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(Tinws rnttr Sentinel. “"COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. 12, 1855. Is not the State the People ? It is a very common opinion that the People are the I State and the State the people. In one sense this is ! true. If hy “the people” we mean our ancestry and j posteiityas well as the generation of the present hour, ‘ tho people are the State. But if we confine the mean ing of the words “the people’’ to the ephemera of the I day, we make a very great mistake if we suppose they j are the State. There are certain heir-looms which j belong to every distinct people which are committed to j each successive generation in trust for posterity which j no one generation has a right to abuse in the us;ng. ; Trial by jury, for instance, is one of the heir-looms of , the English and their offspring; so is the Witenageniote, or assembly of wise men, which the men of the present day call Congress, Legislature, or General Assembly, j And as of nations so it is of particular States, there are certain things which attach to the State and constitute a part of its body corporate which the people themselves ( have no right to change, alter or modify—national or ! State heir-looms which a glorious ancestry have won j with the strong arm and bequeathed to all their posteri- ! ty and which it is sacrilegious to touch with the hand of innovation. This idea is very prominently put forth j in Southward 110, and we bring it now to the notice J of our readers because we discover that public sentiment in the United States begins to look on any diversity in ; State organization and polity as a sort of treason to our common Americanism, and demands that all such pe culiarities shall be abolished and that every State in all its internal organization and polity shall conform to tho common model set up in New England. But to the extract. On page 440 of Southward 110, occurs the following passage : “Ihe Alabamian did not heed the sneer, but proceed ed— “ South Carolina is the only state in which there is anything like loyalty to the past remaining. She pre serves her veneration. The state is protected from the people.” “How is that? Is not the state the people.” “No! very far from it. The state is a th : ng of thou sands of years, past and future, constituting a moral which is to be saved from the caprices of the people. People change daily, and in tluir daiiy change, filled with novel hopes and expectations, and urged on by eager passions and desires, would easily forgo a thou sand absolute possessions which no people at one time sufficiently values. In truth, it is only when we trem ble at the onward and reckless courso of a majority, that wo are awakened to the faot that there are some things which they have no right to sacrifice. It is then that we see that the possessions and accumulations of tho past are not an inheritance, but a trust 5 and wo who occupy only a moment of time, in tho general pro gress of tho ag<?3, are taught by this fact that wo have no absolute rights over possessions which belong to generations yet untoid in the future, and but partially recorded in the past. To guard the state from the peo ple, we resort to a thousand devices, ouch as constitu tions, bills of rights, &c., none of which is satisfac'ory for the sufficient reason that the subjea. is one of singu lar subtility which escapes practical definition. It is, however, within our instincts, and these work in a thousand ways, and in spite of us, for its preservation. When these fail us, the state is gone, and the people soon follow. They are then without God or country. The French revolution was an instance of the sacrifice of the state—that vague and vast idea, growing out of the gradual acquisitions of thousands of years of a com mon fortune in the family, or race—by a mere genera tion just passing off the stage. Look at the summary in France to-day. Where is the liberty, the equality, the republicanism, which were all their avowed objects ? What is left them of sacred tradition, of past loyalty and acquisition, of moral security—which must precede if it would maintain physical—of all that w T ns deemec certain in the characteristics of the race? The guar dian securities and virtues of a people lie in that social ideal which is embodied in the notion of the state as a thing permanent, contradistinguished from a mete gene ration or government—things which contemplate only passing necessities, and continual fluctuations, and are required to contribute in pasiug only a certain portion of capital to that grand stock which has been already put away safely within the securities of the ideal