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THE OBSERVER, No. G.
Sxturd iy. May
“N hl esttarn v *lu-re quint rnnleiic'um : nihil fh
riliu* e ni 'inir. nihil citius excipitur, uih.l latius dissl
patur."—Cicero.
There is a lurt in man no power can tame.
Os loudly publishing his neighbor’s shame;
On Eagle's wings invidious scandals fly.
Whilst virtuous actions are but born and die.
Having in my last paper despatched some of my cor
respondents, and laid the rest over for further conside
ration and having nothing now to prevent me, I will >
to-day resume my remarks on a subject which I touch
ed upon in a former paper, viz : that of evil-speaking.
In the piper referred to I expressed it as my opin
ion that the origin of this vice and its gteat prevalence
were to be traced to two principal sources, viz : Envy
attd selt-love- I propose to-day to examine into the
truth of this impression, and further to make seme re
marks upon the diflerent shades and varieties into which
the vice of evil-speaking runs, and the had effects it
produces under the different forms which it assumes.
And first, of self-1 >ve, which I have pointed out as
one of the principal sources of evil-speaking—although
perhaps it !>c a remote one- Self love induces us to
think be'ter of ourselves than of others —it leads us to
view our own conduct with leniency and self-compla
cency, an I to be better satisfied with any thing said or
done by ourselves than with what is said or done by
any one else. Nay, this cherished idea extends even
to our possessions—so that it is a most common thing
to find a man maintain with great warmth the superi
or and unrivalled excellence of his own horse, his own
dog, Sze. See. ; and were you to deny i', he would be
ready, at a momentjs warning, to bet with you or to
fight with you upon the issue. This singular idea is
sometimes carried so far, that it vvoui 1 be really ridi
culous, did it not at the same time present to the philo
sophic tnind a matter for deep and serious reflection.
Having our minds thus imbue I with the idea of our
own superior excellence, it follows naturally lhat we
should wish others to entertain the same idea ; and self
love will attempt to bring this about first by setting
forth our own perfections—but as lhis does not always
succeed, (men, alas ! are so incredulous !) the next at
tempt will be to les'en our neighbor’s standing by sea
ting forth his imperfect.ons, and thus we !>egin to de
tract —if this does not succeed we may be tempted far
ther on to lay to his charge faults or even crimes, to
publish his secret shame, or some other similar [ roce
dure, until we at length become the defamer, the slan
derer, the calumniator of our neighbor and the mur
derer of his cha-acter and reputation. No v, if we
trace back ihe sups bv w liich we have reached this
■point we will find that they commence from the im
pulsion and restless workings- of an inordinate self
love, an overweening idea of our own excellence.
The other source of the vice 1 speak of is Envy. It
may be that we are ourselves so conscious of our ow n
deficiency of virtue or moral principle, that not even
self-love can blind us to it. In this case, we are very
apt to ha'e in others the g>ol which is not in ourselves
and to envy them the possession of those qualities, and
the respectful consideration attendant upon them, to
which we can lay no claim. Now as there is not a
more restless or more keenly tormenting passion than
this same one of envy—it is not in human nature to
remain long quiet under the infliction of its stings,
without trying to find some relief, w hich is thought to
lie infallibly obtained by bringing the object of our en
vy to our own level But as this can not actually be
done, inasmuch as we have it not ia our power to de
prive him of the good qualities he really pnsse-ses, we
endeavor to make hint at least appear to he no hetter,
nay, even worse than ourselves. This we effect by
slow degnes, and the gravlual practice of the differed'
varieties of evil speaking beginning with inihler forms
arid ending with the most atrocious ones ceasing not
until the cherished point he gone I of destroying him
whom w e envied, because he was better than ourselves.
Tiie envious detractor is more infamous, more bfemea
ble and more despicable than He «ho is actuated onl;.
bv self-love ; fir the ons injures bis neighbor with the
hope of thereby benefiting himself, whilst the other
brings destruction upon one ' e ter than himself, with
o it any expectation i of deriving therefrom the least ad
vantage, olher than the uncertain and equivocal satis
faction of gloa'ing over his prostr ti in and ruin.
Having thus briefly examined into the causes which
lead to evil speaking, let us turn our attention for a
moment to its different varieties, which, whilst they are
nil sinful, are yet marked by distinct shades and de
grees of criminality.
One of the simplest and most common forms of evil
speaking is Disparagement or Detraction, w hich we are
guilty of, whenever, by hint, inuendo or direct remark,
we create an impression lhat lie of whom we speak is
not all that he is thought to be, yet without accusing
him formally, or laying to his charge any thing speci
fic. Bv this we prevent our hearers from having so
high an opinion of the person S| oken of ns they would
perhaps otherwise entertain. This species of vice is
extremely insidious, and therefore proporrionably dan
gerous, from the great show ot innocence which it puts
on. Bv the practice of it, (a practice which is spt to
grow insensibly upon ns,) we may injure our neighbor
most seriously, our conscience remaining all the while
lulled in fancied security, not even whispering our guih,
merely because we have not actually said any evil of
the victim of our disparagement. And, indeed it not
unfreqtientlv happens that those wh > do most evil in
this way, are persons who have no positive design to
injure others, and who are not influenced by any ma
licious intent; but who, from a thoughtless habit of gi
ving their opinions at all times, and a talkative propen
sity, utter their remarks at random and uncalled for on
any subject that may come before them —they talk for i
the pleasure of being listened to, and take little heed
what they say, provided they can secure the attention
of their hearers. They thu9 unconsciously injure ma
ny against whom they have not the slightest ill will,
and at the same time lay up for themselves an abund
ant store of fru tless regiets and useless remorse. Re
present to one of these habitual detractors the mischief
he has done and show the effect of his thoughtless bab
bling, and he will affect surprise that it is laid to his
charge. “Why what have I done? I said nothing
against him ;at least, I said no harm of him ! I mere
ly expressed my opinion about him, &c.,” and thus he
quiets his conscience, and cheats himself into a belief
that he is entirely innocent of evil.
