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THE INDIAN HALL.
BY THE AUTHOR OF FATHER ROWLAND.
Chapter I.
At the close of a delightful evening in
spring, when the golden lustre of the set
ting sun tinged the peak of the green
decked mountain, and the last sweet day
hour seemed to linger about its sum
mits, Charles Clermont, the youngest
son of Major Clermont, proposed to visit
the “Indian Hall.” The Clermont fami
ly had settled on the banks of St. Mary’s
lliver, Maryland, and was one of that
magnanimous colony who, for conscience
sake, had emigrated from their native
land to settle on those uncultivated
shores. With a principle which noth
ing could subdue, and a fortitude which
stood the test of many a revolution, the
descendants of that respectable family,
cherished, with primeval attachment, the
doctrines and customs of the Roman
Catholic Church. Major Clermont had
married f' Catholic lady in Wales, by
wlion he was blessed with a numerous
offspring; of wh om three were female,
and the rest male. The ladies had re
ceived an education suited to their stand
ing and fortune, and could figure, lyith
unafected elegance and dignified flbfc
jflicity, in the proudest circles of Eu
rope!. The boys, too, had been educated
in England, under the care of a venera
ble ecolesiastic; and had grounded them
selves not only in science, but likewise in
the knowledge of their religion. Charles
was highly gifted by nature, and his
natural endowments were graced and
perfected by a splendid education. The
names of the ladies were Paulina,Emilie,
and Constantin.
The “Indian Hah” was an ancient
mansion situatod on the Virginia shore,
and belonged to the Preston family,
staunch Unitarians, who, with the excep
tion of the Clermonts, diligently avoided
any correspondence with Roman Catho
lics. Col. Preston, however, was inti
mate with the-Major; and their families
were in the, habit of mutually spending
some weeks of the year at each ofh t’s
houses. Their beautiful pleasure boats,
which glided like the inmates of the
water over the surface of the dark-green
bay, facilitated their visits and their
correspondence. Mrs. Preston was of
high English blood, and her daughters,
Caroline and Elizabeth, had been deeply
imbued with English prejudices—par
ticularly against popery.
There was every inducement, this
evening, for his sisters to accept the
proposal of Charles to pay a visit to the
Indian Hall. The evening was bland
and delicious, the the bay!
where the solitary nsn leaped from thel
spariding brine, as hushed and silent as I
the grave. The boat was immediately I
got in readiness; four stout oars-men
wore r,t their stations, the ladies took
their seats, Charles seized the rudder,
and they dashed forward towards the
Virginia shores.
“You perhaps are not aware, dear
sisters, why 1 was in so great a hurry to
get off this eveuiug,” said Charles.
“Why Charles, it is 5 your manner,”
answorod Paulina: “when you deoide
on a thing, you are not at rest till you
accomplish what you have in view.”
“Just like Papa,” added Emilie.—
You know it is a common observation,
Emilie, among our good neighbors, “that
the Clermonts are slow to decide, but
quick to execute,” remarked Constan
tia.
“This is giving us a noble char actor,”
remarked Paulina.—
“Avery desirable one, indeed,” added
Charles—“but really you are construing
my manner," he continued with an em
phasis, “rather too favorably.”
“How so, Charles ?” asked Emilie.
“Why, sisters, this is what caused my
hurry,” taking a letter from his pocket,
“it is a very curious tlv’ng, but will afford
extraordinary joy to our family when
mode public.”
“From whom is it, Charles ? and what
is the nature of it ?” asked Constantia.
“It :'s from Elizabeth Preston —the
subject will bo best communicated by
reading it to you.”
“Dear Mr. Clermont,
“It will surprise you, not a little, I am i
sure, when you peruse the contents of j
this page. The subject of it is not ac
cording to my usual strain, a description
of what has happened in our circle, since
we last had the pleasure of seeing you,
but one of a momentous and invaluable
nature—Religion At the pronun
ciation of this word, Charles fixed his
eyes upon his sisters. They, on their
part, evinced an expression which no
pen has ever yet succeeded in describing,
no pencil, however skilful, has been able
to portray. The mingled expressions of
astonishment, joy, and gratitude to God,
all blending into one deep glance of the
speaking eye.
“Religionexclaimed Paulina, “I
oould have imagined anything else from
Elizabeth —what does she mean,Charles?”
