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About Daily chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1837-1876 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1847)
CIIRONICLK AND SENTINEL BY X W. lt~W. 3. JONES. OAIL v, - TBRMS —D«il/P»P* r > Pf “"1““' * d ” n "':* 5 KSSikM - 2 . SH <^YSTEM. —In n« case will anorder for the paper be attended to, unless accompanied with tne ■aoney, and in every insUncewhen the time for which i.ny subscription may be paid, expires before there ceipt of funds to renew the same, the paper will discontinued. Depreciated funds received at value in his city. John Randolph, of Roanolce. links written at his grave. Sleeps he here 7 on whose lips Senates have hung. Enraptured and epell-bound, with wit s brilliant What! rests here in silence that soul-thrilline tongue Whose echo’s could gladden, or sear, or inspire . No monument rising in sculptured relief, is storied with virtues, unknown, unpossess d : in the kingliest pride of an Indian chief. The granite unhewn tells the spot of his rest. Now hushed is that voice, whose unmusical tone Often startled in wildness and victory won— For beneath a tall pine tree reposeth alone Powhattan’s descendant, Virginia s son. His mind was his kingdom, as the wind stirreth fire, His words kindled light, that freezingly shone, Congealing sweet friendship—creating fierce ire, Leaving him amid comets, a meteor alone. The blaze of his dark eye can chain us no more, Or the acorn of his proud lip raise blushes of shame, For the withering spell of that shrill voice iso er, And nameless he sleeps in the grave of his fame. O’er his head waves the pine tree, in emerald plumes, And o’er it the ravens in harsh murmurs cry, At his feel the loved river, whose wild flower per fumes Are shed through the forest when evening draws nigh. Sleep on, fearless man, and forever unbroken Thy dust shall repose by \ irginia’s wave, And silently guard, with the words thou hast spoken, The rights of the freeman! the soil of the brave. [Caleb Young. Famine In Ireland. The late news from Europe is filled with most heart-rending accounts of the calamity which has befallen poor unfortunate Ireland. Many j of the accounts are probably exaggerated, for effect at home and abroad, but the following letter detailing the labors of William Forster, who was appointed by the Religious Society of Friends in London and Dublin to make a visit of inspection through the most destitute districts of Ireland, and dispense temporary relief to the sufferers, affords internal evidence, apart from the character of the writer, of its faithful por traiture of the suffering and distress of that un fortunate people. We subjoin a part of this highly interesting narrative, and hope to lay the remainder before the readers of the Chronicle. on Monday: A Letter from Joseph Crossfeld. containing a Narrative of the Jirst week of William Forster's Visit to some of the Distressed Districts in Ire- j land. Liverpool, 12 mo. 9lh, 1846. In fulfilment of a promise made to my dear friend, William Forster, of furnishing thee with a narrative of his proceedings during the time of my travelling with him as his companion in Ire land, I avail myself of the first opportunity of doing so, since my landing at Liverpool this morning. During William Forster’s stay in Dublin, he was occupied in making arrangements for his journey and in attending a meeting of the Re- i lief Committee which was engaged in fully cor recting their address, and in reading correspon dence on the subject ofthe distress. An inter view with Henry Lahouchere, the chief secre tary for Ireland, followed: W. F. was received with much cordiality and kindness, and the se- ' .cretary promised assistance in promoting his ' y lews by any means in his power, even offering j to grant a letter to the police otficers through 1 the country should it be thought advisable. The same evening W. F. travelled byway of Kildare and Tullamore to Clara in the King’s \ county, where he lodged at Robert Goodbody’s. i On third day morning, the Ist inst., accompa- ! nied by Dr. Bewley, a benevolent and active i citizen of Moate, and myself, W. F. went down ; intura wild and lawless district, called Ballina- j hown, where great distress is now at present j existing. “ The first cabin visited was occupied 1 bv a man and his wife, with four children, in i possession of about two acres of ground, from which, however, he had not obtained any crop of potatoes whatever. This man had a small stock of meal and was working on the public road earning lOd per day, so that until his food is exhausted, he is living intolerable comfort, at least free from the immediate fear of famine. In tlie next cabin the mistress of the house stated that they had pawned almost every article in the 1 place to purchase food, but that her husband was now at work upon the public roads at JOd 1 per day. In this cabin was the remains ofsome decent furniture, and the family have evidently been reduced in their circumstances by the pressure of the times, and the woman of the house evinced a reluctance to accept charity that would not have been the case had they not experienced a decline in life. In the next cabin there lay on a miserable bed. to which he had been confined for six days, a boy of about seventeen years of age, whose gaunt haggard face and wasted limbs, and the extremely reduced state of his pulse, told far more of famine than of disease. In this cabin, which had seven inhabitants, the only support was from the daily 10 pence earned by the fa ther of the family, but as the mistress of the house stated, that to give each of them as much a? they could