The next degree in the scale of criminality is when
not content with representing onr neighbor as not be
ing what he ought to be, we go on to represent him as
being what he ought not to be. We cast a stain, a ble
mish on his reputation, character or conduct, and this
is called aspersion. “To asperse," says an excellent;
author, “is to fix a stain on a moral charac er. If 1 1
speak slightingly of my neighbor, and insinua'e any
thing against the purity of his principles, I asperse hint'
But if he be a charitable man [for example] and I as
cribe his charities to a selfish motive, or otherwise take
away from the merit of his conduct, I am guilty of De
traction," This extract gives a very clear and distinr
idea of the real difference between the two species ot
vice. Aspersion ia by aa much more criminal that-
Detraction ns a direct and poaitive accusation is mor<
grave than a vague and indefinite insinuation : it wil
also be perceived that although both are far too com- j
mon, the former is much more frequent than th* latte' I
Detraction, as starve remarked, proceeds (generally i
though not always) from tfaoofMessnes* ands love o ;
foenpping; Aspersion is tiiore frequently the vice o
the envious and little-minded, who hate in the goo
whom they attack, the virtue which they tbemaelve
have not the eourage to practice. and the eaeellenee to
which they have not (he power to attain. There is an
other reason why As;iersiott is less frequent than De
'ra'tion. viz: he Axperser cleirlv incurs a responsi
bility, and may be made to answer for his evil doings,
wr.ilst the Det acmr can rarelv, i* ever, be b . ugh’ to
account, fiom the fact of his confining trim . o mere
hints, inuendoes and insinuations which a ; rulated
o lessen the good opinion w hich might be tained
of the person attacked, without ever haza- 1 ■■ r.n as
sertion es the existence of positive evil. Tli- • tactor
therefore is more meanly and basely criminal than the
Asperstr, although asper ion be generally considered
he greater crime—for it always implies an idea of‘evil
either real or supposed ;” but Detraction, tending to
lessen the merits and excellencies of another, always
supposes the existence ot good
Enough I hope has been said to show us how mean,
despicable and criminal are these two grades of the vice
of evil speaking. By their means, how easy is it to u
in and destroy the very best and most virtuous of our
fellow creatures ; and alas ! how very frequently does
this actually happen ! and for what ? D >es their ruin
prove of any benefit to the Detractor? Des it render
him more virtuous, more honorable, more upright ?
Does it increase his prosperity or add to his worldly
wealth? No! none of these. Is it done to avenge
some real or fancied injury ? Then why seek a das
tardly and cruel form of revenge when there are open, 1
honorable and legitimate ways of obtaining redress.—
“But it was done thoughtlessly, without any intention
to do injury, and merely by way of conversation.”—
Why this is the most abominable of all! The robber
plunders for gain, the assassin murders for revenge, but
the Detractor and Asperser do worse than either for
mere pastime !! Th« plunderer takes onr goods, the
murde>er our life, but the evil speaker robs us of our
good name and murders our character: and his crime
is more detestable and enor.. ous than the others by
just so much as Honor is dearer than Life.
I had much more to say on this subject, and was
about to proceed with my remarks, w hen the two fol
lowing letters were handed to nte. On looking over
them I find they claim my immediate attention, to
avoid the risk of getting into a dilemma. Indeed, Ido
not quite kt ow w hether I am not in one already. First
ofall, here are at least two rival claimants formy afflicted
correspondent, Philo Shadow ; secondly, I advised him
in my last, to make his advances to the lady whose
bright eyes had disturbed his soul; but if Lucinda he
, the real pink bonnet, I must beg leave to think more
' han twice before I repeat my advice : the tone of her
letter is exceedingly warlike, the style of her writing in
j dicates the jmwer of her hand, and if 1 may judge by a
passage in her letter, her capabilities af keeping folks
lin hot water are by no means unworthy of notire. I
t lie ref re request Philo Shadow not to act on my for
! mer advice until he hears from me again; after this
warning, if he dees, it is at his own pert), and I will
! not be answerable for any of the probable conseqnen
] ces.
The first letter is from the angry fair one.
“Solomon Weazle, Esq., (as you are pleased to he
addressed.)
Sir—l really think you ought te be ashamed of your
self for printing such a monstrous morsel of absurdity !
j as that Epistle of Philo Shadow, Inatled as it is with
presumptuous and specious misrepresentations. I re-
I peat, it is a shame to allow such a precious piece of chi
! rography to usurp a place, thus depriving the public,
j no doubt, es some very sage observations and reflet
; lions of your own. The wretch ! why, as Aunt Clary
! *ays w hen she would S|ieak contemptuously of any one,
i “ he must be a horn natural!” I am certain, positive
| !y certain, “Father” Weazle, that the scamp of a slta
! iow has alluded to none other person than mine hum- 1
i hie self, although l do not wear a pink bonnet with
I green ribbons, nor always place mvselt at the precis,
j angle of 47* from this conn red Philo-g indi r. As for
| mv eves, I expect they must be tolerably bright, f.r a! i
uy heaut «ay so; and I have f admirers a plrnH.i
-w h ait falling in love wi.h a shadow, or try chap o •
such a phantomy imagma-i -n. Shadow, indeed! I’!
correct thn ! why, 1 wnd !as sooo think of fal'mg
I i\e » i h a grisly bear or a hippopotamus as 'lus lum; j
>f defo r init ! I wi'l ell you boa i- was. Father Wea i
z!e, and all a! out it. I: is true, a long time ago, o- < .
