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About Daily chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1837-1876 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1848)
CHRONICLE SENTINEL ~BY J. W.~&~~W» S. JONES. iinERKLY & WKEKLI DULt, TRt vVKLtiU 11 ~ k IN RAIL ROAD BANK BUILPINO TRRMS — Daily Paper, per annum, in advancc SlO Tri- Weekly Paper, “ |C t \ Weekly, (a mammoth sheet) •• * CASH SYSTEM. —In no case will an order f £ rt £ P paper be attended to, unless accompanied with tbe money, and in every instancewhcn the time ** any subscription may be paid, expires before tne ceint of suds to renew the same, the paper Sntinutd. Depreciated fuad.reec.ved a. value tn thiscity. .. PROCRASTINATIONS— .by charlks mackay. If Fortune with a smiling face Strews roses on our way, "When shall we stoop to pick them up? To-day, my love, to-day. But should she frown with face of care, And talk of coming sorrow, When shall we grieve, if grieve we must ? To-morrow, love, to-morrow. If those who’ve wrong’d us own their faults, And kindly, pity pray, When shall we listen and forgive ? To-day, my love, to-day. But, if stern Justice urge rebuke, And warmth from Memory borrow, When shall we chide, if chide, we dare ? To-morrow, love, to-morrow. If those to whom we owe a debt Are harm’d unless we pay, When shall we struggle to be just? To-day, my love, to-day. But if our debtors sue for grace, On pain of ruin thorough, When shall we grant the boon they seek . To-morrow, love, to-morrow. If Love, estranged, should once agein Her genial smile display, When shall we kiss the proffered lips? To-day, my love, to-day. But if she would indulge regret, Or dwell with by-gone sorrow, When shall we weep, if weep we must? To-morrow, love, to-morrow. For virtuous acts and harmless joys The minutes will not stay: We’ve always time to welcome them, To-day, my love, to-day. But Care, Resentment, angry words, And unavailing Sorrow, Come far too soon, if they apper To-morrow, love, to-morrow. Correspondent r/lc Baltimore American, proceedings of congress. In Senate Tuesday, Dec. 26. On motion of Mr. Allen, Hon. David R. Atchison was appointed President -pro tern, of the Senate, the Vice President being absent. Mr. Jefferson Davis presented the creden tials of Hon. Augustus C. Dodge, elected a Senator in Congress from the new State of lowa. Mr. Dodge, of Wisconsin, presented the credentials of Hon. George W. Jones, also elected a Senator from lowa. Both gentlemen were qualified and took their seats, when they drew ballots, in order to be classed. Mr- Dodge drew one, and is assign ed to that class of Senators whose term ex pires 3d March. 1849. Mr. Jones’ term ex pires 3d March 1852. Mr. Niles submitted a resolution calling on the Secretary of the Navy for a statement of expenditures for supplies, &c., of our squad ron in the Pacific on the Northwest coast.— Adopted. Mr. Felch offered a resolution, which was agreed to, instructing the committee on the public lands to inquire into the expediency of allowing sales of mineral lands on Lake Supe rior at the minimum price. Mr. Underwood submitted a resolution, which was adopted, instituting an inquiry into the expediency of establishing one or more Boards of Commissioners, to ascertain the amount of appropriated lands in California and New Mexico, and what disposition should be made of the lauds in which gold and other minerals are found. Mr. Jones, of lowa, gave notice of his in tention to introduce a bill to provide for the construction of a Railroad from the city of Du buque, via. the city of lowa, to Keokuk, in the State of lowa. A great number of private bills from the House were read a second time and referred. A communication was presented from the Treasury Department, with a report from the Surveyor General of the Land Office in Louis iana, asking that it may be printed in connex ion with the Annual Report of the Commis sioner of the General Land Office. Ordered accordingly. Mr. Jefferson Davis, pursuant to previous notice, introduced a bill granting a donation of land to Mississippi, for the construction of a rail road from Brandon to the Eastern line of Alabama. Read twice and referred. Mr. Dodge, of lowa, gave notice of his in tention to introduce a bill to provide for the running and marking of the northern boundary of lowa. A bill to provide for the sale of lands purchas ed by the United States of the Saginaw tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan was taken up. debated, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. A message in writing was received from the President of the United States. On motion of Mr. Underwood, the bill for the relief of Col. Robert Wallace, for services performed and losses sustained as Aid to Gen. Hull, was taken up, and after some debate was read the third time and passed. And then, after a brief executive session, the Senate adjourned. Washington, Dec.2s, 1848. In my letter of yesterday 1 alluded very brief ly to the remarks of Mr. Calhoun, at the meet ing of Southern members of the two Houses on Friday evening. To-day lam enabled to give you a more elaborate report, which may be relied upon as substantially correct. He said : The resolutions of the gentleman from Vir ginia (Mr. Bayley) are good, and, considering the length of time he has had to prepare them, do him great credit; but they are not perfect, They are defective in several particulars— l arn therefore, less unwillingto agree to the motion of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Stephens.) Another consideration strongly impels to the same course. lam thoroughly impressed with the necessity of a harmonious and united action both on our part and on the part of the South ern community. lam opposed, however, to too great delay, and consequently would prefer that the com mittee should report t 0 a meeting to be held on the 10th, instead of the 15th of January.