Vol.. VII, No. 24.]
PUBLISHED BY
THEODORE H. CREMER,
TERMS.
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POMTP.T.
The Single Man.
BY MRS. ADDY.
He meets the smile of young and old, he wins 1
the praise of all,
He Is feasted at the banquet, and distinguish
ed at the ball :
When town grows dull and sultry, he may fly
to green retreats,
A welcome visitor in turn at twenty country
seats ;
He need not seek society. for do whate'er he
can,
Invitations and attentions will pursue the
Single Man.
Fathers and brothers anxiously attempt his
taste to suit ;
O'er manors without number 'tis his privilege
to shoot ;
Political opponents to his principles concede;
He quaffs the finest Burgundy, he rides the
fleetest steed ;
And never yet were families, since first the
world began,
United, blest, and fond as those who court the
Single Man.
The price of bread, the price of funds, on him
inflict no ills,
He fears no winter avalanche of tradesmen's
lengthy bills
" Academies " and "Colleges" be passes
calmly by,
Nor casts on " ruination shops" a sad and
timid eye;
The rates of "Lite Insurances " he never
cares to scan;
"Trustees" and " jointures" boast no power
to rack the Single Man.
But years steal on, and he begins with care
ful folks to class,
And shuns the picnic scramble, and the din
ner on the grass ;
And dreads the cold spare chamber, and the
crowded hall of mirth,
And loves the spreading easy-chair, and bla
zing quiet hearth ;
And votes warm rooms and early hours the
best and wisest plan,—
But home affords few comforts to the ailing
Single Man.
„!le lacks a true and kindred heart, his joy
4 and gr , ef to share,
4le lacks the winning tenderness of woman's
tl''' gentle care ;
o children gather round him, a beloved and
loving train,
wager to win their father's smile, to soothe
% , their father's pain ;
e rates his poor dependents as a mercenary
clan,—
'Attachments come not ready-made to cheer
• , the Single Man.
Ire "stirs the fire, undraws the blind, and
, counts the clock's dull chime,
Vl,cquaintance sometimes sits with him five
'' minutes at a time,
4 4 Longer they really cannot stay, so nervous
, he has grown,
. Itseems a charity to go, and leave him quite
. , alone!”
No earnest eyes to his are raised, his change
ful looks to scan,
0 "The bland physician's queries must suffice the
Single Man.
, '
" eligibles" ponder—to my warning lay
, . attend, _ _
.Xlirtations, waltzes, and duets, one day must
have an end ;
wait not then till proneness and peevisb,-
ness shall come,
Choose in the summer-time of life a bride to
bless your home ;
Let chaperons for others weave the sly and
subtle plan,
And only look with pity on the flattered Sin
gle Man.
THE JOURNAL.
UCIEICELL.A.IIMOTTEI.
The Battle of Lake Eric.
The following letter from a correspon
dent at New York will probably be inter
esting to many readers, as it involves a
subject which has provoked much contro
versy among officers of the navy immedi
ately concerned, and also among their
respective professional friends and parti
sans. The press also has participated in
the controversy, in which the defender;
ot Elliott have offered facts and argument,
while his assailants have confined them•
I selves to fabrications and vituperation.—
I The controversy between Corn. Elliott
and the late Com. Perry began several
years after the battle ot Lake Erie, and
atter the decease of the latter, was contin
ued between Corn. Elliott and the present.
Captain Perry, brother of the late Cotnmo
dore. This warfare has never ceased
entirely, and has thus far resulted in
prosecutions, by Mr. Cooper, against seve
ral newspapers for libel, to enable our
readers to understand the case we will
give a brief history of the events which it
involves, from the battle of Lake Erie to
the present day.