state. The state is a guardian ideal, and the conservative check upon the caprices of time. The state represents the eternity of a race—its whole duration whether long or short. Cut the sinews of the state, in obed.ence to tho caprices of a generation, and they must perish. All this is very obscure, I know, and it can not well be otherwise, with such a subject, and in a mere casual conversation. It must necessarily elude all common demonstrative analysis, particularly as it lies based on great but mysterious secrets, in the general plan of Providence, which it is scarcely permitted to us to ex plore. The subject belongs to the spiritual nature iu high degree and is not to be measured by the common rules of argument. It constitutes a study for the meta physician who is at the saino time, a religious man. it is cne of those problems which the rulers of a peo ple have need carefully to study, as it is upon the due knowledge and appreciation of ‘the state,’ that every people’s future must depend. Nations perish really because of their simple failure to recognise this distinc tion between state and people : and it is thus that a capricious generation, perpetually bent on change, restless and impatient because of its atrocious vanity, still wrecks all the idea! morals of their ancestors, and all the hopes, born of those ideals, which would conduct tluir posterity to power.” Accident on the Muscogee Railroad.— On Wed desday evening last, a little after sunsent, just after the freight tram had arrived at the Depot, and the engine was backing to go under shelter for the night, a gen tleman attempted to jump aboard, missed his footing, was caught by the wheels and one his legs severed from his body. His name is King, and he resides near Station No. 3, on the Road. The constant oc currence of such accidents ought to warn all prudent persons never to attempt to mount a ear while the train is in motion. It is better to stand still a day than to go halting through life. The Confession of a Cuban Prisoner. —Senor I.eeoste, one of the men arrested on board an Ameri can schooner at Baracoa and committed to prison at Havana, has made a coufossion, implicating himself in an attempt to create a revolution in Cuba. Ilis real name is said to be Francisco Estrampes. He further states that he was betrayed by a countryman of bis, named Francisco llernandis, and has boldiy vowed to the authorities that his object in visiting Baracoa was to create a revolution. Having failed, he says he is now willing to suffer the penalty of death. Harper’s Magazine at the South. We perceive that an effort is being made by South ern newspapers to whitewash Harper’s Magazine.— Among others, from whioh we expected nothing better, we are sorry to number the Advertiser <J- Gazette, of Montgomery. The Messrs. Harper now give special assurances that special care will be taken to “exclude everything that can give just cause of complaint to any ; interest or to any section of the country.’’ All very well, Messrs. Harper, but a burnt child dreads the fire. You deceived us once ; that was your fault. If you deceive us again, that will be our fault. If the South i had no literature of her own, this peuchant for north- 1 ern publications would be excusable. But this is not the ease. The South has a local periodical literature which very far surpasses that of the North. For Pol iticians and Philosophers there is the Southern Quar terly ; for the Merchant there is Deßow’s Review for tho Literati there is the Southern Literary Mes senger. By the way, nine-tenths of our readers, we venture to affirm, do not know that the Reveries of a Bachelor by Ike Marvel, Tuckermm’s Characteristics of Literature , and The Flush Times of Alabama by Baldwin, which’ have had such wonderful success as Books withthe imprimature of Northern Publishers up on them, made their first appearance in the Southern 1 Literary Messenger, without eliciting even a passing i notice from the Southern public. But Southern Pub -1 lishers are to blame in part for this failure of the pub lic to appreciate their good things. They not only re i fuss to puff, but criminally neglect to advertise their wares. Look at the press of the South. Every vil j lage newspaper that will give monthly notices of the works, and publish for the year a column advertisement can get a copy of Harper, Putnam or any other North ern Magazine. Similar enterprises on the part of South ] ern publishers would meet with a comparative success. ; Another error is that they send out their works on a credit. Men appreciate what they get by the price they ! pay for it. There is no question about it. And we : have no hesitation in saying that no