!rAtn-tinbon
BY JAS. CLARK.
[Gon SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH.]
PROCLAMATION
Notico of General Election.
PURSUANT to an act of the General
Assembly of the Commonwealth of
i'cnnsylvanis, entitled "An act relating
to the elections of this Commonwealth,"
approved the second day of July, A, D.,
1839, I, MATTHEW CRO WNO VER,
High Sheriff' of the county of Hunting
don, in the State of Pennsylvania, do
hereby make known and give notice to
the electors of the county aforesaid, that a
GENERAL ELECTION
wiii be held in the said county of Hun
tingdon, on the SECOND TUESDAY
(and !NI day) of October 1848, at
which time State and County officers,
as follows, will be elected, to wit :
One person for Governor of the Com
monwealth of Pennsylvania.
One person for Canal Commissioner
Of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
One person to fill the office of mem
ber of the House of Representatives in
the Congress of the United States, to
represent the 17th Congressional dis
trict, in connection with the counties of
Blair, Centre, Mifflin and Juniata.
One person to fill the office of mem
ber of the House of Representatives, to
represent the county of Huntingdon, in
the House of Representatives of Penn
vania.
One person to fill the office of Pro
thonotary and Clerk of the Quarter See
sions and Clerk of the Oyer and Ter
minor of Huntingdon Co.
One person to fill the office of Regis
ter & Recorder and Clerk of the Or
shans Court of Huntingdon Co.
One person for the office of County
Commissioner for Huntingdon Co.
One person to fill the office of Coro
ner of Huntingdon co.
One person for the office of County
uditor fur Huntingdon co.
In pursuance of said act, I also here.
h; uisil;a known and give notice, that
the places of holding the aforesaid gen
eral election in the several election dis
tricts within the said county of Hun
tingdon, are as follows, to wit :
Ist district, composed of Henderson
township, and all that part of Walker
township not in the Ifith district, at the
Court House in the borough of Hun
tingdon.
2d district, composed of Dublin town
ship, at the house of Matthew Taylor,
in said township.
3d district, composed of so much of
Warriorsmark township, as is not inclu
ded in the 19th district, at the school
house adjoining the town of Warriors
mark.
4th district, composed of the town.
ship of Hopewell, at the house of Hen
ry Zimmerman, near Entreken's new
mill in said township.
sth district, composed of the town
ship of Barree, at the house of James
Livingston (formerly John Harper,) in
the town of Saulsbury, in said town
ship.
Gth district, composed of the town
ship of Shirley, at the house of David
Fraker, in Shirleysburg.
7th district, composed of Porter and
Walker townships, and so much of West
township as is included in the following
boundaries, to wit : Beginning at the
Southwest corner of Tobias Caufman's
farm on the bank of the little Juniata
River, at the lower end of Jackson's nar
rows, thence in a Northeasterly direc
tion to the most. southerly part of the
farm owned by Michael Maguire, thence
north 40 degrees west to the top of Tus
sey's mountain to intersect the line of
Franklin township, thence along said
line to little Juniata River, thence down
the same to the place of beginning, at
the public school house, opposite the
German Reformed Church, in the bor
ough of Alexandria.
Bth district, composed of the town
ship of Franklin, at the house of Jacob
Mattern now occupied by Geo. W. Mat
tern, in said township.
9th district, composed of Tell town
ship, at the Union School House, near
the Union Meeting house, in said town.
ship.
10th district, composed of Springfield
township, at the school house near
Hugh Madden's, in said township.
11th district, composed of Union tp.,
at the school house near Ezekiel Cor
bin's, in said township.
12th district, composed of Brady tp.,
at the mill of James Lane, in said town
ship.
13th district, composed of Morris tp.,
at the house now occupied by Abraham
Moyer, (Inn keeper,) late Alex. Lowry
Jr., in the villiage of Waterstreet, in
said township.
11th district, composed of that part
of West township not included in the
7th district, at the public school house
on the farm now owned by Miles Lewis
(formerly owned by James Ennis,) in
said township.
