. I u s nit i j. yf il
. A A. " A "
iii' ii ' i i !" i r tii' lit" i.i
I
ii f mi r xi i
-of mm
IL,
Si
n ;'.-,: ,!l fri '-::J J Ji:
I "I . J .
"FT
J I 0 N V( T H E; C O N S TIT lt"ih N.'.j.'f ..4Ai'),,, T.Ii.Ct I.AK-P I A N S OF OCR LIBERTIES;
T-, At i:b ,.rf-
IIILLSBOROUGIL Nc G;i i WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3? 1866; i
; m t ; i
, Vol. XLVI..
' -No. 2357.
.in - - JL J - - -
jHu : 1i r ' ; : I'll .r'
v .1 ii i. ill ? hi .. hi . in . iir 111 in . 111 ii i :
mi
WEBSTER'SCONFESSION i OP. FAITU-i;
Dr. Smith of Concord, N II., 9 put in
onr hand the following letter f. Uaniel
Webster to Rev. Thoniia Worcester, for
merly pastor of the Congregational church
in Saulsburj, N. II., which is accompani
cd with a confeision of hit religious taitH,
both of which are in his own handwriting.
We have teen Mr. Webster's name in the
records of the church in SauUburt enrolled
among the members, if we miiuke not,
about the time the letter below bears date,
lie remained a member of that church till
his death. The letter and confession were
never before published. The are as fol
lows; . Salem Register, June tud.
BoKtwen, Aug. 8, 1808. 4
Dkai Sit The other da we were con
verting respecting confessions of faith.
Some time ago I wrote down for tn own
use a few propositions in the shape of ar
ticles, intending to exhibit a very thoit
summary of the doctrines of the Christian
religion as they impressed my mind. I
nave taken the liberty to enclose a copy lor
your peraial. I am, sir, with respect,
yours. &c, D. WEBSTER.
I believe in the existence of Almighty
God, who created and governs the whole
world. I am taught this by the works of
nature and the word of revelation.
I believe that God exists in three per
sons this I learn from revelation alone
Nor is it any objection to this belief that I
cannot comprehend how one can be three
in one. I hold it my duty to bJIcve, not
what I can comprehend ani account for,
but what my Maker teaches us.
I believe the Sciiplurcs of the OIJ and
New Testament to be the will and word of
Gad.
1 believe Jesos Christ to be the Son cf
God. The mincles which he w rought, es
tablish in my mind his personal authority,
and render it proper for me to believe what
ever he asserts; I believe, therefore, all hi
declarations, as well when he declares him
aelf the Son cf Cud, as when he declare
any other proportion. And I believe there
i no other way of salvation thn through
the merits ;of his atonement,
I believe that thing pat, present, and
to come are all equally present in the mm J
cf the Deity j 'hat with him there is nit
succession of time, nor ideas; that there
fore, the relative terms past, present and
future, as used among men, connot with
strict propriety, be applied to Deity. I
believe in the doctrine of predestination,
as thus expounded. I do not believe in
those doctrines as imposing any fatality or
necessity on men's actions, or in any way
Infringing free agency.
I believe in the utter inability of any
human being to work out his owu salvation,
without constant aids of the Spirit of all
grace.
I believe those great peculiarities of the
christian religion a resurrection from the
dead and a day of judgment.
: I believe in the universal providence of
God ; and leave to Kpicorus, and his more
unreasonable followers in modern times,
the inconsiatsncv of believing that Gad has
made a world which he does not take the
trouble of governing.
Although I have great respect for some
other forms of worship, I believe the Con-
f regational mode, on the tahole, to be pre
erable to any other.
1 believe religion tn be a matter not of
demonstration, but of faith. Cod requires
ui to give credit H the truths which he re
veals, not because we can prove them, but
becmse he declares them. When the min i
is reisonabty convinced that the Bible is the
word of God, the oily remaining doty is to
nccive its doctrines with fullaconfidenceof
their truth, and practice them with a pure
heart.
I believe that the Bible is to be under
stood and received in the plain and obvious
leaning of its passages ; since I cannot
persuade myself that a book intended for
instruction and conversion of the whole
world, should cover its true meaning ia
such mystery and doubt that none but
critics and philosophers can discover it,
I believe the experiments and subtleties
vl human wisdom are more likcly,to obscure
than enlighten the revealed' will ot God,
and that he is the most accomplished Chris
tian scholar who hath been educated at the
feet of Jesus, and in the college of Fishermen.-
' . '.. ' '' i
; I believe- thatll true religion consists in
the heart and affections, and that, therefore,
all creeds and confessions are fallible, and
uncertain evidences of evangelical piety.'
! Finally, I believe that Christ has imposed
on all his disciples a life of active benevo
lence: that he who refrains only from what
he thinks to be sinful, has performed but a
part, and a small part, of his dary ; that he
is bound to do good aud 'Communicate, to
love his neighbor, to give food end drink te
his enemy, and to endeavor, so farts io him
lies, to promote peace, truth, piety; and
happiness in a wicked and forlorn world,
believing that in .the great day which" is to
come, there will be no other standard of me
rit, no other criterion of characrer, than that
which is already, established. ' By 'their
fruits ye shall know them." -
Dr. 8herlock.