Sunday I did near a pew and tor close hastily a id wit!
some noise, and thereupon 1 turned my I tend, and th i- 1
is nearly a'l the truth i't that slanderous letter. Til*
sure, I may have prolonged my gaze for sometime it
diat direction ; (any thing out of the comm >n track o!
nature rivets my attention ;> and I discovered one of th.
queerest, oddest specimens of humanity that I everlaid
tny two bright eyes upon. Why, Mr. Weazle, as rev
erend, old-fashioned and sober-visioned as "ne would
suppose you to be, you must have smiled simnehere had
you seen what I did. I have come across this fellow
several times since then, and a very good and sufficten
reason have I for looking at him, as you shall hear.—
Not willing that so rare a curiosity should be lost to the
world, I have been endeavoring for some time past to
make a sketch and draw a likeness of it, and it is, I
can assure you, the most difficult lesson I ever attempt
ed. I engaged a friend to assist me one day, but the
! fool ran off and I have not seen him since. I will try
! to give you some idea of this Biped-extraordinary, and
! then you may judge for yourself. Imagine then, first,
1 a dumpy figure, like Paddy’s stone fence, which would
be taller "hen it fell down than when it - too J up—
I above this mass consider a mottled squash, with a wisp
! of straw on the tipper side thereof, serving fir a wig;
: hang a turnip in front for a nose, pin two small onions
on for eyes, pas'c a strip of broad red ribbon half way
! around for a mouth ; nd 1 to these a flaming red stock
| or neck harness, a verdant vest and a sky-blue coat,
and it may give you some faint idea of this shadow of
| a man. Is it not a pretty creature to fall in love with,
: and do I not write very like one wounded by the shaft of
, Cupid ? I couln sooner fall in love with the represent
! a lives of Cerberus, St. George’s Dragon, or the ghost
!of my great, grea l , great grandfather. Mr. Philo flut
ters himself: and then how extremely sensitive and mo
j dest! The bashful boy !he shall have some sugar done
up in a clean rag, so he shall—and he may look at tue
. girls as much as he pleases, so he may—yes, and he may
go home and hide he head in he mammy’s bosom —
there —and the girls shan't stare at him, so they shan’t!
Yet I cantblatne aim for being in love with me. I
wonder if the poor fellow really is ? heigho! Mr.
Weazle, I do think you might hove displayed a little
more wisdom and penetration in your ”advice;” how
ever. upon reflection, you must be entirely ignorant of
his modestvshrp, so I spare you, with this piece of coun
sel : never advise until you have heard both sides.
Tire young hopefuls aboat this place deserve to be
stared out of countenance by every lady. They keep
iloof from our society during the week, hut make it a
regular business, on Sunday, to huddle in droves about
the Churches, occupying whatever situation may af
‘ord them the best opportunity of gratifying their curi
osity, as they would do in a mer agerie ; cr ticizing and
making invidious remarks concerning every young la
dy's dress, form gait, ancles, Sec. ; and after staring nt
her perhaps until she blushes, they take it as a matter
of course lhat she is smitten w ith someone of them,
tnd therefore, a fit object for his vulgar gaze forever af
erw ards. 1 overheard a fop of this genus, under my
vindow the other day, remark to another male biped,
hat he would bet any thing that he could recognize
tny lady in town, at a distance of twenty pace*, by
ier foot and ancle ! to such perfection have they bro’t
hie science. I made it my business to throw out of the
[ vindow a basin of boiling water which I had jual pro- -1
-ured to do np * une cambric, and heard no more of |
hem, save that they scampered off like a parcel of j
lucks. Now, Mr. Weazle, (Solomon Weazle, E-tq., 1 1
should eay.) if vou have any influence in correcting !
TIIE SOUTHERN POST.
! publ c abuses, I w ish you would take this matter in
hand. Desire the young men to frequent the ladies’
society m>re and the drinking houses less. It is pre
sumable, if there is any merit among them, that we fe
| ma'es would like to discover it, and if possible, derive
some benefit therefrom, as wc all expect to be married
some day, and we wou'd not like to be obliged to put
up with the first stick that may offer as a wooer.
I wonder if that lover of shadows does love me any,
or whether he loves his own shadow best ? Heigho !
What an inconsis-ent thing is the human heart!
LUCINDA .
P. S. My paper is out or, as we women are accused
of it, I would have added a Postscript.”
“ Moron, May 13, 1939.
Mr. Observer—For the benefit of my ‘love sick swain,’
the ‘pink-bonnet-hearted, gneen-ribbon-affueted’ gen
tleman, I have determined to address you, and trust to
your kindness and good feeling for the sex. to overlook
all mistakes and errors that may occur. Without fur
ther preamb'e, then, I must thank you, Mr. 0., for the
interest you have shown in my welfare, in advising me
to accept of this ‘good sort of man Philo-Shadow,’ for
my better half. It will be but just therefote, that I should
be ‘honest and true,’ in expressing my sentiments and
feelings towards him. Be it then known that I do not
altogether like your description of him. Bashful he
must indeed be, since he has to court by proxy. Let
him take care, for it is a dangerous business, (unless
you, Mr. 0., are a married man,) for who knows what
a day may bring forth ? Make the experiment, and ;o
with him to Church next Sabbath, and see the effect
of ‘bright eves.’ Don’t think, how-ever, that I want to
find you out, or have the least design upon you: only I
feel as great an interest in your welfare as you can in
mine. But to ‘Philo-Shadow;’ now his very name
frightens me, and I almost fear to trust him, for he may
change with the sun, and flee away at the approach of
night. No, no! it wont do. If I should have him, he
must promise to change his name : to be united to a
‘shadow’ would never do! Nay, how should I find
him in the dark, unless his sighs proclaim his presence ?
