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212
LITERARY.
WILLIA7I W. MANN, Editor.
' 1
SATURDAY, NOV. 26, 1859.
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i■ i
TO CORRESPONDENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS.
We have to acknowledge the reception, since
our last, of the following favors:
Memory, by Rebther.
Ariadne and Bacchus, by Max Muller.
An Excursion to the Falls.
Look at Home, by “ James.”
The Spectre, by Elsie Earnest. (Accepted.)
Lines composed on a bed of sickness, by
same.
A Vesper Hymn, by same.
Astronomy No. 2, by Lamkin.
The Walk, by Rosalie.
“Weep on,” by L. B. (Author’s name not
sent.)
Home, Mother, Heaven. G. M. must give
the author’s name.
To my Mother. We don't think the origin of
these lines sufficiently established to admit of
their publication.
Evening, by Daer —not to be read till the au
thor’s name is sent.
The Teacher, by E. L. J. Have we been put
in possession of the real name and address of
the writer ?
May Da}’, by Sue. (Accepted.)
My Absent Friend, by L’lneonnue. (Ac
cepted.)
Carlos, or the Letter Returned. (Declined.)
We have received also from Philadelphia the
three communications from E. C. 8., and will
answer our correspondent by private letter
shortly.
Modern Literature—its Faults, by Hix, in hand
also.
We pray contributors whose favors have not
yet been read, to exercise patience and be as
sured that we will give them our attention as
soon as possibly we can.
NEW PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.
We have at last had the pleasure of finding
upon our table the volumes announced by us
some time ago, and from the advance-sheets of
which we have already extracted, for our col
umns, two biographic sketches —we allude to
the Bench and Bar of South Carolina , by
John Belton O’Neall, L. L. D., President of
Court of Appeals and the Court of Errors.
The book is published by S. G. Courtenay &
Co., of Charleston, S. C., and should be consid
ered a valuable acquisition to all professional
and private libraries. Judge O’Neall has dedi
cated his work to James Louis Petio.ru, as “a
friend, and the oldest and most experienced
praoticing lawyer of the State,” and as a
“ slight testimonial of respect for his virtues,
talents, learning and benevolence.”
The following is the concluding passage of
the Author’s Preface;
“The object of the work has been to rescue
the memory of the good and great from oblivion,
and to place their actions before their young
countrymen, as marks by the wayside for their
journey of life. If he has succeeded in his la
bor of love, he will be content, and if he has
failed, he can only say—it is the fault of the
head, not the heart”
Persons wishing to make this acquisition to
their stock of interesting and valuable biograph
ical works, will find the volumes for sale at the
book-stores of Messrs. Richards & Son, and
Messrs. Geo. A. Oates & Brother, of this city,
as well as at the publishers’ in Charleston. See
advertisement on our last page.
We have also received—
Almost a Heroine —A Romance, by the author
of “ Chas. Auchester,” “ Counterparts,” &c., Ac.
This book may be found at Mr. Wit. C. Barber’s,
219 Broad Street.
A Lecture on Christianity and the Civil Laws,
by Rev. James A. Lyon, D. D., of Columbus,
Miss.
soraimmii hem in
- - •
OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENCE.
Paris, Nov. 3, 1859. 1
The letter of Louis Napoleou to Victor Eman
uel, is the standing topic of talk. If it be au
thentic, and as such it is universally regarded, its
importance is not overrated. It is not as yet
acknowledged officially to the world as an impe
rial missive. It first reached the public eye in
an English translation furnished to the London
Times' by the Paris correspondent of that jour
nal, who received it in French from a correspon
dent at Turin. Like the famous note in the
Moniteur of September 9th, it is “signed all
over,” and even if not written by Napoleon, is
worthy of the attention it receives as the clear- j
est and fullest statement we have of his pro
gramme for the settlement of Italy. It is, in
deed. his programme, both of the bases of dis
cussion in the future Congress and of the meas- j
ures for regenerating Italy.