W1IAT1ITTLE FOXES DID
I wasona visit to my grandfather, one f
the pioneer farmers of Central New York,
and we had started out for a ride. The first
house we pased was in so many respects
like my grandfather's that it drew my at
tention. Your good neighbor seems to
have had some ideas like yours, grand
father," I said. " The man that built this
house had. No neighbor of mine now, poor
maul" aud my grandfather drew -a long
breath, -. . . . : . . .
Then after a paue, his voice changed.
"These foxes! taese little foxes, I hate
them! NoboJ fears them, nobody minds
them, jet they ruineverihiog. The beasts
1 pray are not half no dangerous. The lit
tle fuses !" he repeated with emphasis, and
his lone was bitter. ,
" What little foxes, grandfather!"
"Any little (uea.ali little iox; little
ius, little weakncftscv, little tUulerer, lit
tle debts, I hate iIumii all. They du such
inuchiel ; they are to treacherous aud ruin
ous ?"
When they re so little ?"
" Yes, snd becnuse they are so little."
My grandfather paused. 1 watted inai
lence, and he went on.
" 1 never ride by that house without pain
and indignation. You ee what a fine place
it is ; a good house, a hundred and fitly acres
of rirb land ; and yet it went for a silk gown.
That was the little fox."
A tilk gownr"
" Yes it weut lor a silk gown. And there
went with it what was worth greatly more
than all of it a whole family's happiness
aud hope."
hat is the story, grandfather f"
" I'll tell you. When 1 firat came to this
part o( the country, a young cuple of the
name ol Biowo were settled here io a log
house. They were hardworking, selt de
uying people, and everything prospered
with them lor many years. They paid for
their farm, and kept adding to it, till, as 1
told jou, they had a hundred and tilty
acres. Then when I had built me a new
house, neighbor Brown had to build him
one, somewhat like mine, as you ace, for he
did not like to be behind. 1 sent my oldest
children to an academy to the next town,
where they could have better opportunities
lur learning than were here. Alter a tune,
neighbor Brown thought it would be a good
thing to educate his children, aud sent his
o.Ueat duughter tn the same academy.
It wis a ttew expense te him, bat he met
it cheerlutiy,au'llura time, all went well.
The young woman made him stare wtthher
philosophy, the loud father was wore than
repaid lor all his sacrifices on her account.
But as she increased in knowledge, so did
he in love of dress, and nothing would do
lor her but an expensive silk guwn. licr
mother put her oil'.
" We can't afford it Susan."
Why not. mother I"
Because we have no money to pay for it."
lt.ii r. .1 r... ..!
viiiici nu 'i; iui ma iiiinzs irom
off the larta."
' Nothing can be spared now. Lasteir'a
grain is all sold) so is everything else from
last var ''i , t . . !.'!'.' iii: ,1m ni
, " But father ; raight sell something a
cow, if nothing else." i .; , -''A t-!'" '.
! "No, he needs, all the stock he has,"
j The father entered.
i What is it, Susan ?" - -ia..: 1 t-
" V want a '.silk dress,' father : Mary
Stiles has one.'? . ! ;;!! r r.i,-n
' " How will she get it ?'f interposed the
prudent mother, i - !
I'll buy it for her." I 'J
i " But bow will you, pay for it ?" 1 '
"They'll trust roe.'
The wife said no ,morer and Susan had
the handsomest silk to be found 'in the next
village, and Brown had a store, bill for the
first time in his life. .He thought nothing
of it, as many others had; the same, and the
merchant encouraged it It comes a great
deal easfer to say,' Charge it!" than to
hand over the hard-earned' cash. They
know this ; and take advantage ol it. And
so s ma whq, would not, have spent ten
dollars at the store if he hadJeeu obliged
t0. Pa " d9wn,"(.has a atore bill f pechapa
five times that amount to. meet at the end
of the year. ,
" And suppose it can't be met?" -:
"The merchant puts M into fue shape of
a note pay apt e will) interest, ana starts a
fresh account.",' ' ...
"Too bad!"
' So it is ; but Susan Brow a had her fine
dress, and Brown had his store bill, and
once begun it soon grew too large, and how
many debts are not so? The command is
wiae, '.Owe no mananythingMost debts
ought never to have been. No one should
have an indulgence that cannot be paid for
at once. Next year Brown's store bill be came
a note with interest, but it did not
trouble him. Next ear. another note was
given, a larger one, including interest, and
n unpaid balance of a accod-tore. bill.
Heavier interest was now asked, for money
was scarce. Brown kept falling behind for
several years; once sliding downward, it is
hard to recover one's self. At length I saw
the surveyors at work on that part .of his
farm, lying next to mine. He was with
thrm."
" Going to sell?" I asked him.
I'm going to give Lyme a mortgage."
" Ah ! how's that ?"
" He's got tome or my notes and wants
one."