eat, half a stone of meal, costing 13d would be daily required, some idea of the inadequacy of this to their maintenance may be formed. This woman gladly undertook to walk seven miles to Athione, the nearest place at which animal food could be procured, to make a little broth for her son. Close by the village stands Billinahowu House, a large, old, ruinous mansion, the property of a wealthy merchant in Dublin, who never resides on the estate. The adjoining village of Kilgarvan is also the proper ty of this individual, and here many scenes of misery presented themselves. In "a w retched ho\el by the roadside, live two poor women ad vanced m life, their cabin rudely built of loose stones, too low overhead for any one to stand erect, possessing neither door window or chim ney ; in a corner of the cabin one of the poor creatures was lying on some straw, seriously ill, while the other crouched upon the dump floor Reside some turf embers. These women are dependent for their daily food upon the charitv of neighbors, themselves but one remove from starvation. Their condition, however, is only rendered worse by the failure of their supply of potatoes from the neighbors, as they have lived m tins hovel for many years. In the next cot tage were seven persons, who had eaten nothing on the previous day but one meal of turnips, and a small ration of oatmeal. One member of this family- yvas earning lOd per day upon the road, but had to walk three miles and a halfto the spot each day, and the same distance back again. Inthe house ol one Duffy, yvho rents five acres of land, and is at present living on a small stock of meal, yvere collected a number of neighbors, and their conversation turned on the state of distress among their acquaintances in the vi cinity. One family wua men ioned as having subsisted for six days upon nothing but cabbage, excliM? 11 f ach day ’ an(l lnan y others were living ni. L° n ! Urn, P 8 ’ but the stock of turnips m the neighborhood was nearly exhausted. In this house was a widow with five children, whose only support was from the earnings of her eldest son, a hoy of thirteen, who broke stone* on the road, hut had to walk seven miles daily in going and returning. This woman’s * residence was a miserable hovel hard y, 1 common with mauv others ofthe tenantry .she pavs no rentier it One g.nnUannne^u man declared that he could not endure Ihe pre ' sent state of things much r i ,f .” begin not reliefin three or four dps hewouldbegm I to roh and steal sheep. Wiliam th i at Moate the same eventng, and lodged at the ! house of William Cooper Chbborn. The following morning after meeting, the Moate Relief Committee met and transacted their business, and it yvas pleasant to observe much earnestness among the inhabitants and a sincere desire evinced to attend to the comfort of the poor. They have a soup establishment about io commence operations in the town of Moate, and at Wm. Forster’s suggestion, and on his offering to furnish a boiler, they decided to commence a soup kitchen m the neighbor hood of Ballinahown and Kilgarvan. From Moate we proceeded to Athione, accompanied by Marcus Goodbody, of Clara, yvho had de cided to go with us into the north-west of ire land, and by Thomas Clibborn, ol Moate, yvho went as far as Athione. The poor-house at Athione is a large building, containing upwards of seven hundred persons. Here a miserable state of ihings presented itself; the Lmon e iug very much in debt and their credit exhaust ed: and the poor inmates have scarcely clothes to cover them, and little if any bedding at night In a large room yvere more than two hundred boys, collected round a turf fire, w hich afford ed the only light in the apartment, and though three windows were open, the close and op pressive smell indicated the want of a proper attention to cleanliness, and the boys were very ragged. There yvere about 100 girls assembled in another apartment, the state of which was still more offensive, lu the Athione poor house the inmates appear to be well fed and protected from the yveather, and perhaps noth ing more can be said as to the advantages they enjov, but from the house being quite full it is dear that the poor are beginning to appreciate these advantages during the present state of distress. The guardians, however, are so much in debt, owing aboy-e tyvo thousand pounds, that they have given notice that unless the rate is paid they yvill be compelled to close the build ing and turn these poor wretches out. Athione is divided into tyvo nearly equal parts by the river Shannon : on the east side of the river a soup shop is in active operation, at which soup is distributed three times a week, but nothing appears to have been attempted on the Con naught side of the river, yvliich contains by far i the most distressed part ot the population. Thev are pawning their clothing, See., to a great extent; the issue of pawn tickets, as ascertain ed from the principal person in the business, has increased 75 percent, since last year, this man having issued 2465 tickets during the 11th month of 1843 against 1956 during the same month of 1845. On die line of road between Athione and Roscommon, the number of men and boys at work indicated the extent of distress iu this re gion, there being no fewer than 900 upon the 15 miles between these two toyvns, the total number receiying pay from government in the county of Roscommon, being not less than 40,000. Man} of these persons rent land, from one to five or six acres each, but from their crop of potatoes having altogether failed, they are in no better condition than the common laborers. The price of provisions is extremely high in this