At the opening of the letter is something al- !
most like an apology: “We must now leave
aside sterile regrets and illusions—it is not the '
question now whether I have done well or ill in j
concluding the peace of Villafranca, but to
make the treaty produce the results most favor- i
able to the peace of Italy and the repose of Eu
rope.”
Really, this is a falling oft' from the Paris pro- .
damation of last May: “Italy free from the!
Alps to the Adriatic!” and from the Milan pro- ;
clamation of last June: “Italians, be soldiers ;
to-day, that you may lie citizens of a great coun
try to-morrow.”
Nothing is more natural than that the author
of those documents should deprecate an indul
gence in “ sterile illusions and regrets” over
the falling off. And so he says: “ Let bygones
be bygones ; there were difficulties in the way
of making peace greater than in the way of mak
ing war; there were Piedmont and tlio Italian
people to be satisfied, without offending the
Catholic sentiment of the Church party through
out the world, [especially in my French part of
the world,] and the right of sovereigns, in
whom other European sovereigns [especially,
my present dear friend of Austria,] take inter
est. I thought then, if the Emperor of Austria
would come to a frank understanding with me,
we could surmount these difficulties, finally dis
pose of the causes of secular antagonism bo
tween our two Empires, and effect the regene
ration of Italy by common agreement, without
further bloodshed. The essential conditions of
this regeneration are, to my thinking:
1. A confederation of several independent
States, (each one of which shall adopt salutary
reforms and a representative form of govern
ment,) having a common flag and monetary sys
tem, customs and tariff.
2. The directing, central power shall sit at
Rome, and be composed of representatives
chosen by the sovereigns out of a list prepared
by the parliaments of their respective States;
so that the Austrian influence, supposed to
weigh on certain of these sovereigns, shall be
counterbalanced by the elective, t. e., the na
tional or popular Italian element.
3. The honorary presidency to be granted to
the Pope ; so as, at once, to satisfy the religious
sentiment of Catholic Europe, and by increasing
his moral influence, enable him to make conces
sions to the legitimate desires of his subjects.
This plan of mine, [my old plan laid down at
length in my famous pamphlet of last January :
Napoleon III! et fltalie,'] can still be executed,
notwithstanding the advanced state of the move
ment in a quite different direction in Central
Italy, if you, Victor Emanuel, will favor it with
your iniluenco. The following important steps
towards its completion are already taken:
1. Lombardy is ceded.
2. Austria has abandoned her claim to hold
garrison in Plaisance, Ferrara and Commaehio.
3. The independence of Central Italy is guar
antied ; that is, although the rights of the sove
reigns have been reserved, foreign intervention
in their favor has been formally renounced.
4. Venetia will become a purely Italian pro
vince, [what I choose to call purely, you under
stand, and on condition the reserved rights just
spoken of become recovered rights, you under
stand.]
Now, it is your Majesty’s interest to help me
in developing this plan to the best possible re
sults ; and you must not forget that, in the Con
gress which is about to meet, the position of
France is already defined by my treaty engage
ments.
What I shall ask for, then, will be:
1. That Parma and Plaisance be annexed to,
Piedmont, because they are indispensable to
your State in a strategic point of view. [Yqu
see, you already have won Lombardy, and you
will havo this much more if you will desert the
popular party, the Italian cause, the great place
you occupy in the affections of the patriots, give
up Garibaldi, and throw away forever your
chance of being a great leader of a great cause;
gain the hatred of the liberals, and change the
hatred of the reaction to contempt; and finally,
by depriving the progressists of a head, cause
the more moderate or timid of them to fall back
from the violent revolutionary effort that the
more daring will then be provoked to attempt—
an effort that will deprive Italy of European
sympathies, that will excuse forcible repression,
lead to the restoration of the Dukes, and throw
Italy more than ever into the hands of my new
Austrian friend, and myself—you don’t see, and
I do see, perhaps.]
