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VOLUME XVI.
THE SLEEPING CHILD.
BY LEIGH HUNT.
A brook wont dancing on its way,
From bank to valley leaping,
And by its sunny margih lay
A lovely infant sleeping.
The murmur of the purling stream
Broke not the spell which bound him;
Like music breathing in his dream
A lullaby around him.
It is a lovely sight to view,
Within this world of sorrow,
One spot which still retains the boo
That earth from Heaven may borrow ;
And such was this—a scene so fair,
Arrayed iu Summer brightness,
And one poor being rested there—
One soul of radiant whiteness.
What happy dreams, fair child, are given,
To Cast their sunshine o'er thee?
What cord unites that soul to Heaven?
Where visions glide before thee?
For wandering smiles of cloudless mirth
O'er thy glad features beaming,
Say, not a thought, a form of earth,
Alloys this hour of dreaming
Mayhnp, afar on unseen wings,
Thy silent spirit soaring,
Now hears the burst of golden strings
Where angels aro adoring:
And with the pure heliaeal throng,
Around their Maker praising,
The joyous heart may join the song,
Ton thousand tongues are raising !
A HOME EV THE HEART.
Oh 1 ask not a home in the mansions of pride,
Where marble shines out in the pillars and walls;
Though the roof be of gold, it is brilliantly cold,
And joy mayn't be found is its torch-lighted halls.
Ent seek for a bosom all honest and true,
Where love ante tiwelten'd will never depart;
Turn, turn to that breast like the dove to its nest,
And you'll find there's no home like the home in
the heart.
Oh ! link but ono spirit that's warmly sincere,
That will heighten your pleasure and solace your
care ;
Find a soul you may trust as the kind and the just,
And be sure the wide world holds no treasure so
Then the frowns of misfortune may shadoW our lot,
The cheek-searing tear-drops ofsorrow may start,
But a star never dim sheds a halo for him,
Who can turn for repose ton home in the heart.
A Family of many Tongues.
A correspondent of the New York In
dependent relates the following interes
ting and curious facts concerning the fami
ly of the pastor of the First Congrega
tional Church in Abington. It will be
seen by the article that the family is preL
eminently endowed with 'the gift of
tongues.'
Some weeks since I visited the family
of a pastor, and member of the Massachu
setts Legislature, Rev. J. W. Ward, of
Abington. In this family there are five
children, who have been motherless seven
years. The four oldest, three sons and a
daughter, between the ages of nine and
sixteen years, are the prodigies of these
times. At family worship the father reads
from the French Bible, ono son from the
Hebrew, the daughter of twelve years
from the Latin, another son from the Greek,
and the youngest, nine years of age, from
the Hebrew. They all give readily, free
and correct translations of the most diffi
cult passages in the Bible.
Their varied knowledge is astonishing.
They seem to be equally at home in sol
ving difficult problems in mathematics, and
discussing the doctrines of religious sects,
as well as in giving the locality and opin
ions of authors and public men in this
country. Tho father has been almost the
solo instructor, and has trained themito bo
particularly useful in the garden and kitch
en, independent of servants, and cheerful
and social in an unusual degree in the
family circle.
If there is a family exhibiting such pro
priety, intelligence and genius, or a father
More devoted to the welfare of his chil
dren, an interview would compensate for
a long journey. Governor Edward Ever
ett, years since, in his message, mentioned
the 'Learned Blacksmith,' Burritt, as an
example to the youth of the State; and I am
sure the boys, and girls in this family, who
when under ten years of age had conquer
ed three languages, and in addition are ex
act and generally intelligent, are more wor
thy of mention and imitation.
A letter is advertised in Buffalo, direct
ed to Dr. Vandorkerhadgerdundortromp.
RAIL-ROAD CONVENTION.
Pursuant to adjournment the Commission
ers of the Huntingdon and Broad Top Rail
road Company, met with the citizens of
Huntingdon and Bedford counties, in Con
vention at the Court House in the borough
of Huntingdon on Friday evening the 15th
day of August inst., when the Convention
was organized by electing JOHN WIL
LIAMSON, Esq., President, .Maj. James
Patton and John King of Bedford county,
and John Garner, Christain Shaunce
and Thomas Adams, of Huntingdon coun
ty, Vice Presidents; and Charles .Mickley,
William Lewis and R. Bruce Petrikin,
Secretaries.