In this battle, Perry and Elliott, both
masters commandant, was first and second
in command; the whole force on the
Lakes being under the general command
of Com. Chauncey, whose immediate
command was on Lake Ontario. In the
official account of the battle, Crpt. Perry
mentioned Capt. Elliott in high terms,
ascribing the victory in no small degree,
to his efficient services with a part of the
squadron. But the officers of Elliott's
ship, dissatisfied with this account, for not
rendering him justice, sent another to the
Navy Department, signed by themselves
individually. At this time a dispute
arose between the officers of Perry's ship
and the other officers of the squadron,
about prize money some of the latter
contending that as Perry's flag had been
struck, and his ship surrendered to the
enemy, its officers were not entitled to
any of the prize money for the capture of
the British fleet, but that the other officers
were entitled to it for the re-capturing of
Perry's ship. Though both of the Cap
tains endeavored to silence this dispute,
saying the victory gave glory enough for
all, their efforts were fruitless, and two
parties were soon formed about the battle
of Lake Erie, the one ascribing the victory
to Perry the other to Elliott. The latter,
thus finding himself impeached by Perry's
party, demanded of the Navy Department
a court of inquiry. But the Secretary of
the Navy, understanding the case tho.
roughly, refused a court of inquiry, be
cause it would imply that Elliott's conduct
required explanation, and proposed, as a
substitute, a complimentary report to
Congress. Accordingly he sent a short
report to both Houses, congratulating the
nation upon the victory, praising all the
officers, and Elliott especially. Upon
this report, Mr. Crawford, member of the
House from Pennsylvania, of which State
elliott was a native and has always been
a citizen, introduced a joint resolution,
that while praise was due to Capt. Perry,
his officers and men, for the glorious vic
tory, "particular" praise was due to
Elliott for his "decisive share" in it,
and that gold medals should be presen
ted to the first and second in command,
and silver medals to all the other officers.
This resolution was adopted, and the me
dals were distributed ; and we believe the
case is the first on record in the naval
annals, at least of the United States or
England, in which the first and second in
command were placed on equal terms in
the distributions of honors.
In 1815, Elliott exhibited to the Navy
Department a British account of the battle,
in which he was described as running
atvrty from one of the British ships, and
demanded a court of inquiry; and the
Secretary replied that although this was
refused, and a complimentary report and
resolution substituted when hssailed at
home, yet he should have a court of inqui
ry when assailed abroad; and his case was
referred to the court then sitting in New
York. Here two of Perry's officers, and
five or six of Elliott's and seine of the
l other ships, were examined as witnesses ;
and according to the published report of
the testimony, the two first disagreed with
each other, and with all the rest. The
court declared that Elliott was entitled to
the highest praise for courage and skill in
the battle, and that instead of his running
away from a British ship, that ship ran
away from him; and it added some severe
strictures upon the discrepancies in the
testimony. Before this the Legislature of
Pennsylvania had presented to him a gold
medal, and one of the other States, South
Carolina, if we remember correctly, a
sword.
From this time, the alienation between
Perry and Elliott, already great, continued
to increase, till 1818, when Elliott chal
lenged his adversary. Perry refused the
challenge, saying that he should, by anoth
er process, establish Elliott's unworthi•
This process was some action by
"ONE COUNTRY, ONE CONSTITUTION, ONE DESTINY."
HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22.1842.
the Legislature of Rhode Island. Mr.
Hazard, formerly a member of the Hart
fort Convention, a relative of Perry, intro
duced a resolution into the Assembly of
that State, to collect historical records in
honor of Perry, one of its natives; and
Mr. Hazard and Mr. Gibbs were appoin
ted a committee for the purpose. Mr.
Hazard wrote the affidavits of several of
Perry's officers, then assembled at New
port during the session, all of which im
peached Elliott. But uo report was made
to the Legislature, Mr. Gibbs declining,
as we have been told, to impeach one offi
cer to honor another. Just after the un
successful termination of this project,
Perry received a renewal of Elliott's chal
lenge, and declined it, because he intended
to bring Elliott to a Court Martial. Elliott,
after waiting in vain for a summon from
the Department, wrote to the Secretary
for information about the charges, who re
plied that none had been filed. Elliott
then sent a third challenge, and was told
by Perry, still declining it, that they had
been transmitted at a certain date, Elliott
again applied to the Department, was told
that the charges, arrivingin the Secretary's
absence, had sent to the President,
who would not entertain them. lie then
went to Norfolk in pursuit of Perry, and
found that he had put to sea, on the cruise
to South America, in which he died.
