Newspaper Page Text
The halfpound of Snu/F. —Some timet
since, in tne days of the “Fiy ig Dutch
man” and t r* “Cataract of the Ganges,”
a foreign artist was employed in giving
new foliage to the trees a-ul brushing up
sundry little cherubs among the faded
clouds of.i li lt on the stage of Ohl Drnr\
assisted by the hand of a deputy; wh n
finding Ins tabac on the decline lie intima
ted a wish to the I itter to have his box re
plenished, at the same tune requesting the
purchase of a d-mi Hr re. The assistant
set out, ‘out distrusting his memory and
the accuracy of his construction, applied
to a friend to put the mutter into gooil
English, upon a piece of paper.
“Demi hvre de tabac-”
“Bo.i! Dlx mille livres detabac! voici !”
Showing the paper with 10 OIK) pounds of
snuif written upon it. Nothing could be
more similar than the pronomiciution of
the words significant of the amounts how
ever dissimilar in quantity. But the ob
sequious assistant took the paper without
glancing at it; and with a bow and a “re
mer :ie‘” took his way to I. .
Entering the store, he presented the
order to the lad at the counter, who
stretching his eyes to the circumference
oi extremes! wonder, exclaimed.
“He! do you want all this?’
“''mi, deiiii livre de tabac, pour—pour
—coniine ca,” imitating the aetof snuffing.
‘Do vm wont it rigid away f
Mini—Oui —right way—tout de suite.’
* .ie lad rubbed bis eyes, and again ex
amined tin* nr.l/.r Thera ennld be no mis
take in it. The words were as plain as
th** writing upon the wall of Belshazzar’s
p and ice as mystical too. ’Twas a prodi
gious pinch, and enough to stifle a dozen
co'io.sse'urs at anew opera. And here was
a little man with an order for ten thou
sand pounds ot snuff. Spirits of Madame
de "ted and f,qdv Mure Worfley Mon
tague! The head clerk ivns called, and
ah hough exhibiting a sensible expression
surprise he had too much good sense
a id knew too well that the house of 1,,
was not unfreqiuntlv honored with orders
of similar amounts. But there was some
thing in the air of Monsieur that im
pressed the clerk with the conviction that
he was no snuff dealer, and less a snuff
ta Her. He ran, with an enquiring eve
orer the pendant extremities of his cravat,
the ‘uiitons of his vest, and anxiotilv
sought some convicting line of faded vel
• lingering about his nostrils. Then
fil meed at the nails of bis fingers as they
were unpatiently thrumming upon the
counter. II > was in despair, and thrust
i :g a I‘ttle ‘tine cut’ between bis teeth,
took fresh resolution, & invi f <1 Monsieur
to i seat. So large a customer must ' e
treated with some consi ?< ra-ion and fy
me ms detained until the prin inal should
return, a bottle ot pnie sh< rrv was ac
cordingly cracked and a dozen II ivanna
wrappers laid upon the table. This at
least would put an end for the present,
tii the perplexing inquiries of Monsieur.
They were soon as happy as Jove in a
cloud, drinking nectar from the fair hand
oi II: ha. The colloquy was not soririted,
bn ’lie gestures were. And moiiosvlla
bles ni “bon,” —“e’estbeau!” ‘Here’s to
yon !’ with tin occasional smack of the
lips, alone interrupted the delightful oc
Cupation, if we except now and then the
preliminary note of a chanson a hoire.
But these things could not lust forever:
and not withstanding the deference thus
shown to the customer, and the exorbi
tant gratitude exhibited for the purchase
o! a half pound of snuff, Monsier became
impatient, so soon as the sherry was out,
to close Ins bargain. As M o‘tsier was ri
s:ng the principal came in. He explained,
while Monsieur bowed. Could not the
order be delayed for a week or two. He
positively bad not that quantity on hand,
but he would set his people at producing it
with all possible exjiedition. Was the
order imperative as to time ? Could the
gentleman wait ?
“Point de tout—je must have de tabac
tout de suife D able !”
Thu principal soon Lit upon an expedi
ent that promised to solve the difficulty at
once. He nailed Monsieur to the table
again with another bottle of sherry, and
introduced a French friend.
“Voules voiis monsieur, dix milles liv
res de tabac ?”
“B h! non—non—non ! Detni livre !”
