Huntingdon journal. (Huntingdon, Pa.) 1843-1859, November 23, 1847, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    .fi - t ). TL‘GI 0 ^: -':- 0 U:','' NA L
BY JAMES CLARK
VOL. XII, NO. 47.
TERMS
The "HUNTINGDON . 10OkiNAL"
puplighed hereafter at the following rates, viz
$1.75 a year. if paid in advance; $2.00 if
paid during the year, and $2.50 if not paid Un
til after the expiration of the year. The above
terms to be adhered to in all cases.
No subscription taken for less than six months,
and no paper discontinued until ail arrearages are
paid, unless at the option of the publisher.
(Cr To Clubs of six, or more, who pay in. ad
vance, the Journal will he sent at $1.50 per
copy for one year; and any one who will send us
that number of names accompanied with the inoney
shall receive the Journal one year for his trouble.
POET [CAL.
LOVE AT FIRST SWIM
"I'vr,ts summer and the village spire
longthen'd out its shadow ,
The fitful breezes gently played
With dew-Leep:rded bud and blade,
When• lightsomely a beauteous maid
Caine trippling o'er the meadow,
With new-born rapture and iffirprise,
I gazed on such a pair of eyes
As Moslem. feign in paradise !
Her form, her face, her mein were such
As love-sick herd imagines,
W hen first he racks hie youthful brains,
And hunts for tropes to grace his strains
Among the starry regions !
The evening glow her looks enhanced.
While round her brow the zephyrs danced ;
I stood like one entranced !
Their anthems to the vesper-star
She nightingales were singing ;
From hot ey'd bower. the joyous bees,
Churming their low•breathed melodies,
Their treasures home were bringing,
The bean-field, and the trellised vine,
Their odorous essences combine—
'Twas there I woo'd my Catharine.
The brindled cow across the mead
Her fairy footsteps followed,
And licked the maiden's lilly hand,
Although a little boisterous band
Of noisy urchins hollow'd ;
And as she milked, I trembling tried
To win the beauty for my bride;
In sooth I would not be denied.
I help'd the (furling o'er the stile,
Her milking pail I carried,
Anil whisper'd blandly in her ear
Of thrilling hope, of chilling fear,
- -
r bliss when we were mar, ied ;
A blush 'infused her beauteous fare,
Which added yet a nameless grave,
And told me I had gained my case.
Thesummer moon Blume,' our petit
Home to her mother's dyelling ;
And as we trod the flowery lei,
Alt! I was busy as a bee,
Campine,' love-titles telling;
The matron met us at the door,
AnslChid my loved one o'er and o'er,
With indignation swelling;
Now, "lOU and softly," I replied ;
"Pray, gentle mother, do not chide,
Your daughter's my affianced bride."
ORIGINAL STORY.
[For the Huntingdon Journal.]
THE RESURRECTIONISTS ;
Or, The Doctor Deeeivcd.
131( W. D., JR
It is wicked to disturb the hallowed
renirrins of the dead. After being per
secuted on earth by all the ills to which
poor, erring mortals are ever subject;
harassed by toil, care and disease, a man
should et least be permitted, when his
soul leaves its earthly tenement, quietly
and undisturbed, to repose in his silent I
grave. Yet often, ere the turf is green
above him ; ere the worms have com
menced luxuriating on his decaying body
some young disclp'c of Aesculapius
must needs hoist him,once more into the
world, and, with laudable enterprise,l
strip him of his flesh ; reduce him to al
ghastly, grinning skeleton, and thus ex
pose him in some dark corner of his
studio, for the purpose of assisting him
in his studies ;—advancing the science
gceorally, and frightening women and
children. Like hyena's they prowl about I
the grave yard at midnight, eagerly
seeking for their prey ; but they are not
always successful. An instance in which
an attempt to rob the grave of its dues
was completely foiled may not be out of
place.
In the fall of 1775, a small company
of soldiers occupied a fort in the village
of Standing Stone, on the banks of the
romantic Juniata, having been stationed
there to protect the settlers from the in
roads of the hostile Indians who aboun
ded in the-neighborhood. They were a
merry and jovial, yet a bravo and war
like band, arid all these characteristics,
to a remarkable degree, were combined
in the master spirit of the party—Frank
Brady. He was their oracle on all oc
casions, and no trick could be played,
no hazardous enterprize be accomplish
ed, unless he occupied a prominent
place.
