The Greensborough patriot [January 13, 1855]

              VOL. X
♦ ■mxw. <»
asrrr-r.. GKEEXSBOROUGH, N. C, JANUARY 13, 1855. NO. 814.
pnsuslllvi) WEEKLY
BY M. S. SHERWOOD.
Ternm ■"•- :l 5"car> 'El :*''Viiiico;
*., - , ... ill in i i/As, mid SU.OQ after iteelve
mi date ofttibscriplion,
■■;.:'.■« «>i advertising.
• - ' iltecn li:i''-) for the fust
v-iiv.? cents for fiviry week there-
■ ;.i favor ol standingadver
- ;
■ <NT«!°
i (i
r.oo
■ : i ■>
I! :-.■■')
fi "ONTIIS. 1 YKAR
- 5.90 $8.00
10.00 14.00
1 •i'll 20.00
2").0U 35.00
m.■-..'
©ommanicatimt.
A Remarkable Dream—* Whioh was
n t all a Droam.'
' -'.'. '■:'■: '.if PATtUOT.]
■ i •_.! . •■ ;. I.I :: • '••:•: account of
lu> little town of N ,
inn.- in its way. pleasantly
i 'i_. i • • : • a very desirable
l"ie present time
MI] :■ r arti.di s or materials in the
: ili ■.._!. ii .- v.. i 1 supplied with
ill :• •_■•- an I • ■on i'i r-j. ■:••.!. bad and in-ilif.'
crciit, the two la«t <•!,■ -, Ii< never, greatly
I In .
In a f !'"» 1 ii formed you of
•'■■:•■". n of N
' ■• '/. • i. ili • i Indites, the Hit-
. • 11 .. . and the Man-
!i it!ii:i. ■ :!>• y have flour-li.
ti .... •HI II i, ;. !■> which the
IIIIII !i nut t • I Ii contrary, and
.i r ;■ ited ancestors
I rib -; :i Man-axsite
..!.:; iturc of a Know-
• ._ I mean a natural
iv in -. b' an affectation and
■ v ■'..:, . i ,' i.is intellect;
■, hv - i i ard to grow
up; i r lip endeavours
-■■■■•.• 1 i ' _ii and evidence
n leilibry stamped upon
|
lorn • itnniuiiicatioii pave you
nut. ol'thc ('■'ri4i Mir/natornin S'un-m
vvliieb certain ancient, blue-stocking
liad ■■-:• i.':'■-!.>•! here, fur the purpose
:.t. 1 augmenting the young men
. an 1 for I!I ■ ; urji ~e of investigating,
civin ' [Ti'iiter v>|thli,'itv lo am little private
scandal thai might originate;—and I promised
: that time to repint for vou sontfl of the trials
said court, Lining made arrangements with
rk, Mi-- Spitfire, Ibr I hat purpose. Hut
have g ine hard with me since I last wrote
fatuih . like all "ti:1 r families in this
ii Teased very lie!, and my merchant
iti HI ill diaper, little
in lei. M thai i Ii . ! Ciilleludcd'tO
irse, I'o" it had ad-dowuward
road and was pro-iduous
velocity, that I
II it lony since land-
. n i!— it i- owing I" the
t I - in ira\el. having been origin-from
w!i ■;•■• old Nicholas
...!. I had concluded, I
, •,. H .ih any of my
. uir the v. -akucss of poor
II : la.-t tlli ili "'i I hii-lmas
. : in :i -n. II; ■■ ] lace; where,
in tu -iv. but i' was not in a bed,
n . as :i w "i! pile. How
I I, id i r i :i 1 ,i-t a dozen drinks,
i i:ij; ' 'i least ineou-
. . ml 11 i-n : i think ll. ' just one drink,
I MI alii i me '. But 1
mil while I slumbered
. :,. ■ i.- iar. ible droam, which I
lit.- for it■ di 1 s in a great de-
, for as he -:r.v the angels
■; from heaven ;
• ; ;. different color,
... II: :L diiferct direc-tion
i. 1 I'I a »ht that I had retired
of i he t. .-vii to meditate
ii. cast about to see if
• ; i awit the evil destiny
: over it ; when quite
mil myself in the presence of
•\.: • ■. • . ,.-■ :■-:-■ ii.My. Ihe chief
i-iii |i okiiig old fellow; he was
■ . _' i; two horns grew out of
i. II nl mid long tail the
pointed and barbed like unto
n. The rest were all seated
i i I r< mark ■ I that they also
I . no II tiue ol' any horns.—
■tlv nt home, were free and
. in-. as th "i_ii they were
.- i:i this vicinity, and from the
[li citizens of the place,
. ■•! i • I ■ nnHI very social and familiar
tofth inhabitants. They laugh-dab
:• tii • church \, in.' shut up.