“Voici l’enigme! He want von half
pound of snuff and no ten tousand pound,’
‘The devil! John give the gentleman a
half pound of snuff, and place the balance
against the wine and cigars to the ac
count of profit and loss.
Switzerland. —The London Morning
Chronicle gives an interesting summary of
what has been doing in the way of revo
lution in the Swiss Cantons. The first
movement was i a Friburg, where a petition
was presented from the town of Morat,
for a change ot the constitution, which
meeting with insult the people assembled
to the number of 3060, an in despite of a
show of armed resistance made bv that
body competed it to yield.—The example
has been followed in Zurich, St. (J ill,
Soleure Shaffhaliscn Arm Lucent, Thur-
gaa, and Berne; so that in one half of the
cantons the popular feeling lias been suc
cessfully roused into action; and we may
calculate w;th safety upon its extending
over the whole. Nothing hut a promise
indeed seems vet to have been obtained:
but we cannot doubt that their reform
will follow, for after the people have felt
their strength as they have done, it will
not lie possible to trifle with them. In
this treatment of foreign* tates. Napoleon’s
eh trader scarcely appears aitv where to
so much advantage nsiu Switzerland. He
encroached much less on tlvr independ
ence than n • th > of manv other countries,
and the alterations he introduced into the
govertnents of the cantons were in general
at the expence of the aristocracy and ben
eficial to the people. The holy allies,
however, thought fit, in the plenitude of
their wisdom, to obliterate all his improve
ments, and replace the petty aristocracies
in the possesion of their old privileges.
Uchoid the result. The mighty con
vulsions now agitating Europe from side
arc their work.— Balt.daz.
From New Year’s day the salaries of
the Prefects of France, the expenses for
the adiuiiustrutou of Prefectures, andiiie
salaries of the Secrctarics-General of
Prefectures, will he reduced. According
lo a statement published in the Mcnitcur,
it appears that the salaries of the Pre
fects in Frace amount to 1,6G1,000fr.; the
expenses for the admintration of the Pre
fectures to 2,"50,ft001r.. had the salaries
of the >i cretanes-Gencral to 241,200 fr.
The highest salary is that of the Pre
fect of the Seine (sti,ooofr.)and the low
est l,soot’r. Ten Prefects receive the |
letter salary. The Seeretaries-Geeral re
ceive troin’’2,4ttOfj, to (»,(KH)tr. The ex
jlenses for the administration vary from
21,UiM)fr, to’JIOJMHIfr. per department.
Fatal Rencontre. —We copy the
following from the Port Gipson (Mo.)
Correspondent of Jatiuiy 22:
A rencontre took place at Rodney, on
the 13rli mst. between John Rriscoe, Esq.
or iliai place, i>, . Benjamin 11. Ma
yle, ot Lake \l asliington, of which the
circumstances were as follow^.
The Doctor accosted Rriscoe in the
evening of that day just as he, Bricoe,
had dressed himself to attend a w edding.
Briscoe endeavored to avoid any con
test that evening; and observed that the
dispute could be better settled at Lake
W asington, were he could and would
give full satisiaction. The doctor insis
ted upon settling it on the spot, Mr. B.
still desiring to put it oft', even till the
next day, alter the wedding was over.
The doctor claimed instant satisfac
tion, spit in his face, at the same time at
tempted to draw a lage duelling pistol
from lus bosom, blit was prevented by
the by-standers. Briscoe, being unarmed
rim into a store, were be procured a shot
gun, and coming out, cried to the compa
ny to clear the way. At eleven paces
ditanee, both raised their weapons, Bris-
coe t s snapt, and Doctor Maylor’s shot
Briscoe m the arm and abdomen, and he
had drawn another pistol, and was in the
act of tiring, when 15. had re-cocked Ins
gun, and prepared, which tins time
went oft'; the Doctor fell, mortality wound
ed; he died the same night. B’s wounds
were sight.
An inquest was held, over the body;
and the virdict on oath, was, that Bris
coe had acted in self-defence, and was
just liable in wliat lie had done.
I.aioremevdle , leh. 17, 1813.
Il( H’EWELL PRESBYTERY.
The Hopewell Presbytery will hold its
anual meeting in the presbyterian Church
in Lexington, Oglethorpe Cos. Geo. on
Thurday betore the Ist Sabbath in April
next at 11 o’clok, A. M.