for I suppose he would be too modest and ‘bashful’ to
talk much, and should I have a secret to tell him in
haste, (f>r wives have secrets sometimes, I believe,)
w hat should I do, or how find him ? or how would it
-otind to hear me calling ‘Shadow, Shadow !' all over
the house ? Why the very neighbors would laugh.—
Just think of this, Mr. 0., and pray advise me, for I
am no shadow myself, and it would not be a fair bar
gain, though mv sex and complexion might proclaim it
such. Should my objections be answered, you may
expect to hear again from your correspondent,
EUGENIA.
P. S. I am obliged to you for your remarks on dress,
which I shall profit bv hereafter. My being hut a short
while trom the country at that time, will account for
my pink bonnet and green ribbons, which, as you don’t
approve of them, I won’t wear any more. E.”
Now-, I must allow that I am in a good deal of per
p’exity- Besides these two ladies who lay claim to my
ba-hful correspondent, there may be half a dozen more
for aught I know. Lucinda takes great pains to ap
pear angry and to scold, but I cannot help thinking
that she has more good feeling towards Philo Shadow
than she cares to allow-. Eugenia writes more kindly,
and I would almost venture to wager (were such a
hing beseeming in a man of my years) that she is pret
ty, good tempered and kind hearted. I feel much obli
ged to her fir the interest she takes in my welfare, but,
luting an old bachelor, I must beg her pardon, if I fly
from the danger of her ‘bright eyes.’ As to advice, af
ter lung reflection, I have concluded not to pronounce
any decision in the case, until my two fair correspond
ents arrange their respective claims to the possession
if Mr. Philo-Shadow When these claims are fairly
laid before me I w ill pronounce my judgment.
I hope those concerned will take notice of the latter
•art of Lucinda’* epistle, in which she complains with
istiee (if a practice whfeh i« a y thing hut gentleman
•, and must he a cause of pain and embarrassment to
every modest and delicate female.
1 have also received within a few days pa=t, sundry
' ontplaints of a delinquency :n a hizh quarter, which
ppears to have caused much trouble and inronveni
uce to certain of tny worthy friends and correspond
-s. O.ie c-vmplabs tint in consequence of the said
elinquenc", he was oh'iged to miss an important ap
lointment, to the great loss and damage of the said
■ornplainam. Ano'her asserts that thereby his busi
tess is thrown into confusion, and his time lost from
he difficulty he now finds of regulating his movements
—and a third informs me, with much concern, that his
wife was unable, from the ante cause aboveraention
ed, to have his dinner ready at the proper hour, where
by he lost his meal entirely, being forced to hurry off to
his Inisiness. This last complaint, I confess, touched
me, as presenting a case painfully interesting to all men
who are obliged to be at once busy and hungry. All
join in calling on me fir redress, begging me to take
notice of this important offender, and either call him
back to tiie path of duty or show him up to public con
tempt.
I cannot conceal my great regret nt these serious
charges against one for whom I was disposed to fee!
great respect. The offender is no other (start not, rea
der, with surprise and grief, as I did,) than our OLD
TOWN CLOCK! who, for the last few days, hath
most perversely and rebelliously refused to strike, to the
very great inconvenience and manifest discomposure
of this community. Alas! truly are we fallen upon
evil days! since even he, once so famed, nay even pro
verbial for regularity and exactitude, has not been able
to preserve himself from the c.m'agion of wild notions
and extravagance of conduct which mark this whirli
gig age, in which plodding regularity and order have
ceased to be virtues. The painful news has disturbed
me too much to allow me to write upon the subject at
present —I wiil content myself with this notice to my
old friend, that his misconduct has not been unobserv
ed; admonishing hint at the same time that, laying aside
ail new-fangled notions, he return forthwith tothe path
of his duty, resume his former praiseworthy behavior,
and henceforth demean himself in all things asbecnm
eth a decent, respectable and well-disposed clock.—
Ilow-ever, as I never condemn any one w ithout a hear
ing, I am willing to listen to whatever the culprit may
have to say in his own behalf. But if he fail in this
and do not return to his duty right speedtly > be shall
hear from me again. C.
'iFIH ICE!!
*f t Six Cents Per Pound.
RECEIVED and for sale a large supply of ICE,
which can be had at any time from sun-rise till
nine at night, by applying at the store. A large Re
frigerator w ill be kept filled in the store, and delivered
i l any quantities without a moments detention. Price
six cents per pound
HARVEY SHOTWELL, Druggis’.
Opposite Central Ho'el.
N. B.—When wanted to go in the country, it will tie
carefully packed with a material prepared for the pur
pose, that will preserve it from melting almost entirely.
May 18 30
Oeinulgce Brink of the Sta'" of Georoia,)
.l/.1C0.V, I3M May, 1939. )
DIVIDEND No 2.
f f'HE Board of Directors have thi* day declared a
■ Dividend of Four |>er cent, for the last six months
The snmo w ill lie paid to S ockholders or their ass gns,
no and after Tuesday next.
J. A. WHITE, Assistant Cashier.
»iav 19 3°P
OCT We are nnthorlzed to anuonne* JOHN
11. OFFt'TT as a Candidate (or Clerkship of the
Inferior Court of Bibb county, at the election in Janu-1
1
■ry ntV. *
Soutljmi itost,
OFFICE, ON THIRD-STREET, ONE DOOR FROM MrLBERRV
STREET, AND OPPOSITE THE CENTRAL HOTEL.