part ofthe country, the poor paying 2s. 9d. j per stone of 14 lbs. for meal, and when they buy it in smaller quantities giving at the rate of 3s. 4 d. per stone for it, so that a man who has a yvife and family of five or six chiidren to sup port out of Bd. per day is scarcely removed from starvation. Government in this part of the country is paying the labourers Bd. per day subsistence money, but when the A-ork that they have performed shall be measured and appor tioned, there will probably be a further small sum for them to receive. There is considera ble destitution in the toyvn of Roscommon, and the people generally being poor, difficulty was anticipated in establishing any effectual means for its relief; but W. F. having promis ed a boiler, Dr. Lloyd, at the Hospital, under took to organize a committee and commence a i soup establishment. The ride from Roscom l moo to Castlerea being performed after night , fall, yve had no opportunity of making ourselves I acquainted with the condition ofthe population. On the morning of sixth day, the 4th of 12th month, William Forster drove out to the resi -1 deuce of ‘‘ the O’Conor Don,” near Castlerea. His reception of us was very kind and polite, and he communicated much information as to the state ofthe surrounding district. Through the agency of J. G. Wills, however, a gentle- I man near Castlerea who has just succeeded to i the estates of the la e Lord Mount Sanford, a sub- I scriptiou yvas formed to establish a soup-shop, ! J- G. Wills heading the list with £2O, to yvhich 1 Win. Forster added £lO on behalf of the Com mittee ofthe Society of Friends for the relief of the distress in Ireland, and the O’Conner Don I gave £lO. At the Castlerea poor-house a shocking state of things presented itself, the poor inmates lying upon straw and their dormi tories being in such a state of dirt that W. F. ; yvas unable to venture into them. In this poor house there are at present 1080 paupers, but the last 434 yvere admitted in so hurried a man ner that there is neither bedding nor clothes for them; the measels being in the house and a feyv cases of fever already, it is probable that if something be not speedily effected to remedy ; the evil, there yvill be a fearful mortality among the inmates. In the children’s room was col lected a miserable crotvd of yvretched objects, the charm of infancy having entirely disappear ed, and in its place yvere to be seen wan and haggard faces, prematurely old from the effects of hunger and cold, rags, dirt and deformity. ; In the school-room they spend some hours 1 every day in hopeless, listless idleness; though j there are both a school-master and mistress, there are no books nor slate?, nor anv of the apparatus of a school. It yvas consoling, how ever, to notice that those children yvho have been in the poor-house a few- weeks look so much better and healthier than those recently admitted as to be easily distinguishable from them, and poor as the inmates seem, no doubt they are much better off in the house than out ot doors, and they described their sufferings from famine previously to admission as bein**- very great. One boy stated that he frequently passed an entire day at a time without any food | whatever and many saying that for several yveeks 1 they had not known what it was to have as much food as would satisfy their hunger. Two . i cases of death, if not from starvation, at least from the absence of nourishment during an illness brought on by want of proper food, oc curred in C astlerea the, yveek before we visited the toyvn; the individuals having applied for 1 admission into the poor-house, but the conside ration of their cases being postponed, death • ' stepped in and carried them off in the interval . of tyvo days that elapsed. W. F. and his com r pamons, on their way from Castlerea to Boyle 5 | cal,edat ¥ Lough Glyn, a large old house, the r seat of Lord Dillon, but inhabited by his agent, 1 Charles Strickland, and his sisters. ’ ; Only one of the sisters was at home, yvho f j seemed a very energetic and clever young yvo -1 j man, and entered warmly into the question of - j the state ofthe surrounding country, yvhich she I ) represented as being in a fearful condition of , J distress, and that their means of relief were to f tally inadequate. In the evening we reached ; the town of Boyle, In this place, until lately, ; there yvas not much destitution, the poor-house usually- not having more than 250 inmates, i though it noyv contains 556; the number this t time last year yvas not more than 213. This , poor-house is in good order and very clean and I comfortable, and the children looked healthy and they are making good progress in the 5 school. The condition of the poor previously to their obtaining admission into the work- J house is one ol great distress, many of them s declaring that they have not tasted food of any 1 kind for forty-eight hours, and numbers of them , have eaten nothing but cabbage or turnips for f days and weeks. This statement is corrobo s rated by the dreadfully reduced state in which s they present themselves the children, especial ; |y being in a condition of starvation and rave , mmawiUi hunger. Last year there were no such cases as these, the poor coming into the , work-house then from the pressure of tempora . rv difficulties and remaining there a eompara I ti'velv short time. The weekly cost of food in I the poor-house is 2s. per head, which sum m [ eludes medicine and food, hut no other item. [CONCLUDED on MONDAY.] Chronicle anft gcntiml. AITG-XTSTA, GEO: • SATURDAY MORNING, PER. 6, 1846a We tender our acknowledgements to the Hon. Mr. Root of Ohio, Mr. Hilliard of