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TIIK IV.SIM NGTONIAN.
AUGUSTA, DECEMBER 14, 1844.
rmmm m ■■j'j■■■ i-j ■ “ 1 ■ ■.r-raa
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE.
Re?. W. T. Branti-v, Dr. D. Hook,
“ W. J. Hard, Jamks Harper, Esq,
" C. S. Dod, A. W. Noel, Esq.
“ Geo. F. Pierce,
(Jt7» To Dhtaht Scbscbibicbs.—Post Masters are au
thorized by law to remit money to the publishers of
■ewspapers and periodicals, in payment of subscrip
tions. Subscribers to the Wathingtonian can therefore
pay for their papers without subjecting themselves or
the pablisher to the expense of postage, by handing the
amount to the Post Master, with a request to remit it.
State Temperance Convention.
We publish in another column the pro
ceedings of the State Temperance Con
vention, recently convened at Forsyth.
From the account given in the Banner it
appears that a very small delegation was
present; and that the proceedings were
not large. We should have liked the re
port much better if it had embodied more
liberal views respecting Temperance
publications. Wo are also at a loss to
understand, by what kind of Arithmetic
it is that twenty six papers for one dol
lar, is cheaper than fifty-two papers of
about the some dimensions, and with not
inferior contents, for tw'o dollars. We
have a secret suspicion that our good
friend, the publisher of the Banner, must
have lent his spectacles to the Comrtiit
tee, when they were making this calcu
lation. We have no reflection to make
upon him. It is quite naturnl that a
man who oilers his own productions for
sale, should pronounce them the cheapest
in the market. We confess, however,
that we are a little surprised that the
Committee should allow themselves to be
humbugged. year the Washing
tonian was issued weekly at one dollar
per annum—being about fifty per cent
cheaper than the Banner. But when
the Convention mot they did not recom
mend the friends of the cause to unite
upon the former to the prejudice of the
latter. N'imporle —we have no favors
to ask of the Committee, and are well
assured that if our little sheet becomes
defunct, it will not be owing to a with
drawal of their patronage.
Wc regard tho Convention in question,
ns a failure in every respect. If these
State Conventions cannot be be better at
tended, it would be well to discontinue
them. As conducted among us, they are
little else than publications to the enemy
of the weakness ot our ranks.
Gambling;,
A Mr. Green, at the North, a reform
ed gambler, is exciting nearly as much
attention by his lectures on gambling, as
was produced by tho reformed drunkards.
We are rejoiced that public attention is
at length directed to this ruinous and
common vice. Agitation of the subject
must do good. Mr. Green exposes the
deceptions which are usually practiced
by the black-legs. He displayed his own
accomplishments by describing every
card in the pack from merely looking at
the back. It is by such villany that the
unsuspecting are entrapped and filched.
We could wish that the laws prohibit
ing gambling were more rigidly enforced
especially in our own community. If a
man by the aid of false keys, steals goods
from his neighbor to the amount of five
dollars, we are careful to send him to the
penitentiary—let him steal as many
thousands by tho aid of cards, and we
are silent.
Betting.
This species of gambling was very
much the vogue during our recent Presi
dential canvass. We understand that
considerable sums exchanged hands in
our vicinity alone. We have no sym
pathy with losses incurred by betting;
we are only sorry that both parties can
not in every instance be the losers.—
Were this the case there might be some
hope of arresting the evil, but so long as
a hope of winning animates both parties,
the vice must contiune unless checked!
by some efficient measures.
i It is to be hoped, however, that all the
friends of law and order, may ere long
!be prevailed upon to leave this odious
practice to those with whose profession it
fully comports—we mean the sportsmen.
A moments reflection will satisfy any one
! that betting on elections is just as iniqui
! tous as betting on cards, or betting on
any thing else.
Postage.
We perceive that a bill for the reduc
tion of postage has already been pro
posed to Congress. Public opinion is
i everywhere calling loudly for a reform
I this department of our government; for
ourselves, we confess our surprise that
: people should, so long have submitted to
a taxation manifestly unjust. Our pres'
ent scale of postage was made when the
I facilities for locomotion were not great,
j and the expense of travelling and trans
| portation very considerable. Though
: there has been a vast improvement in
I these particulars, yet there has been no
corresponding reduction of postage. —
There are many mercantile houses in the
country who are compelled to pay indi
vidually, from S3OO to SISOO per an
num, for the support of tho Post Office
Department. Let every man who is
interested (and who is not ?) insist upon
justice in these changes, nud wo shall
have a reform. We should be glad to
see one price for the transmission of a
letter to any part of the United States.
Five cents for every letter mailed, be its
destination longer or shorter, would, we
doubt not, by the large increase of bu
siness which would be secured, meet all
the expenses of government incidental
to mail transportations. Such wc be
lieve is the English law, and it operates
most advantageously to all concerned.