It is earnestly hoped that all the church
es under the care of the Presbytery, will
be careful to forward Congregational
Reports, embracing the following items
viz: 1. Communicants added since last
April, by profession of faith. 2. By Cer
tificate. 3. Dismised. 4. Excluded. 5. To
tal now in communion, (i. Adults babtised.
7. Infants baptised. 8, Total of baptisms.
These facts are necessary to complete the
annual report of the presbytery to the gen
eral Asstinply.
Every Church is required to send up
its records for review, at least once in ev
ery year. Great delinquency lias always
prevailed in this Presbytery, in this matter,
contrary to the express requirement of our
Book of Discipline. (See Book of Dis
cipline, Chap vii, See: 1.) It is expected
that Church Sessions will do jheir duty
at our ensuing meeting: By a resolution
of the presbvtery at its sessions in Deca
tur, DeKalb county, it is the duty of ev
ery Minister belonging to the this body to
present at its Spring Sesions. (and incase
of absence to send) a written report on tiie
state ofreligiou within the bounds of his
preaching during the year.
The Churches arc reminded that the
presbytery require contributions from them
at this season to enable it to defray the
expenses of commissioners to the next
General Assembly.
JOHN 8. WILSON, Stated Clerk.
We lay before our readers the follow
ing interesting extract of a letter, just re
ceived from a friend on board the U. S.
Sloop of war Boston, dated
N vpi.es, Oct. 'J'J, 1830.
Since the date of the letter which ]
wrote you by the Lexington, we have
visited Algiers, Tunis and this port—
all of which places l had repeatedly seen
before, when on this station in the years
1810, l(j, 17. The first named city you
must have heard long since has passed
to the French. They have a strong force
wihin its walls, and the largest fleet at an-
chor in the Bay that 1 have ever seen col
lected at one time. Owing to the rigid
quarantine regulations, we were not per
mitted to enter the gates of the city, and
as no civilities passed between ourselves
and the squadron, the most that we could
hear relative to the investment and cap
ture of that onee formidable robber haunt,
may he considered vague and uncertain
information. It is, however admittd bv j
all, that the French manage their affairs
admirably throughout, and that they were j
rewarded for their gallantry by tli cap- j
turc of countless booty; and more than
this, that they are likely to lie masters of j
by far the fairest portion of the continent
of Africa.—lndeed, I have nevere seen n i
more hsutiful country by natur, or one |
apparently more highly improved, than is I
that portion of tie Regency of Algiers,
lying in the vicinty ot the city—and all
travellers agree n stating that the interi
or is no less desiiahle, liotli as to lertility
of soil and salubrty of elimate. The city
itself is execrable as in truth are all Turk
ish cities that 1 lave ever seen : yet from
the sea, Algiers las a most agrecabl ap
pearance, became of its compactness; the
extreme whiteness of the house and wails,
the strength and extent of the fortifiea
tions and the auphitlieatry like ctfeet ot
the w hole.
Whilst we were at Algiers, it was rum
ored that the Dty of Titiry had threatened
to march to the walk ot the city, With an
army of 150,(KM) men. It seems, since
the abdication ot the Dev, that Ins high
ness of Titiry, (adej|:iideiicv of Algiers,)
claims the right to til: Regency; but it is
searceelv possible, tint the former propri
etors will ever be aihwed to hold Algiers
again.
From Algiers we vent to Tunis, where
we remained at anchor two week. Cur
ship was now moored in full view ot the
scite of ancient Carthage. 1 had rambled
over the ruins of that ome opulent city fit
teen years before, Imi still 1 derived much
gratification from a second visit to the Cis
terns and Aqueducts, ;v Inch are tiie most
perfect of n't tiie ruins remaining—l must
refer you‘° books of travellers ior a par
ticular account of them, if 1 remember
fight, Lady M. W. Montague describes
them with great accuracy. They are of
immense si/.', and the mason’s work, in
many parts, still perfect, particularly of
that cistern vliich supplied the city with
rani water. The Aquaducts brought wa
ter from the mountains, distant twenty
or thirty miles from Carthage, and dis
charged it in the other cistern or reservoir.