One evening in December whilst he,
with several others, were sitting around
the fire, their attention was attracted by
a sudden stillness in an adjoining apart
ment, which was an unusual occurrence,
as a majority of the soldiers were there,
whose spirits wiird never Calnie4 to rest
at such an early hour. Thek listened
thereford and werd soon let intd the se
cret.
A young physician, who, from his di
minutive size, was called "the little
doctor," had lately commenced practi
sing in the village, and, on the evening
in question, he was bargaining with the
soldiers, to procure for him the body of
a man who bad shortly before been kill
ed in an engagement between the whites
and indians, and had been buried in the
grave yard, situated•on a hill above the
village. Upon the fielivery of the body
at his office, he promised to reward them
with a keg of brandy. it was an un
pleasant and difficult undertakini to
ransack a grave yard at the dead hour
of night for the remains of a fellow mor
tal. Yet stimulated by the thoughts of
the brandy, an article unfrequently seen
or tasted in those days they with one
accord agreed to the proposal of the lit
tle doctor and determined to set out on
their expedition that very evening.
Frank listened attentively to the ar
rangement, and no doubt a little piqued
that he had not been first applied to or
at least consulted on the subject, he in
stantly commenced revolving in his
mind a plan for securing both prizes—
the dead body and brandy—to them
selves. After thinking the matter over
for some minutes, he proposed to his
comrades that they should anticipate
the other soldiers in their movements.—
To this they gladly assented, and by
Frank's direction, were quickly provi
ded with sheets, shovels and pickaxes,
- and sallied forth on their excursion.
Following in solemn silence their lead
er, they soon approached the burial
ground ; the favorite haunt of ghosts
and hobgoblins. The moon shone dim
ly and mysteriously among the gather
ing clouds ; the few dead leaves remain
ing on the trees, stirred by the night
breeze, rustled mournfully—the most
impressive of nature's many warnings
that everything of earth must wither
and die; that the frail body like the
withered leaf, will soon decay, and the
soul take its flight to spend an eternity
in other worlds.
After some difficulty they discovered
the grave of which they were in search,
and as no time was to be lost, they im
mediately commenced their labors.
The melancholy sound of the pick
axes striking against the frozen clods,
somewhat affected the mind of Frank,
who though used to the horrors of in
dian warfare ; in whose ears the shrieks
of the wounded and the dying were fa
miliar sounds, yet his conscience smote
him at the idea of robbing the grave of
its victim. He feared too, as the ground
was hard frozen, that they would not
have time to disinter the corpse before
the arrival of the others. Stopping them
therefore, he directed the earth to be re
placed, saying that he would counterfeit
the dead man ;—a most fortunate as
well as labor saving idea! Having ac
quainted them with his plan and the
manner to proceed, the grave was refill
ed. Then, wrapping him up in sheets,
they placed him ou the ground and pa
tiently and quietly awaited the coming
of the other party.
At length the latter wero heard stealth
fully approaching, and as they came in
sight, they appeared no little astonished
to see persons standing around the grave
—at first supposing them beings of a
supernatural order. Their fears were
soon allayed by one of the soldiers near
the grave, who commenced reproaching
them for their tardiness, "We have al•
ready been here an hour," said he, "amid
with great labor and to the no small an
noyance of our nasal organs, have dug
up the body. It is now carefully wrap
ped up, and as you have not yet render
ed any assistance, we of course, expect
you to carry it to town."
The other party seeing the newly dis
turbed grave, and the white form of the
body lying near, had no suspicion of
there being any deception, and, without
hesitation, consented to this fair propo•
sal.
They approached the prostrate figure.
The moon, perhaps ashamed to view so
wicked an action, was about concealing
herself behind a dark cloud ; everything
was still and noiseless; an undefined
sensation of fear came across the hearts
of the soldiers f bold and daring as they
were ; revolting thoughts crowded thick
and fast upon their minds, and they al
most repented having come on such an
errand, whilst all appeared afraid to
touch the body, .