OCT The following gentlemen were
elected Directors of the Augusta Insur.
ance and Banking Company, on Monday
last, viz: Wm. W. D’Antignac, Wra.
Harper, T. J. Parrnelee, H. Bowdre, and
James Hope.
At the meeting of the Board, Wm. M.
D’Antignac was unanimously rc-clcctcd
President.
Balloon Ascension.
In another column of our paper, will
be found the advertisement of Mr. Rus
sell, the jEronaut, who promises our
citizens a rare treat for Christmas. The
novelty of such an exhibition, together
with the fame acquired by Mr. Wise, in
his fifty-three successful aerial flights, we
doubt not will secure a numerous atten
dance of our citizens. It is something
to see a man borne up into the bluo hea
vens, and to behold him careering on the
pinions of Science, where only the bird
of Jove has dared to soar. The time
has been, when Mr. R. would have been
burned at the stake for such presump,
tuous daring. However, in this day of
enlightenment, we apprehend no one will
question the morality of an entertain
ment, which, while it fills tho beholder
with wonder, affords one of the most
sublime exhibitions of the triumph of the
human mind.
For the Washingtouian.
Mania Potu.
A REMINISCENCE OF THE ATLANTIC.
B¥ MARCUS.
“ Within the ruby liquid,
A darkling demon dwells,
Who fearful visions conjure,
From Horror’s blackest cells.”
It was on one of those lovely, balmy
evenings in May, which belong alone to
our southern clime, that I trod the deck
of a fine vessel which danced upon the
bosom of that beautiful bay, formed by
the junction of the Ashly and Cooper
rivers, as they mingle their waters be
fore the metropolis of Southern Carolina,
and unite their wavelets with old ocean’s
realm. A gentle yet steady breeze waft
ed many a little bark to its destined shore,
and as our craft was loosed from her
moorings she slowly left the shore, and
the welcome breeze bosomed out her
snow sails as she veered away and stood
oceanward, while the starry ensign of a
free and happy people floated in proud
majesty from her main-top. Onward
we went bounding over the waves as mer
rily as the Petrel, and in a few short
hours the land of those we loved was lost
to our vision, amid the clouds and waves.
Our crew were a jovial set of hardy,
weather-beaten tars, whose rough visages
indicated that they had braved the storm
and wave for many a day ; they had just
been shipped, and seemed in fine spirits^
| with the exception of one, who, seated
on a coil of cable near the forecastle,
with his chin resting in the palms of his
! hands, seemed the very picture of des
! pondency ; his long beard and soiled
; shirt gave him a very haggard appear
ance, and he seemed perfectly uncon
ciousof any thing that was going on a-j
i round him. By the contour of his head
1 and features I discovered that he was a'
foreigner, and on inquiry the sailors in
formed me than he was a Frenchman, j
! and that his name was Cora; he had
been on a “ cruise,” as the tars expressed
it, for a long while before he came on
board and had taken in so much ballast |
that he could not navigate. They had
put him to bed when the vessel left port
and he was now just awakening from his
slumbers, and there being no liquor a
board, he was laboring under that unen
viable state of feeling called the “ blue [
I devils”—or as it is technically termed, j
the delirium tremens.
As I stood gazing on the unfortunate
man, who by indulgence in a vicious ap
petite, had reduced himself to a condi
tion just a grade above the brute, and
made life a burden to him—the captain
gave a hoarse command with his speaking
trumpet, to shift some of the sails—when
Cora, who hail been so passive, suddenly
sprang upon his feet, and seizing me, im
plored me to protect him. “Don’t let
them do it,” cried he in the agony of
terror; “save me from them!” and he
clung closer to me. “ Save you from
who, Cora,” inquired I, “the captain
will not hurt you.” “ Don’t talk that
way,” said he, “did the skipper not tell
them to put me on that sandy island out
there?” pointing to the windward of the
ship. I looked in the direction, but noth
ing except the blue waves met my eye.
“ You are mistaken, Cora,” I answered,
“there is no land within fifty miles of
the vessel, and if this goodly breeze
holds on there will not be any in sight
for the next two days.” “ Aint they
tacking the ship to near it?” repeated j
Cora, “and aint you trying to deceive!
me ?” and he let go my arm and looked
around him with watchfulness, while the
greatest terror was depicted on his conn
! tenance. I saw it was in vain to attempt
to suppress his fears, and made no further
effort to do it; for it would have been ;
extremely dangerous for any person to
have attempted to approach him, having
drawn from his belt a large case knife,
such as seamen wear to cut ropes with;
and he now held it firmly in his hand,
ready for use. Feeling the greatest
compassion for the unfortuuate man, in
his truly miserable condition, I went to
the captain and informed him of the cir
cumstance ; and told him if there was
any ardent spirits aboard the vessel, it
would be serving the cause of humanity
to give Cora a heavy glass, to settle his
nerves and by renewing the stimulus in
a small degree, to compose his mind and
bind down those horrid phantoms which
crazed his brain, for every one knows
that professed topers endure the most hor
rid feelings after recovering from a fit of
inebriation, unless they can have a few
glasses to “ taper off” with. “I dislike
very much,” said the captain, “to do it.