I wished nucli to go to Utica, but the
weather w as oo hot to make up a party.—
It is distant 2* miles from Tunis. There
is much mor: to he seen of “by gou£
times ” at Utca, than any where else on
the coast, save at a place called Dejem,
three days journey from Tunis, and on
the rout to Tripoli. At Dejem there is
still standiugan immense Roman Ampin
theatre, built in all respects upon the
same model as the CohsuMim at Rome,
except it has but one story less—the bud
ding at Rome having four and that at
Dejem only three stories. 1 saw a line
sketch of the Dejem Amphitheatre, in
the pwssesion of the French Consul at
Tunis, and from all that 1 can learn, it
lias but very recently emerged from the
oblivion of ages. There are said to be
many Roman Ruins within one hundred
miles of Tunis, and in almost any direc
tion—they generally consist of Temples,
Triumphal Arches &c.
I remained two days in the city of Tu
nis, and do assure you was glad enough to
getoutofit. It is the most filthy place
under the sun, and no wonder it is visited
by the plague and other loathsome dis
eases. The streets are barely wide enough
to admit of two camels passing abreast,
and they are the receptacles for all kinds
of filth. Th* houses on the same side of
the street, or in the same square, all unite;
and even those on opposite sides or the
streets touch tt their tops. The Dey is
the only person who keeps any thing in
he shape of a carriage. Some of the
European, and other Consuls, on
their first arriving, brought elegant equi
pages with them for the use of their fam
ilies,hut finding that they were prohibited,
they made presents of them to his High
ness, the Dey, who in this manner is well
supplied with all sorts of vehicles. The
Consuls and their families can at any time
take an airing in the country, by sending
to borrow carriages of the Dey, but not
otherwise, The reigning Dey of Tunis is
said to to be about 55 years old, has only
two wives, but is accused of being two
fond of “strong waters ” Some of the
officers saw him at bis country seat, but
I did not. His palace in the city is a
building of considerable extent, but re
mains unfinished and has no furniture.
The Turks are a wretchedly superstitions
people and 1 will give you one proof of it.
If during the building of any edifiice, the
head workman, or constructor should
dje, the work is immediately stopped, and
the unfinished part is either demolished
or allowed to remain ever after incomplete.
Such is the present condition of a part of
the Dev’s City Palace and of the llall of
Justice [!!] which is united to it.
AVhilst in Tunis I submitted to the se
vere operation of taking a Turkish Bath,
and as l dont remember ever to have read
an account of one, 1 will endeavor to give
you some idea of the process. We were
conducted in the first instance into a large
square room each side having an elevated
platform of stone two feet from the floor,
which covered [the platform I mean] with
matting pillows, &<•. This appropriated
as thi' undressing and dressing apartment
of the commonality, and is spacious c
itough to hold twenty or thirty Turks.—
The mattresses are for their accommoda
tion, after they have bathed, for then they
recline and drink coffee for an hour be
fore thov dress and go into the open air.
W e signified that we wished to he more
private, and they accordingly carried us
into a small anti-room similarly arranged
as the one already described, that is to say
with a platform having mattresses, sheets,
; coverletts, pillows, &c. all of which, how
ever, had obvionsly been repeatedly used
before, since they were in the hands of the
laudress. Here we undressed after some
hesitation, but we could not conceal ourd s
gust at the want of cleanliness in whatev
er we saw. Wh en w > had given our clothes
and effect* in charge of a person appro
priated to receive them, we were conduct
ed into a paved room, heated from be
neath, at a temperature 110* Far.—here
we stood until our bodies shewed mois
ture. We were next led into another a
partment much warmer, where we were
directed by our guides to lie down on an
eivated platform of granite preparatory to
the commencement of their cruel intiic
tions. There were three of us in com
pany, and each one of the party was as
signed two turbaned rascals to rub, scrub,
and scarrify our naked bodies. I can
only compare the operation to what you
must have repeatedly witnessed in the
country just before Christinas times —
the scalding and scraping of pork ! \\ e
were stretched out precisly as hogs are,
side by side, and mercilessly turned about
and rubbed with the coarsest gloves, made
of wool and hair, until not a particle of
dead skin remained, nav, till the very
blood seemed to ooze from our pores !