— The Legislatures of several of the Southern States are now in session, and it would be well that our address should reach them in time to be acted upon by them before their adjourn ment. I consider the address indispensable. What ever action is taken must proceed from the slaveholding States. If the Constitution be vi olated, and their rights encroached upon, it is for them to determine the n:ode and measure of redress. We can only suggest and advise. We are on the theatre of action —the witnesses of the alarming encroachments which have been going on upon the rights of the slaveholding part of the confederacy—we see them plainly, we feel them deeply ; they are rapid and alar ming; for who believes that propositions which have within a few days past, commanded the support of a majority of the Lower House of Congress, would even ihree years ago have been tolerated by any respectable portion of either House. We are in the midst of events scarcely of less importthan those of our revolutionary era. The question is, are we to hold our position in this confederacy upon the ground of equals, or are we to content ourselves with the condition of colonial dependance. Sir, it will be worse than colonial depend ence ; for who would not prefer to be taxed and governed, without pretence of represen. tation than, under the forms of representation, to be grieviously oppressed by measures over which we have no control, and against which 0 „r remonstrances are unavailing. It is unde niable that the encroachments upon our rights have been rapid and alarming. They must be met. I conceive that no Southern man can enter tainffor one moment, the idea of tame submis sion. The action of the South should be united, temperate, but decided —our positions must be taken deliberately, but held at every hazard. We wage no war of aggression. We ask only for the constitution and union and government of our faihers. We ask of onr Northern breth ren to leave us those rights and privileges which onr fathers held, and, without securing which for their children, all know they would not have entered into this Union. These we must maintain. It appears to me proper that we, who are here on the theatre of action, should address our constituents of the slaveholding States, briefly and accurately pourtray the progress of usurpation and aggression, vividly exhibit the dangers which threaten, and leave it in their hands to mark out the proper line of action. What that should be it is needless here to dis cuss. Whatever it is, it should be temperate, mild and decided. Having expressed these views, I have to say that I make no obj action to the motion of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Stephens) to re for the whole matter to a select committee, to consider maturely and report to a future meet ing, but I would rather prefer an earlier day for that meeting than the 15th of January. I am, above all, for union, harmony and decision on the part of the South. Mr. Pendleton’s remarks (which were made some time previously to Mr. Calhoun’s) were also understood to be very sensible and effec tive. He expressed his general acquiescence in the resolutions of his colleague, (Mr. Bayley.) Hedid not so well, however, like the expres sion in them, “measures of redress.” That seemed to contemplate that the South should wait until the wrongs had been consummated, and then undertake to redress them. He pre ferred rather measures of “notice and precau tion.” He was willing at once to lay down a line, and let their Northern hretiirou know that they must not transcend it. He subsequently however, acquiesced in the proposition of Mr. Stephens. The substance of Mr. Foote’s remarks was, I am, informed, that he was ready for instanta neous action and was willing at once to vote on the resolutions submitted by Mr. Bayley. The only point of difference between the members in the discussion, was as to whether this was a proper time for any action. Some held that the South should wait until the meas ures lately threatened should become laws— that they ought first to resort to all constitution al means of opposition to defeat those measures. If all these should be unavailing, then the time for separate action on the part of the South would have arisen. Others held, on the contrary, that action now in the form of notice and precaution, was ad visable. It would be well, they said, to lay down the line beyond which they should con ceive it wrong to submit to the aggressions of the majority, in order thus to warn their Nort hern brethren against any aggression beyond that line. If afterwards they resolved to make that agression, the responsibility of the conse quences would be theirs. The South, in that case, would have done everything in their pow er to avert any serious discord. All sides, however, held that when the proper time should arrive, if ithad not already arrived, the South should take firm and decided meas ures to maintain its constitutional rights. From the New Orleans Mercury , Dec. 22. From Belize, Honduras. By the schooner St. Helena, Capt. Winch, five days from Belize, Honduras, we have files of the Observer of a late date. Accounts from Yucatan received at Belize report affairs in that country in a very different condition from the information we have receiving from Yucatan papers. The Observer of the 2d inst. says: We have received advices from the interior of Yucatan, via Bacalar, which represent the Indiana as again in the ascendant. Several towns have been re taken by them. It is also stated that if they succeed in re-taking Ticash, now closely besieged, they will at