Ii ling ii Ivertised (or sale,
• In I found the citizens much
«ible ever since that bell had
' ' "ogin .. 11.,. old fellow with a slouched
'■ ■-'■'■_ . ;■■■•; great credit to himself
for the hand he had in bringing about that event; ( a great eve-sore to me ; for though the sound of
and another old fellow, old Bald-Face, insisted i that sweet ton'd bell is no longer beard floating on
that uc was equally entitled to credit with Red- j the breeze of a still sabbath morning, and though
Eye ; old Holland didn't say anything, but gave ' the gateway, and the doors, arc choked up with
some gla.sses a very .significant rattle, as though . weeds and grass, yet that old brick wall, though
be also might put in his claims to distinction. ' dumb, preaches to the people, and that so loudly
But old Mammon, he that used to walk the ', that I have known some of my stoutest friends to
streets of heaven, looking down on the golden be seized with a trembling when they passed be-pavcnienls,
remarked that he had been instilling! Death the shade of its lofty steeple, for it is even
his principles into that town too long, not to be as old David sung,
entitled tosome of the credit of closing theehurcb; ; ' Beautiful K.r situation, the joy of the whole
that preachers, ministers and all those who stood earth is mount Zioo. God is know in her palaces
upon the walls of Zion and blew the trumpet in for a refuge ; for lo, the kings were assembled.
favor of Heaven's high King, were like other sol- they passed by together, they saw it. were trou-diers,
if you cut off their supplies, they were com- bled and hasted away; fear took hold upon thctn
pelled to desert the field of action; that either to there, and pain as of a woman in travail.'
preach or to light successfully required a full " But take it aH in all this ia a great place, and
stomach; that there had been several strong and very much to my notion, so much so, that li.r the
valiant men, who had Stood up in th.it church, last twelve months, I have been in the habit o.
with a shield and a breastplate, against which old bringing some of my best friends to reside here
Red-Eye and Bald-face never could have prevail- l°r a short time, and the citizens become so attach-ed,
had not 1 induced the people to withdraw the ''"l *" them, that when they desire to leave, they
necessary supplies, thereby co-npelling these aro compelled to do so, without giving any prcvi-chatiipious
to retire from the fight. I uns notice of their intention; and as soon as it is
'J he contest between these worthies Was be-! discovered that they ate gone, you can see old
coming quite warm and exciting; when the old Sir Richard, tramping the streets, with a bundle
chief, Diabolus, arose, curled his tail over his of papers, which he calls attachments, hunting
left shoulder, and commanding silence, thus de-i fofsomc old shoe, or shirt, to preserve I suppose
livercd himself. I as mementos, of the dear departed. I have often
'• Friends and cobborers, cense this inglorious touched till my tail tied itself into a complete
strife and contention ; great honor and praise is' double-bow-knot, to see the rush of the citizens
justly due to each and every devil of von ; by "'ll'r ,'1,'*1! old relics, lie that left R few weeks
your ardent and unceasing devotion to mv cause "'-'" w:ls •'' v"-'i'y particular friend of mine; I found
you have enshrined yourselves within mv inner-' '"'" :i" "P1 scholar, and trained him well; that
most heart; you, old Red-Eye, and you,old Bald- was nicely duae in him, getting them three dollars
Face, have peopled my kingdom with the choicest ' '"'" ''"' '-ener.-il. I rogiet t> say, however, that
sons of men ; you have pervaded every country mi last Sunday a friend of u line wlii w:.s si Hi ii:
by'
some of my enemies and asrested with a warrant
for breaking the sabbath ; I am not at all pleased
hought that the old court house bell and the
ehuroh bell bad kittened and tliat the infernal |
regions bad sent up all its young devils to cele-brate
and rejoice over the event.