The President then briefly and eloquent
ly stated the object of the meeting. He
said, we have mot to take into consider
ation, and devise such measures, as will
most speedily construct the Huntingdon and
Broad Top Railroad. The proposed Rail
road, commencing as it does, at the Penn
sylvania Canal and Railroad at the town
"of Huntingdon, and extending its whole
length through ono of the richest agricul
tural values in the world, until it termi
nates in the valuable and inexhaustible
coal fields of the Broad Top mountain, is
now, as I am happy to say, beginning to
assume the importance that its deserves.—
Not only the capitalist, the speculator, and
stockjobber are impressed with the great
importance of this work, but the merchant,
the farmer, the mechanic and the profes
sional man, all see in the completion and
opening of this railroad, a source of wealth
not equaled by any similar project in the
world. lam pleased to see about me so
large an assemblage of farmers, mechanies,l
and men of all vocations, and it gives me
great hopes of the sucess of the project
upon which we have met to deliberate.—
Of the practicability of the location and
grading of this road upon the proposed
route there can bo no difficulty, as the
very able report and survey by the chief
of engineers, Samuel W. Mifflin, Esq.,
sufficiently demonstrated. Mr. Mifflin es
timates the whole cost of grading the
road, laying a single iron track and put
ting on the motive power, at the sum of
s3so,ooo—although this may appear to
bo a small sum, yet we are assured by
Mr. Mifflin that it is a very liberal esti
mate. Explorations and enquiry have
been made, suf f icient to assure us that the
right of way for the whole extent of the
road, can be had for the asking, and owners
of the richest and most valuable coal fields
on Broad Top mountain, say to us, come
and take onr lands "without money and
without price." But to make this Rail
road, land will not suffice—we need money
and money we must have—and we aro re
quired to raise the sum of three hundred
and fifty thousand dollars—this is but a
small sum, and we can easily raise it, if wo
will put our shoulders to the wheel. Lot
us then go to work in earnest—the day of
small things I hope is past —enough talk
ing has been done, let the working now
commence, and by the help of the capital
of the eastern cities the ammount will soon
be raised. We should if possible raise at
home, the whole of the money necessary
to make the road; but if that cannot bo
done lot us raise at the least by our home
subscription, one hundered thousand dol
lars, and when we have done so, we have
the assurranco of reliable mon in the eas
tern cities that they will fill the suberip- 1
tion sufficient for all our purposes.
I appeal to you then, fellow citizens of
Huntingdon and Bedford counties, with
your mountains pregnant with coal and
iron, your broad limestone fields rich in
agrioutural wealth, and with your mill
seats, and water powers unsurpassed for
every variety of manufacturing purpose; to
give this project the consideration which it
should receive at your hands. You alone
are to be bonefitted by it if3ou will but make
the effort--will you fold your arms in
apathy, and with purse strings tightly
drawn refuse your aid, when so great a
work, so beneficial and profitable not only
to the stockholders, but to the people
generally calls loudly and earnestly for
your support. Will you withhold your
money and influence from a work that will
disembowel the treasures that have lain
hidden in your mountains for untold ages;
HUNTINGDON, PA., THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1851.
from a work that is to afford a medium for
the transportation of your produce—the
first link in a chain of Railroad that will
bring the counties of Bedford and Hun
tingdon in close communion, and tapping
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Cum
berland, will connect the Juniata with the
Potomac. Shall it be said of you with
all your boasted wealth, that there could
not be found amongst you sufficient pub
lic spirit, to raise for this purpose the pal
try sum of one hundred thousand dollars.
Shall it be said to your shame, that posses
sing ninety thousand acres of the richest
coal lands in the world, that when asked
to subscribe one hundred thousand dollars
to make a railroad by means of which you
could pour into the lap of our eastern cit
ies, that great and inexhaustible mineral
wealth to us now useless, because Maces , -
sible, and in return would bring back to
you the gold of California—when you
were asked to subscribe money for your
own aggrandizement—when you were told
that by aiding in this project, you would
give a new impulse to business, that would
cut down the grass now growing in your
streets, and in commerce and mineral
wealth would place your counties side by
side with Lehigh and Schuylkill, with
greater advantages for mining and trans
portation; shall it be said that you turned
a deaf car to the spirit voice that called
from your slumbers, and blind to your best ,
interests refused to pluck the golden fruit
whilst it was within your grasp, and sink
ing into your wonted sleep lost the prize
forever. No, follow citizens, I feel that
this foul aspersion shall never be cast up
on you—the enthusiasm and determina
tion to complete this work which now per
vades all classes, gives me the bright as
surenco that another month shall scarcely
have passed until wo have raised the re
quired sum. I see about me men able to
give their thousands to help on with this
great work, and the time has now arrived
when I feel assured they will do so. This
subject like all others must have a cul
minating point, a crisis—we all feel that
the crisis has now arrived—that the time
has come when the question comes home
to us, will we make this road or will wo
not ? Will we arouse from our slumbers
or sleep on ? In the faces of all around
me, I have already read an answer to this
question. I see a willingness and deter
mination in all to contribute by their mon
ey and influence to the completion of this
great work; and my words for it, eighteen
months shall not elapse until this road
shall be completed—and the mountains of
Broad Top vocal with the whistle of the
locomotive, shall be teeming with her
busy thousands. For the consummation
of this great object we have mot this
evening.
