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M 1 SC i: f. I, A N V .
From the Telegraph.
TO THE TEXAN ARMV.
Strike fbr vour homes, ye gallant band!
Strike lor your homes!
.A ti;» i,hu with his blood-stained hand,
•Agon is marching on your land;
Strike for y«ur homes!
Nerve fiv the strife —a mortal strifo—
Etch manly heart;
Think of the hour when some torn! wile
M iv plead fir even more than lite;
Turn act your part.
Think of the sites from whom ye ■prime;
Their bloody path—
Their bold defiance, fearless thing,
'AS hilsl o'er their heads, poneiinuis lanteIante
A giant’s wrath.
They threw their starry banner out
11 jmu the storm;
And breathing forth their bar e shoe:,
Drove haek in many a hluodv rout.
The tyrant's swutiu.
Turn to the days e're Freedom fled
Flout Greece and Rome;
Think it Iter inane martyr’d dead,
AY ho rest mi (i on's g,,, y he<l;
An I ilieu strike home !
I’,ml your broad banners firm upon
Your furthesi ItoMs;
Ami when tltegdlnui deed is done,
l.ei life he lost or trcedoni won,
Beneath (lieu folds.
AYhere the lar Rio Neur.i s flows,
There make your stand;
Sluo.'l Fannin! as your columns clo*'e;
Then draw the sword, atid ileal your Wows;
Heart, hill and JiamL
I’oitit to your field of trhnsvdi, wl-erc
I he “lone star" rose;
l hen let your blood-dyed rodent s Ik ;.r
Right or.—nor heed ag.iu tire prayer
Os petjurtd files.
lexas ! her sod st l afi never he.
For tyrants sown;
From mountain summit to the sea,
Her forest homes are lor the free;
And thrill akute.
A SPANISH CRIMINAL CASE.
During that omtuliiral war which a
f w years since drenched great part of
Spain with blond, ami the effects of which j
were but too severely fell in the ti?y ol
Malaga, an extraordinary sensation was
excite 1 I there by an event w’lmliv uncon
nected with political or patty animosities.
It would tie unjust to take a detached fact
hko that w hich occurred during tnv resi
dence io the above-mentioned eitv, as a
standard of the morals of the inhabitants;
yet it must be confessed that the acces
sory circumstances arising from it ate of
a nature to produce not the most favora
ble impressions of the Spanish character.
One night, in the month of October,
IS3S, Don Jose , a young gentleman,
belonging to one of the most respectable
families in Malaga, had just left a friend's
house, accompanied by a sereno, when a
hired assassin,lying in wait (or loin, threw
his cloak over the head of the sereno, and
running to Don Jose, plunged a knitc into
his body. ' The victim fell weltering in
his blood, and instantly expired. Though
the sereno, as soon as he could rid him
self of the cloak, hastened in pursuit of
the murderer, the latter would no doubt
have escaped, had he not chanced to en
counter in his (light a patrole of the ntili
tary, by which he was stopped. Being
taken before the captain general, his
hands yet dyed with the blood of his
victim, he said that bis name was Rosas,
ami confessed that he had been paid eight
ounces of gold to commit the crime by
•he advocate Don Juan . The po
lice thereupon proceeded forthwith to the
house of this advocate, uhom they found
snug in bed. Being itntnediaielv con
frnnted with Rosas, Don Jinn at first
maintained, with great assurance, that he
did not even know his accuser; but,
when he was afterwards brought to the
corpse of Don Jose, and the ‘jtige d’in
stnjcUun’ required him in pnxtf of his in
nocence, to take hold of the hand of the
murdered man, and to pronounce these
nwiul words of justification : ‘May my
Mail be eternally damned if I have any
p‘Ot whatever in his death!’—Don Juan
could not comply without manifesting
symptoms of the deepest agitation.
The further depositions of Rosas im
plicated a third accomplice, and this was
•mother than the wifi? of Don Jose. It
a ppeaned that, during the? absence of the
hitter in Madrid, his lady hail conceived
! * passion for Don Juan, anti concerted
w 'hh i!k? latter a plan lbr getting r#d of
h'T husband, that site might be enabled
f" marry him.
Next morning, the murderer and Don
•*u»n wcee conducted with great nubiarv
f '•enmity, to the rpotjwliore tbe crime
SAMUEL M. STRONG,]
VOLt .tJC t.
wns perpetrated, while the ‘ juge d’in
! struct ion’ proceeded to the judicial «x
--amination. Rosas, a man of the most
sinister and attdaeinus aspect that I ever
beheld, had his hands confined in two
small wooden boxes, to prevent the re
moval ol the stains of blood which rev
ert'd them at the time ot his apprehen
sion, and a cord hound them across at the
height of his neck. As lor Don Juan, in
the assurance of his demeanor it was easy
to perceive rather the look of a man who
fancies himself certain of impunity, than
of one who is really innocent.