Alabama, and Messrs. Berrien, Jones, King, Toombs, and Stephens, for interesting docu ments, speeches and papeis. Resolution of Thanks to General Taylor and the Army. The proceedings in the House of Represen tatives, on the 30th ult., in reference to the re solution of thanks to Gen. Taylor and the army, were without precedent in the records of legislation. As our readers, in our paper of Wednesday, saw, resolutions were offered by Mr. Cocke “ unanimously” expressing the thanks of Con gress to Gen. Taylor, and those under his com mand, “ for their courage, skill, fortitude and good conduct in storming the city of Monterey, defended as it was by a force more than double their number, and protected by the strongest fortifications,” &c.; also requesting the Presi dent to cause to be struck a suitable gold medal to be presented to Gen. Taylor, and to cause the resolutions to be communicated to him. These resolutions the House passed, as was seen, with an amendment, offered by Mr. Thompson, of Mississippi, providing that no thing in the resolutions should be construed in to an approbation of the terms of capitulation at Monterey. This will be construed into an insult, as it should be, by the Commanding General and his officers, who concurred with him in those terms of capitulation. The attack upon Monterey and the terms of its capture must all be taken together—they cannot be separated. It in those terms there be exhibited any thing cow ardly, unofficerlike, or sacrificial of the honor of our arms, or advantages gained, that would obscure the lustre of the whole transaction. Under such circumstances, the resolution of thanks, (in which it is declared that the achieve ment “ was a most brilliant victory,” reflecting “ imperishable honor upon our arms,’ ) would be undeserved, and should not have been pass ed. The gold medal, with suitable “ devices, emblematical of this splendid achievement,” is to be presented to Gen. Taylor “as a testi mony of the high sense entertained by Con gress for his judicious and distinguished con duct on that memorable occasion.” How could the same men who voted for this, refuse to approve the terms of capitulation 1 Were not they a part of the entire transaction ? ; The town was not captured, after three days fighting. The enemy were still strongly en trenched, and had lost but few’ of their men. There was no other alternative but to go on with the fight, or let the enemy retire upon the terms, with which our readers are all familiar, i Now, the Resolutions thank Gen. Taylor and I the army for theirconductinstorming Monterey- » Monterey had been stormed in part only, and w’as not taken, up to the hour of perfecting the capitulary terms. Yet they are thanked for storm ing it, a gold medal is voted to Gen. Taylor for his u JUDiciovsand distinguished conduct on that memorable occasion ,” and still, those who thus act and vote, refuse to approve the terms of the ! capitulation of the town. This insulting amendment is added to the original resolutions, and in that form it is made the duty of the President, to communicate them to Gen. Taylor, and through him, to the offi- | cers and soldiers under his command. This deed of party will not take the country by sur prise. That Gen. Taylor was sought to be sacrificed at its polluted altar has been seen for sometime past. There are those, however, in this laud of freedom, who, while they desire not “ To seal the accuser’s lips,” will teach him, nevertheless, that it is far better to have them sealed, than opened, m accusation ungrateful and false. This effort to w ound and injure Gen. Tay lor will, in its results, be proportionate to the spirit which dictated it. The spirit was so small, that the effort shrivels into almost noth ing when applied to the object to be injured, and yet has power virulent enough, to punish as they deserve, those who have conjured it in to being or obeyed its dictation. This magnanimous deed is founded neither upon truth, justice, nor gratitude, and, as such, can but excite emotions of contempt orpitv. But how different the immortal deeds ofTAv lor, embalmed already in the tenacious memo ries of his grateful countrymen, and destined to be enwreathed with immortal evergreen! We can turn to them with thoughts far different and emotions proud, “ For the X are actions that a man might play !” Polk Democracy, says the Savannah Re publican, is absolutely becoming a broad farce. Its organs at the South have generally advoca ted the British Tariff on the ground that it would result in a reduction of the price of manufactured articles. Such was the secret of the opposition to the Act of 1846 in Pennsyl vania, but Pennsylvania being a manufacturing State, and the prices of the manufactured arti -1 cles having advanced since the law began to r operate, the Democratic organs of that State i arc now busily proclaiming in the ears of the f manufacturers that low duties'cause high prices, ■ and therefore Pennsylvania ought to die by Polk, Kane, and the new Tariff! Even the > intelligent Editor of the as been , guilty of congratulating the farmers on the un paralleled advance in the price of grain, and 1 proceeds to intimate that it is the result of the r policy of the present Administration. The Penn i sylvanian even taunts, good naturedly, the Ed . •lor the U. S. Gazette on the result. This , has brought out our friend Chandler in a re r ply, which is so pointed and pithy that w’e ‘ cannot withhold it from our readers. He say*: i “We are no friend* of Mr. Polk—indeed, we - know of scarcely any one that is; we are no apol ogists for his weakness and his ® rror9 |^ t not allow our dislike to proceed , „ ; “hick |t would seem sylvanian) allows his logo,. the feud ; be the bitterness the that spring 3 “P’ • bin r a lwavs implaca family quarrel, always mixer, ‘‘Earth hath no pang like love to anger turned ” “Nothing else but such a curdling ofthe milk .f former fnendship eruld have ,„duced mir neighbor to write such an article. “We feel, and all feel, that the weakness of Mr. Polk has brought the nation.nto a war wit Mexico: that his weakness began that w a without due preparation, and a®? 