2. The Duchess of Parma to be placed on the
throne of Modena. [The foolish old tyrant,
who lately sat there and wrote abusive letters
about me, is too bad to bo defended, even by
Austria. He has no children. Duke Robert, of
Parma, may wed his niece. By this combina
tion, Austria does not lose her chance of in
fluence ; Spain, the special defender of the
claims of the Duchess and her son, is satisfied;
and the friends of Italian Independence may be
gratified by the reduction of the number of the
Austro-Italian sovereigns from three to two.]
3. The Grand Duke Ferdinand, son of the late
reigning Duke, to be restored to Tuscany with,
perhaps, some augmentation of territory.
4. A system of rational liberty to be arranged
for Italy. [Every body knows my fondness for
rational liberty—liberty of the rational, mode
rate, sage, arrangeable sort. If there be one
thing I doat on now more than another, it is
that.]
5. Austria to honestly give up a permanent
cause of future trouble, and consent to the com
pletion of a real Venetian nationality, by grant
ing, not only a separate representation and ad
ministration, but by creating an Italian army.
6. The fortresses of Mantua and Peschiera to
be federal fortresses, and finally, the Confedera
tion to be based on the real wants, as well as the
traditional ideas of the Peninsula, such as will
exclude all foreign influence, and confirm the in
dependence of Italy.”
Such is the substance of this important docu
ment —the additions in brackets irreverent, but
not altogether irrelevant, are by your corres
pondent. The “plan" is ingenious, plausible.
Can it be executed ? Will the people of the
Center, after all that has happened, consent to a
1 restoration of the Dukes ? Will Victor Eman-
uel renounce his hopes, his acquired rights to j
annexation? Will he break his word, three |
times solemnlv pledged,to advocate the cause of
the Italians of the Centre? Will Austria con
sent to a virtual renunciation of t euetia ? \Y ill
Naples consent to join the Confederacy ? What
are the Pope's reforms to be? Other and
equally strong interrogative objections must
present themselves to every mind.
The chief significance of the letter, after al!, is
that it defines the position of France as one of |
the powers to be represented in the Congress.
Folks should not forget, as they so often now-a
days. and hereabout at least, seem to do, that
the Emperor of France is not omnipotent—a
forgetfulness, which, to do justice to his great
common sense, does not affect him so much as
liis adulators, and even many of his enemies.
This letter is dated Oct. 20, two weeks ago.
We do not as yet see that it has changed the
purposes of the Italians. Garibaldi has since
had an interview with Victor Ktnmannuel—with
what object or result is only conjectured, not
known —and is now probably returned to his
head-quarters. His journey to Turin and his re
ception in that capital—although he did hie best
to preserve his incognito—is represented to have
been one long ovation.
The reactionist conspiracy lias gone so far at
last, as to justify the arrest of several of its lead
ers at Florence. They are members of a se
cret society, whoso chief managers are suppos
ed to reside at Rome, and call themselves “ de
fenders of the holy apostolic Roman faith, and
of the Imperial and royal house of Lorraine.”
(Tuscar arch-ducal house.) It is well enough to
notice here, that conspiracy, secret societies, etc.,
are not the specially of Red Republicans.
The present government of Modena is unable
to recover the political prisoners who were sent
off under escort of Austrian soldiers, to the
Austrian fortress of Mantua by the wretched
runaway Duke of Modena. So determined was
he to secure some of his pleasures of reigning
in any event, that he sent them off before he
saw himself at the outset of the war. More
than seventy of them wore condemned by milita
ry tribunals for being members of secret socie
ties, and the like offences. The manner in
which trials were conducted in that unhappy
country, under this Dukelet’s supervision,-can
only be understood in its full enormity by a pe
rusal of official documents —his own numerous
letters and orders among the rest—that have
been recently found in his archives and publish
ed by order of the present provisional govern
ment. The Lynch Law of our fierce backwoods
democracy, is an admirably balanced legal code
in comparison with the tyrannic whimsicality
of the Ducal proceeding. This little despot
was as arbitrarily high and mighty as Louis XIV..