paper, periodical, j or Review ever obtained a circulation which was furnish ied to subscribers on a credit. But it is useless to multiply words. We close this article with the fol lowing exti acts from the Editor's Table cd the Janu ary number of the Southern Literary Messenger : “Harper’s Magazine has probably five times as many subscribers South of the Potomac , though articles of very questionable character find ready admission to its pages, and even Putnam’s Monthly, which lias recently outraged the entire slaveholding portion of the Union by lending itself to the extremest views of the Aboli tionists, has a larger circulation among slaveholders,” than the Messenger.” “It is a proud consciousness for the Editor to know that the stinted support the Messenger has receiv ed, during his connection with it, is in no manner at tributable to the character of its materiel, since many of the most successful books which the press has put forth of late were originally written for its pages. The Reveries of a Bachelor , Tucker man’s Characteristics of Literature, and the Flush Times of Alabama were quite as pathetic, di riininative and witty when pub lished in our columns as when issued in book form, though the public unfortunately did not think so.” Georgia Newspaper Changes. M. Dwinnell, Esq., has become associated with S. E. Coburn Esq., in the editorial department of the Rome Courier. From Mr. D.’s salutatory, in the Cou rier of the 2d, lie has evidently had some experienc as a journalist, and will doubtless prove a valuable acquisi tion to that paper. The Courier is a well conducted journal. O. A. Myres, Esq , offers for sale his interest in the Rome Southerner, on good terms. A large part of the office is nearly new, and the income is large. A desire to change his location and business induces him to make this announcement. Muscogee Superior Court. —The trial of David Wright occupied the attention of the Court on Wed nesday and Thursday last. The evidence was closed on Wednesday night. We forbear to publish it as we believe tho practice of doing so is calculated to take criminal causes from before the jury and transfer them to the forum of public opinion, alias the mob—a body altogether incompetent to decide questions involving the life of a fellow being, Tho prosecution was very ably conducted by Messrs. Ramsay, Dawson, Denton and McDougald, assisted by Messrs. Jones & Jones; and tbe defense by Messrs. P. H. Colquitt, Plane, Holt and Wellborn. At 1 o’clock the case was submitted to the jury af ter the delivery by the Court of a lucid, impartial and impressive charge. At 3 o’clock the jury brought in a verdict of Guilty. Rowdyism in Montgomery. —On Saturday the 6th inat., tho B’hoys were out on a bender in Montgomery and took occasion to remove signs, gates, fences and window shutter in every part of tbe city. The Jour nal thinks such wanton destruction of property is “an outrage most disgraceful, unrelieved hy an ordinary at j tempt at wit, unprovoked, unprincipled and shame j less.” New Engines on the Muscogee Road. —We were 1 pleased to find at the Depot of the Muscogee Railroad, 1 on a casual visit to the place, that the Directors had ; added to the rolling stock of the company two 20 ton ! Engines of the first class. They are called the Atlantic and the Pacific , and are perfect specimens of mechani cal skill, made, vve believe, at Patterson, N. J. A Valuable Acre. —We learn through a friend that ! Mr. Woodson Wilcox, of Telfair county, made last year eight barrels excellent Sugar, and 200 gallons Syrup besides seed cane, from one acre of trodden pine land.— Southern Recorder. Split the Democrats. —The Talladega, Ala., Re porter says it would be extremely glad to be able to sup ! port a Whig candidate for Governor if one il could be found to enter the field with any reasonable chance for success but as this is oat of the question it adopts the policy of “Split the Democrats,” and does Mr* Baker the honor to consider him the most facile and available instrument to effect that amiable purpose.