I never permit my men to bring any
spirits on board, for when I did they were
always unruly, and if I give Cora a glass
of brandy because he is crazy, I have no
doubt but every one of the men will bo
attacked by the same disease, in order
that the same remedy may be applied.
You don’t know what it is to manage
men, and those who are now under my
command are a set of hard cases ; how
ever, if it will oblige you, I will call the
steward up and order some brandy.” I
told the captain that I would consider it
a favor if he did so. The captain then '
ordered the steward to bring some bran
dy on the quarter deck, and the sum
mons was obeyed with alacrity, and a
bottle of the pure stuff was placed before
us* The captain then sent for Cora, in
order that he might have some of the
spirits without the other men seeing it;
but Cora could not be induced to come
near us, and would suffer no one to np
; proach him ; and the steward seemed to
have no particular desire to form an ac
quaintance with his case knife, which
Cora threatened him with. I was in a
dilemma now what to do, and I thought
I would take the liquor to him. But as
I approached, one of the seamen, for a
| joke, sung out that we were trying to
! catch him that we might tie him ; this
w r as very unfortunate, for I had hopes
that the sight of the brandy would con
vince him of my earnestness, and allow
i me to come near him ; but even though
I felt the greatest desire to befriend him,
I could not help thinking that “disccrtion
1 was the better part of valor;” and that
! I would not risk my own life to the fren-
I zy of the mad sailor, for he heaped the
most horrid curses on me, and menaced
|me with his knife {[as he flourished it
I over his head. I therefore retreated to '
the quarter deck, and set the glass down.
| The captain who had stood looking on, |
| laughing at my timidity, now hurried \
| down the ladder and stepping on the |
I main deck, advanced toward the deliri
| ous man. But Cora with a sudden bound
sprang upon the gunwale of the vessel,
and in the act he lost his knife, which
dropping on the deck was seized by a
sailor and thrown overboard* Cora felt
his loss, and, telling us all good bye, he
sprang into the water, and his form was 1
lost for a moment in the waves. No j
sooner had he leaped from the ship, than
the noble hearted steward, plunged in
after him and rose a few yards from him.
“ Don’t come near me,” cried Cora, “ for
if you touch me I will carry you down
with me ; —the skipper shall never put
me in chains.” The steward was an
excellent swimmer, and eluded the grasp f
of the suicide ; but in attempting to lay
hold of Cora, he was struck by him in
the face, and he desisted from further
effort to save him. A rope being thrown
to him he seized it and was quickly j
drawn upon deck ; and Cora, who was I
now astern of the vessel, sunk to eter
ternity, and the ship, passing on, contin- j
ued her course to her destined port. —
Though the scene is long passed, yet I
never look at the ruby wine sparkling in
the glass, but the recollection of the sad
fate of Cora rises in my mind, and caus
es me to shrink back from it with horror.
From thu Saturdry American.
Music and Temperance.
One of the most powerful and pleasing
aids of the cause of Temperance is, Mu
sic. The love of excitement natural to
the human heart is never more fully and 1
deliciously gratified than when in the en-1
joyment of delicious sounds. “If the !
soul of man was not made for Music,
said a great philosopher of Greece, mu
sic was made for the soul of man, which
it refines, soothes, elevates, and adorns.”
The true enjoyment of music requires
the senses to be bright, unclouded, and
serene. To the intemperate, the sweet
est notes are discord ; the most ravishing
strains fall on the deadened senses and
produce no impression; yield no plea
sure ; rouse no thought from the dormant
soul. No person who loves music, can
deprive himself of its pleasures by indul
ging in alcoholic stimulants. Who ever
knew a lover of music addicted to intem
perance? Give your children, then, a
Musical Education , and you give them a
shield against the most desolating and de
grading vice of our nature.