MACON:
SATURDAY. MAY 18, 1939.
BOTANICAL LECTURES.
It will be sees by an advertisement in to-day's pa
per that the Lectures on B uanv, sometime since prom
ised, will commence on Monday evening next. Mr.
Marcell is highly qualified to give instruction in this in
teresting branch of study, and it is to be hoped that he
will meet with such encouragement as his talents and
capabilities of imparting instruction, deserve. This op
portunity of improving in sointeresting a brunch of stu
dy should not be neglected, especially by the fair, w ho
are the proper patrons of this science.
{Cr It has fallen to our happy lot to be cast in the
midst of all that is refreshing and delicious, this rea
son. In addition to Shotwcll’s bubbling Soda Fount,
which is only two doore from our office, a very neat
Ice Cream establishment adjoining our Reading Room,
has been fitted up within a few days pas', in a very
tasteful and creditable manner, where that delicious ar
ticle is to lie had to a degree of perfection not to be
surpassed.
NOTICES OF HOME PERIODICALS.
The “ Augusta Mirror,” we are glad to see, is im
proving. The last number, which was the first of the
second volume, is much improved in typography, and
bow presents new and stronger claims to the public.—
Our table is so filled, the present week, with literary
treasures that we have had scarce opportunity of peru
sal. It is high time that Georgia had began to look
more to the interest and influence of her literature.—
L’pon this she must ultimately depend to place her in a
station equal with her compeers. “ The laborer is wor
thy of his hire this truth was promulgated by more
than Divine inspiration, and is as true in all other laud
able undertakings nsin Religion. Let the people,there
fore, look to their true interest, and encourage a home
Literature ; let them be assured that it is the only me
dium that will do them justice in awarding them their
proper place in the scale of human excellence; and the
only one that will administer proper correctives for re
dundances and fillies common to every age, and the
sure characteristics es mankind. If our home litera
ture be neglected, we may he assured that our ethical
good will be correspondingly depreciated. Many arc
anxious to add their mi'e in the wav of letters, but few,
comparatively, in actual funds—which is as necessary
to the life and being of Literature, as it can be to any
other business or occupation nuincd.—[VV. T. Thomp
son, Augusta, Georgia.]
The “ American Museum,” cones up next for re
mark. Although not prepare !, from a casual examin
ation, to pronounce sentence, yet the impression i° a
most agreeable otic left on our mind in relation to the
merit of the number for May. As it is not possible to
I take up each of its articles, and examine them in their
rii-der—time ami room not permitting—<e must pass
on to others, with this general remark, that it i.i a most
; agreeable and entertaining M igazine.—[Baltim ire, MJ.
published by John Murphy & C’o-]
The “ Southern Literary Messunoer,” for May,
is an excellent number, and fully sustains the high rep
utation it has deservedly gained. It contains some ar
ticles of much utility, and others of a more agreeable
and lighter cast. It is painful to reflect on the tardi
ness of the Southern people to support their own liter
ature. This periodical has for several years supported
he first character of its class, and still its Proprietor
scarcely meets with a sufficient return for his tabor-'.—-
Much of the best talent the country affirds, is enlisted
in contributions to the “Messenger,” and it should be
welcomed into every lamily in the South, that have pre
tentions to literary taste, and a desire to keep pace with
the current literature of the day. The “ Messenger”
may deserve, at our hands, a more expended notice,
but as ours is not the part of the critical reviewer, we
must leave it in abler hands.— [Published by T. W.
White, Richmond, Virginia.]
! “ Tiie Knickerbocker.”—A very interesting article,
i from the pen of the Rev. Mr. Baseom, taken from the
present number, wri 1 be found in our columns of to-day,
comprising a description of Niagara. O.hcr articles,
likewise trom this valuable journal, have been set apart
for some future number ; all of which will speak its
worth much louder and effectually than many words.
It is one of the rarest getns in our periodical literature,
and ever greeted by us with a double welcome. We
find some very intere ting selections from foreign peri
odicals, also, and shall endeavor to present same of
them to our readers hereafter. —[New-York; Clark &
Edson.]
The following will he found to be the result of
the deliberations of the S ate Convention, convened in
accordance with an act of the last Legislature, for the
reduction of its members.
“ The Committee to whom was referred, the resolu
tion of the Convention, requiring them to report a plan
for rite reduction of the number of the Members of the
General Assembly of this State, beg leave to report the
following as a substitute for the seventh section of the
first article of the Constitution, now in force :
“ The House of Representatives shall be composed
of members from all the counties which now are, or
herenf’er may be included within this State, according
to their respective numbers of free withe persons* and
including tliree-fifihs of all the people of color, to be
ascertained hy av actual enumeration, to be made front
time to time, a' intervals of seven years, as now bylaw
provided. Each county shall be entitled to one mem
ber. Each county hiving a representative population
as above specified, of six thousand person*, shall he
entitled to one additional member, and each county ha
ving such representative population of twelve thousand
persons, shall he entitled to two additional members,
but no county shall have more than three members.
“The number of members of w hich rhe House of Re
presentatives will be composed according to the afore
said ratio, and the last census, shall not hereafter lie in
creased, except when anew c.mnty is created : and it
shall lie the duty of the Legislature, at their session, to .
he hotden next after the enumeration provided for by
law, so to regulate the ratio of representation, as to pre
vent such increa*e
“The Representatives shall be chosen annually, on
the first Monday of October, until such day of election
snail lie altered by law.