— 1 Really, Mr. Baker is beset by great temptations to change his political surrroundings. The enemy seems to be determined to steal him r i et armis and force him to desert. We think better of him than to believe he will do it. Agricultural Professorship. —The Atlieus man, says: We understand that Dr. Daniel L*e, Professor of Agriculture in the University of Georgia, has arrived in town ready to enter upon the duties of his office at the beginning of the next- term—which will be, we believe, the 15 of this month. Through tho munificent liberality of Dr. Terrel, our time honored institution now offers greater attractions than at any time heretofore. What next ? —We notice by the New Orleans pa pers of Thursday, that the notorious rascal and pick pocket, Dr. Hines, who has just served-out a year’s j term in the Louisiana penitentiary, is delivering public ! lectures in New Orleans on tbe subject of “Penitentiary Descipline” &e., tickets only fifty cents. This certain ! ly beats Barnum’s boldest strokes of impudent humbug. I Speaking of Barnum, the Picayune says that Hines has written a biography of himself, which he is disirous of publishing and which, if a truthful record, must equal 1 in interest the recent literary work of tbe great show man. What a pity it is that Murrel is dead I W ere I he only “alive and kicking” in this fast age, the public might be entertained with lectures on the science ol highway robbery aod murder. These are progressive times certainly.— Atlanta Examiner. “Ramshackles.'’— Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, fur nishes this appellation to the disciples of Know Nothing ism Tiie term, says the Augusta Constitutionalist , originated in North Carolina. The council of the secret conglomeration of factions opposed to the Ad> ministration, give directions to the rank and file through their officers, who to vote for, and they follow the lead blind. This is like the habits of sheep, who implicitly follow the old ram of the flock over a fence, or down a well, without stopping to think for themselves. Inis system effectually shackels tho minds and free will of the voters. Hence the term Ramshackles —a name significant and expressive. IIo! for Columbus. —Wo learn, says tho Alabama Journal of 10th, that the Opelika branch of the Mont gomery and West Point Railroad, will be open to Co lumbus by the 25th of this month. We trust by the Ist of next month to bo able to take our Columbus friends by the hand, with mutual withes that this union of the Chattahoochee with the Alabama may be auspi cious for both parties. Some arrangements for a mutual exchange of hospi talities would not, perhaps, on the part of our citizens. OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE. Boundary Line between Georgia and Florida— The Know Nothings—Messrs. Barry and Ste phens. Washington, D. C, Jan. 5, 1535. Messrs. Editors: —l passed an hour this morning very pleasantly in the Supreme Court. All the Justices were in attendance, and the cause before the Court at the time was one of some interest to the people of your State. It appeared, from wliat I could learn, that Florida had instituted a suit against Georgia to settle the vexed question of the Southern bouudary line of Georgia ; and, in the progress of the cause, the Counsel for your State had so managed as to obtain a very great advantage over the Counsel for Florida, and, to get out of the difficulty, the Florida Counsel persuaded the Attorney Genera to come in with a collateral motion to obtain from the Court leave for the United States to be heard as a party in interest in the cause, stating, iu the motion, that the United States had issued patents to the Florida people for most of the land (amounting to a million of acres) claimed by Georgia, and that therefore the Government had a right to be heard. This motion was submitted and explained by the Attorney General, Mr. Cushing, in a speech of about forty minutes, when the hour for adjournment arrived, and the Court announced that the case would be taken up on Monday. If the Attorney General shall succeed in his movement, this will place the Florida Counsel on the ground which they former ly occupied and which they lost by some difference be tween the State and one of the Counsel. A part from the magnitude of the interest involved in this cause, a great deal of feeling is manifesting itself here among gentlemen of the legal profession as to the various questions which spring out of this tri-partite cause.— Your State is represented by lion. J. McPherson Berrien and lion. Geo. E. Badger, Florida by lion. Reverdy Johnson and some other person unknown, and the United States by Attorney General Cushing. I shall watch the caso as it progresses and keep you posted. Aside from this matter there is nothing of interest to write about. It is true the Know Nothing excitement has given rise to some debate, but with the exception of the speech of Mr. Barry, of Mississippi, nothing worthy of remark. The speech of Mr. Barry was a great effort. Philosophic, yet practical ; learned, yet sim ple. and just the kind on a speech to make an impres sion on the public mind. By the way Mississippi should cherish Mr. 8., for he is a jewel to be proud of. The speech of Mr. Stephens of your State delivered before the holidays, is