The whole city was in commotion on
account of this aflitir, because it concern
ed two equally influential families, the
one on account of its great wealth, the
ot her because it belonged to the bat, which
in Malaga can do till that it dares. Will
they be bold enough to execute an advo
cate? was the question universally ask
ed. A considerable wager was even laid
>m this subject by two of my acquaint
ance, a proeurador and an officer of dra
goons. The latter, who could not endure
lawyers, declared not only that he believ
ed, but that lie hoped the advocate would
sutler: the oilier, from ‘esprit de corps,’
insisted that matters would not be carried
to such a length; alleging that, in case of
capital condemnation, the captain ger.cr
!al, fearing for himself, would not permit
tiro sentence to be executed, but be anx
ious to solicit the queen for a commuia
tion of the. punishment.
That same morning the father of Don
Jose called upon the captain general,
'claiming vengeance against the rnurder
■ rrs of his son He was dismissed with
the assurance that justice should be left
| to take its course. Wish a view to pre
vent either the escape of the culprits, or
jitnv attempt to tamper with the judges,
; the captain general caused Rosas and Don
Juan to lie confined in an apartment of
his own palace, and, as Malaga was at
this time in a state of siege, and the mili
tary authorities assumed the whole crim
inal and civil jurisdiction, he moreover
or.b red that the six captains summoned
to sit in the council of war should not lie
designated by lot till tin hour before the
assembling of the court in the convent of
St. Philip.
At the time appointed for its meeting,
an immense crowd fillet! the ancient edi
fice and all the approaches to it. The
authorities being apprehensive lest disaf
fected persons might take advantage ot
this extraordinary assemblage to excite
some new commotion, all the troops were
•ntder arms, and literally besieged the
convent.
At ton oYlork at night the accused nnil
tin ir counsel were introduced into the
h:t!U Rosas walked first, looking about
him to tlte right and to the left with i:t
credihie effrontery. Next came Don Ju
an: his age was twenty-nine. A light
colored moustache covered his lip, anil
his countenance exhibited no expression
of cruelty: his dress was extremely ‘te
< here he.’ The president ordered the act
of accusation to lie read, the result of
winch was, that Rosas, after having con
fessed himself guilty of the murder com
mitted on the person of Don Jose, re
tracted this first confession, and declared
Don Juan to f»e the only and real murder
er; that the latter opposed but feeble de
nials to the accusations of his accomplice;
lastly, lit it, though it appeared that Don
Juan did ti<>t actually strike the blow, it
was, nevertheless, proved that lie paid
tlte assassin, and was, moreover, person
ally present at the execution of the crime.
Tne reading being finished, tlte presi
dent rapped the table with his cane.—
The line of soldiers surrounding the coun
cil, immediately broke, and four men en
tered, bearing an open coffin, which they
deposited at the feet of the prisoners. In
it lay the body of the victim, naked to
the waist. His head was bent back;
long locks of black lrtir in disorder con
cealed his features; and bis bosom was
encrusted with blood. Over his legs
'were placed a cloak, a cutlass, black with
blood, and a broken lantern. Tlte pres
ident, without giving the prisoners time
to recover from the emotion which this
unexpected sight could scarcely fail to
produce, thus addressed them:
‘Accused, here is the body of your
victim: before him and God who hears
vou, it is for you to disprove —yon, Rosas,
the charge of having murdered Don Jose;
vou, Don Juan, that of having hired the
assassin!’
Rosas, without hesitation, turning to
wards Don Juan, in a grave and solemn
tone,thus apostrophised him :
•Villain! behold the victim at your
lect! Do you recognise him? Alas! if
he could but speak, it would lie seen
w hich of us two is the real murderer.’
4 Would to find,’ exclaimed the agita
ted Don Juan, ‘that he could sp^ak!’—
Rosas, interrupting him, resumed—
‘Wretch! you would not be able to
bear the mere soutul of Don Jose’s voice;
<you who, after assassinating him, arc
Ijcnt upon the destruction of the generous
man who sacrificed himself to save you.