I pitied him, and with good reason. He
was never the same man again. An incubus
lay upon him, destroying his courage, his
very life. If he could not pay his store bill
how could he lift a mortgage? His farm
must go ; no help for it. The grasping us
urer hsd done his work, had made his own
the handsome farm which another man had
earned by the sweat and toil of a life, with
out the sweat and tod of so hour, by cun
ning, small advantages fastened in a little
store debt. How indignant I felt ; how sor
rowful too, when my good neighbor put his
furniture into'wagons, put in his axe, plow
and hoe, and took his way to an humble
home far from us, tn begin" lifs toil anew;
youth all gone, hope almost dead, courage
almost failed, muscles and heart weakened.
And all this wrong and ruin grew from a
little! thing, a school girl's gown. Do you
wonder I hate the little foxes? Look out
fr them, child I watch fur them ! don't let
them poil yur vines while you are safe
from them. No one is safe.
We rode on in silence, and I mused and
trembled. So many little things life is
made up with them which shall ruin ?
which shall bless ? God ol wisdom direct
me," I prayed.
Laros Snakc On Sunday morning last,
Mr. John Rosemond livinz a few miles
West of Raleigh, informs as that he killed
a moccasin in his back yard, about four feet
long, and as large round as his upper arm.
The snske contained forty-two young ones,
which, when an incision was. made by the
weapon used in dispatching it, begun to
leave the monster.' They were also dispos
ed of.
f, r . i f,, f ...
Frank was playing. about the; well-curb
wjtb,hU bright new, penknife Jn, his hand,
when aas, ! to, his great.sorrow a slip of the
iiugcra wuseu ns ,ireasurp, tp ; drop . from
!ap.d?WBM He
heard, it ringing arjd saw jt ganci,ng down,,
iijeow moisy, stones, ananp.was al
tempted to spring down after it, in his j
almost
s ?reat
distress and Vexation! " "'
j 'As W was, he couldf only go into the '
house and tell his grief to his kind mother,
who sympathized with him, and very likely
took occasion to tell hini what a good thing,
it wag tp be 'careful and all that. c '
; ' Unci John sat by the window, and when '
hejhad heard the sad tale, he asked a few '
questions about it.' " Was the knife open r"
" Yes; sir," said f rank.'- "I Wai making
afiddleoutofa ghirigle: ;' '
Well, don't give up until we see what
can be done." So saving,: he took a little
looking glass out to the well, and directed
a bright sunbeam to search diligently in the
bottom for the rais'sing knife." -:'-'
There it is, unclei oh, there it is!"
shouted Frank, in great excitement) I see.
the. pearl, handle. Nov if .the sunbeam"'
could only fish it up," he added, more sor
rowfully. - i"
I Uncle John said aothing, but walked in
to the house, and pretty soan, came, out i
with a good horse-shoe magnet, attached to
a stout string. Very carefully he lowered
the magnet, keeping the suubeam fixed on
the spot, arid presently the magnet touched,
the bright steel. It clung fast to the, bar,
and was literally' fished up by it, to the
great joy of Frank, and the admiration of
all beholders.
You see what a good thing a little science
is; so you will find all righf knowledge a
power, in whateveryou may be called upon
to do in life. Gather precious stores ot it
now, while childhood and youth are fleet- '
lug, so you may never have cause to regret
the vanished hours.
THE BLACKBERRY.
loathe great profusion of our products we
have heretofore allowed this valuable fruit
to blossom, mature and wither upon the
vine with contemptuous indifference! Or
at best we have only used it for the manu
facture of a gallon or two of wine or vine
gar for domestic purposes. In point of
fact it has its commercial value, and with
the large surplus.population we have here,
might be made exceedingly valuable. Any
enterprising man who will secure the ne
cessary labor can rralize large sums upon
this'froit, by gathering the crop, and send-
ing it to market dried, or in the shape of
blackberry wine, which possesses, asjweall
know, valnable medicinal properties. This
attempt on our part would not be a mere
experiment. The system of gathering and
drv ing this fruit which we recommend, ia
exteitsively practiced in western North Ca
rolina, and the town of Salem, in Forsyth
county, annually exports large quantities.
These pass thsough our sister town from
time to time, on their way to the Northern
markets, where they always command a
remunerative price, and any parties who
place the luxuriant crops of this region un
der contribution will find it greatly to their
advantage.
The lork of everv fence and the rogged
banks of every ditch, are full of invitations
to our people to collect and make available
the rich abundance of the blackberry crop.
Norfolk Day Both.
Galveston, Texas, had 8,000 inhabitants
before the war, and now twenty thousand.
Cottom Crop. New Orleans, Sept. 18.
News from the cotton regions continues
to report the injury to the crops as serious
and wide-spread. Only the small district
on the uplands of the Mississippi seems ex
empt, i Otherwise the States of Loutsisna
and Mississippi are afflicted with nearly a
total loss of the cotton crop, while very lit
tle corn or other breaJstutT have been rais
ed.. This is peculiarly the case where ne
groes have worked on shares, which lead
theaa new to be very reluctant to labor, and
has greatly disheartened them.
' The Atlantic Cable is making $10,000 a
day