looked upon hero by Southern men as taking tho true position. Ilis triumph over Campbell and Mace, was a complete and glorious one, and although I differ from Mr. Stephens in his polities generally, I am proud of the position he has taken on this question, and gratified that he ocoupies such an in fluential position here as he does. By tho way, the UIIM P&f this morning contains Bar ry’s speech. Publish, and it will do good. Yours J. Pennsylvania Legislature. Philadelphia, Jan. 5, 1855. Wm. D. Heister, democrat, of Berks, was elected Speaker of the Senate on the twenty-seventh ballot, having fifteen votes. Skinner, (whig,) had eleven votes 5 Frazer, (whig,) two. Dnrsie, (whig,) voted for lloister. Price, (whig,) did not vote. Michigan Legislature. Detroit, Jan. 4, 1855. Isaao W. Wilder has been elected Secretary of the Senate of this State ; Cyrus Level Speaer, and Ilenry Banner Clerk of the House. They are all republicans. Maine Legislature. Augusta (Me.) Jan. 5. The Legislature of this State today elected Anson P. Morrill tor Governor. In the House the vote stood as fol lows: Morrill, 146; Reed, 116. In the Senate Mr. Mor rill received the unanimous vote, thirty in all. The inaug uration of Mr. Morrill will take place tomorrow. Death of Hon. Ira Bellows. Rochester, Jan. 5. lion Ira Bellows, of Pittsford who has held p <sts of honor in this State, died til's evening, while wailing in the Railroad depot for the cars to couvey him home. Accident to the Victoria Bridge over the St. Law rence. Boston, .Tan. 5. The wood work of the Victoria Bridge, over the St. Lawrence river, was carried away by the ice, but no injury whatever, was done to stone abutment, or the stone abut ment, or the stone piers, which remain firm as the solid rojk, and prove the security a id stalilhy of the structure. The newspaper reports of damage to the permanent structure are entirely unfounded. —The way to make a tall man “sbo.t” is to ask him to lend you a thousand dollars. The Mail Difficulty Settled. We learn by a despatch from Charleston (says the Con stititutionalist &. Republic ot the 10th inst.) that the mail difficulty has been satisfactorily arranged. The Railroad will resume carrying the mails on Friday. The Depart ment cannot concentrate the Mail Agents beiore that day. The cars will leave Augusta at half past six in the morn ing and at six in the evening, and will arrive at Augusta at four in the afternoon and at halfpastfourintho morning. Southern Commercial Convention. New Orleans, Jan. Bth. The Southern Commercial Convention met to day. Mayor Lewis temporarily presiding. A commitlee was appointed to report permanent officers, after which the convention adjourned. Only 69 delegates were in attend . ance. New Orleans, Jan. 9. The Southern Commercial Convention has permanently organized, by the election of Gen. Lamar, of Texas, Presi dent, and two vice presidents from each State. Ten States are represented. Number of delegates, 120, including 83 from Louisiana. Resolutions were offered for the improvement of Galves ton Harbor and Bar; likewise for the establishment of a Marine Hospital at that port, whenjthe conventon adjourn for the day. From Washington. Arrival °t General Houston—The Armstrong Claim, etc. Washington, Jau.5,1855. Gen. Sam. Houston reached here this evening, in fine health, and took quarters at Willard’s. He pronounces the rumor of his resignation, by your correspondent, en tirely false. He reports Know Nothingism omnipotent in Texas. The General Armstrong claim, now beiore Congress, will certainly pass. The amount of Treasury notes outstanding on the Ist of January was $112,061 64. Washington, Jan. 8, 1855. The old Soldier’s convention t met to-day. The attend • ance was very large, and an imposing procession wasform • ed by the delegates. Gen. B. Southerland was elected pre sident of the Convention. Arrival of tha Cahawba —Loss of the Albany. The U. S. Mail Steamship Calmvba, R. W. Shufeldt, commander, from New York 26th ult and Havana 2d inst., arrived at N. O. on the s‘.h. From Havana the news is unimportant. Business was reported as very dull, and freights low. The United States steamship Princeton, Captain Eagle, was at Havana, having returned from an unsuccessful cruise in search of tho missing ship of war Albany. The report that she was at Carthagena on the 10th of Octo> ber was untrue ; it had reference to her visit there, early in September, prior to her sailing from Aspinwall for New York. There is scarcely a hope now entertained of over hearing from her again. She was, doubtless, lost with all on board. Destruction of a Church by Fire. —The Roger Wils liams’ Church, on Burgess street, Providence, R. 