Now as to tlie knownotbings, I know-nothing,
but I merely wish to give them warning that the !
Devil is about, and has his eye upon them ;—his
friends were out in considerable force on last i
Saturday night. The'peaeeblc and quiet citizens
of the plaee having assembled in the court house
to enjoy a musical concert, some of the Devil's |
agents, being envious of the exclusive privileges
which the cows and sheep had so long enjoyed of
wearing bells, and no doubt considering them-selves
on equal footing with the horned anl but-ting
portion of creation, equipt themselves with
bells and marched up and down the streets, much
to their own edification, and greatly to the anoy.!
atiee of respectable people.
A spirit of dancing has seized upon the people.
Now 1 see no great harm in dancing, but like |
every thing else it should be performed by per-sons
adapted thereto by nature. And surely
some of our citizens would never have thought of
milking themselves so ridiculous, had they not
been inaved thereto by the Devil. I attended a
dancing party a few nights since, and every varie-ty
ofinotioii was gone through: some broke flax,
others cut sausage meat; some went through the
motion of a person that had fallen on his stern at
the top of the stairs and wentbumpingfromstep to
stop unlil he reached the bottom : some hoed po-tatoes
; s.nne imitated the opossum ; some a
stringhaltcd horse; am! some the drunken man.
so well, that a stranger would have thought it na-tural.
As to our In lies, they dance like they do
every thing else, well and gracefully. A.
and traversed every clime, while death and dc- appl. s in th* streets, was driven out at to
struetion have followed close upon your footsteps;
and while others have done well, yet none have
brought more to an untimely and dishonored grave : wi,il ,,,is bn;».sitiou upon my friends; I fear it
than you my trusty and faithful subjects ; none ' ,""l's '""•cause no good, and that there are still
have broken more hearts, or caused more weeping ?omc righteous men here who have never bowed
and distress throughout the land. Nor, oh Mam- . ,l,c ^'"'e '" ''Xl' '• ,li'" 'v''" cannot bear to see
i i. would I forget your great and impra-iaitfl tkc Sabbath broken, without putting the law in
services ; but you need no tollgUC to speak your . ,;""c'- ,'l!"1 ''■' VWfiht a repetition of the act, very
praise or to record your trophies; cast your eyes w's«-'l*" '«ke all the man's apples themselves. It
over the land and behold the stately palaces of! '*lhis «>"cumstanec that has earned me to call
the rich, and their insatiable avarice, then seel ,l,is l'ri'MI" meeting, for, 1 am utterly astounded
bow the cause of missions and till benevolent so- I "l lhis :""1 "'' insubordination in our strong hold ;
cicties languish lor want of funds, ami behold.th it is intolerable and not to be endured. Those
INAUGURATION OFGOV BRAGG.
On Monday, January 1st, Thomas Bragg, Esq.,
of Northampton,'was inaugurated as Governor of
North Carolina. The ceremony, took place in
the Commons Hall, in the presence of the mem-bers
of the two Houses of the General Assembly,
the Judges of the Supreme Court, anda large con-course
of spectators. The oaths of ofhicc were
administered by Chief Justice Nash, with much
solemnity and imprcssiveness ; alter which (Jov.
Bragg arose and delivered the following Address..
prisons, workshops, and all the vile sinks ol towns | fcw ",Mni """" wl"' "^n'1 1"'ar ,u R0C aM*» **& ""
the sabbath, must be disposed ofin some way.