once proceed to attack Merida. Wm. H. C offin, Esq., has been sentenced to six months imprisonment and a fine of SIOO for writing certain articles which appeared in the Observer, reflectingon public officers. It appears from the Belize Observer that the British Government, through its Vice Consul at Nicaragua, has demanded the payment of debts due British subjects. Nicaragua’s share of the debt is $136,085, and the interest on this sum for 20 years, at 6 per cent., is $163,300 more. A portion of this must be paid before 1850, and the remainder it is proposed to con solidate and issue new stock. The govern ment of Nicaragua is required to give security for the religious observance ol the stipulations imposed by the British Consul, and in the event of failure to make the regular payments, the English are to take possession of the Custom House at San Juan del Norte until the amount be made up. The British Consul asks imme diate compliance with these demands, but the Assembly of Nicaragua adjourned without coming to any arrangement in the matter. In addition to this difficulty with Nicaragua, the British Government, through its emissaries, is endeavoring to bring about some trouble with Honduras and St. Salvador, for the pur pose, we suppose, of seizing upon Central America. Honduras and St. Salvador pro tested against the occupation of San Juan by the English. Steamboat Explosion-£io7i£ Persons Scal ded.—The American, a stern wheel boat. Capt. Gharky, bound from Cincinnati for the Wabash river, burst her fore and aft cross pipes about 4 J o’clock yesterday morning, at Garrett’s landing, between Madison and this city, where she had landed. We subjoin a list of the wounded ; Samuel Price, Ist engineer, very badly scal ded in the face, and hand cut by glass. Mr. Rockwell, Ist clerk, slightly scalded, and face and hands cut by glass. Mr. Mearl, 2d Clerk, dangerously scalded. His recovery is doubtful. The two negroes, who came on board at Garrett’s landing, were dangerously scalded. They were taken on shore there. — Louisville. Jour. The Reason—A friend relates to us the following “ good ’un,” though knowing the inventive capabilities of the man, we will not stand sponsor for its perfect accuracy. He took occasion while dealing with one of the “ un sophisticated,” who hails from a certain dem ocratic county, which gave a large vote for Taylor, to make the inquiry how it happened that there had been such a decrease in the usual vole for the loco nomination. “M ghty easy to tell you how it happened,” wn tho reply, “jest as easy as you screw that ire::tool into asgoodabag of cotton as any fellow was ever cheated out of in this market. “A fellow came up in onr settlement trying to make out that this was the same Taylor as fit the Mexicans, and there were lots of them durn fools enough to believe him, as ifSamp’s Harris did’nt know as much as he about it.” It’s alia durn swindle. — Ala. Journal. Sou’h Carolina Methodist Confer ence assembled at Spartanbnrgh C. H. on 20th instant, Bishop Capers presiding. There were in attendance a large number of Ministers. It is supposed the business will be got through with early next week.— Telegraph. (Ehtcrnidc twit Sentinel. AUGUSTA, GA: SATURDAY MORNING, DSC. 30, 1848. Protection of American Labor. “ Georgia has hitherto been opposed to this doctrine of the right of Congress to assume the guardianship of the industrial pursuits of the people, and to legis late directly for the protection of American labor. — The partiality and abuses of the system have been so palpable that no member of Congress from Georgia ventured to vote for the tariff of 1842. Let us wait patiently to see if any of them will vote for the resto ration of its principles. We believe, however, that the days of protective tariffs have passed away for ever in this country, a that no other commercial country will much longer stultify itself by unnecessa rily multiplying restrictions upon the free intercourse ofher people with other nations.” — Constitutionalist. Our neighbor is either far in advance of the times or else far behind ; and we are not cer tain which. He is in the background, if he knows not the fact that “ protection of Ameri can labor ” has been the policy of the Federal Government from its organization to the pre sent moment; and he is far ahead of the world, if he really believes that “the days of protec tive tariffs have passed away forever in this country. ” President Polk promised adequate “inciden tal protection” to agriculture, manufactures and commerce, by discriminating taxes imposed on the products of foreign agricultural, mechan ical and commercial industry. The question has never been whether the capital and labor employed in American commerce, manufac tures, or agriculture, should have any protec tion ; but how much protection Congress ought to extend to any one or the whole of these great national interests? On this point public opin ion is divided. Some go to the extreme in one direction, and ask for imposts that will amount substantially to a prohibition ; others run into the opposite extreme and insist that it is worse than useless for “Congress to legislate for the P otooiluu us americdii mum •• „u. if „ rQ understand the policy of the Constitutionalist on this subject, it claims a place in the last named category. For ourselves, we think that both extremes are alike unwise and to be avoided. For many years to come Congress must raise in some way about thirty millions per an num, unless it introduce far greater economy than it now practices. In collecting this large sum of money, all will agree that the tax should be made to fall as lightly as practicable on the properly and industry of the country. The only matter in debate is, what road shall we