15th district, composed of that part
of Walker township lying southwest of
a line commencing opposite David Cor
bin's house, at the Union township line,
thence in a straight line, including said
Corbn's house to the corner of Porter
township, on the Huntingdon and Wood
, cock valley road, at the house of Jacob
Magahy, in said township
16th district, composed of the town
ship of Tod, at the house now occupied
!by J. Henderson, in said township.
17th district, composed of that part
of %Vest township on the south-east
aide of Warrior ridge, beginning at the
line of West and Henderson townships,
at the foot of said Ridge, to the line of
Barree township, thence by the division
line of Barree and West townships to
' the summit of Stone mountain, to inter
sect the line of Henderson and West
townships, thence by said line to place
of begining, at the house now occupied
by Benjamin Corbin, on Murry's Run.
18th district, composed of Cromwell
township, at the house now occupied by
• David Entire, in Orbisonia.
19th district, composed of the bor
ough of Birmingham, with the several
tracts of land near to and attached to
the same, now owned and occupied by
Thomas M. Owens, John K. McCahan '
Andrew Robeson, John Gensimer and
William Gensimer, situate in the town
ship of Warriorsmark, at the public
school house in said borough.
20th district, composed of the town
ship of Cass, at the public school house
in Cassville, in said township.
21st district, composed of the town
ship of Jackson, at the house of Robert
Barr, now occupied by John Hirst, at
AlcAlenvy's Fort, in said township.
22d district, composed of the town
ship of Clay, at the house of Joshua
Shore, at the Three Springs, in said
township.
23d district, composed of the town
ship of Penn, at the school house on the
farm of Jacob Brumbaugh, in said twp.
I also make known and give notice,
as in and by the 13th section of the
aforesaid act I am directed, "that every
person, excepting justices of the peace
who shall hold any office or appointment
of profiit or trust under the government
of the United States, or of this State,
or of any city or incorporated district,
whether a commissioned officer or agent.
who is or shall be employed under the
legislative, executive or the judiciary
department of this State, or of the U
nited States, or my city or incorporated
district, and also, that every member of
Congress and of the State Legislature,
and of the select or common council of
any city, commissioners of any incor
porated district, is by law incapable of
holding or exercising at the same time,
the office or appointment of judge, in
spector or clerk of any election of this
Commonwealth, and that no inspector,
judge or other officer of any such elec
tion, shall be then elligible to any office
to be then voted for."
Also that in the 4th section of the act of
Assembly, entitled "Au net relating to
executions and for other purposes," ap
proved April 16th, 1840, it is enacted
that the n'oresaid 13th section " shall
not be construed as to prevent any mili
tia ofl•icer or borough officer from ser
ving as judge, inspector or clerk, of any
general or special election in this Com
monwealth.
Pursuant to the provisions contained
in the 67th section in the act aforesaid,
the judges of the aforesaid districts
shall respectively take charge of the
certificate or return of the election of
their respective districts, and produce
them at a meeting of one judge from
each district, at the Court House in the
Borough of Huntingdon, on the third
day after the day of the election, being
for the present year on FRIDAY, the
13th of October next, then and there
to do and perform the duties required
by law of said judges. Also, that where
a judge by sickness or unavoidable ac
cident, is unable to attend said meeting
of judges, then the certificate of return
aforesaid shall be taken charge of by
one of the inspectors or clerks of the
election of said district, and shall do
and perform the duties required of said
judge unable to attend.
Also, in the 61st section of said act
it is enacted that "every general and
special election shall be opened between
the hours of eight and ten in the fore
noon, and shall continue without inter
ruption or adjournment until seven
o'clock in the evening, when the polls
shall be closed."
Given under my hand nt Huntingdon
the 10th day of September, 1848, and
of the Independence of the United
States the seventy-second.
MATTHEW CROWNONER, Ski.
HUNTINGDON, PA., ITESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1848.
[From the l'ennsylvania
Relief Notes.