'■ I greatly fear that this new order, called the
Know-nothings is getting a foothold in this town:
have .lone yeoman service; cease then this use- I if so>.«,r daJ * ovori ''"r ,llis know-nolhingism
k»a utriio, ..,,.1 lei us consult together as to the ! °Ot only beats the Devil, but it is playing the
best method of retaining the allegiance of this | VVT deva wil,",ur prospects all over the land;
and cities filled with miserable wretches, crushed
and trodden down with the iron heels of mam-mon,
ion have all been faithful .servants and
town, which has long been one of our best and
most faithful allies, and in which we have so
for wherever it takes root, we may just as well
gather up our tails and be off. Now 1 go for the
many devoted followers, men that will do to tie i 1Ui'" th,mf' :1,ld »l*mi«nato all secret associations,
(,, J from which I am excluded.- The Masons are a
" Several years aw 1 selected this town by way ' v'"'-' Se^tlemanly set of follows, and never fail to
of experiment, to see how near I could come in inform me of their meetings and to invite my
removing every obstacle to the exclusive establish, i l't,s"":l1 attendance, but these Know-nothings act
ment of my own cau.se ; and to this end I brought I as '1'""-h th<V ,V"h>t ,i,l0W anything about the
all mv forces to bear upon it. and had so far -uc- : 1>,vii- and -v;'' '-1"'-' are ",:i]<'"'" a (lcvil ofa fu8S
cecdcil. that twelve month ago, you will recollect,
we felicitated ourselves ujmn our unparalleled
success, and concluded that oar friends here were
so well trained that they no longer needed any
all over the country, and yet at the same time who
the devil they are the Devil himself can't tell.
'• Now my great plan in all thc-e little towns,
hasjiccn to keep the citizens divided up into lit-aid
or assistance from the Devil, and in fact 1 had I * «H« arraJed i'-:,i"st •** other> and l!,i>
almost concluded to send some of my young mips ] l,k" has bcretofore worked most admirably here.
.here to .taikeilessons in .tihe art andi mystery o!f■! \\ hen did the •vo. tin-s folks ever have a 'iiarty that
d,cvi.,llrv—l,.or to .tel,li,tihe trut.h, , some ol,. m"y ,f.ri■ e n d,s • some of them did'ut s~et mad, 7 And vJ ou will rc-
,. , ,. , i ■„■ , ! collect, what a great fuss 1 kicked un among them
here have performed some teats so brilliant, as at- * " ,
most to sh, ame thi e Dr>evi-li*,uh:imseulf-; andiihave adI- about the g■ r a v e -yard. . I don t, know wh-y. they*
... , , , i,- 11 oloected to be buried togctner unless it was
v.ineed so tar, that when Iain among them. 1 led •' .,'..,.. .
, . , , , . .,--.! because I made e.-ch denomination believe, that ■ onto rusty ; ha, na. he, what a glorious thing it
was, .in our parti•cu,la.r .m-en!d to steali .tihat. ol1d1 w,h.en ,I come to gather, up' m•v sub.jects,. I o. nly
, .,, ,. ,. „ ., i visited the craveyarGs ol the other cnurclies.
long tins d lawyer s cabbage ; poor fellow, the " •
, , ,",,.,. , . , I louwillalsorecollect that when the ladies founded
worms had only leit Imu a dozen ; it was a good
joke, but I dout much fancy this stealing from
a society, to send the bible to the heathen, I had
them all by the ears and the society broken up
before even one shirt had been made, and just by
way of amusement, until 1 can start something
I Letter. 1 have raised a great bone of contention
alter th.« doctors (whom I always except) the
among them about the location ol the Kail Load
the lawyers, it looks too much like imposing upon
our particular friends, for I spend many social
and agreeable hours with the lawyers, and in lact i >
are the best company I find ; there is a degree
of refinement in their rascality that is quite re-freshing
and agreeable to my taste. I have du-ing
the last year occasionally visited this town,
not because I deemed it necessary, but just for
amusement; and because I am a good deal like
the old man who taught his grand-son to play
droughts,
'To teach his grandson draughts,, then
His leisure he'd employ,
I'litill at last the old man
W <s beaten b) the boy*'
So these folks have so much improved upon my
teaching, that whenever I get a little rusty in the know-notbfigs are SO bitter against me, / cant
Deviltry, I pay them ■ visit, and on such occa-sions
1 never fail to get a new wrinkle on my
horn and a i'^w kinks in my tail ; they aro deci-statioii.