Dare vou deny that, oil Sunday evening
you came to letch me to accompany you
while waiting for Don Jose’s departure
from the house which you had seen him
enter? Dare you deny that, as roon as
you had ftablted him. you gave me the
knife, that I might prevent the sereno
from pursuing vou? Dare y«*u deny your
long and useless efforts to persuade or to
fierce me to take up«»n myself t!*o assas
..nation of Ik*u Jose? Reduced to the
GEORGIA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER lt>, I*ll.
utmost distress, want wrung from me a
promise to perform the deed which yon
required of me ; but, having received the
money, I was gone, and you heard no
more of me till hunger again drove me
l > you.’
‘Wretch! wretch!—what a lissue of
lies !’ interposed Don Juan.
‘Hearken, villain!’ continued Rosas,
‘for 1 have not done. You must recollect
the day vou sent me a message by the
maid of Don Jose s wife, whom you were
courting, to call upon you at your office.
There I found you, seated beside your
mistress, with your hands clasped in hers,
and planning a horrible marriage. Site
said to mo, ‘Rosas, I am four months ad
vanced in pregnancy: and I shall he un
done if you do not tid me of my husband,
v. bo is on the point of returning from Ma
drid. Ym must absolutely make away
'Vila him; we are very licit; we will give j
you twenty thousand reals, and you shall
be made comfortable for the rest of your
life.’ And you added, ‘ Rosas, my fam
ily is very powerful at Malaga, and I ex
pect tnyself soon to be elected alcalde of j
the city, W>u shall have a good appoint-j
merit; and, happen what may, I will con
trive my influence to get you out of the j
scrape.’ Deny this, infamous wretch ! i
Mr. President, 1 request that the wife of
Don Jose may be examined by medical 1
men, and it will then be seen whether 1
speak the truth.’
The sinister physiognomy, and incred
ible arrogance of the assassin, the orari
'Wl,y increasing confusion of his coward
ly accomplice, the open coffin, contain
ing the dead body of the victim, the sol
emn hotiref the night, flic imposing grav
ity of the council, all contributed to the
efli ct of this dramatic scene. To no pur
pose did the president several limes call
upon Don Juan to rebut the charges of his
accomplice. Borne down by so many
overwhelming proofs, be did once attempt
lo speak, but vague protesta lions of inno
cence were all that he could stammer
forth. His counsel wished to speak fbr
him. but the president cut him short with
this impressive rebuke:
‘Mr. Advocate, you shall be heard by
ar.d bye; here counsel do not answer in
stead of the accused, unless the latter
have lost their tongue.’
After the pleading of the advocates and j
lltt' reply of the captain-accuser, the pre-j
sklent desired the council to deliberate]
upon their verdict, intimating that each]
of them was expected to give his vote in
writing. Nobody could entertain the
least doubt of the guilt of the tw o prison
ers. It was evident that Ron Juan was
the accomplice of Rosas; that the latter
aware how impossible it was for him lo
escape, was determined, at least, in dy
ing, lo revenge himself on the man, who
■filer premising him impunity and for
tune, now consigned him to perdition.
Accordingly, alter a short deliberation,
lite council unanimously pronounced sen
tence on both prisoners, and then broke
up- As the law ot Spain allows capital
convicts forty-eight hours to prepare them
selves tor execution, the prisoners were
immediately shut up in the church of the
convent, and confessors were assigned to
them.
In the morning Don Juan’s advocate
attempted in vain to invalidate the sen
tence, on the ground that, the council hav
ing proceeded to trial without having pre
viously heard the mass of" (lie Holv Uiiost,
as the military law requires, the sentence j
was consequently illegal. On the par! I
of the captain-general, it was replied tliai j
this objection ought to have been made j
before the breaking tip of the council, not !
afterwards. The family of Don Jean
then authorised the sum of 10,000 dou
ros to be offered towards the equipment.
of the army of reserve, at the time organ- j
izing in Andalusia, provided the sentence
pronounced upon their relative was com
muted. The captain-general ordered the I
bearer of this proposition to he turned
out of the palace, telling him that it was
an insult both to the Queen’s army and to
himself.
The execution took place at four in the
afternoon, on a spacious esplanade situa
ted outside the Granada gate, before an
immense concourse ol people. A few
moments before the appointed time, a
long procession of brothers of Peace and
Charity brought Don Jose’s coffin to the
spot, and deposited it upon the ground in
the space between the two stools destin
ed fur the assassins. The coffin was un
covered as on the night of the trial, and
the corpse exposed to public view. Soon
afterwards the convicts arrived, escorted
by the executioner, proclaiming to the
people their horrible crime and the death
by which they were to atone lor it. They
were required to seat themselves on the
two stools, and there, with the corpse of
their victim before their eyes, they were I
shot.