At last a stouter heart than the rest,
influenced doubtless by a sudden thought
of the brandy, waNterl rip to the appa
rently dead body, and carefully lifting
it from the ground,. pierced it upon his
shoulders. He then took the lend—
whilst the others followed solemnly in
the rear, with their shovels and pickax
es raised aloft, as if to guard themselves
from any attack,, of those spirits st)'
[CORRECT PRINCIPLE&--SUPPORTED BY TRUTH.]
lIISTINGDON, PA., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1847,
iinently seen in their nightly perambu
lations about old grave yards.
Have you ever been alone in the si
lent resting place of the dead, at the
hour of midnight, when a deathlike
stillness PreVades all nature; when
your feelings are so overpowered that
the Withered leaf or the dry stick crack
ing beneath your feet causes ytiu to
shudder and the cold sweat start upon
your brow 'I Haire you ever, in such a
situation, given play to your imagina
tion
until you were surrounded by a
mass of living; moving relics of mortali
ty; some slowly raising themselves over
the tomb Stones, and peering at you
with their dark ; soeketless eyes dtherii
with open mouth and chattering teeth
grinning at your intrupion 1 If you
have, you can imagine the feelings or
the soldiers as they noiselessly pasaed
over the graves of those numbered with
" the things that were. " They had
reached the outside of the grave yard
all duly impressed with a sense of the
crime of removing a dead body from its
mother earth, when the man who acted
as carrier, complained that his load was
confounded heavy.
"Perhaps if yciu let me down, I can
walk myself," said the seemingly dead
man in n hollow, sepulchral, whispering
voice. Electric thunder never produced
a more speedy or powerful effect ! The
words were not completely uttered be
fore the carrier dropped the body and
flew down the hill as fast as his unstrung
nerves permitted; the others dashing
away their shovels, made as speedy a
a retreat, and vain would it have been for
the spirits of the night to have pursued
them.
Frank, unwilling to let the joke rest
here, and afraid of losing the brandy,
after he had recovered from the shock
of the fall, walked along with his friends
to the doctor's room. When they ap
proached it he was once more shoulder
ed, and was thus carried, stiff as when
they left the grave yard, to the doctor,
who after giving them a warm reception,
and complimenting them on their cour
age, ordered the body to be conveyed to
a large dissecting table in the room.
Ample preparations for a butchering of
human flesh, were every where apparent.
A large kettle of water bubbled over a
bright hickory fire; huge knives, saws,
and all the other apparatus for such a job
were spread out in horrid array upon
the table; and from the gratified air of
the little doctor, it was evident that he
had been feasting his imagination, for
some time, with the extremely delicate
pleasure about to be enjoyed in dissect
ing a dead body. Having laid Frank
out, closely wrapped up, upon the table,
and received the promised keg of brandy,
the soldiers left him and the little doctor
to settle the matter between themselves,
and repaired with their prize to the fort.,
Their first attention was to collect to
' gether the terror stricken party, in
which after some time they succeeded,
but the latter were still half dead with
fright. The sight of the keg of brandy,
from some unaccountable sympathy,
brought back, for the first time, the life
blood to their hearts ;. yet it did not'
course their veins with its accustomed
force, until plentiful potations of the li
quor itself were used. By means of
this all powerful remedy, they were
soon brought back to their senses, and
without asking for explanation, they
gave themselves up to revelry ;—the
old fort shook with their uproarious
mirth, and the villagers of Standing
Stone were startled from their sleep
with a noise such as had never reached
their ears before.
The soldier who had carried the body,
until it began to talk, felt like himself
again, as the brandy warmed up his in
ner man. He stood with his back to
the door, and was in the act of telling
his fellows, that if he only had the body
in his arms again, he would hold on to
it, dead or alive. "Suppose you try it"
said " the dead man," entering the door
and slapping the speaker on the shod!.
der. It was now the soldier's time to
drop, and the poor fellow did so
without any show of resistance. A yell
of horror, burst from the rest of the par
ty, as they beheld the figure arrayed in
white thus suddenly appearing. Frank
then throwing off his winding sheet
burst into a hearty laugh; in which, after
a sufficient time had elapsed to recover
from their second fright, he was joined
by the others, with the exception of the
carrier, whose nervous system had re
ceived two great a shock to re-act so
quickly. After an explanation of all
that had occurred up to the time of the
delivery of the body had been heard,
Frank, at the urgent solicitation of all,
related his adventure with the little doe-.
tor, amidst peals of laughter.