take to reach a common object ? Several are well marked and may be travelled, but with un equal comfort and speed. The free-traders say that imposts should be levied as well on tea, cotfoe, and things not produced in the United States, as on iron, steel, coal, hardware, cotton and woollen fabrics— goods that American labor can furnish. Mr. Walker contends that all imposts are to the full extent of the sum collected a tax on the consumer; and often the latter pays several times more than the sum received into the treasury from a tariff. If this be true, then all tariffs and indirect taxation should be abolish ed at once. If President Polk and the Secre tary of the Treasury believe what they preach, then they believe that their favorite tariff of IB4C imposes a tax on the consumers of Ame rican iron, coal, cutlery, woolen and cotton goods, of at least sixty millions, of which sum not one cenlgoes into the treasury. The gross injustice of such a system to the people of all parties is obvious. Either the theory of Free- Trade is false and altogether deceptive, or the present system of raising revenue must be abandoned. Direct taxation, imposed on the property of the country, as recommended by the Charleston Mercury, must be resorted to, if nothing is gained beneficial to home indus try by impost duties Nothing can be plainer than the injustice of a tax on consumption— an impost on the poor man’s food and raiment to protect the untaxed capital of the rich man. According to their own showing this is the policy of those that advocate what they call a “revenue tariff”—one that taxes th« axe of the poor man to support the Federal Go vernment in order to exempt the rich {man’s land, negroes and bank stock from taxation for that purpose! This is free-trade democracy. Gen, Taylor in Europe. The leading English and French journals speak of Gen. Taylor's election in terms of rejoicing and high commendation,-as evidence of stability in our Government. The Constitu tionnel of Paris has the following: “General Taylor will bring to the Presidentship of the United States a great name, a spotless reputa tion, a probity above all suspicion, a loyal and firm character, and, above all, a sincere love of peace.— Gen. Taylor conducted with vigor and talent the war with Mexico, a war which he opposed as impolitic and unjust. Mr. Cass on the contrary had inspired great uneasiness, from his mischief-making disposition, and his immoderate passion for conquest. He was the defender of the war with Mexico, on manv grounds, and an adversary of the treaty which terminated it; he allowed it to be said and repeated that he would be the supporter of all the attempts made to lead to the complete absorption of Mexico. Without believing with his adversaries, that he ever thought of inter vening in favor of Ireland, or of taking Cuba from Spain, it may be imagined without injustice, that the presence at the head of affairs of a man like Gen. Case, would have been an encouragement to seekers of adventures, and the signal of new aggressions a gainst Mexico. “ All who feel an interest in peace not being trou bled beyond the Atlantic, in the United States not b~- ing obliged to levy heavy duties on European imports, to keep up their armies, will easily comprehend all the satisfaction that the election of General Taylor ought to cause the English. Such persons as are in terested in the triumph of principles—the true friends of the Americans—who could not see without regret the manner in which the affairs of the Union have been conducted for the last eight years, will not be less pleased with an electoral revolution which carries to power enlightened men, enemies of violence and corruption.” The hopes of the Constitutionnel in regard to the salutary results of an “electoral re volution” in this country, will not be disappointed. An administration characterized by the “ violence” of its measures, and the “ corruption” by which they were sustained, will soom give place to one formed after the model of that of General Washington. Prof. R. T. Brumby, of the chair of Che mistry and Nalura? History in the University of Alabama, has been elected to the same depart ment in the College of South Carolina, and has accepted the appointment. A bill for establishing a Lunatic Asylum has passed the House of Commons of North Car olina almost unanimously—it appropriates $85,000 for the buildings and appurtenances. Terrific Theory. —Professor Silliman mentions the fact, that in boring the Artesian wells in Paris, the temperature of the earth in creased at the rate of one degree for every fifty feet, towards the centre. Reasoning from causes known to exist, he says : “ The whole interior portion of the earth, or at least a great part of it, is an ocean of melted rock, agitated by violent winds, though I dare not affirm it, is still rendered highly probable by the phenomena of vol canoes. The facts connected with their eruption have been ascertained and placedjheyond a doubt. How, then, are they to be accounted for? The theory, pre valent some years since, that they are caused by the combustion of immense beds, is Jperfectly puerile, and is entirely abandoned. All the coal in the world would not afford fuel enough for a single capital ex hibition of V»esuvius. We must look higher than this; and I have but little doubt, that the whole rests on the action of electric and galvanic principles which are constantly in operation in the earth. Lyell does not regard the theory as found ed on any sufficient data, which teaches the doctrine that the whole earth is a mass of melt ed rock, excepta crust of a few miles in thick ness as an outer covering. True, there are over 300 active volcanoes known to exist; but these are more likely to be strictly