Rosas was not forsaken for a moment
by that imperturbable composure which
he manifested from the first moment, an«
fell, saying to his accomplice, ‘ What
grieves ine most is to die by the side of a
coward like you !’
As for Don Juan, he was completely
unmanned, and incessantly interrupting
bis confessor, w ho exhorted him to re|teti
lanee, saying in a stifled voice: ‘That is
enough, lather, that is enough; let me be
shot, and have done with it!’
Iliad a strong curiosity to learn what
j was the prevailing sentiment among the
| populace present at the execution; and I
j should say that in some it was compus-
ran patrta kt ikgibus.
sion fur lite fate of Don Juan, whose re
cent atrocious crime was overlooked,while
his attachment to his family, and certain
acts of charity towards the poor, were
highly extolled; the minds of others were
especially occupied by the disastrous ef
fects which the discharge of musketry
must necessarily produce, not in Don Ju
an’s body, but in the superb cloak which
he had on his hack. This sentiment was
so undisguised that I heard a muleteer
say to one of his comrades: l Mira, Man
n/ifo, que cupa tan bvena Ucra Don Juan!
Que fasti ma ! —(Look, Manuel, what a
magnificent cloak Don Juan has on!—
What a pity!’)
I must not omit mentioning a very sin
gular incident, u hich shows to what length
esprit de corps con he carried. The broth
ers of Peace and Charity had already de
posited the bodies of Rosas and Don Juan
in their respective coffins, together with
two small plates, on which they had ta
ken care to collect the mould steeped
with the blood that flowed from them
when they had dropped from their seats,
when a man bringing a third coffin on his
shoulders, inquired for the adjutant of ihe
Pi ace, and informed him that he carne to j
claim the corpse of Don Juan on behalf I
of his family. He likewise intimated
that a deputation of the advocates of the
city would presently he there for the pur
pose of following their unhappy colleague
to the grave. Accordingly, they soon ar
rived, and the body being delivered to
them, they accompanied it with great so
lemnity to the cemetery, w here it was in
terred.
Ferdinand VII. had a strong antipathy
to the lawyers of Malaga. When a gen
tleman was one day presented to him,
and he learned that he was a native of
that city, he exclaimed, ‘ Man, you belong
to a capital place! Kill the king, run to
Malaga, and you are safe !’
From Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal.
COMPETE! ION OF HIGHLAND PIPERS.
(’•lniiiiciiristtc national festivals me unknown in
Eiig'and, because the people have been too long
redeemed from a primitive stile of life and man
ners, lo post ss any peculiarities on which such
festivals could he founded.—lt is different with
other parts of the United Kingdom. The harp
music of Wales supplies occasion for the well
known periodical called the Citinrygydilion, w here
the flower of the principality duly assemble In listen
to the impassioned strains of their national min
strels. Celtic Scotland has its numerous local fetes
fir athletic exercises, and one triennial competition
in Edinburgh, where tire ancient national pipe-mu
sic and dance are presented. Ireland, ns far as v.e
are aware, has no such meetings. There more se
rious matters unhappily engross the attention which
men leave to spare from the ordinary avocations of
lite. But the means aiTiply exist, and we hope yet
to see the time when happy and harmonious assem
blages of ail classes will listen with delight to the
hi ass-string-d harp and sweet-toned bagpipe ol
ancient F.rin, instruments (the first especially) which
it would he shann lid lor any nation to have once
possessed, and afterwards allowed to go into disuse
ami oblivion.
AYe lee! that it would be vain to attempt to con
vey to an Englishman any sense of the class of
feelings which are evoked in a Scottish bosom by
tite things which appeal to the eye and ear as na
tional. ft is one affection the more—an additional
string which the Scottish heart possesses in com
parls >n with their more affluent neighbors, and
which goes fir, lit say the least of it, tocotnpensate
lor the disadvantages of a provincial situation and
an unkindly soil and climate. Some faint idea may
perhaps he formed id’ the fervour and poignancy of
these feelings from the pages of Burns—as where
lie tills that, meeting the thisile while dressing his
fir ids, lie
turned the weeding hook aside,
And spared the symbol dear!
or where he exclaims—
At Wallace’ name, ivhal Scottish blood
But boils up in a spring tide flood?
Oft have our learlcss fathers stood
By AA allace’ side,
Still presting onward, red-\val shod,
Or glorious died.
It is the unavoidable effect of civilisation to oblite
rate such feelings; but this is not because they art’
inconsistent in any way with civilisation. If enter
tained as part of the mere poetry of themind,and
without the accompaniment of prejudice or nar
rowness of spirit, they do much good, without do
ing any conceivable harm.