All these statements, and the documen- I
tary evidence on which they are founded,
are contained in the "Lite or Elliott," a
work published in this city in 1835, and
for sale, we believe, by Cowperthwait, of
High street. This work contains a history
of Elliott, from his entrance into the Navy
in 1801, to his departure to France in the
Constitution Frigate in 1835.
In 1810, Mr. Cooper published his
Naval History, in which he gives an ac
count of the battle of Lake Eric, much
less minute than that in the " Life of El. I
liott," from which he obtained his materi
ale for it, but still favorable to that much
'persecuted officer. Several presses as
sailed his book and himself with the seine
misstatement and vituperation which had
previously characterized their notices of
the " Life of Elliott" and its author ; for
singular as the statement may seem, these
presses can never notice a public act or
public servant, without decending to slan
der of the person or persona, who make
such act or servant a subject of animad
version, without any other connexion with
either. Mr. Cooper, seeing no good rea.
son why he should be abused personally
for writing a history, or why his history,
open to fair comment, should be misrep
resented in a tone indicating personal
animosity, instituted suits for libel against
several of these presses, and the New
York Commercial advertiser among the
rest ; and of the trial of this suit before
referees, the letter below gives an account.
We may here add that in a communica
tion to the New York Evening Post, Mr.
Cooper promised to review the " Lite of
Perry," by Capt. Slidell McKenzie.—
Capt. McKenzie had said, among °ther
things, that Mr. Cooper got his materials
for the account of the battle of Lake Erie,
from the " Life of Elliott," which Mr.
Cooper denied. We do not comprehend
the justice of this denial, for we cannot
imagine where else he could have got
them. Every document relating to the'
I battle, written or printed, which were in
possession of Elliott when his life was
written, were examined by its author and
inserted in the work, and this work was
examined by Mr. Cooper while he was
( writing his Naval History; and if he will
I publish his argument before the referees
about the battle of Lake Erie, the reader,
on comparison, will probably find its lead
ing points in the "Life of Elliott."
— eapt. McKenzie, in his "Life of Per
ry," says that the " Life of Elliott" :was
written"under the auspices" of that officer,
and says it in a tone that might indicate a
design to impeach the authenticity, or the
motives of the author. If this were his
meaning, or if he intended to imply that it
was written under any other auspices of
Elliott than those of the present Captain
Perry over his own book, the furnishing
of documentary testimony in print and
manuscript, we are authorized to pro
nounce the assertion entirely gratuitous,
entirely groundless. We will add that
rapt. McKenzie has inserted in his life of
• Perry, the affidavit's of Perry's officers
against Elliott, but has omitted the testi
mony on Elliott's side ; a proceeding not
fitting to inspire entire confidence in the
authenticity of his book, among those who
seek truth, and do not participate in the
'quarrels of our naval officers. Captain,
McKenzie is an agreeable writer, and is
favorably known by an interesting work,
his " Year in Spain." But whatever he
has written on the battle of Lake Erie,
whether in the Life of Perry, or in a little
sketch of naval events written a few years
before, he has displayed the mere partisan,
intent on showing one side only. We
regret this, because it must affect inju
riously his character for justice among
alt who place a high value upon that
virtue.
Mr. Cooper is entitled to the gratitude,
of the community for instituting these
suits against various partisan newspapers;
for the practice of personal slander, under
pretence of literary criticism, to any ex•
tent reprehensible, has been carried to an
extent pernicious to public morals and
disgraceful to the country. If newspa.
pers, under pretence of reviewing a book,
are allowed to abuse the author without
' measure, and upon grounds not at all con
nected with his works, personal rights are
without protection, and constitutions and
laws are of no use. Th e mischief should
be corrected, and we are glad to tind any
one with moral courage enough to take the
first step.—Phira. United States.
NEW YORK, May 2211, 1842.