“She surely does not intimate that
she wishes to know more about the
Catholic Religion,” observed Emilie.
The Catholic Church !” cried Paulina,
the Prestons despise the very name of
what they ignorantly term “Popery.”
v. i, “as you w .11 know, in a school sys
tematically opposed to your church. I
was taught, from my cradle, to look
upon it as a mass of absurdities and a
heap of superstitions; my parents
strengthened my prejudices as my years
increased j all that I read was written
either directly against it, or tended to
impress on my mind erroneous opinions.
But within the past year, I have been
communicating by letter with Virginia
Wolbum, who has become a strict and
enlightened Christian, under the guid
ance of Rev. Father Rowland, and the
arguments and books which she has put
before me, are such as leave no trifling
doubts, on my mind. This is all a secret.
—Neither Papa nor the family have the
most distant idea of any such change,
and on no account, would I wish it to be
hinted to them. I should be delighted if
you would visit the Hall as soon as pos
sible, and be good enough to pray Paul
ina, Emilie, and Constantia, to accom
pany you. I intend to put to advant
age the opportunity I shall have of con
versing with you and them, on the fun
damental points of religion. ,
“With great respect, &c.,
E. Preston.”
The perusal of this note, whilst it
seemed to electrify with amazement the
ladies, filled them with delight which
they could not but give ft lit to in terms
of deep emotion.
“I trust, Charles, you have had the
precaution to provide yourself with
books for the occasion,” said Constantia.
“All her questions must be solidly an
swered.”
“Avery necessary precaution, indeed;
for your own divinity, I fear, might give
out,” added Emilie with a smile.
“I should be very loath, to confide, in
my own resources -with so well educated
a lady as Elizabeth,” said Charles: “I
have brought with me an erudite trea
tise on religion, commencing from the
first great truth, the existence of God,
and comprising all the disputed points
of religion.”
“It will be unnecessary, surely, Charles,
to investigate the existence of a Su
preme Being,” said Paulina.
“To investigate- it would be useless,
Paulina, or even as far as Elizabeth is
concerned, to examine that doctrine
which all nations and ages ' have ad
mitted.”
“The author of the work I alluded to,”
returned ‘Charles, “here it is,” opening
it to his sisters —“examines the subject,
not as a point of natural rdig' on, but
discusses the peculiar manner in which
it has been revealed by the Almighty
Himself. But of this we shall see more
ito-morrow.” JL V
Ivagjfc ‘.VihvVs
'cleavffig the Twilight waters —
the heaven’s bright firmament, like a
lovely arch of jasper, circled over their
heads, and here and there a dim star ap
peared twinkling above, like some
glorious spirit looking down in peace on
the dusky vale of sorrow.
“Oh !” exclaimed Paulina, pointing to
the skies,“there Charles, there is the best
and most eloquent treatise on the exist
ence of God. There His Power is
manifested—there His majesty is in
scribed in everlasting light.”
“Beyond those lovely heavens are the
regions of pure spirits, where we shall
one day meet in bliss,” said Paulina.
“Those dimly discovered stars are like
beacons of hope lighting our wayward
passage across the waters of time.”
“True, true,” rejoined Charles, “and
they are beauteous emblems of Her—
the ever blessed Mary—who is styled by
the Church the star of the ocean.”
“Apropos, Constantia, you have your
guitar with you—music is sweet at any
time—but doubly so on the calm bright
waters,” added Emilie.
A hymn to the star of the ocean, would
at once delight and edify us,” said
Charles, “and Constantia will not de
prive us of this two-fold advantage.”
“With pleasure shall I hail the Virgin
Mary -she is the patroness of all Chris
tians—the refuge of nil sinners.” She
then adjusted her instrument, and rais
ing her expressive eyes to the firmament,
with a deep gush of feeling and devo
tion, broke forth into the following
strain:
mar is stella, hail !
Btaming from the sky;
Light, by which in peace we sail
Towards eternity.
While our frail bark cleaves tl*e waters.
Virgin, smile upon thy daughters.
“How sweet it is to invoke the patron
age of the Blessed Virgin,” said Charles
—My dear Constantia, you feel it as
you siug her hymn.”
“Oh ! dearest brother,” she eturned,
“tender should be the devotion of every
Christian, •to her who is so full of com
passion for poor mortal, and so power
ful to assist him in his wants.”