Mr. Williamson having concluded his
remarks, on motion of John G. Miles,
Esq., the proceedings of the last Conven
tion were read and approved.
The Committee appointed at the last
Convention to ascertain in their respective
boroughs and townships the probable
amount of stook that would bo subscribed,
through their chairmen, reported as fol
lows :
Huntingdon borough the sum of pow 00
Walker township, supposed 8000 00
Hopewell township, cash 16,500 00
.- cc ~ land 80:000 00
Tod township, supposed 15,000 00
Bedford so. Hopewell township '2BOO 00
Liberty township 1500 00
Making tho amount reported, $72,800 00
The Committees from several of the
districts not being present with their re
ports on motion of Col. Wharton,
Resolved, That the absent Committees,
and all those who have not fully reported,
be requested to continue their exertions
and make report at the next Convention.
Tho Convention was now addressed suc
cessively by John G. Miles, Esq., Gon.
A. P. Wilson, David Blair, Esq., and
It. Bruce Potrikon, Esq.
On motion of Maj. Patton,
Resolved, That a Committee of three
persons be appointed to ascertain what
coal lands and coal rights can be procured
for the use of the company,. their location
and accessibility, upon what terms they
can be procured, and to take conveyance
thereof in trust for the Company, and to
report to the next Convention.
Whereupon the chair appointed Major
James Patton, John G. Miles, Esq., and
David Blair, Esq.,
On motion of Col. S. S. "Wharton,
Resolved, That three persons be ap
pointed to procure releases of flit right of
way for said Railroad.
Whereupon the chair appointed, Col. S.
S. Wherton, James Entrekin, Esq., and
Major Charles Mickley, said Committee.
On motion,
Resolved, Tlu the proceedings of this
Convention be signed by the officers and
be bublished in all the newspapers in Hun
tingdon, Blair and Bedford counties, and
the newspapers at Harrisburg.
On motion, of J. Sewell Stewart, Esq.
Resolved, That this Convention do now
adjourn to meet in this place on Thursday
evening of the first week of the next No
vember Court, 13th November.
[ signed by the officers.]
'Who Contracted the State debt?
This appears to be the subject matter of
inquiry at the present time, and as the fol
lowing article from the Reading Journal,
contains the fullest and clearest view of
the subject of any that has fallen under
our eye, and it is made up from the annu
al Report of John N. Purviance, the late
Locofoco Auditor General, to the Legisla
ture, it must be taken as evidence, conclu
sive, in the estimation of that party—it is
sufficient for the Whig party, and proves
all that we have assorted, and from which
we iipprehend there will be no difficulty in
ascertaining who it was that contracted
the State Pcbt :
Statement of the Public Debt of Penn
sylvania.
Stock, Loan per act ofApril 2, 1821 $20,332 99
do do du 1, 1826 292,224 71
do do do 9, 1827 999,211 71
do do March 24, 1828 1,997,418 42
do do Dec. 18, 1828 798,274 64
do do April 22, 1828 2,197,372 43
do do Dee, 7, 1829 50,000 00
do do March 13, 1830 3,894,800 28
do do do 21, 1831 2,481,201 81
do do do 28, do 120,000 00
do do do 30, do 298,956 43
do do du 30, 1832 2,343,437 72
do do April 5, 1832 300,000 00
do do Feb. 16, 1833 2,339,880 13
do do March 1, do 200,000 1)0
do do do 27, do 529,915 74
do do April 5, 1834 2,264,532 61
do do tlo 13, 1835 959,250 16
do do Jan. 26, 1839 2,182,583 28
do do Feb. 9, do 1,277,216 04
do do March 16, do 99,992 00
do do do 27, do 469,480 79
do do June 7, do 49,997 24
do do do 27, do 1,134,248 65
do do July 19, do 2,053,831 06
do do Jan. 24, 1840 868,789 02
do do April :3, do 853,681 95
do do June 11, do 1,938,732 88
do do Jan. 16, 1841 800,000 00
do do March 4, do 32,233 05
Loan (relief) May 4, do• 652,164 00
Stock Loan May 5, do 556,697 63
do May 10, do 909,677 01
Int. certificates July 27, 1842 3;1,016 78
do March 7, 1843 62,680 31
Stock Loan April 29, 1844 59,294 39
Int. certificates May 31, 1844 66,458 GI
Stock Loan April 16, 1845 4,L55,182 15
do Jan. 22, 1847 71,651 00
do April 12, 1848 159,687 42
Inc. Plane Loan April 10, 1848} 400,000 00
'`[lt should be added that the original
relief loan amounted to about $8,000,000-
00—but has been since cancelled and re
duced to the present sum of $652,164 00.]