GENTLEMEN—Quite a novel and inter
esting trial occurred here last week, and
as you may like to hear something about
it, I send you a short account of it. It
was a suit for libel, brought by Mr. Coop
er, the celebrated novelist, against Col.
Stone, the editor of the Commercial Ad.
vertiser. The libel complained of is to
be found in a succession of articles in that
newspaper, purporting to be a review of
the Naval History of the - United States,
written by Mr. Cooper, in which review
the account of the battle of Lake Erie is
particularly commented upon, in terms of
great harshness and severity towards the
author and his motives. The discussion
has _occupied the afternoons of the last
week, and was held before three highly
intelligent gentlemen of the bar, and was
attended by an audience composed of
some of the first people of the city, who
were attracted by the interest the subject
itself naturally created, added to the cir
cumstance that the historian was to argue
and discuss the cause himself. The gist
of the review was that Mr. Cooper hail
spoken favorably of Captain Elliott's
agency in the battle of Lake Erie, whereas
it was his duty as a historian to have
freely commented upon his conduct as
unworthy of a brave and gallant officer.—
It therefore became necessary for Mr.
Cooper to substantiate the cm rectness of
the account whiCh he had given of that
memorable event, and then to display to
the referees the milice prepense of the re
view. The side of Col. Stone was mana
ged b,y Mr. Campbell 'and Mr. Bidwell
with great skill and ingenuity, who cer
tainly left in my mind a very unfavorable
impression of the conduct of Captain El
liott, and it seemed to me that it would be
impossible for Mr. Cooper to vindicate his
history from the criticism it appeared
justly liable to. But the tables were des
tined to be turned. The author had took
hold and entered into the subject with a
force and vigor which evinced his coo.
plete and thorough knowledge of the whole
merits of the case, and betokened a con
scientious conviction or the justice of his
side. Ile said that he has approached
that part of the history with great caution,
for he beheld the difficulties and embar
rassments with which it was surrounded.'
Ile alluded to the bitter controversies and
the severe and unfortunate criminations
and recriminations which have arisen in
regard to the conduct of Capt. Elliott.
It became his duty as a historian writing
fur posterity, to examine for himself, and
when he ha d drawn his conclusions to put
down what his conscience told hiin was'
right. He thereupon explained at length
the principles upon which he had made
up his mind, and for this purpose he intro
duced various diagrams of the battle, and
the position of the ships at different peri-!
ods of it. He analyzed, critically, the
voluminous testimony, affidavits and let
ters bearing upon the subject, for and
against the conduct of Capt. Elliott.—
This he did in the most masterly and lucid
manner, and he displayed a skill and
ability which I am satisfied no lawyer how
ever great his eminence or practice, could
have excelled. On Thursday he com•
menced summing up, and on Friday hue
concluded in a continued speech of six
hours, replete with energy, sound and
convincing argument, frequently lighted
up with brilliant touches of eloquence, and
delivered throughout with a copious flow
of elegant diction. It was an interesting
occasion. Our contemplations were lilted
above the petty trifles of the day, and
dwelt with pleasure upon the glorious re
miniscences of the past.
I am rejoiced that this opportunity has
been offered to others, like myself, who
' are distrustful of the correctness of this
account of the battle of Lake Erie, to be
set right upon the subject; for, if there
' ever was a triumphant and conclusive vin
dication of any thin., there was on this
occasion. I have found that my judg
ment had been warped by strong prejudi
ces against Capt. Elliott. It is a circum
stance which naturally tills me with
mournful reflections at the condition of a
large portion of the public press--that
press to which we have been accustomed
to look as the shield of truth and virtue.
Whither is its corruption now leading it?
Ifa motive exists to; an assault upon rep.'
station, does it hesitate to inflame the
public mind with projudice and bigotry
Is it not in a fair way of causing its own '
destruction ? arid when once destroyed,
where is the honest inquirer to look for
justice and truth? Front various causes,
Mr. Cooper has fallen under the ban of its
displeasure, and when that delightful
work of his appeared, the History of the
American Navy, it was a signal kr a gen
eral assault. They availed themselves
gladly of the unpopularity of Capt. Elliott,
and the great reputation of Coni. Perry,
and on every side was he assailed with
the foulest irnputalions. He did not
choose to have his opinions manufactured
for him, but determined to brave their in
timidations and pursue the path of rec
titude.