“Strange it has always appeared to
me, how our dissenting friends should
refuse to call upon her,” said Emilie;
“especially since they read in the Script
ure, that the first miracle which our
Saviour wrought, was through her in
tercession.”
“Very just, indeed, is your remark,
Emilie,” returned Paulina; “at the mar
riage of Cana, in Galilee, our divine
Redeemer changed the water into wine,
at the instance of His holy Mother.*
And though, as I have somowhere read,
He evinced an appirent reluctance to
THE SO U # CROS S,T
comply with His as
His time could
not refuse
as it were, , and performed a
miracle, proves the power
of the motherland the divinity of the
“For my oilji part,” said Charles, “let
it appear credafaiy, or even superstition
to my Proteswflt friends, I attribute
much of my prosperity in life, and the
little piety I still possess, to my devotion
towards the Mother of God, which was
instilled into iW-boybood, in my college
years, and which I can truly say, I have
ever since wara^*,cherished.”
“Persevere good sentiments,
my dear brotbipßsaid Constantia, “they
have an exception to
the men, and you
will be.”
“I Constantia that
nothing shalpßlwiter them. They are
too deeply laid V> in my heart.” *
The interests* conversation between
Charles and hijj sisters, beguiled the
length of theirßoyage, and shortened
the time requia® to pass from Mary
land to Virginal The abrupt shores of
the latter were ®rrw near; upon their
craggy heights ttie (■fiadss of the night
were collects juid they frowned in
darkness upoft Asjte rs which rippled
incessant against the strand.
The oars-men ceased their tugging; and
the boat, with a Mteady motion cut its
way into a which a beacon
shone, to guid&JLem where to land.
Col. Preston’s farriage was near the
beach, awaiting' their arrival. They
entered, and the coachman, cracking his
whip with great glee, drove away from
the “Indian jTWdI ”
Ctt'lri’KK 11.
The mansion Jw Col. Preston, I re
marked above, y m called the “Indian
Hall,” from the ekcrimstance of its be
ing situated on ij|*S%ot, where, tradi
tion told, had once been established a
settlement of jjpjhns. Those aborigi
nal children of the forest, had long since
been driven from these parts, into the
interior of onr continent. The rude and
shapeless graves of their fathers, were
still, however, occasionally discovered
in the fields, or near some quiet stream
of water; and the Sturdy ploughman not
unfrequently disclosed, as he turned up
the earth, the blunted arrow and rusty
tomahawk. that once wield
ed these bloody weapons, have long
mouldered beneath the clod, and the
ghosts of the warrior* seem to shriek in
the night windSjjSmt houl in winter
in-
On their tUe cottage, the
visitors were heartily welcomed by the
Colonel, Mrs. Preston/and Caroline, and
especially by Elizabeth, whose eye most
eloquently indicated the fullness of her
heart.
“Your passage across the bay was
pleasant, I hope, Mr. Clermont,” sJtd
Mrs. Preston.
“Perfectly so, dear madam,” replied
Charles.
“You come over comfortably, and
quickly, too, nci doubt,” added the
Colonel.
“A more lovely night I hardly ever
beheld, rep'.i. and Paulina,” the waters
were calm, and scarcely a zephyr
breathed upon heir surface.
“How gratified we all are to see you
and your sisters with us to-night, Pau
lina,’’exclaimed Elizabeth, taking her by
both her hands.
“And her brother, too, I hope,
Elizabeth,” added the Colonel in good
humor.
“Oh, Papa, in addressing Paulina,
you well know that I mean to include
all.”
“Upon my word, Elizabeth, you give
me no chance,” said Caroline in mirth;
“well Constantia, I will express my
pleasure in seeifig you on this shore,
this beautiful night.”
“Beautiful as istheuigkt, anew charm
was added to its delightfulness, by Con
stantina’s guitar,” said Emilie.
“Sweet plaintive music; oh! it melts the heart,
“Devotion wakes, and tears unbidden start,"
Exclaimed Mrs. Preston.
An hospitable repast was spread out
before the welcome guests, of which
they partook with healthful appetite;
and a sprightly conversation was kept
up until the hour for retiring to repose,
when the Colopel withdrawing, wished
them a good night's rest and golden
dreams.
♦John, ch. 2.
[>TO BE CONTINUED.]