The triennial competition of pipers in Edinburgh
is one of i!io>e occasions when national feelings
come into prominence, ami receive gratification.
Not toot it is an affair in which any large portion
of the public lake a deep interest Asa nation, we
are rapidly becoming mercantile and Anglicised,
and it is only a portion of us, and these chiefly
connected with the Highlands, whose attention is
liable to he particularly attracted by this festival,
ft takes place under the patronage of the High
land Society of London, and has lor its sole object
the preservation of some trace of the ancient man
ners and music of the Northern [tart of our island,
as a monument of national features, which as such
do not any longer exist. Let it here be observed
that the dress and musical instruments now pecu
liar to tiie Scottish Highlands were once common
lo a.I Europe. They have only .been preserved
there, by virtue of the remoteness of the situation
and long unaltered condition of the people. There
is thus a general interest attached to both, as me
morials of a stateof things everywhere else passed
long into oblivion. The Roman military dress was
a modification ol the early Celtic habiliments which
now only survive itt the north of our island, and
Nero, when he apprehended danger from the last
rebellion against hint, vowed to the gods, if he
survived, to play upon the bagpipe in pub ic. The
same instrument is still a favourite with the [tea
sanlry of Calabria, and we learn from Sliak-peare
lltat it prevailed both in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
The men who come forward at Ihe Edinburgh com
petition,seldom less than thirty in number, are chief
ly men retained in service as bagpipers bv High
kind gentlemen; lor, whether from love of state or
in veneration lor ancient fashions, the piper is still
a regular officer in a few northern households.
Others are pipers retired from Highland regiments,
or amateurs. For a few days before the competi
tion, the appearance <>f these men in the streets,
with their dashing dress and accoutrements, and
generally manly and graceful figures, produces n
striking effect.
The itfilnrinniiecN had been proceeding during
the half hour after noon when with some difficulty
we made our way into the t licit re, where they usu
ally take place. We found I fie house, which was
densely filled in every part, exhibiting its ordmaty
appearance in all reapeds, except that the stage
[iresenled only the side scenes, ami had a large
window o|ien behind through which the unwonted
addition of Crt-Mi air and daylight was admitted.
Amongst the side scenes, and at the back waliatiHhl
gr<iu|M of oompeiiiota and oiliera in the Highland
dress. In thr siage-hox of the left side sat the
I'l'lg* - *! also in IfiirtiUnd eiwtunie, with a t»l..* be-
[Editor and Proprietor.
fore them loaded with tiie prize*, amongst which
tvas a set of bagpipes, broad-sword, ditk, powder
horn, purse, snuff-mill, and certain pieces of tar an
cloth. The two tiers of boxes were filled with a
fashionable looking audience—of course in morning
dresses; and the pit find other parts of the house
Itad a superior set of occupants to what are now]
generally seen in such pads ot'theatres. As in all
forenoon assemblages, the ladies predominated in
number, at least in the boxes; anil it was interest
ing to observe a larger proportion than usual oft be
aged. .Several gentle-women in tie boxes hail
evidently seen more titan eighty summers. In the
galleries, ol which we front our situation eon man
ded a close view, it was amusing to observe a mul
titude ol hard favored Celtic, laces—porters, ser
vants and others—all lull ol the keenest excitement
some probably from having friends among thnconi- i
pelitors, the rest from the mere interest which thev
lelt in the temporary < rial thrown upon their natio
nal usages. Olten afterwards did we turn during
the most excitingscenes of the competition to these
honest faces, to mark the symptoms of unrestrained
ice.ings which glowed upon them.
Fite first part of the exhibition presented to nuU
notice was a sword-dance, a performance, as tarns
we ai e awate, peculiar to the Highlands. Apa r
ot broadswords was laid down in cross fashion up-l
on t tie stage, and a single Highlander approach-i
cd. A ;>q*-r then began to play the lively time of
the Gillie Cailttm [the Boy Malcolm], whereupon
the dancer commenced a e.itcttlar pas-senl around
the swords. Ihe dress of this man wn* extremi
ty handsome—a full Highland suit, with massive!
silver ornaments, including shoe-Imckles; and n< -
thing could exceed the gracefulness of his move- j
meats. After liioling it away Ibr some lime at a
I little distance from the other two blades, heap-]
proa died, and began to plant his steps on each side j
■>l one of them, first on one, then on the other, then
trom side to side, always retiring to resume the
circular movement at the conclusion of the partsof
i lie tone. By and by his movements became more
complicated, and lie stepped with ease from oppo
site angles of the cross spaces, and in all various l
directions from space to apace, obeying the tine of
the music with precision, and never once touching
either ol the swords—a negative point of excel-]
.t*ne.e, on which the success of the performance is
held mam yto depend. It may readily be auppos-!