and as busy and fidgety as an old maid ; I beg
pardon of old maids, the most gossiping of them,
for the unfair comparison. I cannot say that
the historical documents in question are as in
teresting as a romance, but can safely insure to
to the reader of them more than the ordinary
excitement of emotions we look for in the pages
of a novel. Amid pity for his victims, scorn for
tlio instruments of his persecution, anger at his
fearful injustice, rage at his cruelty, there breaks
out involuntary laughter over the display of his
absurdities. His absolute faith in his Divine
right, and his utter lack of confidence that
Heaven would defend its own ; his freely ex
pressed contempt for Louis Napoleon aud his
ever quaking fear of political conspirators at
home, are brought out in wonderful contrast. —
To offset all this, to offset the suffering of a
whole peoplo under his sway, we are told that
he was honest in his convictions (as he
undoubtedly was in one sense—though when
he was scared in 1849, he promised a constitu
tion) a devout man, correct in private life and the
like. So were Robespierre and Charles First of
England, and Saint Just, and the late King of
Naples. This constant presentation of a man’s
private morals as a measure of the politician
and statesman, reminds me always of that clerk
in a country shop : a lady asks if they have any
Caslimero shawls ; 1 We liave’nt any Cashmere
shawls, ma’m, but we’ve got some very nice
hams.’
Speaking of Italian archives—there lias re
cently been discovered in those of Floreneo a
volume of inedited letters of Machiavel; they
are copied, but authentic, and will appear in the
new edition of his works, which the provisional
government has ordered to be published. A
number of drawings and manuscripts of Michael
Angelo have also recently been brought to light
■ there, as well as letters written to him by dis
tinguished men of his time, which throw new
light on the events of his life and the history of
the period. The epithet “ many-sided” was in
vented for the variously gifted Goethe, but the
great Italian poet, painter, architect, sculptor,
engineer and politician has perhaps a better claim
to it.
Your Paris correspondent might be expected
to say something of Paris. There is not much
that is new or important to say. The theatres
are all well filled this bad weather with good
audiences, listening to new but rather indiffer
ent pieces. The Grand Opera and the Italiens
are less brilliant than usual this season—l mean
less brilliant on the stage, where there are no
artists that carry the town by storm. The box
es show abundance of fine toilettes, although it
is not yet the height of the season. The Court
is out of town, hunting at Compiegne, and peo
ple who own chateaux or smaller houses in the
country have not yet come in.
A Curious Apple. —A lusus natures of an ap
ple has been sent us by a gentleman of Abing
don, Va., just as it had been plucked from the
apple tree, in the garden of Mr. Jos. Carson, of
Washington county. It resembles a human
head of the long kind, such as we see in pictures
of “ Old Brown.” The face thereon is a remark
able feature, with eyes, Roman nose, mouth and
flowing beard strangely marked thereon. We
are assured by the sender that nature alone (so
fruitful in her fancies) was the only artist that
designed this human apple. Whether the limb
on which this curiosity grew was a grafting from
the “ tree of life,” or human nature, we cannot
determine.— [Richmond Enquirer.
Can there be a doubt that this apple is of the
stock of Bob Roper’s “ apple of discord" mention
ed by Doctor Waddel ? (See story of Master
Mitten, chap. XIX). For the benefit of those
who have not read the story of Master Mitten,
we describe Roper’s apple in his own language:
“ The apple of discord has been cast in among
us, and if not speedily nipt in the bud, it Will in
evitably explode, and shroud us in the pitchy
night of anarchy and confusion, and deluge the
country with fire and sword.” Sure Bob Roper
was a prophet. The Virginia apple lias the
head of John Brown, who brought on a 1 pitchy
night of anarchy and confusion,' who if he had
not been ‘ speedily nipt in the bud,' would have
* deluged the country with fire and sword.' Little
did Doctor Waddell think when he quoted the
al>ove passage from Bob Roper’s composition
(obviously a juvenile production.) that he was
immortalizing Bob. **
LUNATIC ASYLUM OF GEOEGIA.