From the Penna. Inquirer.
Experiments in Platen°.
Magnetism.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.
Not long since some curious experi
ments were performed by Dr. Buchanan,
of Louisville, through the agency of what
is called Phreno-Magnetism, of the appli
cation of Mesmerism to the different or
gans of the brain, developed on the cran
mum according to phrenological principles.
The accounts of these experiments, which
appeared in the Louisville papers, were
copied into various Journals througout the
country, were ridiculed as impostures in
nine cases out of ten, although they did
not escape the notice of all believers in
Animal Magnetism and Phrenology. The
respectability of Doctor Buchanan was
nevertheless vouched for, and in one or
two cases witnesses were adduced to
prove the authenticity of the details.—
The'public mind moreover, was somewhat
excited at the time in relation to Mesmer
ism, and thus a few of our citizens, among
them one or two physicians, were induced
to notice the prominent points more par
ticularly, and to make observations in the
course of their experience, calculated
either to explode the errors or to verify
the truth of the statements. One of these,
a gentleman of the highest standing, pro
fessional and private, in his community,
had his attention drawn in a special man•
ner to the case of the boy who was unwell,
who was liable to the Mesmeric sleep, so
called, and when in this, developed mor
al emotions and physical signs, when the
finger of the operator was applied to the
phrenal developement on his cranium,
and with an accuracy truly wonderful.—
The result startled the physician himself.
Ile had but little faith in phrenology at
the time, although he hail seen numerous
instances of sleep produced through the
influence of animal magnetism. The case
of the boy, however, imparted additional
interest to the subject—he noticed it to an
intelligent friend, and in connection with
that friend, commenced a series of exper
iments. The results here, were still more
astounding. Indeed, so much incredulity
had been expressed by medical and sci
entific men with regard to mesmerism,
its professors were ridiculed and laughed
at so generally, that in the case under
consideration, even those who had practis,
sed the experiments or witnessed them,.
spoke upon the subject with caution, con
scious from the extraordinary develope
ments, that ninety-nine persons out of
every hundred, would either suppose the
operators deceived themselves, or worse,,
were anxious to deceive others.
Under these circumstancCs, a number
,of highly respctable tizens, and aong
! them a majority of the ci editors of Philamdel
phia, assembled at the dwelling of the
physician above noticed, on Tuesday eve
ning last, for the purpose of being allot-.
ded ocular proof. There were probably
thirty gentlemen in attendance, besides
the physicians who operated, and the
individual, friend of ours, of unblemished
integrity, superior intelligence and un
sullied character, who consented to be the
subject for the evening, and who familiar-
szed himself with the whole scene by for
-
tiler experiments. It is not necessary for
us in this article, to express an opinion,
as to the truth or falsity either of Mes
merism or Phrenology. We merely
state facts as they passed under our own
observation, and as they will be corrobo
rated by similar accounts from other gen
tlemen who were present.
The company being seated, the ope
rator and his subject took seats immedi
ately opposite, when the history of the
matter was given in a few words by the
physician, and in substance as we have
recorded it above. Ile then placed his
ri,ght hand on the forehead. and with his
left grasped a hand of the patient. In the
course of about two minutes, the latter
fell into a Mesmeric sleep, when the phy
sician so announced him, conveised free
ly in explanation of the various points of
the case, and proceeded to apply the
phreno , magnetic tests. He then exhibi
ted a cast with a cranium marked out
according to the doctrines of phrenology,
and applied his flinger to the various de
velopments on the cranium of his patient.
The effect astonished every one present.
All knew the character of the subject, and
[WHOLE No. 336.
therefore knew there could be nu cols
. sion, no trick, nu deception whatever.--
But just as the physician touched with his
finger the several specific indications on
the head of the subject, did that subject
develope in the strongest and most une
quivocal manner, the various feelings,
tastes, and emotions which phrenologists
contend, are indicated by protuberances.