But this was not all; not satisfied with
scarrifying my skin, my two torturers o
bligcd me to submit to the additional pain
of having my limbs pulled and stretched,
and my chest pressed in by the weight of
their knees and the working of tlieir arms
until ! would stand it no longer. One of
our party was a gentleman in feeble
health and, therefore, not in a situation
to undergo so severe a process as that
through which we taken. But, although
in great torment myself, I could not re
frain from laughing heartly nt the ludi
crous writhing and gesticulation of my
companion; it would have been a fit sub
ject tor Hogarth’s pencil. Poor fellow ! 1
think I see him now stretched upon his
hod of granite with two bravvney fellows
over him, nearly naked, rubbing, scrub
bing, pulling, pressing him as though he
was a pig which they were making ready
for the market—for you must know by
the time they finished with him he had
no strength to resist Sc scarcely gave
signs ot life. But the most unpleasant
part of the bathing scene remains untold.
The pespiration flowed in such streams
from the bodies of the Turks, that we
found it a hard matter to keep our mouths
elear of it, our faces and eyes we could
not. The scrubbing over, we were led to
closets affording water of any tempera
ture, where, after washing ourselves, we
were supplied with a covering to protect
as from cold, and re conducted to the a
partment spread with mattresses* «fcc,
here rested for half an hour and sipped a
cup of coffee—and dressed ourselves and
then returned to our lodgings.
You will say this was severe and loath
some work. Indeed it was, but then the
delightful sensations which ensued, more
than compensated me for what I suffered
whilst in the bath. AVith some modifica
tion 1 would like to see similar bathing
establishments introduced into our count
ry. The Turks ere u broad shouldered
and brawny race, and I do verily believe
their manner of bathing assists in making
them so.—This place and its environs
merit a separate letter. I will therefore
put off saying any thing about them until
my next, which will bewritten probably
troni Marseiles.—A Vo hope to get hack
to Port Mahon by the first of December.
Political Arena.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
From the Southern Times $/■ State. Gazette.
We publish the following letter from
Washington at the request of the gen
tlemen to whom it was addressed. It
speaks for itself, and comment on our part
is unnecessary. General Jackson mis
takes the Carolinian character, if he be
lieves that acts like this will not arouse a
spirit that will crush him and his myrmid
ons. South Carolina placed him where
lie is, and her generous sons have refused
to take office at his hands, lest it might be
construed into compensation for services
rendered to their country— as they thought
They are not now to be coerced by his
power—nor will she to be menaced and
denounced longer than they can with be
coming dignity smile at his imbecile
threats &. treat his proscriptions with con
tempt and scorn.
“Washington, Feb. 4, 1831.
“Dear Sir: —Hiave just learned from
our friend, that Col. Drayton submitted
the name of Mr. Findly, of Charleston, to
the President, with a recommendation
signed by Hayne, Nuekoll, Martin, Me.
Duffie, Barnwell, and another or two, for
the office vacated by the lamented death of
John Gadsen, and that appointment was
refused on the avowed ground ‘ that he
had been in favor of a State Convention,
and was a reputed Nullificr .’ This in
formation, lie said, he received from Blair,
and l believe he added, Judge Smith.
You will see from this that ***** means,
through the patronage of the Federal Gov
ernment, to regulate your State elections.”
According to the signs of the “ Times ”
he who sustained, by citizen soldiers, met
the enemy, the invincible® of AVellington
upon the frontiers of freedom, and caused
the rich harvest of laurels won in the fields
of Waterloo to wither on the planes of N.
Orleans—lie who is now first in the hearts
of his eontrvmen—vea “Jackson with his
myrmidons," is to fall beneath the mighty
crush of Nullification! If such a fate a-<
waits the second saviour of his country
from the impetuous delugeof reform what
is to become of “venemous insects?” Well
may such Times he called hard!—Colum
bia Free Press and Hive.
Nashville, (Tenn.) Jan. 31.—A second
lodger has been provided with accomoda
tions in our penitentiary. John Dougan,
convicted at Winchester of having killed
his brother-in-law, Col. Peter Noah, on
the 4th instant, took up his abode there on
Thursday last for a term of ten years.
This conviction, like the fist under the
new code, was the result of ungovernable
passion and the unlawful use of deadly
weapons.— Banner *
Til 14 I > iITKH' K\ TANARUS:
HATniIHV, MARCH 5. IS3I.
ADVERTISEMENT.