1 ®® I *} ° the means for its prosecution which Uongiess supplied We feel that at this time, when pub iic P c P onfidence should be solid, and pubhc fait fixed, the nation is discredited among her dot e. tie creditors, and her paper.* quoted lower than that of many private individuals. W e know .ha, his war;, of capacity has destroyed his majority in Congress and left him the iect of daily rebuke and pity. These are tne common results of weakness and in c a P«city m a ruler. But never before have we in timated, by the worst enemies of Mr Polk me worst of those that were never his friends, tfia in addition to the evils inflicted at home, his malignant power had brought famine upon Ire- blighted the harvest of Great Britain. We never before heard it intimated, that his pestiferous breath had been blown over the plains of Croatia, and the borders of the Black Sea, and the regions round about, and had burnt up the produce of those sections tha hud been deemed‘the exhaustless granaries of the world.' Why Pharaoh's misconduc afflic ted only Egypt, and the people of Israel alone were punished for the misdeeds of David ; hut our neighbor intimates that the starving ol Jlre land. and the half famished operators of Eng land, owe their misery to the evil influences of the Executive of this country. If our neigh bour really thinks that Mr. Polk is such a Bo hon Upas’as that, we respectfully suggest w he ther it is best to proclain it so openly ; whe ther it would not do better to imitate the cun ning’ of the President himself, and let the peo ple abroad impute to other causes their suffer ings. And let the farmers of this country, who are, happily, getting a good price for their pro- , duce, rest in the belief that oixlinarv ex cuts ( have turned the marketin their tavor, rather than to suppose that the Executive ot their own coun try has produced misery abroad, that they might profit by demands thus strangely crea- j ted.” I A correspondent of the Loudon Times of the 2nd ult. discusses in two columns the affairs of the defaulting States of America, and gives an outline sketch of what has occurred in each of the States which have neglected the payment of the interest upon their debts. He thinks it unjust to condemn all the States indiscrimi nately, for the fault of a few, though it is still impossible that the credit of all should not suf fer in some degree. He gives this summary statement: Os the 27 states which now compose the Union, the following States have no public debt :-Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Con necticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Missouri (at least none in England). The following nine States have regularly paid their interest without interruption:— Slassachusetts. New York, Ohio, V irginia, South Carolina. Georgia, Kentucky, Tennesse, and .Alabama. Pennsylvania suspended payment in August 1842, and resumed in February, 1845. The following eight have failed to pay their ; i debts, and are still in default :— Mississippi failed : to pay in May, 1841 ; Indiana, July, lc4l ; j Illinois, January, 1842; Florida, January, 1842; | Michigan, January, 1842 ; Maryland, January, 1842; Louisiana, (on part of her debt,) Decem , her, 1842; Arkansas, 1841. The affairs of each of the latter States are i then summarily and clearly set forth. Cities of M exico.— We have seen several articles of late going the rounds of the papers | —among others one quite recently, origuating with the New York Commercial Advertiser, | representing some of the cities of Mexico as being walled, which is not the fact, in relation to many that are named. The city of Vera Cruz is the only walled city we have visited — | and the w’riter of this article has travelled on i the main route from Santa Feto Vera Cruz.— ! The city of Mexico itself we have only seen from the shore of the lake opposite, but even that city has no continuous wall around it—it is j surrounded by a mound or embankment of | earth, which in most places may bo surmounted and passed with very little trouble by either foot passengers or horsemen. That city, and others in that country that we have seen—as 1 Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, San Louis, i Puebla, Perot, Jalapa, &c. are entered bv gates which are stationed at the points where the great roads from the interior reach them. — These gates or entrances are kept by men, acting under both municipal and governmental authority, and who exact customs as well as passports from all who enter, or depart from, the city. Generally—or at least quite often, it will be found that in the vicinity ofthese gates, a wall the place of the earthen eni bankment for a few hundred yards—but never to any great distance. It is probably owing to this tact, that travellers have been led to sup pose these cities are surrounded by walls, when such is not the fact. With regard to the great majority of the cities and towns of Mexico, in the hands of almost any other people, they would be impregnable against an invading force, from defences which nature herself throws around them—most of them bein'' environed by hills, and mountains that are so precipitous as to be either impassable, or ex ceedingly ditficultof ascent or descent. The city of Vera Cruz, as is very well known, is sur rounded by a wall of stone on all sides. The material of which this wall is built is coral rock, or madrepore. At the angles of this wall there are bastions or projections constructed iu such a manner as to admit of running out large guns and pointing them in any direction required.