A couple of weeks since a terrible
tragedy was enacted at Venice, near
Auburn, New York. Harrison Andrews,
a man of ungovernable temper, went to
his son’s sleeping room and gave him a
murder (jus blow on the head with a
hatchet, crushing the skull. He then
aroused his tw daughters and shot one
of them, but fhey both ran out of the
house. He next poured oil on the car
pets, and, setting fire to the house, com
mitted suicide by shooting himself
through the head. The son and daugh
ter are serfiwsly injured, but may re
cover. The neighbors extinguished the
fire. 1 1
' [For the Southern Croee.
TRI MONEY FORKS
No. 2.
A few thousand men own all the
bonds of the Government of the United
States, all the stocks and bonds of the
National Banking Companies, the Rail
road Companies, the Manufacturing
Companies, the Mining Companies, and
the Telegraph Companies, in the United
States. Being few in number and being
attracted by the cohesive power of pub
lic plunder, they naturally combine for the
purpose of controling the legislation of
the country. This combination constitutes
the Money Power.
By the magic power of money, this
combination is able to command the ser
vices of a host of accomplished writers
and eloquent public speakers, men skilled
in the art of making the worse appear to
be the better cause.
By the same means it controls the most
extensivelycirculated newspapers through
which they are able to spread their so
phistical arguments in support of their
political heresies broadcast all over the
country, and, by the same means, it is
represented in the political conventions
of ever}' party, by the most ingenious
and unscrupulous wire-pullers; and in
legislative halls of Congress and of every
State in the Union, by men of talent,
who are ready at all times and on all oc
casions to use every means which cun
ning and duplicity can suggest, to so shape
the action of political parties in their
nominating conventions and in the leg
islative halls, as to promote fiheir own
selfish interests, and to defeat every ef
fort made by the opposition to break down
and destroy their cunningly devis id sys
tem of public plunder.
It is a notorious fact that a large
majority of the legal voters of the coun
try are opposed to the favorite financial
system of the Money Power, and that
concert of action is only required on the
part of the opposition to secure the elec
tion to office of men who would wipe out
the entire system of class legislation,
which now disgraces our statute books,
and substitute a system of finance which
would only require the laboring and
producing classes to pay the expense? of
an honest and economical administration
of the government, and not force them
to replenish the coffers of a sordid mon
ied aristocracy, to the amount of hun
dreds of millions per annum; hence the
motto of the Money Power is “Divide
and Conquer!” Acting upon this prin
ciple, the Money Power finds a wky to
secure influential positions for its rep
ing conventions, wKeaMtibewabOT
ously, and too often to
create a division of sentiment, both
as to the platfor mof principles to be
adopted, and the candidates for office, to
be supported by the party. Newspapers
of large circulation, claiming to be
intensely Democratic and edited with
skill and ability, have used their influence
to secure the adoption of platforms and
the nomination of candidates for office,
neither of which, it was well known,
could be conscientiously endorsed by the
great mass of the Democratic party, with
a deliberate design to create discord and
divisions in the Democratic party, and
secure the success of the Money Power.
The hundreds of thousands of employees
of the railroad, manufacturing, mining,
telegraph, and express companies, who
are dependent upon their daily labor for
the support of themselves and families,
are threatened with want of employment
and starvation of themselves and families,
in case of failure to support the favorite
candidates of the Money Power for office;
and furthermore, the telegraph is used
for the purpose of disseminating false
and slanderous charges against the can
didates of the Democratic party. These
are some of the appliances used by which
the Money Power expect to perpetuate
the existence of a financial system which
is destructive of the dearest interests of
the laboring and producing classes.
If I may be allowed to use a slang phrase,
“the nigger” and “the bloody shirt,”
have both “played out,” and it now be
comes necessary for the Money Power to
resort to some other “dodge” to avoid, as
far as possible, placing the real issue be
fore the people for their decision, in the
approaching Presidential election. In
stead of taking issue upon the entire
financial system of the Radical party,
the Money Power seeks to limit the issue,
to the “greenback,” question, and know
ing the influence which has heretofore
been exerted upon the public mind by
“catch” words the term “inflationists” is
sought to be affixed to the Democratic
party. This is a mere “dodge” to avoid
a discussion of the enormities of the
tariff system, which is so vulnerable at
every point.