eo tiow a little training might enable a performer to
■ lance Ins way forwards among the spaces liirmcd
by the swords; but not only to do this, hut to make
the same movement backwards, when it was impos
j! 1! ° bis v.av, and upon his heels as well as i
his toes, will be acknowledged ns no small lent. A
repetition of these movements in every possible 1
\ai iety, Mixed with circular move ntenls, constitutes I
the sword-dance, lb- whole character of which is!
calculated to lead tlic mind back into early and ro- j
manlic times. It was impossible not to behold with ]
p.ensure the dexterity ol the performer, even with
out regard to ancient associations; but when these!
also were taken into account, Ihe sword-dance be-1
came a gratification of the richest kind. At a sub-!
sequent part ol the morning severe.l other perior- ]
mers came fhrtvnrd to. exhibit in similar dances, |
am) when one of these ‘prettv men' chanced, near I
the conclusion of the performance, to touch the j
lint ol one ol the swords, he instantly broke ofl
with a gesture iff extreme vexation,‘and rushed !
mortified off tl,_* stage. We can imagine that the
incident will be one fbr him to remember all the'
remainder of his days.
A for the first sword dance, a performer on the;
bagpipe was presented; and here we must say
that the usual objection to die Highland pipe, on
the score of its vocilerousness, was never frit.—
Played by these first ratenrtists, tlieie was nothing
at all unpieasant in its sounds. The pipers are nil,
in lull costume—kilt, plaid, jacket and hose; most
°f them with a jewelled ditk and powder-horn by
their side, and a jewelled case containing a kni.’e
and fork stuck in the garter under one knee; also
a resplendent broach confining the plaid a: the
shoulder. Each wears the tartan of his master’s
clan, on die same principle as a soldier wears the
king’s livery. The peaked bonnet is the only un
distinguished part of the costume. W hen one of
this proud fraternity [lor pipers are [koihl to a
proverb] advances slowly and statelily with his
pipes in his arms, and the port vent in his mouth,
tie really makes an imposing appearance. As he
plays, he parades slowly from side to side of the
stage, thus imitating the fashion of his daily life, as
he performs upon his master’s lawn, nr k-iiind his
dinner table. The tunes played upon this occa
sion were mostly laments and' salutes, Ihe first be
ing a slow and melancholy kind of tune, designed
to commemorate deceased chiefs; the second, a
livelier measure, intended to do honor to the living.
W e bail, for instance, the Prince’s Salute [in the
Highlands, there is hut one prince, the unfortun
ate Charles Edward,] Macnab’s Salute; also Mac
intosh’s Lament, the Viscount of Dundee’s La
ment, &.c. Some of the laments struck us as te
dious, being prolonged, we thought, unnecessarily.]
Still, the performance tvA grneraily good. We
are here called upon to remember that to Highland
hearers most of the tunes have a charm apart from
the music. Highland airs of all kinds have gen
erally been composed on particular occasions of an
interesting nature, which have been remembered
traditionally, or for the purpose of conveying a
particular class of feelings, tLe character of Which
is fully known. One, for example, is designed to
express, in its varying measure, Ihe succession ol'j
tidings in the mind of an Ardnamurclien peasant,]
while toiling on his ground in an unpropitious
season, and hesitating whether lo emigrate, or at
tempt to pay his landlord the tripie rent which a
rival had ottered fin it. Another is the dirge com
posed by the family piper on a chief who fell at
SherifTmtiir. A third commemorates the arrival
of the wandering prince at a farmhouse in Skye,
when one of his followers was sent forward' to
ascertain if he was likely to find liiends there; the
tone expresses to a Highland ear, the first hesitat
ing, half whispered questions of the messenger,
then his confidence as lit' finds the goodwife favor
able, and filially the composed state of feeling
which follows the success of his negotiation.—
There are tunes even more curiously connected
with events—as an example, one which a piper
ol a clan Campbell composed and played under
the following circumstances. Alaster Macdonald,
the fierce lieutenant of Montrose, was with a party
approaching the castle of a gentleman of that clan,
designing to take it bv surprise. He and his
Iriends were in a boat, and they made their ap
proach by a lake, on the brink of which the castle
was situated. It was the wish of Macdonald that
he and his people, if seen at all, should, if possible,
pass for a body of friends. Having taken a piper,
of the Campbells with them, they ordered Him
when they saw they were observed, to play the
family tune in order to support the deception ; hut
the man composed and played, instead, a tune so
expressive ol the danger in which the castle stood
at that moment, that the [>e<>p!e caught the alarm,
shut the gales, attd stood to the defensive. The
assailants then, seeing that the piper had proved a
treacherous ally, slabbed him and threw him into
the lake, alter which they proceeded lo make the j
attack upon the castle. It may be added that the
man got ashore, recovered, and lived long after.