— The wall is also pierced, every few yards, so as to afford every facility from within, for the use of musketry upon an invading force without.— Mobile Adv. Later from Havana.— By the arrival of the brig T. Street, Capt. McConnell, which sailed on the 24th inst. from Havana, we are placed in possession of our files up to the 23d. By a decree of the authorities of the island, . dated the 16th inst., Indian corn and meal, im ported either in foreign or national vessels, are admitted free of duty for six months into the ports of Mariel, Havana and Matanzas. Also, by a decree of the same date, the port charges on vessels putting into Havana and clearing in ballast have been taken off. The festivities ordered to commemorate the nuptials of the Queen ofSpain form the burden of the Havana papers for several days. Not an incident on the occasion is worth transcrib ing, save as evincing the loyalty of feeling ex isting among the Habaneros. We have a letter from an occasional corres pondent at Havana, which says that Mr. Gal quet, late French Consul at Monterey—the same reported to have been placed under arrest by Com. Stockton for improper behavior at the hoisting of our flag at that place—has been appointed French Consul at Tampico.—Pie. > The Dollar Mark.—The origin of the dol lar mark ($) seems to have excited quite a sen s sation among the curious. We have already ! published two different explanations of its ori gin and we subjoin two more : ; “The New York Express says, that the dollar - mark is only applied, properly, to the United glnally, in order mdis ? g 1 .. V g. JO O written with the U- • th*. whole be dollars;’’ and in process ol time h , came abbreviated to “X. S. IW. anu t abbreviation of the two ' wn the crossing the U —out of which g whole This is the simple origin of the w note matter. A correspondent of the Baltimore American says; . . ~ . “The writers upon this interesting subject have not yet got at the truth. The facts vary materially from their statements. It is true that a dollar contains eight reals, but that is not the cause or design of the sjnark A Spaniard makes the character thus f. for the reason that a dollar is called “peso” and dollars pesos. Therefore the “dollar mark” means p or pp, the singular and the plural names for the com in Spanish, and used as such in Spam long be fore the days of our Revolution. Correspondence of the N. Y. Journal of Commerce . Letter from Dr, Baird at Athens, We have the pleasure of laying before our readers the following letter to the editors ol this paper, from the Rev. Dr. Baird, now m Eu rope, but who, we learn, may he expected back by the Liverpool steamer of the 4th February: Athevs, (Greece,) Nov. 28th, 1846. It is now a fortnight since I arrived at this citv. After the termination of the proceedings of the Evangelical Alliance in London, I spent the remainder of the month of September, and the greater part of October, in the Peninsula visiting the principal cities in Portugal and Si You may well believe that the lofty brown mountains of the Southern coasts of the Pelo -1 pouesus were beheld bv me with no little de light, as well as the deep bays into which flow the riv ers on which were situated the ancient Messina, Sparta, and Argos—through which the steamer passed in which I came from Malta to this city. The sight, too, of Spezzia, Hydra, Egina, Salamis. and other islands celebrated in the ancient or modern history of Greece, and dose by which we passed, called up recollec tions of deepest interest. Fortunately the w eather, w hich had been exceedingly had du j ring almost the whole voyage from Marseilles, ( became beautiful the very morning on which | we came in sight of Greece, and had continued ho ever since. It has been a fortnight of what we should call a real Indian summer. I have availed myself of my sojourn here to i see everything that is interesting in Athens and 1 its vicinity, and even to visit Corinth, Elesips, Pentelicus, Marathon, and Sunium. To do all this, I have taxed my strength and health to the utmost. Not only have I been favored with fine weather, but with the constant company of my dear friend, the Rev. Dr. King, our excel lent countryman, who has long labored to pro pagate in this country the knowledge of the pure Gospel. I find Athens a larger place than I had ex pected to see ; it contains 25,000 or 30,000 in habitants, and is steadily increasing. lam sur prised also to find it so completely a new city. There was scarcely a house left standing when the Turks left the place in 1828. The city stands, as did the larger portion of the ancient ; city, to the north of the Acropolis, and between it and Mount Lycabettus and the plain imme diately West of that Mount. Many of the houses are good looking, comfortable struc tures, of a modern and European aspect, hut the streets are in many cases too narrow, and in almost all badly paved. But things are daily improving; and this city, a few years hence, will unquestionably be greatly advanced in every thing that concerns both convenience and appearance. I have been greatly interested in the indica -1 tions which exist that the regeneration of Greece iis steadily advancing. Notwithstanding the i frequent occurrence of shocking scenes of vio | lence, and the domination