wit and humor which character ize the sable children of Africa "those images of God cut in ebony I" No matter where you find them it is all the same, "nigger will be nigger" whether in groups on the corners cf the streets, "where darkeys most do congregate" around the hearth in Sam Jonsing's cellar, or in the sacred desk. It is rich so unique and so peculiar to hear a genuine sable divine hold forth ana give out his notions of things, tempo ral and spiritual. Father S., who whilom did the expounding to the colored Methodists in our good city, was "one of 'em" and of "most excellent fancy." It was rich to hear the old saint "do up" the preachments in his quaint style. "My bred ren," said this sable divine, in one of his ex hortations, "lub an' 'charity go togedder like a yoke of oxen ; and jest you hitch on religion too, make a spike team on't an' dey will pull too gedder beautifully and carry you to hebben, when you gib up de ghost, jest as slick as ile an' when you get to the door of dat bressed place, Teter will come an open it an' let you in I'se g'win to say, 'fore you knocked !" Speaking of contentment, one time to his con gregation this dingy preacher said it behooved his people to be satisfied with their lot. "Last week," he continued, 'I heard one of my flock grumblin' cause he was made brack. I tol' him de story ob Miriam, when she an' Aaron foun fault wid Moses' wife 'cause she was an Ethio pian an' how de Lord struck dis e'er Miriam wid lep'rousy for it. Guess bhe got white nuf den I" Touching amusements, he told Lib flock that ne had no objections to them if they did not carry it to far. They might have select parties, he said, "they might sing, but not the dobil's songs, for if dey did dat, 'fore dey were aware what dey were about, de fiddle would be brought in, den de chairs an' table cleared away, an' 't would be "Cross ober, up an' down !" The quaintest thing of all, is this old father's opinion of religion without faith, which he like encd to "beck steak widout pepper nor salt !" Xao Orleans Ijer. The Great Volcanic Eruption of Manna ton, In the Sandwich Islands. We have given, lately, brief accounts of a grand eruption on the mountain of Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii, received by way of California. The latest accounts from the scene of the firry visitation are to the Gth of March, at which time the spectacle is said to have been sublime beyond anything of the kind ever wit-ne6sed.-'mTe eruption exceeds in grandeur any of the volcanic convulsions of Mauna Loa ever before eeen by white men on the islands, and great fears were entertained for the safety of the beautiful town of nilo. We subjoin ac counts of its action from the "Polynesian:" "We have received verbal information in i-e-gard to the state of the eruption, as late as to the 6th of March, from the leeward side of Ha waii., At that date the light from the flowing current was as bright as it had been at any for mer periol, sufficient to enable a person to pick up a netdle from the ground at midnight, from which fivct the inference is drawn that the cur rent is still flowing on towards the sea. The current seems to have broken out thro' an old fissure, about one-third down the side of Mauna Loa, on the northwest side, and not from the old trater on the summit, called Mokuoweo weo. The altitude of the present eruption is a bout 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, and from tht bay of Ililo, (Byron's Bay,) must be some 50 or CO miles. If it succeeded in reaching the ocean at the point supposed, after having fil led up i.11 the ravines gulches and inequalities of a verj broken country, it will undoubtedly be one of tie most extensive eruptions of modern times. It would seem, from the last note from Mr. Coan, that the stream had divided one part ta king ait easterly course towards Puna, while the other took a northerly one towards Hilo. This may so divide the volume of lava that neither branch will reach the sea ; but from the last ac counts, the northerly branch was still burning its way through a dense forest, and if the sup ply holds out long enough, it will naturally full ititothe course of the Wailuku River, and follow it to where it disembogues into the bay, at Ililo. We anxiously wait further intelligence." An abstract from a correspondent's letter, in the Polynesian, is of so much interest that we copy it entire. A jet of lava playing five hun dred feet in air must be indeed a magnificent and sublime sight : "By an accurate measurement of the enor mous jet of glowing lava, where it first broke forth on the side of Mauna Loa, it was ascertai ned to le five hundred feet high ! This was up on the supposition that it was thirty miles dis tant. We are of the opinion that it was a great er distance, say from forty to sixty miles. With a glass, the play of this jet, at night, was distinctly observed, and a more sublime sight can scarcely be imagined. A column of molten j lava, glowing with the most intense heat, and projecting inte the air to a distance of five hun dred feet, was a sight so rare and at the same time so awfully grand, as to excite the most lively feelings of awe and admiration, even when viewed at a distauce of forty or fifty miles. How much more awe-aspiring would it have been at a distance of one . or two miles, where the sounds accompanying such an eruption could have been heard. The fall of such a column would doubtless cause the earth to tremble ; and the roar of the rushing mass would have been like the mighty waves of the ocean beating upon a rock -bound coast. The diameter of this