It requires but very little to keep them
in an everlasting stew. But from what I can
learn of the Know-nothings, it seems tube their
great object to heal up all these dissenlioii-, and
to put down me and my particular friend tin
Pope. 1 have therefore collected you all here
during the t'hristmas holidays, to make, one
grand effort to block the game on these Know-nothings;
and now, old Red-Eye, old Bald-Face,
ifyou love your master, work; I feel my honor,
my all at stake, for if the Devil cant hold h! o:.n
here, I dont know where in the devil tog i. Why
me nothmgs arc so bit I
understand, fof surely I am no foreigner, but »
native of this place. But let every devil of J0U
do bis duty—let each and every tribe be opt rated
■ledly a great people, living epistles, to be read ,,n . let all my know nothings I meal; the natural
and studied by all young Devils, who aspire to j knownothings. i be armed and equipt with bells.
any eminence in the cause of their mister. 1 I .„„j ict them rattle the same, and blow upon tin
happened to be present when that old codger horns, until they raise such a hclla'jalloo, that
who lives near the Kail Koad bridge discovered everyone of these rascally Knownothings, shall
his old hen and chickens in another man's coop : be frightened out of the country, then shall we
[ enjoyed that much more than 1 did the trick r,>ign here, supreme and unmolested; and let
of stealing the lawyer's cabbage. I sincerely re- this town henceforth be called "IshmaeL"
regret, however, that 1 was not present, to give I hcaid no more, for just at this point T was
aid and counsel, in that brilliant move made by awakened by the most awful noise and uproar,
some of my friends not long since to sell the that ever-alutedjnortal ears; it was a httorogeuc-uicetiie'-
bousc stove ; that move successfully car- ,„ls> conglomerated sound of rattle traps, nun's
lied out would have beeu a great kiuk in my horns, tin trumpets, and bells, mixed up with the
tail • for I toll vou my friends, that old church is most abominable yell) and screams; 1 verily
Fellnw Citizen*
ofIhe Senate and House nf Cunirnoni:
Elected by a majority of the freeman of the
State, to fill the Chief Kxeeutive office within their
gift, 1 have, in obedience to their will and the re-quirements
of the Constitution, appeared before
you this day, and solemnly SWOrn that I will dis-charge
the duties of the important trust confided
tome, "without favor or affection, agreeably to
the Constitution and laws of the State, and accor-ding
to the best of my skill and ability."
Seriously impressed as I am by the responsi-bilities
thus solemnly assumed, and which arc so
Well calculated to excite reflection and self-ex-amination,
I shall enter upon the discharge of my
duties, not without distrust of my qualifications
for the high station to which it has pleased my
fellow citizens to elevate me; but, at the same
time, with an earnest endeavor, not only to obtain
the approbation of those whose suffrages I have
received, but also to advance and secure the wel-fare
and prosperity of my native State.
Fortunately, however, for myself and for the
best interests of the State. I shall not be unaided
in tlte execution of my office. For while to the
freemen of the State belongs the power of electing
their Governor, to the General Assembly, under
the Constitution, is confided the selection of bis
Council—a Lody which it will IHJ my duty as wc'I
as my pleasure, on all important occasions, to con-sult,
and in whose ivL-lom and experience I shall
at all times confidently rely.
It has not been usual, I believe, for those who
have preceded me in my office, to enter fully, on
occasions like the present, into an expression of
their opinions and views upon questions pending
before the people or in the Legislative Halls of
the State. Nor, I suppose, is it expected of me
now to depart from a course, sanctioned by usage,
and perhaps proper in itself. Vet, 1 am now,
and trust I ever shall be ready, on all proper occa-sions,
to express my opinions and take my fair
share of responsibility touching every question
which may concern the interests, the welfare and
the prosperity of our people.
L hope, however, in order to avoid misconcep-tion,
that 1 shall be pardoned for a slight depar-ture
from the usage to which I have adverted, in
now making a brief referen' J '■> some matters of
public moment, which hitherto have < ?cn much
discussed throughout i"' »tnte, and in relation to
which there has been and is Hill a deep and abi-ding
interest felt.
Prominent among these has been the question
of so amending our State Constitution, as to ex-tend
the right of suffrage, byabrogating the free-hold
qualification for Senatorial voters. It would
be a waste of words, as well as useless consump-tion
of l hue, io discuss the merits ofthat question
here; it has already been thoroughly discussed,
tnd in my opinion there is no question in regard
to which,there '...-• been i clearer and less equiv-
■- .! ezpreaniou of public tciitimi nt.
