How can a paiint permit his son to
I,-rut off in usefulness, and 44 crib?)
him-jslf in a city upon a miserable
sriiWiuL draeffinor out a lire of indo-
. l?nt r!ea3ure without hops of profit
or advancement. ! Most ot our smm
retail stores are filWd thus wkh the
sans of farmers, who eager to escape
saUiury bih ?ur. and partake ot the
v-dfuive
pleasures ot a cit, are
oNcW-York, abmdoning
:a cro-vding to
fa sure Tiad to
haracter and inde-
i - - .
n-nden-e and dving us a portion of- as to fact. It .unnecessary toenume
nrmhtion, whico is neither useful rate the several theories of Comets, each
p VUUtion, i of which has sained its share of credence
to society nut u.ij,ii.'mi w un-ui- .
Selves.;
HOWARD.
I : ' - v - .
FOR THE CAROLINA CEN'TINEL.
LINES . . .,
Qii the departure of for Ber n'irla.
The anchor's weighM linfuri'd, the
sail
Now nutters to the
kissing sale,
- A ay4 itT'iCt (lid tocki win'
ts her wav.
1aSlling aiOII Hie ioiinwu ?
And now the spanked b inner flies,
;.jVfcre faint ami rejrret pu t sijfhs. ;
rareweii . uiv n ic.j.j "
' Attend youoa.the blue abyss,
; And soon restore you to'our view,
r To trim the lamp if joy anew.
Go5dNeptuie, jVom t!jyroral caves,
Piopitiom lord it o'er the wavvs ;
' I'M Tritons and thq Xereids fi.) it
In '.playaf circle rq ii id the bolt:
. The slfver sea-mew's "chrysfal ark,
Of orient hues, ntte id the bark;
Let dolphins irui ie iher giddy prow
Through anriush'd rocks, engulph'd be-
low, v' . j .-- '
!And mermaids, in dieirgambols, sweep
With minstrelsy the em raid deep. "
A r.-l mia Cn'tv "iflnllC w!l.'flf3f till' !l?P
On down of Cnots, void of car -, ;
Now breithe from summer-clouds, re-
dt.'l. .y.
v. a '.lullaby in ev ry wma,
Wfiile tr iri -t.it H,i j-. wontly urge
Her o'er the undulating surge.
And hou, bright orb, whose glories
beam' '
' The t'd I'.ic'tj- of a PowV supreme,
Aua re thv. .!( win?, heats let shrouds
Of lucid veils and fl'V clouds -Lny
cradled in csnp;. re.d lijht,
To shelter rjys too dnz.Ym bright.
And when your lwin wiieels you live,
Beneath i he c!.irk lilue m juniain-waye,
And prild with fading alpams the west,
In roseate bands of ci imson dfess'dj
Lot iian shed her sylvan beam,"
To sparkle on the glassy stream,
nd wreath with ravs of silver liht,
Thf ipttv tresses of the night. s
"j-'-j e -j . j - -- o
An,-! thou, mvsterious stranger, flv.
Jjreaot Uo:net,to tome uisiant sxy,
Bob'd in a blaze of fluid old,
' With awe thy presence we behold,
' r : . ! . ' A -I V
Lest on our planet you dispense 1
Convulsions, storms, and 'pestilence
Now cease,y' Miise, your anxious
prayer,, --.:'.'"!
' Nor suu ill he lute's symphonious wail,
j .'Quickly the Cad mean lyre prepare,
' To velcomtlie leturnin'jsail ;
The banquet then we'll spread once moi e
And hail him to his native. shore
. sonmoN.
TOR THE CAROLINA CENTIN'ET.
COMETS.
The recent appearance of a Comet 'in
vir northern hernisphere, has awakened
th prying curiosity of the ignorant, a
larme'd the fears of the timid and supeN
stitious. whi!c at the same time, it hns aff'
forded employment to,and eh't,:,d the oh
Rer;v;itions t'iho 1-arned, in almost every
quarter of the world.
This eccentric visitor was not noticed
In Newbern until the. evening of the Ttfi"
inst. when itp;ieared in the breast of the
Lynx 1 he Sth was ctoudy : and it was
not until the lOtn that a partial observa
tion was made by Mr. Price ; which,
alone, is 'not sufficient to enable us to cal
culate, with any degree of certainty, its
course, the rapiditybf its motion, its pro
bable continuance, or the period of its re
ilirn. Judging from the eye, alone, its
situation on the evening of the 10th,,was
nearly on a line extended from Dubbe and
intersecting the; South Pointer intlie con
siclWson of Ursa .Major, about 37 de
grees from the fatter stor, and something
more, perliaps1, from the polar star
forming, with them, nearly an equilater-
jd triangle. - It disappeared at 35 minutes una ypiariuie calamities, it would be fol
past.'Q o'clock, P.M. and rose at half ly in the extreme, to attempt either to con
past 2 the nextr morning. Its apparent fute or support such vague opinions. A
motion in the heavens, is so very slow detail of a few of the most remarkable oc
as not to aulhorisela supposition as to the xurrencesj which have followed in the
mnrse it is travelling; I at first thought train of these dreadful visitors, which
it was moving from the point above men-( " From their horrid hair shake pesti-
tionea, towaras the Great Bear. Should, !
uuccii.,m opinion resneel off its
movement ne toimd fas nPrlnm it w;m
. . . . . 1 a
resnectin?
l (rom future observation to he incorrect,
the earliest opportunity will be taken to
ratify it.- lit the mean tirne, it is exnect
ii tV.t I'rice and others of our' citi
iens versed in astronomy, Who have the
means at their disposal, will make sucK
tueoftheai as to furnisR some data, far
thfV.alrn1atifirri""nf tlirtP. mathematicians
who ifliay feel disposed to pursue this
beardid luminarv " bevond the reach of
mortal ken."