jet is supposed to be over one hundred feet, and this we can easily believe, when we reflect that from it proceeded the riv er of lava that flowed off from it towards the sea. In some places this river is a mile wide, aud in others more contracted. At some points it has filled up ravines one hundred, two hundred and three hundred feet in depth, and it still flowed on. It entered a heavy forest, and the giant grow th of centuries is cut down before it like grass before the mower s scythe! No obstacle can arrest it in its descent to the sea. Mouuds are covered over, ravines are filled up, forests are destroyed and the habitations of men are consumed like flax in a furnace. Truly, He toucheth the hills and they smoke." We have not yet heard of any destruction of life from the eruption now in progress. A ru mor has reached us that a small native village has been destroyed, but of this we have no au thentic intelligence. - Should it reach the sea without destroying life or property, it will be a matter of thankfulluess and almost unhoped for exemption. A large number of the residents of Honolula had gone to Hawaii to witness the up heavings of Mauna Loa." Another letter, after stating that the lava had burned through the woods to within fifteen miles of Ililo, and was still progressing, adds. "The side of the mountain has opened about midway its dome, ami the lava pours out with unrestrained effort, and comes rolling, tumbling and flashing on towards Ililo. It is accompan ied with frequent explosions. At night, the im agination cannot conceive a spectacle more aw fully grand. The immense flow of lava reflects upon the clouds its cherry red hue, and as they gather in density about the mountain, are caught up by the upward currcut of atmosphere, and hurried with rapidity into every imaginable shape, representing in the heavens a wild pictu resque scene." The eruption, it appears, commenced on' the 17th of February at 3 o'clock in the morning. Mystery- of the American Lakes. Lake Erie is only CO or 70 feet, deep, but the bottom of Lake Ontario, which is 5G2 feet deep, is 2C0 feet below the tide level of the ocean, or as low as most parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence; and the bottoms of Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, although their surface is so much high er, are all, from their vast depth, on a level with the bottom of Lake Ontario. Now, as the dis charge through the river Detroit, after allowing for the full probable portion carried off by eva poration, does not appear by any means equal to the quantity of water which the three upper great lakes receive, it has been conjectured that a subterranean river may run from Lake Supe rior to Huron, and from Huron to Lake Onta rio. This conjecture is by no means improba ble, and accounts for the singular fact that sal mon and herring are caught in all the lakes com municating with the St. Lawrence, but iu no oth ers. As the Falls of Niagara must have always existed it would puzzle the naturalists to say how these fish got into the upper lakes without some such subterranean river ; moreover, any periodical obstruction of the river would furnish a not improbable solution of the mysterious flux and reflux of the lakes. Upon this the editor of the Scientific Ameri can remarks ; "Are salmon and herring found in the lakes and rivers above the Falls of Niagara? If so it afl'ords strong grounds for supposing there is a subterranean communication between Onta rio and the upper lakes, if not, we can see no grounds for such a conclusion." From Ireland. The tide of emigration continues to roll on ward towards this country. The advices by the last steamer states that hundreds, if not thous ands, are preparing to set out from the Old World for the New. The Gal way Mercury states that so great is the anxiety felt by the poor laboring classes in that part of Connnught to escape from the "land that bore them" that such of them as have been fortunate enough to obtain employ ment on drainage work, have adopted the fol lowing novel and extraordinary mode of enabling themselves to emigrate: It appears they are paid fortnightly, and when the pay night arrives, about 360 of them assemble and pay sixpence each into a general fuud. A number of tickets, corresponding with the number of persons present, are then placed in a hat, and on one of these the word "America" is written all the rest being blank. A ballot then takes place, and the lucky drawer of the prize ticket has his passage to America paid for him, ami receives a small sum to subsist him for some time after his landing there. During the week just closed, no less than six vessels have set sail for Qucenstown, laden with emigrants bound respectively for Boston, Quebec, New York, and St. John's. The gross number a mounted to S77 souls. The Child of Judgment. I heard a story the other day, (writes a friend and correspondent of the Knickerbocker,) which amused me. An old lady said j "When my father moved into the new count ry, one of his children once told a lie. My moth er could not ascertain the culprit, but a lie lay between us. " 'Well,' said she, you may escape now, but you may be sure that I will know at some day which of you has told me a lie." "Weeks passed on, and nothing more was said on the subject. My father lived in a log-house, which contained one room below and one above. The children slept in the chamber. One night a tremendous wind arose, and at midnight, blew off the entire roof of the house. My mother, a larmed at the crash, ran up the ladder, and putting her head into the roofless