“ The Committee report th* following a* a substitute
lor the third section of the first art.cle of the Constitu- j
tion, now in dtree.
“ Trie Senate shall consist of forty-si* members, elec
ted annually on the first Monday in October, until *1- ‘
tered by law, and shall be composed of one member
from each of the f irty-s-x Senitorisl Districts fallowing :
1 Chnham and Effingham.
2 Seriven and Burke.
3 Richmond and Columbia.
4 L ncoln and Wilke*.
5 Elbert and Madison.
6 Habersham and Lumpkin.
7 Union and Rabun.
8 Forsyth and Hall.
9 Jackson and Franklin.
10 Clark an l Oglethorpe.
* I Green and Putnam.
1! Taliaferro and Warren.
13 Hancock and Baldwin.
11 Washington and Jefferson.
15 Emanuel and Montgomery.
Iff Liberty and Brvan. •
17 Tatoall and Bull .ch.
19 Mclntosh an I Glynn.
19 Camden and Wayne.
80 Ware and L iwndes.
21 Telfair and Appling.
22 Laurens and Wilkinson.
23 Pulaski and Twiggs.
21 Bibb and Craws rd.
25 Jones and Jasper
2d B ios and Monroe.
27 Gwinnett and Walton.
29 DeKalb and Henry.
23 Newton and M >rg m.
30 G.lnter and Murray,
it Cass and Cherokee.
32 C >b!> and Campbell.
33 Cowetn and Fayette.
31 Mi nwetber and X.bbot.
35 Pike and Up-oi.
35 Houston and Macon.
37 D nily and Irwm.
3) Tnotnas an I Decatur.
33 Baker and Early.
40 Lee and Surnp er.
41 Ran lulpli and S.ewarf.
42 Muscogee and M irion.
43 Ham* and Tronp.
41 Heard and Carroll.
45 Paulding and Floyd.
46 Chattooga, Walker, and Dade.
“ And whenever, hereafter, the Legislature shall lay
off an I establish anew county, it shall he aided to the
most contiguous Senatorial District having the smallest
representative population."
LETTERS FROM THE WEST INDIES-No. 11.
M ARTINICO.
St Pierre, Martinico, March, 1839.
To the Editor of the Southern Post:
; Dear Sir—We arrived before this city yesterday mor- j
ning and spent almost tho entire day in beating into
the harbor, some four or five miles, such was the baf
fling course of the winds blowing down through the
gorges of hills from the land. The harbor is hut sn
open r ladstead, and the shore partaking of the profile
of the adjacent cliff*, is so bold that if you chance to
dr .p your nn hor a ship’s length out ot the u«ual an
chorage, it is doubtful if your full length of cable finds
a bottom—thus it was with our first attempt—we drop
ped our anchor near the edge of the reef, and before
we coulJ get fast it had drawn off so that we had the
severe labor of several hours to get in our cable and
under way f>r another anchorage.
We were boarded early in the morning by the Ame
iican Consul, who remained with us during the day, ;
a.id lias been unifjrmlv attentive to us both on ship
and shore There are but very few Americans here,
or indeed persons that can speak English. One of the
principal merchant®, to w hom oar ship was consigned,
and to whom some of our party had letters, w as so un
fortunate as to lose his wife, an American lady, last |
! nigh’, after a severe and protracted illness, which ms t
lancholy event of course preven e 1 our expecting or
receiving any extra attentions from h tn.
The appearance of the town from the shipping is ra
ther attractive—it lays along the water’s edge for near
ly a mile, an I rises gradually towards the interior.—
Nearly central there is a small river coming down fr.-m
the hills through a narrow valley, up which the town
extant!* for probably half a mile from the sea—from
this stream the town is supplied with water, which is
taken out s une dis’auce above and brought to the head |
of every s'reot: in t! e centre of which is a small pa
vad trench, through which the water is conveyed in a I
violent rushing channel, to the tea. The streets no' j
being generally more than ft been to twenty feet wide, j
and well paved, with hut little labor, the streets maybe
cooled, wa.lied and purified by each householder be-j
fore their own door, in a fe w moments —thc=e streams i
are also used ns sewers, and convey every impurity to
the ocean, while its rap'd current thus purifjing itselr,
gives a refreshing coolness to the air.
The water for domestic purposes, I presume, comes j
from the same orig nal source. It is supplied to tiie
town through aqueducts, and at frequent intervals, in
the public squares, pours out of large fountains for gen
eral u«e.
The arrival of an American vessel on sttcli an object
as this had probably never occurred here before, and
we had scarcely reached the land before a large con
course had assembled on the wharf to meet us. A
heavy surf running made it extremely difficult to land,
the ladies requiring to be borne by the boatmen a Con
siderable distance to a place es safety. In going thro’
the streets too, we were quire lions, but the remarks of
the multitude who were following us < r gazing from
the windows and doors, were ell as Greek to us, ex
cept the word Americanos, or s meriting like it, in
French, which was freq”ently repeated.
The first place to which » e were conducted was the
Hotel or Coffee House of Miss Betsy Parker, the prin
cipal, il not only stopping place for English and Ame
rican people in the city. Miss Parker is a stout hea thy
looking colored woman, speaks English well, and is, 1
presume, a native of one of the Eogli-li Irinnd*.