local and lim ited in their extent downward and laterally, than the outlets of one continuous mass of liquid minerals, reaching from the earth’s centre to the base of these volcanic cones. Prof. Sil liman encourages the comforting opinion that the fragile shell on which we live is from one to two hundred miles thick ; and little likely to burst asunder, and let us drop into the boiling iron and granite. Society is California. —Col. Stephen son, who our readers will recollect, went out to California in command of the New York re giment, has addressed a letter to the Editor of the Rochester (N. Y.) Democrat, giving a des cription of the country, and as the following extract, containing a slight glimpse at the state ofsociety, may not be uninteresting to the read er, we transfer it to our columns : “ That this territory is of great importance to the United Sta'es no one can doubt, as it will form the exireiuc on the Pacific of our mighty Re public, a boundary, too, tu<** never be trodden by a slave. Whatever may be the actio.. ~r Congress on ibis all important subject, it can never affect a.-.. Territory, for hero slaves can never exist as such. The best that can be imported, when their labor comes into competition with the Indian laborer, would not be worth their transportation. Indians can be hired at from $4 to S 5 per month and their fc'xl, which con sists of corn and beans only, and they will do as much work in a day as a negro slave. “ Besides, the whole people of the country are averse to slavery ; but, if they were not, here the ne gro is as much respected as his master, and 1 have known some few instances of a slave (there are some few here among the officers) and his master visiting the same family, and, while his master was making love to one sister, Ned was amusing himself with another and prettier sister in a different part of (he house ; and I do not believe a negro would be refused if he should ask a girl in marriage, provided he was well behaved. Therefore, I say, ray friend, that this Ter ritory can never be the home of the slave. “ You know I am not an abolitionist, as I would not disturb the existing institutions of the South, which, in rny judgment, formed a part of the compact upon which a Union of the Stales was effected. I would, therefore, as readily defend them as any of the in stitutions of the North. I however never would permit slavery to extend farther; but here if slavery were tolerated by law the privilege would be value less.” The Carucross Family. It will be seen by reference to the advertise ment, that this company of Vocal and Instru mental Musicians have arrived, and propose to give a Concert this evening at the Masonic Hall. From the favorable commendations of the press, we presume the public will be high ly entertained. The Editor of the Dundee (Yates county, N. Y-) Record proposes to prepare a list of all tire daily and weekly journals in the States and Territories of the Union and the British pro vinces, with the names of their proprietors and editors, size, political or religious character, &c. To this end publishers are requested to send a copy of their publications to that journal. Bridging the Ohio. —The Wheeling Times says lhat the work on the bridge across the Ohio at that place, is going on steadily, and lhat by the Ist of May next it will be open to travel. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, who is now lecturing in Boston, said the sensible thing that follows, in a discourse on Amusements, deliv ered the other evening before the Mercantile Library Association: “ Amusements were indispensihle to sound morals. If the young were not provided with harmless and virtuous amusements, they would have vicious and corrupting amusements. — Some parents are so much afraid that their children would do wrong that they would not let them do any thing. But when they obtained their liberty, with none to control their plea sures—never having learned to act aright, they were quite sure to riot in self-indulgence.” Godey’s Lady’s Book, for January, 1849, is a most attractive and superb Number. Noth ing which the skill of the Typographic or the Art of the Engraver can accomplish has been omitted by the enterprising publisher. Nor is there less zeal, energy and ability displayed in. the Editorial conduct of this elegant periodical, whichcommends itself in terms more persuasive than we can employ, to the favorable consid eration of an intelligent and discerning public Case of Cholera. —The Montgomery (Ala.) Journal of the 27th inst. says: “The steamer Montgomery arrived here yesterday morning, having on board the body of Mr. Jesse Jordan, of Macon county, who died of Cholera about 12 o’clock the night previous. Mr. Jordan had been on a tour to Red River, and had just left New Orleans, and was taken some hours after leaving Mobile on the boat. He had we learn, been suffering for some days previously with a derangement of the bowels.” A bill has been submitted in the Legislature of North Carolina for the establishment of a Bank in the town of Fayettville. The capital is to be $300,000, in shares of SSO each, with the privilege of increasing it to $500,000. The Bank to go into operation when $150,000 shall have been subscribed, and $25,0 00 paid in. Cholera in New York. —At the latest dates the disease was abating- Very few new cases were occurring at the Marine Hospital. New York and the New England States were visited with a heavy snow storm on Thursday and Friday last. At Buffalo and other places the snow was laying a foot deep. r liF*The steamer Crescent City sailed from r New York on Saturday for Chagres, with 111 passengers. She takes out very little specie. The U. S. government has by this conveyance f sent out Lieut. Robt. T. Williamson, of the Topographical Engineers, who will commence, immediately on his arrival at San Francisco, the i preliminaries of a survey of the country and gold regions. “The Murderer and his Fate.”