Eloquent as the Highland tunes thus are in tneir
associations, it is not wonderful they produce
more delightful sensations in a Celtic titan in a
Saxon breast.
After every second performance on the pipes
there was n dance, either by a single llighlamier,
or a quartette. The Highland single dance, though
of unknown antiquity, brings the spectator much
in tiiiml of ballet dancing. It docs not indeed
j comprehend any of those sweeping presentments
of the sole of the liuit, in the Inslnon of a swivel
gun, which th n mailt e de la flans* now deems es
►vnlial to please a theatrical audience. Lofty leaps
in the air, with sixiteu hetl kiekings UToro Again
touching the g'ottnd, and tt few other ballet ptcu
lisrities, are also unkteiwtt among the Gael, but
in the Highland single dance, tine performer makes
*, firsi a series of slow and curvilinear movement!.,
j exactly like the theatrical dancers, and evidently
with tiie same object, that of exhibiting his person
land dress to the utmost advantage. He then
! performs a number of steps which are hardly iesa
striking in their character than many ol those in
idulged in by professional dancers. A great deal
is done upon one foot, while the other goes through
a series ol lively movements in tlicair; this last
feature being, we believe, ivhal is called the ‘fling.’
. Vigor, elegance, and vivacity are the characteris
tics of this dance; and where the perlbrmer is a
tall handsome man, in a splendid ornamental dress,
as was the case here, I lie etiict is extremely btau
lifi;!. The Inresame dance is the well known reel,
tor which the Highland musicians have a vast va~
rietv of tunes. The reel is the national dance,
whatever numbers are concerned, as the quadrille
is that of the Germans, it is, we need hardlv
say, an extremely quick measure, [pro-supposing
nigh spirits in the pet formers, and tending to ex
hilarate all who behold it. A large party in ihe
Highlands will even yet datce riels for half the
night to the attains ol the violin or pipe; nor ever
•me acknowledge iatigtie. ‘Hie reels danced on
ibis occasion wete all done in first rate style by
men who might be consideird as picked for the
purpose. A\ e found it quite to resist
being carried away in some degree by the conta
gious enthusiasm which they spread around them
The ladies in the boxes—we hope we are not ta-*
king an unwarrantable liberty, but we lielieve
I they would have natch rather joined in the dar.ee
than rat still where they were. As lor the gallery
folks, they sat with hands clasped and thrust lor—
ward, and their whole souls in their eyes, as if
ierchanled by what was passing before* them.—
Every now and then, the wild ‘hoogli!’ appropri
ate to the reel on note domestic occasions, broke
JU.HBRR 1.
forth as by tin it reprehensible escape. \Ye were
carried into Ihe early homes of these simple people,
where the customs ol a thousand years are vet
Ireshly preserved. AYe sympathised in their in—
. micent pleasures, and. the religiou which they make
of all ihitl pictures the past. Often, both now and
at other limes, we lelt the breast swell with emo
tion. and the e_\e will with tears—a tribute which,
alas! we are rarely able liow-a-days to pay to
theatrical performances more expressly designed
to work upon the feelings.
\Yhenthe programme of the day had been ex
hausted, tl e judges finished I lie proceedings bv
distributing the prizes. Donald Cameron, pipt*r
to Sir J. K. Mackenzie, of Scalwell, was pro
nounced t lie best player on his instrument, and
received the principal prize, a full mounted set of
hsgp'pes. Kenneth MucLenuan received a spor
ran [Highland purse] as the best performer of the
sword dance. Other prizes fbr piping and danc
ing, and also for correct costume, were presented,
to the ar.ouint ol nineteen in all, and the inoriev
collected for admission into the house was divid
ed among the competitors. The meeting then
broke up, alter a sitting of bet ween five and six
hours, during which—such was Ihe enthusiasm of
the occasion —we could observe nowhere any
symptom of fatigue.