Statement of appropriations in favor of this
Institution from the commencement to the pres
ent time, extracted from the Comptroller Gene
raTs Report.
The Lunatic Asylum. —The first appropriation
made for this Institution was $20,000 in 1837.
With this sum the Commissioners purchased land
within two miles and a half South of Milledge
ville, and commenced building. Since then ap
priations have been made from year to year to
erect buildings and enlarge the Asylum, until
the appropriations for this purpose amounted to
$348,200. The following are the appropriations,
and the years m which they were made.
1837 $20,000 1852 $20,000
1839 5,000 1854 56,500
1840 9.000 1856 110,000
1841 10,000 1857 63,000
1845 10,000 1858 30,000
1847 700
1849 10,000 $348,200
In 1854, three thousand dollars was also ap
propriated (without reversion) to purchase ser
vants for the Institution. This has not yet been
drawn from the treasury. During the same time
two hundred and thirty-eight thousand two hun
dred and fifty-seven dollars has been appropria
ted to the support of the indigent or pauper pa
tients, and for pay of salaries of officers, attend
ants. hire of sen-ants, Ac., Ac. The following
are the appropriations, viz.:
1843 for 1844 and 1845 $4,000
1845 “ 1846 and 1847 12,000
1847 1848 and 1849 23,000
1847 (to pay debts prior to 1846) 997
1849 for 1850 and 1851 24,350
1852 “ 1852 and 1853 38,000
1854 “ 1854 and 1855 38,000
1856 “ 1856 and 1847 42,090
1857 “ 1858 36,000
1858 “ 1859..- 26,800
$238,257
- • i»
Election of Judges.—The Milledgeville cor
respondent of the Macon Telegraph, in his letter
of the 13th inst., has the following passing
reference to a subject of vast importance to the
people of this State:
Will you not, Mr. Editor, raise the voice of
warning against the future and manifold evils of
our present elective judiciary system ?
Is it not better that a Judge should be inde
pendent of, than dependent on the caprice and
passions of the people ? Would it not be better
to clear the Judge office of the mephetic exhala
tions constantly coming up from the dirty pool
of politics ? Is it not better that we should have
Judges renowned for their skill and learning in
the noble science of the law, rather than to se
lect them for their zeal and ability as partisans?
Would it not bo better for the welfare of the
State that the appointment of the Judges should
be placed beyond the reach and influence of po
litical ties and associations, beyond and above
the penetration of popular favor, and where,
from his high judicial eminence, he could and
would decide the law as he finds it, without the
fear of popular indignation, or the hope of popu
lar favor ? Let us have some change, or our
courts will soon become the mere expositions of
the voice of tho strong overpowering the weak.
—>»>
Growth of the United States. —At the tak
ing of the first census under tho Federal Con
stitution, in 1790. the population of the United
States amounted to three million nine hundred
and twenty-nine thousand eight hundred and
twenty-seven. At intervals of ten years the
census has been taken regularly, and the result
at each period is as follows:
Census of 1790 3,929,827
Census of 1800 6,305,925
Census of 1810 7,239,514
Census of 1820 9,635,131
Census of 1830 12,866,020
Census of 1840 17,069,453
Census of 1850 23,191,876
The census will be taken again in 1860, and
will show a population within the limits of the
United States of more than thirty-two millions.
m • 4i i
Royal Oath-Book of England.—The origi
nal book of the four Evangelists, upon which
all the kings, from Henry I. to Edward VI.,
took tho coronation oath, is now in the library
of a maiden lady in Eatou-square, London. It
is in itianuscript, and written on vellum, the
form and beauty of the letters nearly approach
ing to Roman capitals. It appears to have been
written and prepared for the coronation of the
first-named monarch. The original binding,
which is still in a perfect state, consists of two
oaken boards, nearly an inch thick, fastened to
gether with stout thongs of leather, and the
corners defended by large bosses of brass. On
the right side (as the book is opened) of the
outer cover is a crucifix of brass, double gilt,
which was kissed by the kings upon their in
auguration ; and the whole is fastened together
by a strong clasp of brass, fixed to a broad
piece of leather, nailed on with two large brass
pins.