Desirous of acknowledging the very
flattering patronage which has already
been extended towards our establish
ment, and of rendering it still more wor
thy of general support, we have been
at the expense of procuring new type,
and have put the Democrat in an en
tire new dress. It is not our purpose
to rest satisfied with this improvement,
but we shall, early in the fall, procure a
new Press, and enlarge our paper, so
t hat it shall equal in size, any Gazette
in the State,
We hope that these steps towards
“ Reform ” will be met with corres
ponding spirit on the part of our pat
rons; whose prompt remittance oftheir
dues will enable us “to go on our way
rejoicing, - ’ dispensing the blessings ofa
free press, and to feel ourselves blessed
in the approving smiles of oar friends.
The Job Type annexed to the office
oftbe Democrat has been selected with
taste and care, ami will enable us to ex
ecute all kinds of Job work with great
neatness and despatch.
March 1, 1831.
Our friend of the Augusta Chronicle
expresses great astonishment at our
paragraph first noticing Air. Lumpkin’s
Jotter. He cannot have been more as
tonished at the paragraph than we were
at the cause of it. The Chronicle asks
“why, instead of so grossly misrepre
senting Air. Lumpkin’s letter, we did not
publish the letter itself.” We are not
conscious of having grossly misrepresent
ed Mr. Lumpkin; but it may be stated,
as a sufficient reason for not publishing
the letter itself along with the remarks,
that on its reception, our paper had al
ready been prepared for the press, and
we had neither place nor’time to give it
an insertion. It appeared however in
a subsequent number of the Democrat.
The Chronicle again asks, “Can
the Editor of the Democrat possibly be
serious in all this, after so warmly re
commending Air. Lumpkin as a suitable
candidate for the office of Governor?”
To this it may be answered, that when
we undertake to hold up an individual
as a candidate for office, we do not a
gree to take him “for better or for worse''
ns a very solemn ceremony expresses
it; but we proffer him our support so
long as we may deem him worthy of
it; so long as bis own conduct shall
merit it; and so long as he himself shall
continue to aet in consistency with his
professions and principles. In pro
claiming our preference for any partic
ular individual, we never considered
ourselves bound to him, by any ties
stronger than those which mere expedi
ency might form circumstances might
have rendered it expedient and proper
for us to have supported an individual
yesterday; and a change of circum
stances may render it not only inexpedi
ent, but improper, to support him to day.
AVe profess to be governed by principles ,
in the selection of candidates for office.
And if we conceived the posture of af
fairs did not favor the election of a can
didate for Governor, whose views on
political subjects coincided entirely
with our own, it might have been expedi
ent for us to fix on an individual by
whom we could have been most nearly
represented in opinion and principle.
But if after making choice it should ap
pear from his own acts, that our can
didate had either changed his princi
ples, or that we had been mistaken in
tbem, what astonishment need it excite
that we should determine to withhold
our support ?
Ihe conspirators at Havana A late
number of the Diario of Havana, con
tains the sentence pronounced upon the
conspirators whose case has so often
been mentioned. The number tried
was 16:—Mateo Semellan was condem
ned to ten years imprisonment in the
castle of Ceuta, Africa; Juan Neno
munceno, Escovedo, Francisko Corde
ro, and Jose Mechado, each to six years
imprisonment in other places: Francis
co Maceda, Pedro Muras, and .Manuel
Palacios each to four years imprison
ment; Diego de Araoz, to six years im
prisonment in Spain, (since committed
into banishment;) Manual Rojo, ten
years banishment to some town in
Spain. The others were either acquit
ted or got off by paying the costs of
court. The conspirators, it appears,
were associated in a club called the
Grand Legion of the Black Eagle.—
Or, in the words of a government or
der, they had been “initiated into the
horrid society of the Black Eagle, a
most secret and execrable conspiracy,
which had for its object to abolish even
the memory of our holy religion, to pro
mote an insurrection of the country a
gainst its legitimate King, to introduce
liberty and independence, and for this
end, to cut the throats of all who did
not belong to tifeir party.—,Y. Y. Even
ing Post.
Extracts from Kerchera’s history of Shenan
doah valley.
The author fell in with Col. Barnett
of Georgia, in the winter of 1816. The
Col was one of the Commissioners for
running the boundary line of the Indian
cession of lands to the United States,
about the close of of the lute war. Iu a