—Ex- I tract from the Rev. Mr. Rowland’s sermon on ' the occasion (if the execution of Harris Bell, showing the author’s sentiments on the subject of capital punishment : Some there are who object to capital punishment as the relict of a barbarous age, and wrong, and who have therefore cherished a sympathy with the indi vidual who suffered, as being the victim of a san guinary law. So far as it respect this case, my own feelings would have been gratified to have had his sentence commuted to imprisonment for life.— And yet I have no hesitancy to avow my full belief in the justice and expediency of that law which re quires the crime of the murderer to be expiated by his blood. I regard it of such unspeakable impor tance to protect human life, that the highest penalty in the power of man to inflict should be incurred for taking that life away. The object of the penalty in such a case is not vindictive, but for the protection and safety of the community ; and no man can doubt, in this age, that individual life is, in some cases at least, to be held subject to the general good. Some there are who, with marked inconsistency, will urge on a sanguinary vr 7, in which thousands cf live; are offered on the al'ur of public ambition, w 7 ho yet clamor against the justice of that law which ? ads the mur derer to the scatfold. It is time that such inconsis tencies were abandoned. Let the principle be as sumed, either that the state has no right to require the sacrifice of life in its own defence, or that, equal ly for its defence but in another way, it has a right to require this sacrifice. Who will deny that it is as important that society be protected from the dag ger of the assassin as from the guns of an invading enemy 7 And if it is just to require our fello .v-citi zens to enroll themselves to meet an invading foe, it is equally just to demand that the muiderer die upon the scaffold. Asa question of justice, therefore, or of strict rectitude, no reaconable doubt can be en tertained. The whole inquiry as it seems to me, turns on the expediency of the c e or the other course, as best adapted to protect , ociety from crime. And on this point my mind is equally at rest. There is no other punishment proposed, which is of equal force to deter from crime. Who will pretend that a life of captivi ty and ofiraprisonment, even supposing this penalty in all cases to be inflicted, is comparable in terror to the penalty of death 7 The common sense of the com munity, expressed by law, has long ago decided this point, by making imprisonment for life a secondary penalty. And since, even with death in view 7 , men do commit murder, we have reason to think that this crime would be less regarded, and more common, in proportion to any relaxation of the penalty. It be longs, therefore, to those who would remove the pen alty of death from the statute book, to show that im prisonment for life is a greater and more fearful pen alty than death, and would prove more efficacious in the prevention ofcrime, which no one can be made to believe, ifhe regard the future world as a state of re ward and punishment, or respect his own conscious ~7*«» of what he would himself prefer were he con victed. need not go the Bible to settle the ques tion of the right to the jjf e 0 f t [, e murderer in such a case ; for it is a x.ght a B .~, h l e to the law of nature; and unless directly prohibited in word of God, exists in all its strength. It belongs to the right of self-protection, which every community en joys, to use, for this purpose, the wisest and most ef fectual means. Fire. —The old frame building on llie south eastjeorner of Dauphin and St. Emanuel streets occupied by the Messrs. Carmelich as a Con fectionary and Fruit Establishment, was de stroyed by fire on Saturday night. About 12 o’clock, a number of persons were present, engaged in burning crackers and other fire works as preliminary to the Christmas festivi ties, when one of those was accidently thrown into the midst of a large number of crackers and other combustible materials in the store room, which immediately caught, and the flames at once extended with the velocity of an explosion, to the entire interior of the building. The occupants had to flee out for their lives, and so rapid was the progress of the flames that a person in the second story with difficulty escaped. The quantity ofsulphur and powder in the crackers, rockets, and other pyrotechnic articles, which were in large abundance, not only spread the flames with rapidity, but ex ploded with considerable noise and violence, rendering it impossible to check the flames. — The different fire companies were with great promptness upon the spot, and were very effi cient in preventing the spread of the confla gration. Fortunately all the adjacent houses were fire proof, and being constantly favored with the jets of water, saffered no material in jury. The large canvass pavilion of Messrs. Stone McCollum’s Circus standing on the Public Square, immediately opposite, was for some time in danger, but by being hauled down was saved from destruction. The Joss to the Messrs. CarmeJichs, by the fire, is very considerable. Besides their ordi nary large stock in trade, they had made exten sive additions of confectionaries, cakes, fruits, pyrotechnics, fancy articles, &c., for the Christ mas and New Year’s festivities, all of which were destroyed. The loss to them is estimated at S7OOO, —about S2OOO of which only, was in sured : The public will regret this calamity to these gentlemen, who are among our most in dustrious and enterprising citizens.