Bv those who do not c insiJ r wide streets as essen
tial to beauty and giod tas’e. S'. Pierre would lie call
ed a handsome town ; the houses are built mostly of.
stone or brick stuccoed, generally two and sometimes;
three stories in heighth, and treat fronts. There are se
veral public squares planted with 'trees, beneath which i
\ cotsl water is seen flowing from fountains, in the nr-J
raneement of which, however, there is no-c'a .sic taste. (
j O) the number of inhabitants the accounts ot differ- i
cut individuals of whom wc asked information, vary
from sixteen to forty thousand —perhaps if we were to|
divide the diffirence it would not be far from right, the ;
city covering a con.-iderable space of ground, and be-!
ing very compactly built, may contain not far from
thiity thousand. There are four Ctturches, into one of
which, while open for service, we entered and re
mained for a few moments. The Priests, ot whom se
veral were in arendance, were arrayed in the gorgeous
decorn'ion9 of the Roman Clergy, but the service be
ing in an uninteliig'bie tongue t> us, we pursued our
way as soon as a proper opportunity offered. There
1 were formerly two Convents here, but the bnihlings
were so much shattered by the earthquake in January,
j that their inmates sough! safety elsewhere. Many oth- i
er buildings were afeo much damaged, and the gener
al destruction of the town is only supposed to have,
been averted by its foundations being based upon a
ro k, while that of Fort Royal, so near, hang ail allu- I
vial formation, was more sensible to the great concus- 1
sion of the awful and mysterious phenomenon of na
;ture Here hut few persons, not more thnu two or
t three, were killed, but many buildings were greatly in- j
jured and several partially thrown down, so as to re- 1
quire rebuilding.
The shops are many of them handsome and taste- .
i ful, and by the aid of partial interpretation and th.ree
signs which all money-lovers unders'snd, our ladies
amused themselves several hours in shopping among:
the fancy stores. The French lady shopkeepi raoryrt- j
; zettes are ntanv of 'hem beautiful, and unde,-stand wfoi
all the mysteries of their art. The whi es, i presume,:
!are mosriv Europeans, but mtit-h of the toys and oth-j
or small article* of traffic are in the hands ot colored-
Creoles, who with but a sight lingo of their African
extraction, have the manners of intelligent and wcl!,
educate.l people
; After having spent part of yesterday and most of to-;'
day on shore, our pir'y are njattt peving ready for sea,
1 much p'ensed and deliqhted wi it our «hori but ngrretr 1
' ble rejourn here. M
Dioocnc.s once appeared nuked in the street*
on a very coM day, in order to attract the
| notice of the people, who jratherr 1 around him
j and tooked at hint with eves of pity. Plato,
; who knew the cynic, said to them—“lf \ou
' really feel compassion for Diogenes, you will
■ do well to pity no attention to bim.”
Scnliger says that t!?e ffesb of a peacoclc
never corrupts, and that lie himself made the
experiment. St. Augustin streaking of the
:es .rrectio.n, cites the same circumstance, to
prove that there are certain mysteries af which
;t is impossible to understand the cause.
XICAZmZSB,
In Monro* countv, on the 14th instant, by the ftev,
N. O. Slaughter..Sfr. WILEY FUTRELL, of Craw.
; ford county, to M.sa SUSANNAH, daughter of War
ren Barrow.
Mjertitres on Botany.
r I?HE first Lecture of this course, which was an-
A nouneed some time ago. will lie dcliven don Vion*
day, 20;h instant, at the Academy, st 8 o’clock, F. M.
Those who have not yet supplied themselves w ith
Tickets for 'lre course, are invi'erl to do so previous to
hat tints. They may be obtained at the Book Stores.
Adinirance (for a single Lecture) 50 cents.
May 19
DISSOLUTION.
Copartnership heretofore existing between the
A subscribers, under the name and style of JAMES
H. BISHOP A. CO is this dav dissolved by ntutußl
consent. All |*-r=ons having demands against said
firm, and those indeb e i, will-please make application
:o James H. Bishop, for a settlement of rite same.
JAMES H. BISHOP,
ALBERT H. ROOT,
Surviving Partners.
Macon, May 15;h, 1933
NOTICE.
fjnilE Subscribers having disposed of their erillra
■ Stock in Trade, Materials, See., to Mr. CURTIS
R. PARSONS, beg leave to recuminend him to their
numerous friend* and customers ns a gentleman, and
every way qualified to conduct the business.
JAS. H. BISHOP de CO.
Macon, May 15th, 1533 3J
Tin I lute, Co} j er and Sheet Iron
MANUFACTORY.
fUHR undersigned having purchased of Mes-rs. J.
1 II Bishop t Cos. the.r entire sock of T4N
WARE, te., takes tips method to inform the citizen*
of Macon, a i l surrounding country, that he has es
tablished himself at the old stand, (occupied by bis pre
decessors,) on the east side of .Mulberry-street, three
doors above the Darien Bank, where he will furnish all
kinds ot TIN WARE, by wholesale or retail, at mi*-
i crate prices, and in everv variety.
SPOUTING ami ROOFING HOUSES will U at
tended to at short notice.
All order* promptly attended to.
CURTIS R. PARSONS, Successor, Sec.
Macon, May ISilt, 1433 30
PROSPECTUS.
he published in Augusta, Ga., on the first
a v Saturday ot October, 1*39, tho first number of
a weekly journal, to be called
“TIIE SOUTHERN PIONEER,”
Devoted to the Literature, Insrituuons and Amuse
ments of the South.— Ckurles Wyatt Rice , Editor.—
The South is tho natural home of Literature. She baa
ever been so Homer strolled and sung under the ray*
o| the fervid sun ; Italy and Greece have, Irom their
first wakening into being as civilized nation*, afforded
their Poets a.ii Orators. Trie Literary pilgrim ever
j bends his s r ep to 'die South of Europe, as hut moat fa
; voted shrine; while there, fond memories throng tohi*
mind, of tin* epic strains of Horter, the soothing ntea-
Nitres of tire Mi.n uan Swan, the «tuiting ode* of Ho
race, aid the biting sarcasm* of Juvenal. While in
later limes reelings to the memory of the fearful sriwns
of Dante, thu epic measure* of the mailman Tasso,
t t soft strains .1 Petrarch, and the pfenning images of
B rccacio. And w hile thus fondly recnltipg to memory
all tbe*e, he remembers 'hat they drew thru' inspiration
j Irom the icrvid sun of Italy and Greece. He feels m
I die balmy air he brea lies, to the brilliant heavens that
form the canopy above him, in the hriiliancyot rtrtstn
set* that glow m rite horizu >. and in the tint* that rim
;nr arid clone spread over the earth, the inspiration that
formed and developed the genius ot those whom he now
so fondly rogre s.