We have rarely seen, even in the
umns of that paper, an editorial more
replete with corrupt denunciation and
vulgar assertion, than the leading arti
cle of the "Pennsylvanian' of the 12th
inst., on the subject of Relief Notes.--
It asserts that the present Federal can
didate for Governor has secured for
himself an infamous immortality, by the
Relief Law of tS4I." It asserts that,
" it was a scheme of financial villainy,"
and " the only one who flourished upon
it was the broker.' It asserts that "it ,
was n base invention," and that the far
mer and mechanic were plundered by
the law of near "nine millions of dol
lars." These are grave charges, and
should be made only on the clearest
proof, An editor, cautions of his char
acter, and unwilling to deceive the pub
lic, would accompany these assertions
with direct, incontrovertible evidence
of the facts stated. He would not rely
on assertions merely ; particularly so,
when his own credibility was doubtful,
and carried with it a suspicion, that
would prevent him from testifying in a
Court of Justice. The author of these
assertions is well aware that the general
government is his employer, and pays
according to the faithfulness of the cal
umniator. We speak not of the man,
but of the editor and politician.
A plain statement of facts will give to
the public the reasons for the passage
of the law—what were its uses and ben
efits, and by what party it has been fos
tered and sustained.
Prior to the passage of the relief law
of 1841, the tariff act of 1833, common
ly called the compromise law, passed
by Congress to allay the excitement of
the south, had done its work. The man
ufacturers of our country unable to
stand up against the influx of British
goods, had stopped their works. The
British manufacturers had the market
to themselves, and while their goods
flooded the country, the gold and silver
necessary to the business wants of the
community, were exported to Europe.—
The banks of this commonwealth feel
ing the general pressure, found them
selves under the necessity of stopping
their discounts or suspending specie
payments. Knowing the ruin that must
fall upon thousands, were they to call
in their notes, they chose the latter al
ternative, and suspended. We were with
out a -circulating medium. Who does
not remember the state of things exist
ing immediately prior to May 1841 1—
ho forgets the irresponsible paper with
which the country was flooded I Com
missioner's notes—Borough notes—ln
dividual shinplasters, were the miserable
substitute for a currency. By n resolu
tion of the Legislature, approved April
3d 1840, the banks of the state were re
quired to resume specie.payments on or
before the 15th day of January, 1841,
or their charters were to be forfeited.—
This was requiring of them an impossi,
bility ; and by the same act it was pro
vided that if the said banks should loan
to the commonwealth the sum of three
millions of dollars at an interest of five
per cent., "the said banks shall be au
thorized to issue their own notes, and
make and declare new loans and divi
dends, not exceeding six per cent. per
annum, in the same manner as if the
said banks, during said period, contin
ued to pay their notes. &c., in gold and
silver." The 15th of January came and
the banks had failed to resume specie
payments or to loan to the common
wealth the sum required. What was to
be done 1 The state was bankrupt, and
could not borrow a dollar ; the public
creditors were knocking at the door of
the Treasury, and desiring the payment
of their acknowledged dues ; the interest
due to widows and orphans was unpaid,
and these helpless people implored the
state ►n vain to save them from destitu
tion ! The banks were without the
means to take the loan even on the terms
offered, and the people were suffering
all the evils of the worst kind of depre
ciated currency. It was to remedy these
evils that the Relief Bill of May, 1841,
was passed.
Where was the editor of the "Penn
sylvanian" then ! What prevented his
voice from being heard against this now
odious bill, at the time of its passage 1
Why does he not now proclaim the " in
famous immortality" of William Hop
kins, W. T. Rogers and David R. Por
ter, who signed the resolution of April,
1840, upon which the act of May, 18-M,
was founded ! It requires a large share
of sturdy hardihood for the editor to as
sume his present position.
A moment's attention to the resolution
of April, 1810, may not bo thrown away.