'From his statement it was plain that
his situation ; after his companions loft ;
was not the most condonable. The
doors were barred, and bolted, and the
windows carefully fastened; , a dead
stillness reigned in the room, which was
heated almost to suffocation. The lit
tle doctor bustled about with such a
business air, and he whetted his
strangely shaped knives so artistically
that Frank beean to fear his head might
be whisked oft before he could put in a
word of remonstrance. He was deter-
Mined tii remain as long as he Could
with safety, but his suspense becaitie
terrible as he lay extended on the table,
afraid to move a muscle, and the min
utes seemed like hours. The knives
were at length sharpened so as to cut
without being scarcely felt ; the lamp
was carefully trimmed ; the dissecting
kloi , es slowly drawn on, and whilst the
doctor Was so eitipioyek lie Made sun
dry reflections aloud. "Yes" said he,
"it will be better to take his head off
first, and boil it. Then if any , discov
ery is made, it won't be quite so easy to
recognize the body." Poor Frank al
most imagined his head was already
bubbling in the hot water, and the per.
spiration started out of every pore.—
His agony of mind was beyond descrip
tion when the little doctor, with lamp
in hand, approached the table. Sud
denly the cold steel ran along his head
and face and then to his very feet. It
was only the back of the knife as the
doctor dexterously cut the folds of the
sheet. Yet the sensation produced by
its passage over his person was a chilly
one, and it made Frank feel that he
must cease to act the character of a
dead man, or he would soon be one in
reality; and when he again felt the
knife close by his throat as the doctor
cleared away the clothing, preparatory
to making the beheading stroke, with a
sudden jerk he caught the little finger of
the doctor, in his mouth and gave it a
fearful bite. The latter dropped his
knife ; jumped back to the wall, and af
ter standing a moment with eyes gla
ringly fixed on the body ; his teeth
, chattering and his limbs shaking con
vulsively, he fell on the floor insensible.
Frank, rising from the table, threw a
pitcher of water over his face and left
hint to recover at his leisure.
When the mirth arising from Frank's
'story had somewhat subsided, the corn•
pany found to their delight that whilst
they had still plenty of brandy left, they
Were all sober. The last fright had
driven off the effect of the liquor and
they had the pleasure of getting drunk
again before morning.
Frank Brady received much credit
from his companions for his successful
trick ; for though it was partly at their
expense, yet they had obtained the
brandy which was all they desired. He
was shortly after promoted for his gal
lent bearing in his country's cause.
The little doctor did not fare so well.
His applicatiou made some time after
wards to be appointed surgeon for the
company met with stout resistance from
the soldiers, who declared they would
never trust a living man in the hands of
one who could not take care of a dead
one.
Norm—The above moiy, in a somokbat differ.
ent form, was published in the Philadelphia Smut
day Courier Mx or seven yearn once.
Wives and Carpet s+.
In the selection of a carpet you should
always prefer one with small figures,
for the two webs of which the fabric
consists are always more closely inter
woven than in carpeting where large
figures are wrought.
There is a good deal of true philoso
phy in this, that will apply to matters
widely different from the selection of
carpets.
A man commits a sad mistake when
he selects a wife that cuts too large a
figure, on the great green carpet of life,
in other words makes much display.
The attractions fade out—the Web of ,
life becomes worn and weak, and all the I
gay figures that seemed so charming at
first disappear like summer flowers, in
autumn.
Many a man has made flimsy linscy
woolsey of himself by striving to weave
too large a figure, and' finds himself
worn out, used up, and like an old car
pet 'hangingon the fence,'
' before he has
lived out half his allotted days of use
fulness.
-- lift;;r a man wears out like a carpet
that was never swept, by the dust of indo•
lence ; like that same carpet, he' needs
shaking or whipping-he needs aetitity--
something to think of—something to do.