4.[Thifi loan was created for the purpose
of avoiding the Inclined Plane on the Co
lumbia Railroad,—a work of great practi
cal utility, and ono which greatly redounds
to the interests of the Commonwealth.]
The above is taken letter for letter and
figuro for figure from the Official State
ment in the last Auditor General's Report
page 120. Lot us now see under what ad
ministrations this debt was accumulated.
Date .ddmin. Debt Contracted.
1820 to 23—J. Hoister, loon, 2.0,3'22 99
1823 to 29—J. A. Shultze,
6,337,501 85
1829 to 85—Goo Wolf, $16,04,009 78
1885 to 38—Jos. Ritner, Whig NONE.
1838 to 44—D. R. Porter, L. 13,100,856 9G
1844 to 48—F. R. Shunk, 4,786, 523 60
1848 to 51—W. F. Johnston, 400,000 00
Examine the above figures carefully and
then say whether the locofoco party of
Ponnslyvania, is not the DEBT CRE
ATM PARTY. Except $400,000 00
loaned in 1849, created for the purpose of
avoiding the Inclined Plano on the Colum
bia Railroad, not ono DOLLAR OF THE
PUBLIC DEBT, was treated by a Whig
3thainistration !
Gov. Ritner cam into of in 'Deem-
ourn ata&D
ber, 1835, and went out about the Ist of
January, 1838, and as will be seen, not a
single cent was added to the debt during
his administration.
Then Commenced the administration of
David It. Porter, under whom the public
debt was increased at the rate of over two
millions a year !
Next came the " lamented" Skunk, who
added his mite to the sum total at the rate
of over a million a year, until the debt
was swelled to the enormous amount of
Forty millions of dollars !
In July, 1848, Francis It. Shunk died.
Thereupon William F. Johnston became
Governor and in the following October,
the people affirmed the selection at the
ballot box.
Before this the affairs of the State were
in a deplorable condition. The interest on
the public debt had not been paid by the
Loeofocos for some time, and Pennsylva
nia. had become a by-word and reproach
throughout the civilized world.
Well what did Governor Johnston do?
Why ono month after his induction into—
in August, 184 S, ho paid the interest
promptly, without resorting to the locofoco
expedient of a loan—a thing that had not
been done for years before—and ever since
it has been paid promptly, when duo in
gold and silver. But this is not all. The
very first year of his administration he
paid off a temporary loan of two hundred
thousand dollars, and a floating debt of
four hundred and sixty thousand dollars
left by the previous locofoco administra
tions. Nor is this all commenced
paying off the MAIN DEBT, which as
appears by his last annual message, was
decreased since the 30th November,
1848 over HALF A MILLION OF DOL
LARS ! Besides this, ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
has been paid for the completion of the
North Branch Canal, a work commenced
under previous locofoco administrations
and abandoned for want of funds. This
work will soon be completed, and then we
will have an important source of revenue
for the payment of the State Debt.
The crowning feature of Gov. Johnston's
administration has been the creation of a
SINKING FUND for the redemption of
the main debt. The act creating this fund
was recconnuended by Gov. Johnston, and
has thus far been eminently soccessful.—
During the year 1849 and 1850, there
was received into the Treasury on account
of this fund the handsome sum of $421,-
833 75 as appears by the la,st report of
the Auditor General, pages 126 27. This
sum was expended in the purchase of loans
of the funded debt amounting in the ag
gregate to $459,122 98.
It would be well for the people of Penn
sylvania to remember these truths. Gov.
Johnston has already .paid off a large
amount of the funded debt, and if contin
ued in office, he will be able during the
remainder of his term, to continue doing
so at the rate of nearly or quite ONE
MILLION OF DOLLARS PER AN
NUM, without any additional tax to the
people. Wo have here the ACTS of the
Whigs against the high toned profenionx
of the Locofocos.
40,677,214 68
Elect Johnston and Strohm, and this
gratifying state of things will oontinuc.—
But if the destinies of the Commonwealth
arc again committed to the opposition we
shall have a return of the days of Wolf,
Porter, and Shunk• and the State will
once more be plunged into irretrievable
ruin and embarrassment.