— Mobile Register, 25 th inst. Indiana State Debt. —The State debt of Indiana is rapidly getting into a shape which will be entirely manageable, and will place In diana among the solvent Slates. An arrange ment was made with her foreign creditors by which she was relieved from one-half her debt. The general principle of this arrangement was that her foreign bondholders should surrender their bonds, and in return receive (for one-half of them) the Wabash and Erie Canal, and fin ish it to Evansville- For the oilier half the State was to issue new bonds at five percent. This arrangementhas been almost enlirely con summated. The Wabash Canal is in the course of rapid completion. The Auditor reports that— The Public debt of the State on the Ist of July, 1847, was $11,048,000 The amount of bonds surrendered, up to July 1, 1848, is 9,158,000 Leaving, as above, sttll outstanding - 1,690,000 One-half of the surrendered bonds ($4,579,- 000,) has been re-issued in new five per cent, bonds. An equal amount is struck off the Stata debt, as being an equivalent to the value of the Wabash and Erie Canal. Upon the whole, the affairs of Indiana are in a very prosperous condition. The great canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio will soon be com pleted, and the credit of the State fully restored. — Cin. Atlas. Who is the Arkansas Doctor? —The New Orleans correspondent of the Concordia Intel ligencer thus writes of a celebrated physician in this city, who it appears has adopted an in fallible course of practice ; “ I suppose you have heard of the celebrated Arkansas Doctor, who practices upon the te-to turn systetn. Well, he has arrived here, and bids fair to become the fashion of the town You may see him every day before the St. Charles Hotel, with drab pataloons, and a high bell-crowned hat without the siightestshadovv of a rim to it. His hair hangs down over his shoul ders, and he sports a pair of tortoise-shell spec tacles resting on a John Tyler nose. He em ploys an instrument with eight sides, similar to the te-to-tum used by boy.-, only of a larger size and differently lettered. On each side of this octagon is a letter, designed to represent a cer tain thing—as, for example, V, for vomit, G, for glyster, P, for purge, S, for sweat, &c. Whenever the Doctor is called in, he takes with him this wonderful instrument, and withoutex amining either the pulse or the tongue, Or ask ing any questions, he proceeds to spin it, and prescribes according to its indications. Thus if V turns up, he forthwith administers an eme tic, if G,an injection, and so on. The success which has attended this new system is said to he astonishing.” More Lawrence Munificence.— William Lawrence, of Boston, lately deceased, left by his will $20,000 to the Groton Academy. The amount is to remain on interest till it reaches $30,000, then to be appropriated for purposes ofinstruction, charity to the indigent pupils, &c. Thisinstitutionhas heretofore re- I ceived large sums from the Lawrences. Gro I ton was their native town— Springfield R c ] \ PU Irom the Southern Christian Advocate. Nacooch.ee—Gold Digging, Lovely and fertile as this valley is, f or the sake of gold a part of it, and of some other vales hard by is torn up and rained, for the time at least, by mining operations. The ?pro curement of gold from the bowels of the earth is rather a curious procedure. The soil, dark and rich, varying from to 4 feet in deoth, i 3 thrown up with spades, at which depth! abed or stratum of gravel is reached. The layer varies from a few inches to 18 or 20 inches deep. Below it is a soft slate stone, of what thickness the gold diggers care not. as the pre cions metal is found among the gravel. When looking fora place to work, the miner takes about two or three quarts ofthis gravel into an iron pan (a frying pan, say, with the handle knocked off,) and by shaking (as if riddling i n the water, he washes out the sand, removing by hand the larger gravel stones. The pro cess carefully carried on leaves the gold, if there be any, on the bottom of the pan. If h e in the panful of gravel as much gold (in the merest particles generally) as would make the bulk of an ordinary pin-head, he regards the specimen as favorable, and goes regularly to work. The gravel ofthe stratum alluded to is thrown into a machine called a rocker. This instru ment in its general appearance resembles a cra dle—hence its name, 1 suppose. It is strongly made, and its two rockers rest on a frame pre pared to receive them, and which is so con structed that the rockers on each side strike a stationary piece of limber when they ascend to a given height. This, of course, produces a jarring motion, which carries along downward (for the rocker is slightly inclined from one eud to the olher,) the gravel which it receives. The machine is rocked by means of a handle, fastened across the top of it midway. That part of the rocker upon which the gravel is thrown is a strong iron plate, perforated in reg ular squares with round holes, which allow the sand and small pebbles to fall through, while the larger stoues pass off as the bran runs through a bolting frame. Water is conveyed to the rocker, and from some two feet above falls in a very heavy rain on the gravel as it is thrown on the rocker, thus separating the sand and small gravel from the larger stones, which vary from the size of a man’s head downward. That which passes through is received by an oblong shallow box or drawer, called a riffle, having partitions running across through its entire length, about 3 or four inches apart.and as high as the edges of the drawer. In these compartments some of the sand,&c. is detained, but most washes off’. To detain the gold there is