1., wae destroyed by lire on Friday morning, at 2 o’clock. Th church was valued at $19,000, and had been recently im proved. It was insured for $5,000 on the building, and SI,OOO on the organ. Charity. —During last week the different private so eieties of New York, have, it is stated, raised the sum of SIO,OOO for tho benefit of the poor. New Orleans, Jan. 9. The Howard Association has voted s2,ooo*to aid tho poor of New York. Georgia Sugar. —Dr. Dennis Williams, of Thomas county, says the Watchman of the 27th ult., banded us the other day a sample of sugar of his own raising, which, for beauty and sweetness, surpasses any we have yet seen raising in tho country, and is a superior article to most of that which we see from Cuba. The sample before us is a 1 beautiful article. Talk abount Cuba productions ! why Southern Georgia can beat it and not half try. We have also in our office some samples of beautiful sugar raised in Decatur county by Mr. Lester-. These sugars can be bad at from 7 to 8 cents per lb. which is much cheaper than the same or a more inferior article can bo had from elsewhere. The Earl of Cardigan. —This is the nobleman who i led the famous charge of English cavalry recently ,before | Sevastopol. He is doubtless a very brave fellow, but is ! also a most atrocious and shameless sensualist. One of the papers states that some three years ago he carried away from Dublin, where his regiment was then quartered,a lady of singular beauty, the wife of the chamberlain of Dublin castle, Sir William Beeson, whose outraged feelings were subsequently soothed by a compensation of very large amount. Taking her'to Scotland, a few months after ward in his yacht, whether from remorse, or parting from | her children, or some other cause, Ladv Beeson was sud [\ denly seized with .illness, and died under very harrowing | circumstances. Within a week after the spoiler was in his ! accustomed spot in the omnibus box, with his jewelled lorg | nett planted on some new beauty, with a steady sensual 1 stare. Thoroughly heartless and selfish, he steps from ru in to ruin without a pang, and when his passion palls, casts aside his victim with the same graceful levity that he does his lance. If a. Russ'an were to stick him in the midriff perhaps there would be no loss to humanity. The Immaculate Conception.— Our readers are aware that there has been a convocation of the Roman Catholic Bishops at Rome to decide definitely on the doctrtne of the Church concerning the conception of the Virgin Mary. It was decided ’almost in the affirmative.— Thejiumber of ‘votes’ was 576, including proxies, and about 120 Bishops who were actually present. Os these, 540 pronounced by acclamation for the new dogma; 32 voices questioned the appropriateness of such a discussion at the present; while only four votes protested both against the dogma and against the right of the Holy See to decide a question of that importance without a regular council.— Os these four votes, two it was rumored, were contributed by French prelates, namely, Mr. Olivier, Bishop of Evereux, and the other the Archbishop of Paris himself. AGUE AND hEVER of three years standing CURED. —Mr. John Longden, now living at Beaver Dam, Hanover county, near Richmond, had ague and fever for three years, most of the time he had chills twice a day, and rarelv less than once; he was parched with fevers as j soon as the chill left him; and alter trying physieans, qui ! nine, most of tha Tonics advertised, and everything re commended to him, was about to give up in despaii, when Carter's Spanish Mixture was spoken of: he got two bot tles, but before he had used more than a single one, he was perfectly cured, and nas not had a chill or fever since. Mr. Longden is only one out of thousands who have been benefitted bv this great tonic, alterative and blood purifier. See Advertisemet. jan4. Holloway's Ointment and Pills, a most Effectual Remedy for Erysi; etas. — Mr. James Cravtn, of No. 1, Brownlow Cottages, Stonehouse, Plymouth, was severely afflicted for more than three years with that dreadful disease, “Eiysipelas.” His sufferings were incredible ; and although he received some of the best medical advice, he obtained lit tle or no relief. Almost in desnair, he determined on giv ing Holloway’s Ointment and Pills a trial; and, by a little perseverance with them he w r as completely restored to health and strongly recommends the : e medicines to others similarly afflicted Mr. G. Williams, of 19, Edgecombe street. Plymouth, can verify this ease. INVALUABLE DISCOVERY. The inventor of M’Lane’s Vermifuge having disposed of his right to this great remedy, the proprietors, Messrs. Kidd & Cos beg leave