It required as before stated, the banks
to resume specie payments before the
15th of January, 1841 ;—it pointed out
a convenient and effectual mode by
which the charters should die' declared
forfeited, in ease of non-resemptiOn ;
and it then legalized the suspension of
specie payments until the said 15th day
of Sammy, on condition of a pro rata
loan to the commonwealth of $3,000,-
000. It provided that when the loan
should be made, certificates of stock
shall be issued, in such sums as the
lenders thereof trigy require, and bp
transferable in such manner as the Gov
ernor may direct, reimbursable at such
time, not exceeding twenty-five years
from the date thereof, as may be agreed
upon bettveen the Governor and the
banks taking such loan." Here is the
origin of the act of May, 1841, passed
by a Democratic 1-louse, a Democratic
Senate, and approved by a DettiOcratic
Governor. The real difference between
this Democratic act and the act of May,
JB4l, is, that the former could not be
carried into effect, while the latter wns
effectual in giving relief to the state
and the people.
That it had its uses, and was at the
time beneficial to all concerned, may
well be remembered by every class of
citizens. The first great effect was to
relieve the State from itsits manifold em
barrassments,. and to enable it to meet
its engagement with the public credit
ors. It enabled it to appropriate, and
it did appropriate, as follows :
To Common School purposes, $ 330,000 INTERESTING SCENE—SPIRIT OF
Colleges, Academys, and Female
I WASIIINGTON.
Seminaries, 45,000 I Perhaps the most interesting scene to
Pensions and Gratuities,6o,oool
, which the present political canvass has
Repairs of Railroads ad Ca
nals, 400,000 1 given rise, was presented on Wednes-
Debts duefor repairs prior to'4o 268,000, day afternoon last, at a Barbecue in Al-
Orphan Asylum and House of 1 exandria county—recently receded by
Refvf!e, 7,00 i
Congress from the District of Columbia
To Expenses of Government 350,000
to the State of Virginia—where a large
Lock keepers, collectors, weigh
masters and other persons ne- company of both political parties, and
cessarily employed on the pub- of both sexes, partook of a sumptuous
works,
60,000 ; repast at well spread tables. Mr. Smith,
These, beside a number of others we'
I the first repreatntative of the county in
have not room to mention, were the pay- i
the State Legislature, r. Brady,
M . and
meats made by virtue of the bill, and
which would not have been made had' Wm. Cost Johnson having spoken, Mr.
not the bill 'passed. I Upton, President of the feast, introdu•
ced the venerable step-son of General
Its second use was in driving that
flood of irresponsible paper money by , ,„,
aso , i
v. ngton,—GEO. WASHINGTON PARE
which we were inundated, out of circu
lation, and giving to the people a better Cusns, a hale, fine looking gentleman
safer and more responsible currency. ,of the olden time, eighty years of age,
Such was its undoubted effect. It also who has been for forty years the leading
gave to the banks the opportunity and
orator of the country for the cause of
time to relieve themselves from the
Ireland's emancipation. Mr. Custis
pressure which was upon them ; to draw
ntheir discount lines without injury to stepped forward, and in a rich, full-toned
the community; and finally, to resume voice, spoke as follows, holding his au
specie payments on a basis secure to ditors spell-bound in admiration, except
themselves and satisfactory to the peo- ,
at such intervals where spontaneous
plc, No suspension of specie payments
applause would break forth :
has occurred since the passage of that '
bill, 1 Pelloth'. Countrymen' and Friends:—You
~
Will the lock keepers, collectors and ' see before you on this occasion, an old
others necessarily employed on the pub- man with whitened locks and a bald
lie works, respond to the assertion of the head, who was born here in the infancy
"Pennsylvanian," that it was a scheme of your country, and has grown up with
of " financial villainy," a measure giv. ' it, in your midst, and seen it become
ing to its author an " infamous immor- ' vigorous, and strong and powerful, while
tality," to enable the State to pay to he has become old and enfeebled—and
them the wages of their toil? \Vas it yet, strange as it may appear, this old
"financial villainy" to secure for the man has never yet cast a vote in his
use of the common schools, the sum of life. Although possessing the necessa
three hundred and thirty thousand dol- ry free-hold qualification to entitle me
bars I—Will the old soldiers of the wars : to vote at several counties, had my res
of the revolution and of 1812, and the
idence not been in the District of 'Col
bereaved widows of those who died in ' umbia, yet, owing to an injudicious and
the service of their country. be found ! unjust law, I have had no privilege of
aiding the editor of the " Pennsylva- ' giving a vote.