placed in each cell of the drawer a quantity of quicksilver, which has such an affinity to gold that it attracts it to its embraces, and com pletely hides the yellow dust by its own white coat, while its weight keeps the gold at the bot tom of each cell. Twice a day the contents of the drawer is taken out and undergoes the process of“panning,” as it is called, already described. In the bottom of the pan now, how ever, there is no gold; to the eye, all is mercu ry. This is put into a strong cotton cloth, and the fluid metal is strained off by pressure,leaving the gold beqind, but so coated still with the quicksilver that it has no appearance whatever of gold, but a dirty white color. The crucible removes all this and leaves the pure melted gold behind. A quantity of mercury-coated gold about the bulk of a partridge’s egg was shown me as the result of the labor of twenty two hands in a day, and was regarded as fair work, being about a dollar gross to the hand. The water which springs upon them in the mines, or pits rather, is lifted and thrown off by bucket wheels or by pumps, worked by the water of the stream as it passes on its way. I am told that the proprietors of these lands, will realize from S3OO to SSOO an acre for the use of them, while the gold digging is going on; and that in ten years or so, the land, if levelled, will be as good as ever it was —some say, even better, How enchanting the prospect from CoL Smith’s cabin door ! Right in front is the ford of the Chatta hoochee where we crossed but just now. See, there is a company this moment crossing on horseback. The tall treeson cither side with the various tints of green, the river sweeping by to the right the Duke’s Creek rushing in from the left and uniting with the river between us and the ford yonder, the rustic bridge across the creek, that patch of tall, deep green corn lying between the two streams, and a few cabins just to its left, all form a most picturesque view. You remember to have heard of Walton’s first es say to ‘•'make a living in the world.” He was but a little follow. He cleared a bit of ground and planted it in corn. ’Twas on a gentle slope on the southern side of the famous mound with the solbary pine. Here we are reclining on the very ground now cov ered with grass. ’Tis a pleasant place, and the view down the valley lends it no little enchantment. Hero, at hand, a field of waving .corn, the river sweeping onw 7 ard, just beyond, fields of different tint, still fur ther off, and beyond the whole ofthe forest-clad earth rising from the plain, and reaching mountain heights. On this spot where we now repose did Walton plant and cultivate his first corn -field. ’Twas doing well, when a drought, as the youthful farmer, at least, thought, set in, and ruin stared him in the face, for his corn began to “twist in the hot sun, while his fa ther’s on the bottom hard by, was green and promi sing. But, as we may suppose, from his afier life, Walton was not the lad to be beaten back easily. The river was at hand, and in the clear moonlight he carried water in buckets from the stream, and applied it to his famishing crop. This did very well till on a luckless night Walton heard something rush ing through the leaves as if from the top of the mound, and supposing it might tie the ghosts of some Indians buried there nr—something else —he yielded to the counsel of hie palpitating heart, whicti was to give leg bail, and scampered home at no snail-gallop speed. The corn, “made out” to get along, notwith standing, for, not being so easily alarmed, it did’nt run off, and rain came in time to keep it alive and working.” Whether Walton ever ascertained that it was.an Indian spirit that came upon him in the liedit of the mellow moon, I have not been able to D 3 learn. At the house of her son-in-law, the Rev. Mr. Little john, 1 have seen the venerable widow of the late Jesse Richardson, of the S. C. Conference, now about 73 years of age. She appears hale and hearty for one of her years, and in a mellow age among her children and grandchildren, holds on her way, to join beyond the grave the companion of the greater part of her pilgrimage —the husband of her early affection. The grave of the venerated dead is in the church yard of Nacochee, but I did not know this till afier I had been there, else I had visited it; and after war !s I had no opportunity. No stone, I was told, marks the resting place of th : s veteran sol dier of the cross. A respectable monument, I doubt not, will be erected at no distant day, by his descen dants in the valley. The Power of Railroads to Increase Wealth.—By J. Wilson, M. P.—We find a paper unde r this title in the Bankers Magazine make from it an extract: “ A man can accomplish now in a day what he could not do thirty years ago in three or four days. The labor, therefore, of the whole population is thus rendered infinitely more productive, and i> so far ex actly in effect what it would b& if we increased enor mously the productive population of the country without increasing the number of consumers Whe « man has a railway, ora new machine whichi ena bles him to perform double the work he did » the effect upon the country is the same as if each man had a stranger who came and gave him his labor without any remuneration, or without consuming an> part of the produce. Railways and therefore great new machinery by whmh boil capita! ainf labor ofthe country has been econom.sed, ami each rendered wonderfully more And it is this great advantage, experienced by the community individually, which leads to tic • sive traffic and high rates of profit which they made, and which in fact is the best indict public utility.” tal but lessened the cost o tr*n p W No‘v, we beg leave respectfully to re, nest of