This is our profession of faith. We believe, in a
word, that no part ot the world lias greater literary re
sourci s within herself, >r is better calculated from lur
natural scenery, ti>e pec a liar i tes of her climate, the
leisure of her crizcus, and her general advantages, to
become an eminently literary community than the
S .inherit St.Ves of this confederacy. This is the plat.
| form on which we in cud to raise a Wxekly Journal,
1 to which Southern writers shall delight to contribute,
and v»ln?li rite whole South shall be proud to claim aa
j its own. Bt lieving most firmly that success vviilcrown
i o.tr exertions, no t ifoni will he spared 1 1 draw Irom ev
ery portion of the Snttlt, contributions upon every sub
ject, which, while they shall be of a high chtiracsrc,
sltu.l ever r ingo
From grave tn gay, from lively to severe.
We believe that the mstitu’ionu of the South are
founded in the immutable laws of the God ot Nature.
We believe that on them will Ire built « fabric of gfo'y
and gn at ness to tin • S mil. W e believe e9|ieciallv thal
i;,cy afford to the Smtltern Siaies the means ot out
-tr.pping the rest of the world in their "literary ealeer.
And we know lhat these are times of peculiar danger
o these ins tuitions; wc know tluit they are now st
ocked hy ’he insidious foe as well bv the open enemy.
We shall therefore place our Journal as a sentinel on
he watch-tower of Southern Institutions, ever watch
ful for attacks, and ever ready to repel them.
We ilelioht in the atnu enteots and holidays of the
South. Wc glory in them ns fit amusements for a peo
ple generous and brave, qiifok in their impubes, and
shunning sluggishness We delight in the gun and
cna.-e. We had ui-ory old Christmas and its cheerful
sp irts as old friends and true, setting the brow free
from care, making the bosoms of men to glow with
cheerful and friendly emotio is, calling friends to the
festive board and to the exchange of kind thoughts and
se.itunen f, and sending all away to run in joyfulness
their course of duty until the invitations to joy and
mir h ate again renewed. The pages of the Journal
will, therefote, Ut enlivened with lively chronicles of
exploits in th- sports ot the field, and wiffi sp.riteil
sketches of the fun and frolic that merry old Christmas
; let* I, vr*e upon us We will also, in order to please all,
: give a weekly abstract of the most important news of
rite (lav. And for the fair practiserau[*>n the Pianoor
Giittar, shall occasionally embellish our pages with ori
ginal and selected Music.
i It i* a fortunate circumstance for the interest of a
work ot this natute. that the field of Li'erature at the
B uith is, as yet, comparatively, untrodden. The Lit
erary ri s iurc-1 sos he South, great as they are nc
kiu w edged to be, are as vet, war ararively undevelo
ped. Every grove, river, dale end motmmin, he* yet
t s tale to r r)!. We therefore send our Journal forth as
a Pioneer to gather the riche* of this new country.—
From every full, dale, river and mountain, lie will re
turn laden with rich stores. These stores, original and
varied in their character, as they must he, he will be
proud to efisplay for the amusement attd instruction of
his readers. We ask for him a kind reception at tho
. hands of all friends of the cause in which he has em
barked.
Having thus di foiled ri-e plan of onr future opera
i tions, »e commend our hebdomedal to (we trust,) the
lav, rable notice of the Southern public. We devote
oureelves to the work a* out profession. On he verge
of manhood, and of a Literal education, we had a pro
ft son to chouse; after mature deliberation, we have
ehq-en this, because we delight in the employnient.and
a e devo'ed to the cause for the furtherance of wftich
the work is established. No common obstacle, there
s re, will turn ns aside from onr course- But having
chosen the Editing of rite PIONEER* and through it
the promot'on of Southern Li rrstunr, a* the work of
our lives, we shall relinquish i' only with our breath.
And whi'o we comnutia ottr shrift to the favor of the
public generally, we commend ts par'icubirly to the
kind charities of that band w ho have linked themselves
together for the advancement of the cause to which wo
devote the work. They have acted w uli ur in the past;
wo trust they will act with ns in the future. No exer
tion* "ill be spared to make the work turh aa out a*
tin v wtd look upon wi h delight.
It m*v he v.nu to add that the inVrv* nip ? nine be
tween tins date sni die ri.avcf publication will be spent
tn collecting tru erials for llw: work-
The PIONEER will I* printed on stt imperial sheet,
i > quarto f nq and will co.i'asti * greater quantity of
rr a ling rnaiii r than any work ot ti,« kind published in
the Booh. >
Trtuts.—Five D Her* per annnn*. psvnble on the is
tiring of the firrt nt>m ! ir'. IN t*>m» reeding »e fen *uh
*.-r:b«'s, iovlo#tr.g fifty D-rilf-re, wilFoe entitled to*co
py tr*ti«.
rr Aper.t* wi’l he rrifevr ’ the Uft-nl per ntare.
Awgit-m, Mm> », IWi