-4-
Smoke. —Much of the smoke of grates would
be consumed by the adoption of tho following
plan, and fuel would be greatly economized there
by. If an iron plate bo not at hand, let a piece
of paper be placed at the bottom and front of the
grate to the top bar but one, then put tho coals
closely into it until they fill the grate, after which
a little firewood should be placed above and a
layer of coal over it; and tho firewood being
lighted, the fire will gradually burn from the
top downwards, emitting very little smoke, and
the coals will be thoroughly consumed. It will
not be necessary to stir the fire, and an equal
quantity of coals will be found to last much long
er than when the fire is kindled at tho bottom,
as has heretofore been the case. This method
is especially adapted for sittingrooms, where a
brisk fire is not so much required as in the
kitchen.
—• -444- • »
Value of Water-Tight Compartments.—lt
is a fact worthy of note that although the colli
sion last week of the steamer Edinburg with an
iceberg occurred one hundred and eighty miles
east of St. Johns, and two of her compartments
were filled with water, the vessel was carried
safely into that port by keeping the water out of
her other compartments. The value of these
water-tight bulkheads cannot bo too highly ap
preciated by our ship owners, for by their use,
unless a vessel is absolutely shattered from stem
to stern, she can be kept afloat until succor ar
rives or a port is reached. All of the Cunard
steamships were built with these humane pre
cautions, and most of the steamers of the Van
derbilt and Collins lines have been altered so as
to contain them. We should think that so sim
ple and efficacious a measure of safety ought to
be universally adopted, not only for steamers,
but all sailing vessels in the passenger trade.
CHESS COLUMN.
James” sends us a correction of Hie pub
lished statement of the position of pieces in his
Problem, which appears at the head of the
Chess Column F. k F., page 197 ante. The 7th
position of the Blacks should be Fawn f 6, in
stead off 5. We have referred to MS., and find
that the compositor followed copy. This correc
tion does not make us swear; but we can’t aver
it would not have done so, if we had been both
ering our brain for several hours over the mis
stated position. Correspondents for this column
should be very particular. R. S. P. t of Charles
ton, already informs us “The Problem, by
* James,’ if it be correctly set up, cannot be
be done.” We hope to give the answer next
week. It has not yet reached us.
We have now a slight error of our own to
correct, committed in the last nnmber (page 205).
The second paragraph of Note 3 to Opening VII.,
ought to have appeared as Note 4, and to have
been appended to move 13, the last. ,
We’hope that our “little friend Mattie," of
Alabama, will pardon us for not abandoning, at
her instance, “ that detestable Chess Column.”
Let her read Franklin’s opinion of Chess, below,
and the articlo on the Origin, History, and Value
of Chess, commenced to-day, and learn to res
pect the game a little more. Does she know
that we suspect “ somebody ” with fine form,
and handsome black eyes, and perhaps a curl
ing moustache, whom she would like to walk or
talk or ride with, is “o’er fond” sometimes—or
seems to bo o’er sond —of playing chess with
papa ? She will tell us, “ Christmas,” all about
it—won’t she ?
PROBLEM, BY E. S. P., OF CHARLESTON.
POSITION.
WHITE. BLACK,
1 Bishop on a 1 Knight on b 5
2 Queen “ g 1 Pawn “ e 5
3 Knight “b 2 Pawn “g 5
4 Pawn “ f 3 ....King “e 6
5 Pawn “ e 4 Bishop “ h 6
6 Knight “ f 5 Bishop “ d 7
7 King “ g 8 Pawn “e 7
Whites to play and mate in four moves.
Solution to above Problem will be given next
week.
We give to-day, for the benefit of learners,
the first of a series of End-Games, or Check-
Mates, which we propose to extract from Be la
Bourdonnais, with the Notes of the author
They will be found interesting and instructive.