at this moment of a most unprincipled party, sustained by an in i competent and obstinate king. I feel confident the friends of Greece have no reason to aban don her in despair. It is a great pity that a j man has not been chosen as king for her who ! had experience iu constitutional government, j and a love for such government, instead of a mere youth, the son of a German prince who j was known to he attached to despotic princi ' pies. In his hands Hie government of this I country has been about as badly conducted as it could well be. Opposed from the heart to a constitution, he has done everything he could to defeat by indirection, the one w hich the na- i tion forced him to receive some three years i ago. In his course he seems to have been en- I I couraged by all the great Protecting Powers— save England, whose excellent ambassador, Bir Edmund Lyons, has deserved the approba tion of Humanity entire, for the firmness which he has shown in endeavoring to induce this go vernment to fulfil faithfully its engagements in favor of the Constitution. I have been greatly pleased w ith thisdistinguished and most worthy 1 man, as also with General Sir Richard Church, i an F.nglishmau who rendered great services to Greece in her struggle for independence, and who is now a Senator of the Kingdom. Both General Church and Sir Edmund Lyons have merited the greatest praise for their disinterest ed and very handsome conduct in relation to Dr. King, throughout all his troubles. What gives me hope in relation to Greece, iu the midst of all present discouragements, is the fact that schools are increasing and knowledge is becoming diffused. The Bible and other good books are becoming more and more wide ly disseminated. There are between 300 and 400 primary and secondary schools established in the Continental and Insular portions of the Kingdom. Four large Gymnasia have been established in four important centres, —Athens, Syria, Chaleisaiul Patras, —in which many hun dreds of youth are pursuing the high branches of an education. And to crown all, there is a flourishing University in this city, which has 26 able Professors, and 250 Students, besides 400 occasional auditors. There are no less than 24 newspapers—all conducted in Greek but one— of w hich 16 are published at the Capital, and the others in other principal cities. Several of these journals are conducted with much ability. There is u great desire for knowledge among this people, rich and poor, high and low. Rich Greeks abroad—at Smyrna, Constantinople, Vienna, Salonica, etc. —are sending their sons to the University here, And some of them are doing much to found schools in this land, so dear to every Greek wherever he may live. These things are encouraging. Depend upon it, a brighter day icill arise on Greece. Yours most truly, R. B, Printing of the Thirtieth Congress. — The Board of Officers to whom the duty is as signed by law, on Monday awarded the contract for the first four classes of the printing of the i next Congress to .Messrs. Mendell &. Van I Benthuysen, of Albany, New York, and the fifth class to Messrs. Tippin &, Streeper, of j Pennsylvania— these gentlemen having been the lowest bidders for the work* We have heard a good story of a countryman who went into the pit of one off our theatres be fore the curtain drew up, and seeing nothing there to engage his attention, scrambled over into the boxes, and after promenading a few minutes in the lobby, entered, as he supposed, the place where all the fun was to be shown; when lo! to his surprise, he found he had made his “exit into the street. In vain were his re monstrances and entreaties for readmission.— He had no check! The door-keeper, to adopt a legal phrase, “couldn't go behind the check.” A Wonderful Sight.— A jolly Jack Tar having strayed into a show at a fair, to have a look at the wild beasts, was struck with the sight of a lion and a tiger in the same den. Why, Jack,’ said he to his messmate, w’ho was chewing a quid in silent amazement, “I shouldn’t wonder if they were next year to tar ry about a sailor and marine living peaceably together!” A), said his married companion, ‘ora man 1 1 and wife •” Lkgal Criticism.— Not long ago, aiiemine ß , special pleader was at Drury-Lane theatre, g(- e ing the play of Macbeth. In the scene Macbeth questions the witches in their cavern. “ Wha, is’t von do ?” They answer, “A deed witho m a name.” The phrase struck the sagaci OUs lawyer, and he immediately remarked to a friend “A deed without a name? Why ’tis void.” ’ The Mas after am. —Talk about your Al exanders, your Bonapartes. your your Taylors, and your Santa Annas; then?, gro who carries the target behind a military company upon a shooting excursion —after all—N. V. Mercury. Special Notices. notice. yey THE MEMBERS OP THE Second Division Augusta Independent Fire Company are hereby notified to ap pear at their Engine House THIS DAY (Saturday,) at 4 o’clock, in full uniform. By order of V T. HOPKINS, President. A. C. Geodes, Secretary. fg DAGUERREOTYPE MINIATURES BY €• E. JOHNSON, from New York, Rooms over Messrs. Clark & Rackett’s Store entrance on Mclntosh-street, one door from the Post Office. Ja3o 0“ R. S. Jackson, Teacher on the Piano Forte, Flute and Violin, respectfully tenders his services to the citizens of Augusta. References —Tlft-iry Parsons, Thomas Richards and T. S. Metcalf, Esqrs. N. B. —For terms, &c., inquire at H. Parson’s M usic Store. n2B-6m PROSPECTUS OK THE FIFTH VOLUME OF THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR, A MON THLY JOURNAL, Devoleil to the Improvement of Southern Agriculture. Edited by J AMES CAM AK, of