The rißt.tc debt or England. —A London
! correspondent of the New York Courier and En-
Iquirer writes as follows:
j “ I promised in my last to offer a few remarks
respecting the effects of the Savings Banks upon
the public, funds. The amount ofthe national debt
jof this country is upwards ol ii'SOO,(100,000. It is
not generally known that this immense amount
stands in the mimes of only 280,000 persons. The
population of Great Britain may he estimated, in
round numbers, at 25,000.000; so that her debt is
L’32 fbr every it haliituni ! These 25,000,000 are
taxed to pay the interest due on this immense n
mount to this very small number of fund-holders ;
and the government of this country long since dis
covered that, if internal disturbances should sug
gest the question of payment or non-payment, in
physical strength at least the fund-holder would
have little chance against the array of people who
have no follow feeling with him. Accordingly, in
1810, when the national debt was rapidly accumu
lating, we find that savings hanks and societies of
similar nature, began lo receive the Government
sanction. From that lime to the present those
hanks have multiplied and increased, and there now
stands in the names of I lie commissioners ol those
institutions nearly £25,000,000 of the public debt,
belonging to 800,000 individual depositors and 16,-
000 charitable institutions and friendly societies,
j Supposing each society to number 150 ntembeis,
i iheie would be a grand total of one million of the
i people of the pooler c'asses who are interested in
upholding the national debt, and this number is
i hourly increasing.
“ The secret of the matter rests in the fitci that
i the Government allows one per cent, per annum
n ore interest to the savings banks than to the ci
ther holders of the public. lunds. That is to sav,
it pays four per cent, instead of'three, thus losing
not more than £200,000 per annum, and binding
by strong personal interest one million of people li*
sustain the public lailh.
“ Without sayingany tiling as to strict practica
bility in delsil it is impossible to avoid inquiring
what would have been the effect upon our non
paying Sums of such a system ns this. If poor
people, having a lew spare dollars, had been in
duced tu put their money in a savings bank, with
the knowledge that this money was in reality in
vesteil in Slate slock, can it for a moment he sup
posed tiiai such depositors would have returned to
iheir respective Legislatures men of repudiation
principles? No. t hey would have been so ma
ny pienchers of honesty and punctuality.
“In England, besides the advantages politically
effected by the savings bank measures,a very great
moral good has been achieved. It has been ascer
tained that the man w ho has once found his way to
the saving hank on a Saturday evening, forgets ihe
wa v to the gin-shop ; and that, as the number of
depositors in a village increase, so do the poor and
tlte poor rates diminish.”
An insult well answered. —At a late dem
ocratic meeting in Virginia, Col. Davezac ( Jack
son's companion in arms at New Orleans) waa
one of the speak rs. Alter he had concluded, a
whig asked the privilege of replying, which was
granted, when he commenced taunting Col. D.
w flh being a “ foreigner /” to which he replied :
“ Sir—l am sorrv to interrupt you, but 1 can
permit no man to use such language in niv pres
ence. Judging from your appearance, I was an
American citizen before yon were born. 1 have a
son, born an*American citizen, older than you.—
As lbr myself, 1 have been four times naturalized.
I was naturalized by Ibe sanctity of the treaty of
Louisians, the highest form of law known to the
Constitution. The rights of an American citizen
were conlered upon me by the law creating the
Territorial Government of Louisiana; and I was
admitted to all the rights, blessings, and obligations
which belong to you, niv fellow-citizens, by the law
bringing'be State of Louisiana into our glorious
confederacy.” Then turning to the whig speaker,
his eve flashing as on the plains of New Orleans,
and itis heart swelling with the majesty of old rec
ollections, he continued : “Sir, you look now as if
you desired lo know where and when was the
fourth time of my naturalization, and who w ere my
sponsors ? The consecrated spot on which I re
ceived the right of naturalization, was the battle
ground of New Orleans; the altar was victory ; the
baptismal water was blood and fire ; Andrew Jack
sou was my godfather: and patriotism and free
dom and glory, were my god-mothers.” The
mighty mass of listeners arose spontaneously, and
gave nine cheers for our gallant speaker. The
coon was soon missing.
John Carey, one of the early settlers of Wyo
ming Valley, and soldier of the revolution, lately
tiled in Pennsylvania, in the 89th year of his age.
Longevity.— Solomon llerz Levi, an
Israelite, lately died at Herxheina, near
Landau, in the 109th year of bis age,
having retained to the last the full use of
all his faculties. He was followed to the
grave by 81 children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren. One of Ids daugh
ters, 73 years old,could with difficulty be
removed from the inanimate remains of
Iter parent. Doting his long and active
career the deceased had nt \»r been ill.