Time and : g.ii.i has it come L-. Ib,e ihe p topie,
and on every occasion, through the broad c; - ■:;.-■
of the State] i tid from the sea shore of the East
to the mountain summit- of the West, their voice
has been heard in its favor.
In our la.-: State canvass h censed to be a sub-ject,
upon the merits of which, sav, v,i,l. here
and there . .i exception, there •.:..- a:.y ccnt;o.er-sv.
It was virtually conceded i n all hands, that
the amendment waa one not only desired by a
very large majority of our [• ople, but which was
right and proper in itself. If controversy there
was, it was only as to the means of effecting the
change ; whether it should Le done Iv the Legis-lative
or Conventional mode ofamending the Con-stitution.
I need not at length reiterate here my
opinions on that subject; they wore freely and re-peatedly
expressed in almost every section of the
State, and were substantially the same that were !
entertained and expressed time after time, both
officially and unofficially, by my immediate prede- ,
cessor. It will be sufficient forme to say that
I have seen no cause to change these opinions,
sanctioned as they have been, so often, by the po-pular
vote.
- Changes in our fundamental law should not be
made fur slight or transient reasons. The wise men !
who formed our Constitution, so intended, and:
they have well provided, in the instrument itself,
safeguads again-t such o\ ils. 15m when a change |
is proposed which all or m ariy all agree should be
made, a careful consideration of the subject has
led me to the conclusion that there is no way in !
which it can be done, so practicable, so economical
and withal so safe and conservative in its charac-ter,
as th it of first-.X'qiiiriug the sanction of the
targe Constitutional majorities in each braush of
two successive Legislatures, and the subsequent '
ratification of the proposed >.i: liuent, by a ui-feet
Vote of the people themselves.
There is another subject that has attracted in a I
large degree, the attention of the people of the i
State, and which, from its very great importance,
deserves more thin the brief notice which I shall \
bestow upon it on the present occasion. 1 allude |
to the subject of intertill improvement.
The natural resources of our St itc. in an ,-gri-cultural,
mineral and commercial point of view.
are certainly great; but they need the assistance ;
of those artificial means which the science and j
capital of our day have so wonderfully supplied,
to the end that they may be improved and de-',
veloped. These are facts about which ail will.
agree, while there may bo sumo difference ofopin-ion
as to the extent to which the State should
embark in a system of Railroad improvements,!
especially at this time. Wild and visionary
schemes should at all times be discouraged, anil j
especially now; we have seen the evil elicits of
such enterprises in other Slates of the I'nion, I
where millions have been irretrievably sunk in
unproductive works of the kind, and which has:
tended in no little degree, to produce the present
disastrous condition in the monetary affairs of the
country.
But fortunately for North Carolina, though the
financial wave which has spread from the great
coinmecial centre of the I'nion, has not left her
unharmed, yet her public debt is comparatively
small, and entirely within her means ; her credit
is unimpaired, her curn ncy in a sound through
necessarily contracted condition, and the great
mass of her people comparatively free from debt
and unembarrassed in their circumstances.
While, therefore, the present derangement in |
the business and monetary concerns of the coun-try
counsels us tothe exercise ofa proper prudence
and caution, it should not. in my opinion, prevent
the prosecution of illiberal system of improvement, ;
and especially the completion of our great centra)
work, and its further extension East and West, '
as rapidly as may be consistent with the means,
the ability and the credit of the Suite.
It must be admitted by all that the present
financial revulsion, brought about as it has been,
mainly by the extravagance, recklessness, and in
some eases dishonesty of individuals and corpora*
tions in other sections of the country, has largely
increased the difficulties under which we labor in
prosecuting, for the present any extended plan of:
improvement. But the great and well-known re-sources
of the country, and the deep and solid :
foundations upon which rests its ultimate prosperi- \
ty, cannot fail, at an early day, to restore business
to its accustomed channels, and cause capital to
seek for safe investment, and thus enable the
State, if she desires it, to resort successfully, as
she has done heretofore, to the use of her credit,
for the prosecution of her public works, a:id the
amelioration of the condition of our people.