Athens. FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE ! We submit to you the Prospectus of the FIFTH VOLUME of the SOUTHERN CULTIVAT OR,relying upon the interest each and every one of you feel in its behalf for that aid necessary to its support. We therefore appeal to every man interested in the success of Southern Agriculture, (and who is not •) to use some exertion with their friends and neighbors to extend its circulation. In short, subscribe yourselves, and persuade as many of your friends as you can to do likewise. The advantages and benefits resulting from Agricultural Periodicals, have been felt and acknowledged by the intelli gent and reflecting Tillers of the Soil in all civilized nations ; to be most useful , therefore, they should be extensively cir culated among all classes of Agriculturists; if possible, they should be in the hands of every- man whe tills an acreoflland. and to this end we invoke the aid of every man of every class who feels an interest in the improvement of the Agriculture of the South. , . , The first number of the Fifth Volume will be issued on the Istcf January next. It is published Monthly.in Quartoform , each number contains SIXTEEN PAGES of matter, 9byP> l “ h “ TERMS: One copy, one year 00 Six copies “ “ 500 I Txoenty -Jive copies, one year 20 w» One hundred ‘ “ “ 75 tw CO" ALWAYS IN ADVANCE. tX3r-The cash must invariably accompany the Older. Sr»—Send all letters containing subscriptions to j J W. & W. S. JONE». Augusta, No/ember, 1846. Commercial. AUGUSTA MARKET. Friday, P. M. Cotton. —The sales to-day amounted to 1000 I bales, at prices ranging an J a J cent below the high est point of the week. Correspondence of the Dolt. Pat.—-Hy 'Telegraph New-Y'ork, Feb. 2, 8 P. M. The Stock market to-day is dull and prices have a downward tendency. The Flour market is without any special change, prices if anything are a little lower. Dealers are generally holding off forthe next Steamer’s news now almost momentarily looked for. I quote Genesee brands at 56,87 J, mostly held at $7. No change in Southern brands. The price of Wheat is unchanged ; prime Genesee white is held at 150 cts. Com, white and yellow, 104 a 105 cents; prime is held higher. Provisions continue firm and prices rather on the advance. Nothing new in Groceries. The Cotton market continues firm at former prices, I learn from Boston that the extensive jewelry store j of Mr. Trott, in that city, has been robbed of jewelry j and money to the value of ten thousand dollars. Rob- I hers not caught at the last accounts. APALACHICOLA, Jan. 30. — Cotton —On Tues day, Wednesday and Thursday, the inquiry for Cot -1 lon was very moderate, the sales of the three days j amounting to 1000 to 1200 bales, witlxout any change i in prices. Yesterday after the mail was distributed, I an active inquiry sprung up, which resulted in the sale ! of about 1000 bales. In consequence of the very fa ! vorable accounts from other markets, factors in most : cases were enabled to realize full advance—the ! sales however were very irregular, some lots chang ing hands at about old rates. To-day the market has been quiet—the few sales made exhibit an advance of ' | to |c on the quotations in our price current of Tues day. The market being unsettled we omit quotations 1 altogether. I 'reights —We have no change to notice in iher freight market. The engagements made have been. : at our quoted rates. Vessels continue very scarce, i everything in port that can go coastwise being engaged;. j Quotations —To Liverpool 1 1-lGd; to New York Jo;; ! to Boston Jc; to Providence Jo; to Baltimore Jc to. | N, Orleans $2 per bale. COTTON STATEMENT. 1847. 184 b. i Stock on hand Sept. 1, 1546, 1088 4 Burnt since Ist Sept. 100 j Received past 3 days 4,098 “ previously 44,662 Total 49748 43291' | Exjiorted past 3 days. 3,612 “ previously • 12,387 Total 15999 14458" On hand and on shipboard not cleared-33,751 28832? MACON, Feb. 2.— Cotton —The Cotton market has had another upward spring since our last. The foreign news by the Hibernia reached town on Friday. When this intelligence became generally known, it produced considerable excitement, and so completely unsettled prices, and created such a diversity of views among holders, that we hardly know what changs to make in our figures. Parties, generally, have been waiting to . • ■ what effect the news will have in the seaboard m..i acts, and the sales made since Friday have not been large. The few- that have been made were at an advance of full £ to J of a cent upon our figures of this day week. We omit quotations until the market assumes a more settled character. STOCK OF COTTON. The following is the monthly statement o£ stock, re ! ceipts and shipments : j Warehouse receipts of Cotton in January, 1847 14,478 I Macon and Western Railroad in January, 1847 3,502-17,980 Warehouse receipts previously • 58,243 Macon & Western R. Road do- 9,945-68.188 86,163 i Stock on hand Ist. Sept., 1846 3,059-89)227,’ Shipped in January, 1847 19,501 Do. previously 47,306^-66,807 | Stock on hand Feb. 1, 1847 22,420* Warehouse receipts, total to Ist Feb., ; 1847 -.72,721 Macon and Western Railroad to Ist Feb., 1847 13^447 Stepping SnUlilgencf. SAVANNAH, Feburary 4. — Arrived —Schr Geu. Washington, McCormie, Havana. Cleared— Brig Larch, Thayer, Kingston, (Ja.); brio- Puritan, Amsbury, Boston ; brig Sterling, White, New York; brig Madison, Paxton, New York. CHARLESTON, February s.— Arrived— Brem.. barque Alfred, Ballaer, New Orleans, Cleared —Ship Delia Walker, Condry, Boston; l ship Rochester, Manson, New York; brig Thoosa r j Hoyt, New York, QAA BAGS PRIME RIO COFFEE* ; tiJvPVP just received and for sale low by ja26 HAND & WILLIAMS.