Look out then, for the large figures,
and there are these now stowed away in
the garret of the world, awaiting their
final consignment to the cellar, who had
they practiced this bit of carpet philos
ophy Would to day be firm and bright
as a best Brussels fresh from the loom,
and every body exclaiming, 'it is won
derful how well they wear !'-C. Journal.
SATIRICAL. -A city paper says, "we have
heard of no fatal railroad accidents to-
MB 1:P=1:113 Csli z=_S
OF THE
HON, HENRY CLAY,
AT LEXINGTON, KY.
The Philadelphia inquirr givbs the
following report by Magnetic Telegraph,
of the resolutions and synopsis tif the
great speech of Mr. CLAY, at the Lex:
ington Meeting on Saturday the 13th in
stant.
The meeting was attended by a vast
crowd, and at 11 o'clock, A. M. was
called to order by . Geh: LESLIE Comas,
who concluded a short address by nom
inating. the Hon; Mr. ROBINSON as
President, with a large number or Vice
Presidents and Secretaries. Mr. CLAY
ascended the platform amidst the cheers
of the audience, after which he took the
stand and offered the following resolu
tions I
Ist. Resolved, As the opinion of this
meeting, that the primary cause of the
present unhappy war existing between
the United States of America and the
United States of the Republic of Mexi
co, was the annexation of Texas to the
former; and the immediate occasion of
hostilities between the tWo Republics,
arose out of the order of the President
of the United States, for the removal of
the army under the command of Gen.
Taylor, from its position at Corpus
Christi to a point opposite to Matamo
ras, on the east bank of the Rio Bravo,
within the territory claimed by both Re
publics, but then under the jurisdiction
of Mexico, and inhabited by its citizens ;
that the order of the President for the
removal of the army to that point was
improvident and unconstitutional, it be-
ing without the concurrence of Congress
—or even any consultation with it, al- ,
though it was in session ; but that Con
' gress having by subsequent acts recog
nized the war thus brought into exis
tence
without its previous authority or
consent, the prosecution of it became i
thereby national.
2d. Resolved ; That in the absence of
any formal and public declaration by
Congress of the objects for which the
war ought to be prosecuted, the Presi
dent of the United States, as Chief Mag
istrate, and as Commander-in-Chief of ;
the Army and Navy of the United States,
is left to the guidance of his own judg
ment to prosecute it for such purposes
and objects as he may deem the honor'
and interests of the nation to require.
Bd. Resolved, That by the Constitution
of the United States, Congress being
invested with powers to declare war and
grant letters of marque and reprisal, to
make rules concerning captures on land
and water, to raise and support armies,
to provide and maintain a navy, and to
make rules for the government of the
land and naval forces, has the fullest,
complete war making power of the Uni
ted States, and so possessing it, has a
right to determine upon the motives,
causes and objects of wars when once
commenced, or at any time during their
progress or existence:
4th. Resolved, as the,further opinion
of the meeting, that it is the duty of
Congress to declare by some authentic
act, for what purpose and object the ex
isting
war ought to be further prosecu
ted ; that ;t is the duty of the President ;
in his official conduct, to conform to
such a declaration of Congress, and if,
after such declaration, the President
should decline or refuse to endeavor, by
all the means, civil diplomatic and mil
itary, in his power, to execute the an
nounced will of Congress, and in defi
ance sf its authority should continue to
prosecute the war for purposes and ob
jects other than those declared by that bo
dy, it would become the right and duty of
Congress to adopt the most efficacious
measure to arrest the further progress
of the war; taking care to make ample
provisions for the honor, the safety, and I
security of our armies in Mexico, in ev
ery contingency; and if Mexico should
deline or refuse to conclude a treaty
with us, stipulating for the purposes
and objects so declared by Congress, it
would be the duty of the government to
prosecute the war with the utreost vig
ilance, until they were attained by a
treaty of peace.
sth. Resolved, That we view with se
rious alarm, and are utterly opposed to
any purpose of annexation of Mexico to
the United . tates; in any mode, and es
pecially by conquest; that we believe
the two nations could not be happily
governed by one common authority, ow
ing to their great difference of race, law
language and religion, and the vast ex
tent of their respective territories; and
large amount of their respective popula.
tines ; that such a union against the
consent of the exasperated Mexican peo
ple',
could only be effected and preserv
ed by large standing armies, and the
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
WHOLE NO. 617,
constant application of military force;
in other words, by despotic sway exer
cised over the MexiCan people in the
first instance, but which here would be
just cause to apprehend, might in pro.
cess of time be extended over the peo•
pie of the United States. That we de
precate therefore such a union as whol
ly incompatible With the genius
„of, our
government, and it , itit thn .nbaracter of
our free and liberal institutions ; and
we anxiously hOpe that each nation may
be left in the uunisturbed possession of
its own laWs, language, cherished reli
gion and territory, to pursue, its own
happiness acciirding to What it may
deem best for itself.