How to Draw the Sinners.
Several years ago we were a resident of
northwestern Louisiana, near the confines
of Texas. The people there, as a . gener
al thing, were not much given to religion.
An itinerant preacher happened along in
the neighborhood during this dearth of re
ligion, and set about repairing the walls
of Zion in good earnest: But his success
was poor. Not over half a dozen could
be got together at his Sunday meetings.—
Determined, however, to create an interest
before leaving the neighborhood, he pro
cured printed handbills and had them post
ed up in every conspicuous place in the dis
trict, which read to the following effect :
Religious Notice.--The Rev. Mr.
$40,677,214 68
NUMBER 33.
Blaney will preach next Sunday, in Damp
seys Grove, at 10 o'clock A. M., and at
4P. M., Providence permitting. Between
the services, the preacher will run his sor
rel mare, Julia, against any nag that can
be trotted in this region, for a purse of
five hundred dollars !"
This had the desired effect. People
flocked from all quarters, and the anxiety
to see the singular preacher was even great
er than the excitement following the chal
lenge. He preached an elegant sermon in
the morning, and after dinner he brought
out his mare for the race. The purse was
made up by five or six of the planters, and
an opposing nag produced. The preacher
rode his sorrel mare, and won• the day
amid the • deafening shouts, screams, and
yells of the delighted people. The con
gregation all remained to the afternoon
service, and at its close more than two .
hundred joined the church some from mo
tives of sincerity, some for the novelty.
of the thing, some for excitement, and
sonic because the preacher was a good fel
low. The finale of the affair was as flour
ishing a society as can be found in the
whole region thereabouts.—Spirt of the
Times. •
INDUSTRY
Every young man should remember that
the world always lute and always will hon
or industry. The vulgar and useless idler
whose energies of mind and body are rust
ed for the want of exercise, the mistaken
being who pursues amusement, as relief to
his enervated muscles, or engages in ex
ercises that produce no useful cud, may
look with scorn on the laborer engaged in,
his toil; but his scorn is praise; his con
tempt is au honor. Honest industry will
secure the respect of the wise and good
among wen, and yield the rich fruit of an
easy conscience, and give that hearty self
respect which is above all price; Toil on,
then young men and young women. Be
dilligent in business. Improve the heart
and the mind, and you will find " the well
spring of enjoyment in your own souls,"
and secure the confidence and respect of
all those whose respect is worth an effort
to obtain.
Cr." -- In Texas, a variety of Generals
present their claims for office. Besides
these the Houston Beacon publishes the
address of "General Internal Imrove
ments :" He wants to bo Governor, he
says he is a Democrat, and his policy car
ried out, canals shall be constructed across
every man's farm, every house shall be
shingled with biscuit, and framed with
Cheshire cheese, buckwheat cakes shall
grow will on the prairies, and the swamps
bafilled with molasses and springs of hot
coffee, and milk and honey shall fall from
the clouds.
EDWARD A. ITANNECIA N.-7h ix some
what noted and notorious personage, says
the New York Express, has been defeat
ed as a candidate for the Legislature of In
diana, by an eleventh hour nominee, who
owes his election to something like a coali
tion upon a point of local consideration, and
pretty much irrespective of politics. An
Indianapolis paper copies an extract from a
speech said to be delivered by Hon. Jas.
Barbour of Va, when a candidate to rep
resent his county in opposition to a very
illiterate follow, by the name of Davis, and
thinks that Hon. E. A. Ilannegan, Ex-M.
C., Ex-Chairnian of the Committee on For
eign Relations, Rjt-Senator of the U.
States, and Ex-Minister Plenipotentiary to
Prussia might just now make a similar
speech, in view of his recent defeat for
the petty office of member of the Indiana
Legislature . .
Fellow-citizens, said etov. Barbour, I
had the honor to represent my county for
several years in the Assembly of Virginia.
I was for some years Governor of this an-.
cient Commonwealth ;' I was for a consid
erable time a representative of this district
in the Congress of the United States ; I
had, fellow citizens, at a subsequent period,
the honor to hold a seat in the most
august legislative body in the world, filo
Senate of the United States ; at another
period I had the place of the Secretary of
the War department in the administratieti
of John Quincy Adams, and was after
wards Minister Plenipotentiary and Am-,
hasssador Extraordinary near the Court of
St. James ; and now, fellow citizens, you
may picture to yourselves the humiliation
that I feel at finding myself hero to-day
engaged in a damned little pitiful county
contest with Tom Davis."