The money power proposes to enforce
the redemption of the greenbacks in gold
and place the privilege of issuing paper
money exclusively in the hands of the
National Banks, thus forcing the people
to pay interest on the entire national
debt, and giving the National Banks the
control of the entire issue of paper money,
and investing them with the power of
contracting or expanding the volume of
currency,or,in other words,making money
plenty or scarce, as may be required, to
gratify the sordid interests of the Money
Power.
On the other hand, it is pro
posed to compel the so-called Na
tional Banks, which have no legal exist
ence, to wind up their affairs and
redeem their issues, amounttng to three
hundred million dollars, ($300,000,000)
in greenbacks, and to allow the gov
ernment to substitute therefor, three
hundred million dollars ($300,000,000)
in greenbacks, making the issue of
“greenbacks,” or Treasury notes, seven
hundred million dollars, ($700,000,000),
instead of four hundred million dollars,
($400,000,000), as at present, thus saving
the payment of interest on seven hun
dred million dollars ($700,000,000) of
the public debt, amounting to thirty-five
million dollars ($35,000,000) per annum.
It is also proposed to repeal the law
which indirectly prohibits the existence
of State Banks, and takes away from each
State the power to control and regulate
the issue of paper money within its own
jurisdiction. This is what the representa
tives of the Money Power call “expansion
of currency.” „
I propose to continue the discussiH
of this question next week. N. H. S.R
THE FIRST FRUITS FROM OHIO. 1
The official count of the vote in Ohio
has not yet been made public, indeed, it
is doubtful if an official cc£it has yet
been had, when the country is treated
to the first fruits of the disaster in that
State. Grant puts Zach Chandler in his
Cabinet in the plsqeof Delano, removed.
This change, occurring some months
since, would have not occasioned com
ment, but it comes now with peculiar
force and is pregnant with meaning. As
between Delano and Chandler, person
ally , there is but little margin of choice.
The first is avaricious, corrupt and a
most pliant tool of the party in power.
The other is ignorant, brutal and drunk
en. Both have been disgraced in the
eyes of all honest men, and if the one
had any advantage over the other, that
advantage lay with Chandler, whose
deep seated ijrahgrnity and hatred of the
South, far surpasses that of Delano.
The meaning to be gathered from the
change is double. The country is given
to understand that Grant rightly appre
ciates the result in Ohio as a Radical
victory and an endorsement of himself
and his administration. So secure does
he feel of this that he changes front and
ihaavYws os ij, lib
eral policy whuff Pieri^po&TT
a Cabinet portfolio. Until again checked
by popular remonstrance, too powerful
to be disregarded, the administration
will he run in its old groove—persecution
of the South.
Further, the candidacy of Grant for a
third term may now be considered fixed
beyond the chance of change. With
Chandler in the Cabinet, from the West,
the pretensions of Morton are to be
squelched as rapidly and as completely
as the Maine election carried Mr. Blaine
out of sight.
In a surprisingly short time the Re
publicans have turned the tide which set
strongly against them from the elections
of last year. They have displayed a
wonderful capacity for politi cal straegy,
and, at present, seem to hold the vant
age ground.
Another mistake upon the part of the
Democrats,and Grant’s re-election and a
third term loom up from out the possi
bilities of the future into dangerous and
unpleasant probabilitiea
[For the Southern Cross.]
IRELAND—HER PEOPLE.
No. ±
We have thus shown to Mr. Field’s
constituency, greatly, no doubt, to their
astonishment, that Ireland has been as
productive of ™en celebrated for the
achievements of m*re brain greatness, if
one may so express it, as the whole
outer world beside; but there are sub
limer things recorded in the world’s his
tory than we have yet illustrated; there
are nobler attributes pertaining to hu-
I inanity, Among them love of country
and fidelity to principle, and these are,
in an eminent degree, characteristic of
the Irish people. Something over four
teen hundred years ago, Patrick, chant
ing at JPG* his magnificent Lorica, im
plored the divine inspiration for his
speech, the divine protection in his
labors for the salvation of the Irish
people, and in response belief was
speedily granted them. From that time
they have clung to the Gospel of Christ
the crucified with a fidelity unparall
eled. They clung to the Faith when,
in the tenth and eleventh centu
ries, the Norsemen, seeking to sup
plement their conquests in Britain
and Northern Gaul, endeavored to im
pose upon the green island, in place of
Bio religion of God and love, the dread