6th. Resolved, That considering the
series of splendid and brilliant victories
achieved by out brave armies and their
gallant commanders during the tear
with Mexico, unattended by a single re
verse, the United States, without any
danger of their honor suffering the
slightest tarnish, can practice the vjr
tues of itidderation end magnanimity to
wards their discomfited foe; we have
no desire for the dismemberment of the
republic of Mexico, but wish only a just
and proper fixation of the limits of 'tex
as. . .
7th, Resolved, That We (16 positively
and emphatically disclaim and disavow
any wish or desire on our part, to ac-
quire any foreign territory whatever, for
the purpose of propagating slavery, or
of introducing slavery from the United
States into such toreigit territory:,
Bth. Resolt,ed, That we invite our
fellow citizens Of the United States who
are anxious for the restoration of the
blessings of peace, or if existing war
shall continue to be prosecuted; are de-
sirous that its purposes and abieets,
shall be defined and known, who are
anxious to avert present and further per
ils and dangers with which it may be
fraught, and who are also anxious to
duce contentment and satisfaction at
home, and to elevate the national char
acter abroad,to assemble together in their
respective communities, and to express
their views, feelings and opinions.
In the commencement of his remarks
upon these resolutions, Mr. Clay llgaitr
stated his objections to having them re
ported, and made generally known, un
til they had undergone his own super
vision, as the subject upon which he
was about to speak, was one upon , which
he wished not to be misunderstood.—
He then proceeded to compare the
gloomy state of the weather to the pres
ent condition of the country. We are
now, he said, engaged in a bloody war,-
that most desolating of terrors, which,
when associated with pestilence and
famine, was placed in the foremost rank.
Many persons had compared the oppo ,
nents of the present war with those who
had opposed the war of 1812 with Great
Britain, but he denied that such a com
parison was just. In 1812 the war was
one which originated on our part froni
the aggressions of England. It was a
war whose objects were most emphati ,
cally and truly summed up in these few
words: 'Free Trade and Sailor's Rights.'
We sought to defend our sailors from
being dragged from our ships, and be
ing compelled to fight against their
country; it was a war by which in amity
with one another, we sought to preserve
our rights upon the high seas, and not
to allow Great Britain to sweep us off..
This was a war of the people—they
willed it, and they were in favor.of its
being carried on. He spoke from actual
knowledge, when he stated that Mr.
Madison was personally opposed to the
war of 1812. How would the present
War contrast with that 1 For ivhat Ob- -
jeect was it declared 1 It was created'
by the act of Mr. Polk, ratified, it is
true, by the act of Congress, It was
created in consequence of the order of
the President to Gen. Taylor to march
upon the Rio Bravo, to a point opposite!
Matamoros. The President acted thus
while Congress was in session, without
I consulting that body ; when, however;
supplies were asked for our army, and
its dangerous conditions stated, Con
gross Voted, Whigs and all, (and in this
they did as ho would have done) the
necessary supplies.
But they *ere wiing; and never, so
help him God, would he have done so—
they were wrong in voting for what they .
knew to be a lie—that war existed by Ma.
are of Mexico. Was his regard'
I for truth, that sooner than subscribe to
such a falsehood, lie would lay down life
itself. They had been warned when
I•the annexation of Texas was first moo.•
ted, that if they took Texas they would
have to take her wars. The assertion
was hooted at ; no such fours, it was
declared, need be entertained ; it was
said the boundaries einild all be arnica..
bly aettled: What, howerer i was the
fact 1 Was not the present war the
consequence of a boundary dispute 1—
At the very time when our army was or
dered to march to Matamoros to take