to offer it to the American public as the best remedy tor W r orms ever offered. It has been tried in all part- of the. country, and in cases which had defied the exertions of the best physicians, and never without the most complete success. We caulion parents against de lay. If your children exhibit symptoms of being “troubled with worms, lose nofca moment, but at once purchase a bottle of JSl’Lane's Vermifuge, and thus save them pain and perhaps their lives. For sale by all the Druggists in Comnibu-, and by agents throughout the South. j j a n4 From the Mobile Tritune. TO MARY. —BY “HAROLD.” In forming thy beauty the angels, I ween, Must surely have taken a part; I’or angelic charms in thy lace can be seen, Reflecting the joys of thy heart. And one must have stolen the last gilded band From a cloud, which the sun had left there, And,gaily returning withthe dyes in her hand, Left the soft golden hue in thy hair. And one on thy cheek Love’s signet did place, And gave thee a dimple, for dower; Another that smile that doth brighten thy face, Asa sunbeam doth brighten a flower. Another did give thee those soft beaming eyes, So suited for smiling or weeping; She was flitting one day through the bright azure skies, And stole them from Psyche whilst sleeping. Another resolved, as thy form was so fair, Thy head to adorn with her arts: So \V it’s quiver she stole and boldiy did dare To embellish thy mind with his darts. And now I am sure if the Graces could die, And the search lor three others begun, As soon as thou’st ceen, they'll declare iu thesky Thou combines! the three Graces i:i one. [From the Missouri Republican, December 25.1 Origin of Camp Meetings—Religicu3 Extravagances at them in Tennessee—Tho Falling Exerciso —The Jerk ing Exercise —The Barking Izcrciso, &c.,—Extrava gances of the Females. We hear now and then of the strange effects which were produced upon persons and whole communities} in olden time by religious excitement, and the peculiar phe nomena which marked periods of religious lervor among a simple people. In a recent lecture before the Mercantile Library Association of Boston; Rev. Wm. H. Milbuvn gave a general description of tho early preachers of the West, particularly of Kentucky, and made a selection of a lew characters to illustrate the prevailing traits of tbe whole. No part of the country has witnessed such schisms in the churches, and such wild and fanatical delusions in con nection with religious teaching, as in the States of Ken tucky and Tennessee. The statements made by Rev. Mr. Milburn were doubtless correct, so far as they went; but the selection of a few individuals as an index of the gener al character of the western preachers of that time, gives a very incorrect idea of the actual lacts. Some years since, during a temporary residence of a few mouths in tbe State of Kentucky, 1 chanced to have an opportunity ot examining ..a historical work, which is there acknowledged as the best authority, and in which I noticed many of the incidents described in the lecture of Mr. M. and in which also are found many interesting statements with regard to that early time, which goto in dicate that there was a vast amount of imperfection con nected with many of those whose characters were delin eated under tho heading of “Saddle Bags.” Some of tho incidents of that day and region are scarcely credible on account of the strange perversion of the human intellect v, hioh they show. The churches were torn and wasted for years by intestine fouds, and, in consequence pf the dis sensions then existing among the churches, infidelity pre vailed throughout that whole region, ihe writer to whom I have referred says that “nearly half of the minis ters of that period, were at one time and another subject to church censure for various faults.” . Camp meetings originated among the Presbyterians of Kentucky. The first camp meeting was held near Goose berry river, in July, 1800. r ihe ministers present were Messrs. McGready, Wm. McGee, and a Mr. lloge.