nian," iu his abuse of the man whose ef-1 And now that that inestimable privi
forts secured to them the small allow- I lege,
within m reach and I sin about to
the right of suffrage, has come
ance which the State furnishes as pen
and gratuities I Let these answer avail
myself of it, you will see an old
to the charge. 1 grand-father cast his maiden vote !
It would doubtless be considered a We are a nation of freemen, the proud
sufficient answer to this charge against est, the most prosperous and happy in
Governor Johnston, ,, ere we to stop the world. Our system of government
here, and leave to te people the duty
and our institutions are admirable, con
ot deciding on the propriety of the melt
ceived by wise heads, and improved
sure. A few observations on the course upon, here and there, 1:y good men. It
pursued by the party, of which the becomes us all to cherish a fond love
Pennsylvanian is the organ, will close and regard for our beloved country.—
our present remarks. This abused law
We should try to keep the union and
which is to bring "infamy" on its au
harmony of the States in good preser
thor, was passed on the first day of May
vation, and look well to the character of
1811. The notes authorized to be i s whom we select to guide the des
sued, were by the terms of the act, to
tinies of the Republic.-
be redeemed by the State at the .nd of five
years. They might have been redeem-
It has been objected to military men,
ed earlier "at the pleasure of the Le-
that they are not suitable persons to
gislature," but it was peremtorily requi-
place at the head of a civil government.
red that their redemytion should take
i think e
t
place at the end of fire years. The pe-
teaches m otherwise. My experienceh at there is nothing to fear
riod allowed by the act expired on the from the just ambition of a military
first day of May, 1346. Did the State
mniss.un n. ary men are the best to command,
having the same holy horror with I at the head of the nation. I think
at that time—slid the democratic party ,
ie
jbr they first learn to obey. We have
editor of the" Pennsylvanian," of the some experience in the mitt ter of playing
original issue, redeem and cancel these military men at the head of Government.
Gentlemen may differ about Gen. notes? In 184.6, if we remember right
. in the ~„. son, but I believehe was
. n
true patriot,
Jack
ly, the democratic party was
ceudunt in the State, had a majority in and that he would have given the last
both branches of the Legislature, and a drop
of his heart's blood to have saved
democratic executive officer. Can any
and preserved the Union and its liber
man believe, after reading the editorial
ties, lead the personal sacrifice been re
of the " Pennsylvanian," that the deco-
quirt. d
ocratic party suffered the relief notes to No, no—the old orator before you has
' remain uncanceled, thereby "plunder. I lived a long tune in this Republic, and
ing the farmer nnd mechanic," and in- he has not yet • seen the time to fear
o inriVr
Wito e)7.
fringing uribti the Constitution 1 Gen
tle reader, be not surprised when infortn-
ed that on the first day of December, / {
1847, not a year ago there were relief !
issues in circulation to the amount of
nine hundred and thirty one thousand six
kundred andsixty four .dollars! %% here
is the evitlenee of indignation in the ed ,
itor, at the Legislature and the execu
tive, for continuing in circulation a cur
rency
so detrimental to the public in-
terestsl " The process of this plund
ering system," says the editor, "wasi
curious but sitnple.' " The heavy man
ufacturer bought up the depreciated pa
per, to pay his hands at the end of each
week, at the value on the face of each
note, and his poor workmen to buying
the necessaries of life, were shaved in
the full amount of the discount upon
every dollar," This is his hothily.
A democratic Legislature has snar
ed this system to continue fur two
whole years, without even an attempt to
cancel the issue and relieve the people.
Do they not hereby make the act coin
: plained of teir own? A any time
I during the p e riod of five yea t rs mention
! ed in the law, the Legislature had the
authority to redeem the notes—why, we
would ask, if they were so opppressive
to the poor, to the farmer and mechanic,
were they not cancelled. PEJI3LIC US.