We live in a time, if 1 may so speak, of ex-cessive
progress: and I know that it has been
said, perhaps with sonic truth, that North Caroli- j
na has been a laggard in the race of her sister
States. But there are times when it is safer, at
least, to be in the rear than in the front. She
has thrown off her lethargy, and 1 trust that time
W'll .-how that she has the means, the ability, and
the ■'/// to run with success the race sot before
her.
A few words more, and I will trespass no lon-ger
upon your time or attention.
Occasions like the ore-cut, though of frequent
occurrence in the different States of our union,
and in a still more striking and imposing man- [
ner, at the seat of our National Gqvemuieut, are, !
nevertheless, well calculated to excite in our bos- .
omsa patriotic fervor. Not because of the eleva-tion
of any man to office, and least of all one 'o
humble as myself, but as illustrating, peculiarly .
and forcibly, our own Ann rican system oft vern-ment;
a system intended by its IVaue :- t • solve,
and which it hasbecn our boast has - lied, the |
problem of man's capacity i" u vein himself—a.
system peculiar in ii v'.''. an ' .ol-!' • in oi.ie de-gree
out" of our peculiar situation when it wa in-I
stituted—partly federative jr national—partly lo-1
cal—one sut of many;—a system clciilateu _ -r-baps
in a greater degr v for ■ • t i. • •:. and at the '
•alee litu" for unit\ a ■■! strength, th-oi any othi r
form of free government hitherto devincd by the
witofmr.n,—with no privileged classes,, civil, mil-itary,
or religious—no prince, potentate or king—
no rulers but the people with the laws adopted un- i
der forms of government instituted by them-
Selves, and administered by officers of their own
selection.
We have .-con one Chief Executive officer after
another, both in our State and National Govern-ments,
elected by the people, and installed in of-fice,
quietly and without disturbance, and again
returning to thetralks of private life. In two in-
Uuiees iu our National'Jovcrntncnt, "i the de-mise
ofthe President of the r.v'.ti'l States, the
Viie President lias succeeded ijnietly to that ex-altcd
station. And iu our own Stale it appear) j
diet i. re than once, upon the vacation of thi-g i-1
bernato: iai office, the powers oi Cov raor, in sc. ;
coiJ Ji2( with the ; i ivlsi ins of the Constitution, j
bav :,e :i exercised bj ti.; : pcakorufthe Senate j
;'.. the time being, without hindranci and with-1
oat detriment to the State : thus testing tima and
again our system of Government under venous
circumstances and emergencies, and showing-a
ready acquiescci»ce on the part of our people to
forms and laws prescribed by thcmselvua.
In view of these thing-, the question naturally
suggests itself to every reflecting and patriotic
mind, can this system be preserved and perpetua-ted
* Will it b« maintained in all its beauty, bar- I
*(*•£■
mony and usefulness, and transmitted unimpaired
to those who come after as 1 Or docs it contain
within itself the seeds of disease, some vicious
principle which sooner or later will work its disso-lution
:
Hitherto, notwithsfandingtlic occasional jarring
of some discordant elements, ll has proved CHIN
nently successful. But it is believed that it can
only continue to be so, by strictly confining the
action ofour National Covcrmncut to its limited
constitutional sphere, leaving to the States the
free and Uninterrupted exercise of all the powers
reserved to them or !o the people—by tin obser-vance
of a spirit of ju-t ice. moderation and for-bearance
towards each other, by the different
Stiles of the I'liion and then- people, and by a
faithful compliance with all their obligations con-stitutional
and legal.
If on ihe contrary, the powers of the General
Government, instituted by Dquals.and made for
the benefit of us all, are so perverted and wielded
as to make war upon one particular section—if
the peculiar institutions of the State-- of that sec-tion
arc to be unceasingly assailed by those who
have properly and rightfully no concern in the
matter—if our Constitutional rights and the laws
passed to give thcin practical effect, are to be ut-terly
set at naught and in their stead a rampant
and self-sanctified fanaticism is lo rule, then the
days of our republic will have been numbered,
and we shall cease to be a united people.
We cannot shut our eyes, and ought not if wo
could, to the spectacle which lias lately been pre-sented
in the noti-slaveliolding States of this Un-ion,
and to the efforts which have there been
made, unfortunately with too much Buccees, to ar-ray
section against section, and people against
people.