On the some principle, the popular
cultivation of music makes a happy, con
tented, and temperate people. The in
fluence of music, on the mind, to calm
its throbbings, and lull it into content, is
admitted by all; and content is the great
est friend to Temperance. When did
the gush of melody ever fail to lap the :
soul in delicious contentment? Enter
any popular place of musical entertain
ment, and observe, how entranced the
roughest specimens of humanity, stand
before the captivating spell of melody.—
Who can doubt, from all that we feel,
know, and see, that the power of music,
as an auxiliary of Temperance, is almost
omnipotent? Popular Concerts, at a
price so low*, as to be almost nominal,
ought to be established by the authori
ties, as an efficient means of preventing
vice, intoxication and crime : or, if this
should be deemed inexpedient, let the op
ulent create a fund for the cultivation of
music among the people, as a means of
preventing the increase of taxes, neces-'
sarily incident to a depraved state of so-'
ciety ; and which the more general prev
alence of music, would tend to purify, re
form, or altogether remove. Might not
music also be introduced into our Com
mon Schools with vast advantage ? The
cry of “ Economy’’ should never oppose
a branch of popular Education that lays
the axe at the root of a popular vice, so
destructive and pernicious as Intemper
ance. The only maxim, which has
weight with the Philanthropist, Patriot
i or Statesman, is this, “ the adoption of
j every innocent amusement that will su
: percede a vicious gratification, or sup
! plant a desolating vice.” For half the
j sum that is at present annually consumed
i in the support of rum-houses, prisons,
i and alms-houses, and hospitals, society
' could be rendered four times as happy,
and ten times as virtuous; if that sum
j w as spent in the cultivation and enjoy
j ment of music.
The love of harmony, is an instinct
of our nature. The first outbreak of
joy that swells from the young heart of
{ boy, or girl, is in a song. All nature ca
rols a tune, as if in praise of the Great
j Parent of Good. The birds on the bran
! ches of the old oak, cheer the farmer,
who in his turn sings at his plough tail.
The maid in the dairy, chants her sim
ple lay with her silver voice of medody.
All classes delight in music. The land
lord of the tavern, employs it to entice
; the honest mechanic to his ruin. Music
has been made the auxiliary of intoxica-
I lion, because of its power to charm. Let
us, for the same reason, make it the hand
maid of Temperance. And why shall
not society adopt a means of prsmoting
i the virtue of the people, at once so sim
pie, so cheap, so beautiful, so potent in its
power to sway the passions, harmonise
unruly turbulence, quell ferocious tern
pers, and subdue the surging billows of
man’s angry and rebellious soul ?
“ What passion cannot Music raise and quell!
When Jubal struck the corded shell,
His list’nihg brethren stood around,
And, wond ring on their faces fell,
To worship that celestial sound.
Less than a God they thought there could not
dwell
Within the hollow of that shell, —
That spoke so sweetly and so well.
What passion cannot Music raise and quell!”
4
The Funeral of a Wealthy Drunkard.
I saw his funeral. The cavalcado
consisted of a hearse, two mourning
coaches, and several carriages, and a
long train of respectable tradesmen ; two
medical men and two clergymen were
present. The deceased was in the prime
of life ; but a short time ago to all hu
man appearance quite likely for life; bo
had an excellent business, and was
very rich ; he generally ranked with the
leading men of the town.
He is now a corpse ; his wife a widow,
and his children orphans; his business is
closed, and his friends are now paying
him their last marks of respect.
I believe he was murdered, and the in
strument was alcohol. But by whom
was the deed perpetrated ? Bv his own
hands. And who encouraged him ? His
own miscalled friends, even some of
those who attended the funeral obsequies.
Connected with this melancholy event,
there are four things which I deeply la
ment.
1. That none of his companions were
faithful enough to warn their friend of
the danger of his conduct, so as to pre
vent this dreadful catastrophe. If either
his medical or clerical friends had affec
tionately requested him to abstain from
his cups, and pointed out to him the al
most certain result, in all probability ho
would at this moment have been fulfill
ing the duties of a tradesman, a father,
and a husband, to the joy of all who
knew him.
2. That I never sought an opportuni
ty of warning him. I had frequently
heard whispers of his addiction to even
ing drinking, and keeping bad hours;
and I now do deeply regret that as a
friend, I never called to warn him of his
danger, and to exhort him to abstain.
3. That the habits of fashionable per
sons are such, as to lead almost for cer
tain to the spectacle here witnessed.—
From the ranks of evening drinkers, and
of social parties, numbers constantly
fall victims to intemperance. Would a
party venture on the ice if they were
certain that one out of a hundred would
be drowned ? Yet social drinking is
kept up, though the number of those
murdered by alcohol vastly exceeds this
proportion.
4. That the survivors so seldom profit
by the warning. Within a few hundred
yards of this gentleman’s house, I think
I could count at least fifty who have gone
to a premature grave through social
drinking, and yet their neighbors, star
tled perhaps for the moment, have gone
on in the delusive hope that they should
escape the same fate, till so enervated
have they become by constant stimula
tion as not to be able to resist the fatal
draught.
Oh! that every man would consider
his responsibilities! Six hundred thou
sand of our countrymen are now in the
way of being murdered by Alcohol.—
Every man who makes the drink, traf
fics in the drink, keeps it in his house,
offers it to his friends, tastes it with his
lips, speaks of it favorably, or who stands
looking on the contest betwixt sobriety