VOL, XIII, NO, 40.
to have a military man at the head
of affairs !
In casting about among the Prosiden•
tial candidates to decide Cffie
shall receive my suffrage, it will be my
aim to select the best man. I have al
ready scanned their claims. The father
of Geri. CaSs was a high-minded officer.
in the old Continental army. The lather
of Gen. Taylor was a bravo and merito
rious officer of the Revolution. Gen.
Butler also comes from good stock.
In making my choice, I shall pay re
gard to the services which each candi
date has rendered to the country, and I
shall prefer the honest man,
who has
been ever ready to peril his life in the
defence of his country, preferring the
tented field and the hard ground foe iiis
bed, when his country calls fir his ser•
vices, to hint who prefers wealth and
luxury, and lounges upon silken couches
!in perfumed chambers. I shall give my
vote cheerfully for honest ZACHARY
TAYLOR ! And when I deposit it in
I the ballot-box on the 7th of November
next, that vote trill hail from the sacred
( shades of .llount Vernon! [Long con•
tinned applause, with scarcely a dry ay°
in the assemblaged
But, my countrymen, the setting sun ;
emblem of myself, is departing from
among you, and ndmonislies me that
must close my remarks. May God pro
tect and preserve our beloved country,
and *etch over the rulers whom the
people inay select to guide its destinies !
Thus, says the Baltimore Patriot,. to
whose correspondent we aro indebted
for the report, spoke this venerable sur
viving memher of the Washington fam
ily, the son of Mrs. Washington, by her
I first husband. 1 never witnessed a more'
I thrilling scene. It seemed as if the
1 immortal George Washington himself
was almost speaking te'his Countrymen !
Three hearty cheers were given for
Taylor and Fillmore, and three times
three for “Curtis, the old man eloquent!'
and then the company dispersed.
Gen. Taylor—His Writings.
The locofocos and Van Burenites af
fect to doubt t.;en. Taylor's ability to
write good English, and although they
admit that his public despatches and
most of his letters are excellent in style
and composition, yet they insist that
they were all written by Major Bliss,
or some other friend. Now the fact is,
the old Hero does his own writing as
well as his fighting, without shrinking
from responsibility, and here is proof
of the assertion. Read the evidence.
Col. GIBEON, an old ;nid distinguished
officer of the Army, says lira letter to
M r. Crittenden :
I have been for many years associa
ted with Gen. Taylor in military ser
vice, and frequently on courts martial
and of inquiry with him, and General
Taylor always dreW up the proceedings
and reports of the courts,"
The non. John' C. Spencer, of New
York, late Secretary of War, in a letter
published in the New York Courier and
Enquirer, says :
"You ask me to communicate the o
pinion, which you understand has been
expressed by me, in reference to the at
tainments of General Taylor, derived
from his correspondence with the War
Department during the time it was in
my charge. It is very true, I hare of
ten stayed thy high opinion not only of
the sound judgment and unsurpassed
discretion of Gen. Taylor, but also of
his capacity as a writer; and when
doubts were cast upon the authorship
of the admirable uespatchcs which came
from Mexico under his name, I declared
unequivocally my thorough conviction
that he was the author of them. And I
stated my reasons for this conviction ;
that his official letters and other com
munications which had fallen under
my observation contained the same con,•
demised vigor of thought and expression,
the same peculiarities of style and beau•
ty, and force of language that character
ized his Mexican despatches; and that
from circumstances personally known
to me, I was certain that he could not
have had the aid in writing the letters
and communications referred to, which
some of the newspapers alledged had
been rendered to him in Mexico. This
opinion I now deliberately reiterate."
In addition to this we have the tc,ti•
mony of Major Bliss, who says: .Every
despatch during the campaign vr7,
ten by the General himself, and`. he
most I ever did was to dot an i oreros6
a t."
Is further proof necessary to estab
lish the fnet•thnt he does his own st•ta
ting !