— The author, whose language 1 quote, says : “Camp meet ings being once introduced, the plan spread like wild-fire. The laborer quitted his task, the youth forgot his pastimes, the plough was left in the furrow, age snatched his crutch, the deer enjoyed a respite upon the mountains, business of all kinds was suspended, dwelling houses were deserted, whole neighborhoods were emptied, bold hunters and so ber matrons, young men and maidens and little children flocked to the common centre of attraction ; every difii-. cultv was encountered, every risk ventured to be present at the camp meeting. In connection with these camp meetings a great varie ty of strange exercises grew up. Children, ten or twelve years of age, were prominent actors. Under paroxysms of feeling, persons foil down, and this was called “the fall ing exercise.” There were also “the jerking exercise,” tho “rolling” the “running” the “dancing,” and the “barking exercises,” besides “visions” and “trances.” At Cabin Creek camp meetmg, May 22, 1801, eo many fell on tbe third night that, to prevent their being trod on, they were laid out on one side of the mooting-house floor, like so many corpses. At Boone Creek sacrament two hundred fell ; at Pleasant Point three hundred, and at Cane ltidge three thousand, August 0, ISOI. It is said that children, eight months old, were affected by these strange influ ences. The first instance of the “jerking exercise” was at a sacrament in E’ist Tennessee. Persons would be jerked in ail directions and over whatever object happened to bo in the way. They were always lett to themselves, be cause the people said that to oppose them would be to re sist the influences of the Spirit of God. Sometimes those who had long hair, it is said, hid their heads jerked so . swiftly that the hair snapped liko the crack of a whip. it is said that none were injured except those who rebelled against the operation of the Spirit and refused to comply with the injunction it came to enforce. Some who went to the meetings with whips in their hands to 11 >g others, had their whips jerked out of their hands. In the “rolling exercise” they doubled up and rolled over and over ; and it made no difference whether there was mud or filth of any kind in the way. In the “run ning exercise” they would run over every obstacle and keep running till quite exhausted. In the “dancing exercise,” a writer of that time says they had llie privilege of exhibiting, by a bold faith, what olhers were moved to by a blind impulse. In one instance a Mr. Thompson, a minister, commenced dancing after meeting and danced an hour and a half; and said he, “This is the Holy Ghost!” A girl danced for an hour in an empty pew, and others danced in so viuh nt a man ner that they could not be held by strong men. The writer whom I quote says : “One might be temp** ted to think that the climax had ; Iready been reached, but there was a piece of extravagance to complete tho degradation of human nature. The ‘barks’ frequently accompanied the ‘jerke,’ though of later origin. This ex ercise consisted ot the individuid taking the position of a dog, moving abjjt on all fours, growling, snapping his teeth, and barking with such exactness of imitation as to deceive any cne whose eyes were not directed to the spot.” All classes became ’affected by this drgrading mania, and the only method of securing relief was to engage iu voluntary dance. It was supposed first to be inflicted as a chastisement for remissness in duty. Such as resisted the impulse and decliued the dancing continued to be tormented for months and even years. From being re gard t and as marks of guil', the barks at last came to be re garded as fok< ns of divine favor and badges of special hon or. “Ridiculous as it may seem to us at this distance of time to hear such extraordinary sounds as bow, wow, wow, interspersed with pious ejaculations and quotations of Scripture, we.are not at liberty to doubt the truth of the assertion that then the effect, or at least one of the eff.e s was, to overawe the wicked and excite the minds of the impious.” In tho midst of these and sorders, those preachers who labored to direct the minds of the people to the true marks of grace were denounced as desical, and thus tlieir influence was greatly diminished. Some of the results were, the people would be singing half a dozen hymns at the same time, very loud, with violent motions of the body. Sometimes a dozen would be pray ing at a time, for they s.id the Lord could hear even if they all spoke at once. The preachers were often inter rupted with singing in the midst of their sermons.— Whoops, cries, hysterical laughter and the repetition of the words of the preacher even louder than he utterod them, constituted a combination of annoyances to which ihe waves of the sea, harangued by the Athenian orator must have been a trifle. These cases are enough to show what a state of things existed in* Kentucky in the beginning of this century.— Oar author asks “ vriill it be easily credited that in 1803 the ffm Ijs from 14. to 40 years of age, got in the habit of hugging and embracing every one in their vi un ity, and that the men, especially the preachers cam: in for a good share of their embraces ?” Hint from Kossuth. —fn attacking the Russian bear you will find no weapon effiexo.it unless you also emp'oy a Pole.