chamber, cried " 'Children arc you all there V " 'Yes, mother!' piped a small and terrified voice ; 'yes mother, we are all here, and if the day of judgement has come, it was me that told that lie '" To how many "children of larger growth" does a similar repentance come, and from simi tar cases ; the "still smaller voice" amid the storm ! SriTTixG. The New York Mirror says the following: t Spitting is a vile American peculiarity. We are a nation of spitters. If the man in the moon were to visit us, he would think that we had all been tasting something very offensive, or that we were all affected by some loathsome disease of the salivar' glands. On our ferryboats one is sickened by the condition of the floor. Many men spit about so often, at any rate; if any spe cial excitement or embarrassment arises, they increase the frequency. The spitting along the streets is ludicrous and disgusting. What if ev cry third man was eeen occasionally vomiting, at the curb-stone ! This would be but a step further in the progress of indecency, , A Grave-yard and its Content. There lie levellers levelled, duns done up in themselves There are book-sellers finally laid on their shelves ; Horizontally there lie upright politician? ; Dos-a-dos with their patients sleep faultiest physicians ; There arc slave-drivers quietly whipped under ground ; There book-binders, done up in boards, are fast bound ; There the babe that's unborn is supplied with a birth ; There men without legs get their six feet of earth ; There lawyers repose, jeach wrapt up in his case; There seekrs of office are sure of a place; There defendant and plaintiff are equally cast ; There shoe-makers quietly stick to their last ; There brokers at length become silent as stocks; There stage-drivers sleep without quitting their box. An Adventure in a ISarber Shop. In the month of October, 1S2C, my vessel was lying at Mobile. I went ashore one bright morn ing to do some business with a house to which I was consigued, and as I passed along the street, it occuired to me that I might as well have & beard of a week's growth reaped before 1 pre sented niyeelf at the counting room. I sterred into a barber's shop and told the Larber to pro ceed. He was a bright mulatto, a good-looking young fellow, not more than two-and-twenty years of age, it appeared. His eyes were large, black and unusually lustrous. His manner at first was quiet and respectful. I thought he was a long while lathering my face, and I told him he must have bought his soap at wholesale price. Laughing, he replied that mine was a long beard, and that he knew what he was about. "Are you the boss here, my man ?" I asked. "Yes," he answered, "my master set me up, and I pay him twenty dollars a month for my time." "That is a good interest on the capital invest ed ;" I remarked ; "can you pay your rent aud live on the balance of your savings V "Oh, yes I and lay up something beside. Sometimes I receive thirty bits a day." "Then I suppose you will buy your freedom one of these days." "As for that,'' he replied, "I care but little. I have all the liberty I want, and enjoy myself as I go along." By this time he laid down the brush and com menced running the razor over the strop.", look ing at the blade every time he drew it across the leather. His hand trembled a little, and his eyes absolutely burned like coals of fire. I did not feel uneasy, but I could not avoid watch ing him closely. At last he commenced shaving me. My head being thrown back, I was able to keep my eyes fixed directly on his own. Why I should do so, I cannot tell ; certainly I apprehend nothing, but I did not remove my gaze for a single in stant while the razor was passing over my neck and throat. He seemed to grow more and mors uneasy ; his eyes were as bright, but not so steady as when I first observed them. He could not meet my fixed and deliberate look. As he commenced shaving my chin he said abruptly i4Larbers handle a deadly weapon, sir." "True enough, my man," I replied, "but you handle yours skilfully, although I notice that, your hands shake a little." "That's nothing, sir lean shave iust as well. My hand shakes because I did not have much sleep last night. But I was thinking just now," he addad with a laugh, "how easy it would b to cut your throat." "Very likely." I replied, laughing in rrturn, but looking sternly at him "very likely, yet I would not advise you to try the experiment." Nothing more was said. He soon finished and I arose from the chair just as an elderly gentleman was entering the shop. The last com er divested himself of his coat and cravat, and took the scat I had vacated. I went to the glass, which did not reflect the chair, to arrange my collar. Certainly I had not stood before it a single moment, when 1 heard something like a suppressed shriek, a gur gling horrible sound, that made my blood run cold. I turned there sat the unfortunate gen tleman, covered with blood, his throat cut from car to car, and the barber, a raving maniac, dashing the razor with tremendous violence in the mangled neck. Oa the instant the man's eye caught mine, the razor dropped from his hand, and he fell down in a fit. I rushed towards the door and called for assistance. The unfortunate was dead before we could reach the chair. Wc secured the barber, who I subsequently learned, had beca drinking deeply the night be fore, and was laboriug under Mania a jotu. His fate I never heard. A white Partridge was trapped in Hopewell township, York county, a few mouths ago, by a person residing in that township. The bird wa:j purchased by a gcntlemau from Baltimore."'