Thus music, language, mirth, ideality,
number, veneration, alimentiveness, firm
ness, time. space, destructiveness, envy,
self esteem, hatred and dispair—were
successively made manifest, as well by
the countenance and features, as by move
ments of the limbs and by oral expressions.
The fidelity of the various delinations
was wonderful. We never saw them
surpassed on the stage, and are satisfied
that the subject could nut give them with
accuracy, in his usual condition of mind.
When under the influence of envy, for
example, the subject alluded to some ideal
character, pointed to a scene that was
very pleasant to the eye, that presented a
green and tempting aspect, but quietly
remarked, and in a covert spirit of exul
tation, that there was a ditch in the
distance, tutu which the object referred to
would sooner or later plung e or be entrap
ped. Again, he observethat going up
was very pleasant—all very fine—but
that the higher his antagonist ascended,
the further lie would have to fall." The
expression and the manner, however,
were still more striking than the language.
When ideality was developed, he first
described a vast plan, upon which a large
body of military were moving, and then,
the operator moved his finger,
he threw
his head back and saw seraphs and airy
figures floating above him ; and again, the
finger of the operator once more remo
ved, he stepped forward and leant over a
yawning abyss. On being questioned, he
said it was very deep, that he was afraid
to approach any closer, and that his eye
could not penetrate into its shades. The
organ of veneration was touched, and his
aspect of adoration became at once solemn
and beautiful. With upraised hands, he
turned his closed eyes towards some fan
cied:object. and whispered what seemed to
be the outpourings of a prayerful heart.--
. The organ of mirth was then touched in
. conjunction with the organ of veneration,
; when the subject went through a Maw
; worn part, in which wit was singularly
, blended with religious advice. Some lo
cal allusions were made, which in their
, association and the grave manner in which
t they were uttered, were not a little ludi
crous. 'the organs of combativeness and
destructiveness produced terrific effects,
and one organ caused so fearful a parox•
isin of dispair, that the subject drew a
, knife from his pocket and would have
i used it, had it not been instantly taken
. from him. Auluisitiveness and the love
; of children produced droll effects—in the
former, the subject evidently taking and
concealing imaginary objects—and in the
latter, nursing and caressing imaginary
children, dandling them on his knee, and
hushing them to sleep in the real nursery
maid style. These distinctive effects con
tinued about three or lour minutes after
the finger of the operator was removed
from the organ, and then subsided gradu
• ally, as if the the influence of some vision
were becoming fainter and fainter until
it passed away and leaving the subject in
a quiet magnetic sleep. The first effects
of the several influences, were preceded
by slight twichings of the niucles, and by
occassional clapping of the hands.
The subject was kept in this condition,
and passing through the effects of the va
rious passions and emotions of the mind,
for about an hour and three quarters.—
The last operation was produced by the
physician. touching with his finger the
back of the neck near the spinal bone and
marrow. The subject then became rigid
and stiff, stretching himself back in his
chair, and rose from his seat with uplif
ted hands, while his appearance generally
nearly resembled that of death. The
operator then, with a few passes of his
hand over the right side of his face, dis
pelled the Mesmeric influence— the pa
tient gradually unclosed his eyes, and
Reason at once resumed her empire. lie
remembered indistinctly, much that had
transpired, but said that lie did not at the
time, possess the will to prevent it. When
magnetized originally, about a year ago,
the physician was engaged for about three
hours. lle experienced no bodily pain
whatever throughout his various extraor
, (finery physical and mental demonstra
tions, and was not at all fatigued at the
close. He had watched the various ex
periments, of which lie had been the sub
ject for the last year, and arrived at the
conclusion, that they were beneficial to his
health, insomuch as they aflortled him the
kind of exercise that he needed. His
opinion is, that about one person in every
nine, is peculiarly snsceptible to the mags
netic influence, and that in some cases, per
sons of weak physical frame, can influence
in the manner described, those of much
inure bodily health and strength. But
enough of this subject fur the present.--