We have been cha-ged with aggression, when
we have been tin-party aggrieved; we point, for
example, to the constitutional provision for the re-clamation
of our property, and Hsk for the execu-tion
of the law passed to give it practical effect
We are told by many that that law must be re-pealed,
and by not a few, that there is a " higher
law" than the Constitution itself, in the breasts
of Northern freemen, and that the free North is
not to be made a hunting ground for the slaves of
the South. We ask to be admitted to an equal
purtkiration in the common inheritance and com-mon
acquisitions of the country, and are content
to leave with every people the'settlement of its
own domestic relations in it- own way. But we
arc told that slavery must be confined to its pres-ent
limits, and that there shall be no more slave
territories or slave State-.
The day may come, perhaps it will be too |ale,
when our Northern brethren will discover that
the Southern States intend to be "equals in the
I'nion, or independent out of it"
God grant that this dire alternative may never
be presented to us ! Hitherto we have been sin-gularly
blessed iissi people, and if we arc wise and
walk in His way, we have every reason to believe
that a wonderful destiny awaits "us.
May He so incline the hearts of us all that we
may cease to do evil, and learn to do well ; and
that we may sacredly maintain in all their integ-rity,
the glorious institutions handed down to us
by our ancestors, and transmit them unimpaired
to our latest posterity.
Tin X'lr Cut pieces, it is said, will bo issued
from the Mint in the coarse of a few days. They
aro considerably smaller than the old cent pieces,
and form an attractive copper coin. On one sido
is the head of Liberty, and. the thirteen Stars be-ing
omitted, the Mirf'aee is plain and polished.
The reverse is the 81 in desigiias the old cent,
but brighter ami much more finished. There is
a certain amount of alloy mixed with the copper,
and the perfection of the din gives to the coin a
finish that has never before been attained in our
copper coinage.
Remit of Ylelorlr*.—A late letter from Lon-don
says: Over (.1)0,000 have been collected in
aid of the wives and children of the dead and
wounded soldicrr. Trade suffers dreadfully.
The West Km! .hop- arc }■:■ rally deserted. Half
of the aristocracy arc in mourning for tlie death of
kinsmen in the Crimea, and all limey sales are
ended. The usual quantity of amusements I balls
Act is curtailed for the same cause. K-.ery
third person 1 meet i.- in mourning.
tBf Thompson, the murd - of Miss Pberr,
seems to have had a hard time if it sim
quittal. He he* been hung in Gtgy in Fincastle,
in Buchanan, in Salem, aid in (IhriUiansburg,
I'I-I inn : in 1 b:iv i-d in clfi ;* on Main itrcet in
!,ynel.hu.*g. All iigl.*. Kvcn if innocent ofthe
murder,, he deserves uchtrea'ia ntforh! un rul-ing
remarks about 111 "',-.,..;; ,.„,,.,,.. ^t,.^ wni]e
her heart-broken friem , re dep.«i ting the body
iu the grave.—Ahiinjilon Virginian.
A Fa* People.—The Delegafa in Congress
from Kansas bus already introduced a bill to aid
the peopleof that new Territory iu constructing a
rail road.
Anolhor Steam /,/i/<.—Steam eommunicnt', n
has been established between Wilmington, North
Carolina, and Philadelphia. The new steamship
North ('arolina has made one trip. She is to make
three trips a month.
f&f A lady friend of ours, say-, the Gi -t
time she wa* kt-sed by a young man, site
felt like a bi^ !""> of roses swimming in hon-ey,
cologne, nuttne r t.i-1 sweetmeats. She
felt as ii' birds of paradise were running
through her veir.a on feet of diamonds escor-ted
by several little enpids in char!' ts drawn
by ingcls, shaded by honey-suckles, the
whole spread over by incited rainbows and
otto of roses. Jerusalem '. what power there
is in a full-breasted kiss. Try it, girls.
[Exchange.
Pshaw ! that's no comparison at all to
how we felt more than once last week. W
have no idea bow the first one we ever '
made us fed, but if it was any better o
the last one, we don't see bow fff ..'"^'l
it.—ii'ijaii. ■WTf. Ctf