MATE, NO. 1.
King and One Rook against a King.
(De la Bourdonnais, page 1*0.)
This is a very easy mate, and is effected as
follows, in the fewest possible moves:
POSITION.
WHITE. BLACK.
King c 4 King e 6
Rook hi
MOVES.
1 Rook h I—h 6f King e 6—e 7
2 King e 4—e 5 King e 7—d 7 (1)
3 Rook h 6—g 6 King d 7—c 7
4 King e s—d 5 King c 7—b 7
5 King d s—c 5 King b 7—a 7
6 King c s—b 5 King a 7—b 7
7 Rook g 6—g 7 f King b 7—c 8
8 King b s—c 6 King c B—d 8
9 Rook g 7—a 7 King d B—o 8
10 King c C—d 6 King c B—f 8
11 King d G—e G King f B—g 8
12 King o 6—f 6 King g B—h 8
13 King f 6—g G King h B—g 8
14 Rook a 7—a 8 t Mate
NOTE.
(1) The Whites, before giving check with the
Rook, should wait till they have placed their
King immediately opposite that of the Blacks.
Then, the check by the Rook compels the King
of the Blacks to retrograde, and the said King
is thus driven to one of the border-rows of
squares, where the check-mate is given.
MATE, NO. 2.
King and Tivo Rooks against a King and One Rook.
(De la Bourdonnais, page 171.)
In order to effect this check-mate, the party
who has two Rooks must drive the King of the
party who has but one Rook to one of the bor
der-rows of squares. There, the latter is forced
to submit to a mate, or to exchange rook for
rook. If the exchange bo preferred, a mate is
effected in the manner shown above in Mate,
No. 1.
Benjamin Franklin, in his “Morals of Chess,"
says:
“ Playing at Chess is the most ancient and
most universal game among men; for its origin
is beyond the history of men, and it has, for
numberless ages, been the amusement of all the
civilized nations of Asia, the Persians, the Indi
ans and the Chinese. Europe has had it above
a thousand years; the Spaniards have spread it
over their part of America, and it begins lately
to make its appearance in these States. It is so
interesting in itself, as not to need the viejjv of
gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is
never played for money. Those, therefore, who
have leisure for such diversions, cannot find one
that is more innocent.”
SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF CHESS.
(From tlie Book of the First American Chess Congress.)
Chess, the most venerable for its antiquity,
tho most esteemed for its intellectual character,
and the most universal in its extent of all those
pastimes in which men of every age have been
accustomed to seek rest from the fatigues of
physical labor or tho weariness of mental toil,
arose in India at a very early period in the his
tory of the world. It is distinguished from all
other sports, no less by its greater age, than by
its superior excellence; for, although an amuse
ment, it is separated from tho most abstruse of
sciences only by a faint line of demarcation.
Tho singular fascination which it has ever exer
cised over its votaries, is a curious phenomenon
in the history of mind. Men differing in char
acter and disposition, in tastes aud pursuits, in
rank and religion, in climate and race, have
been charmed by tho study of its delightful ar
cana. The peasants of Persia and Iceland, the
warriors of the East and West, the scholars of
Asia and Europe, the priests of the Moslem
faith, and the ministers of a purer belief, the .
monarchs of enlightened nations and the rulers
of Pagan lands, have all found entertainment in
its study and pleasure in its practice. Kings,
in imminent danger of losing their heads and
their thrones, have clung to their game of chess,
undismayed by the threatened loss of honor and
of life. Statesmen, at a time when their brains
were busy with projects destined to result in
tho overthrow of kingdoms and the emancipa
tion of nations, have found leisure to engage m
chess. Generals, on the evo of important and
decisive battles, as if in mockery of real and
sanguinary warfare, have thrown their whole
souls into a bloodless contest on the checkered
field. Sages have sanctioned its use as a recre
ation. Learned men have devoted the earnest
efforts of acute minds to the elucidation of its
theory, to the elaboration of its history, and to