For the remarks which follow, respect
ing the appearance of the Cpmets of
1 6 30, 1744, and lo9, 1 must acKnowi-
eclge myself indebted to Dr. Long, and
other authors, whose names it is needless
to mention, but whose opinions I have
embodied without the slightest variation
- ' .
he world su3ice it to sav, they are as
numerous as the authors who have made
these bodies the subject of their inquiry.'
The Comet of.1630 advanced so near
the San, that its perihelion (that is, its
nearest p6int of approach to that lumina
ry, ) was npt above a sixth part of the sun's
diameter from the surface thereof J The
tail, like that of other comets, increased
in length and brightness, as it carne near
er to the sun. andgrewshorter and fainter
as it receded from him and the earth.
The Comet of 1744, first seen at La u
sane in Switzerland, increased in bright
ness and extent as it came near the suiv
.It was supposed to be equal in magnitude
to the earth ;; its tail extended above 16
jdeirrees from Jits body, and was in length
no less than 23 millions of miles, lleve
lius raeiidjons that the tails of-comets
letictheii and sliorten While we are view
them ppearinir to sparkle or shoot,
as we term it ; which phcenomena are
probably owing U the motion of our at
mosphere. - '
. Tiie Comet of 1759, is only remarka
ble in consequence of its bein the first
wiiose return was exactly, foretold.
The opinions oj" the learned respecting
these blazing stars', (as before observed,)
have been as vaifous as '-the "authors who
have treated on them. Newton has cal
culated their 'teat and the possibility of
their-rcjnsting us alive, should they come
in contact with our planet. But suppose
them to be bodies of water, fash i'oned
like a lens, collecting the rays of the sun
and thtowiiiii tliem off hv the tail, is there'!
not more danger of, our Deing seamen or i
arowtieH, than' ot being burned, unless -
the earth should pass through the focus of ,
the sun's rays in the tail of a comet ? j
The Comet of lCSl , picsented a tail;
of 104 degrees in length, apparently j
reactnng more t nan one fourtivthe dis
tance round our jrlohe, and in reality al
most defying the power of numbers to ex
press it. The" tail of one in 176 ) includ- :
ed an ancle of 6 ) degrees at Paris," 70 at !
Pouloane, 97 at the Isle of Bourbon, and
90 at sea, between Teneriffe and Cadiz.
Appian, Cardon, and T'cho Brahe,
snnnnsed the tails of comets to th
lis'htoflhe sun, transmitted throu-h the
nucleus, which they believed to be trans
parent, like a lens. Kepler, thought the
tail was formed from the atmosphere con
de l'-ed. Descartes ascribes it to the re
frae'don of light by the nucleus. In fact,
a hundred other theories might be found,
equally credible or equally absurd.
Longomontanus mentions a Come?,
that in l6l8, December lOih, had a tail
above 1 00 decrees i Menirth. It is, how
ever, admitted that the taiis of comets ap
pear of different lengths as the air is clos
er in one place than another, as the sight
of the spectators varies, and as their situ
ation in the heavens changes with respect
tothesunand the earth. rI he nucleus
of several of the comets has been observ
ed to chaiH'c its spherical .appearance ; i e
comhiLr b!ong, as when a leiis is present
ed witlr the edge to the eye, ) at. other
times rnyi'vd : ;nd r.L-j.in. they have ap
peared divided in o two distinct parts, as j
was the c';sr v.iththeone which appeared
in 174 - J'od tither instances have occur
red, i i w-iich they apparently separated,
imd 'rrr;ed -seVe-al smaller b-lies com-
pleti ly detached from each other.
So late as "the 1 Linnii g of the 18th
century, a friend ; nd companion cf r-ew-Jn,
regarded then; as the abode of the
damned. "W'histon has"gone lurther, and
supposes the punishment of the wicked in
.these bodies consists in the .extremes of
heat a no cold, which are occasioned al
ternately by their near approach: to the
sun and the immense distance to -which-they
recede A om it. i j
I now come to the consideration of, the
influence, which many of the learned,' as
well as the ignorant arid superstitious,"
have supposed comets to exercise over
the affairs of this lower world some sup
puinr tlvoir appearance to' forebode war.
; lamine, pesuience, or other dreadful and
lence and war'
wilI,,doubtless, afford more satisfaction to
the reader, than any arguments I could
advance, either in favor of or against so
popular a superstition. . ' '
In 1"SI, two weavers settled at York,
in the island of Great Britain but there
is no mention of any comet that year 1
A comet appeared m 1533 the Bible
was first translated into the English lan
guage the year following: V
Another in I5J8 the first news-paper
published iri England, called the English
Mercury, appeared this year. One of
them is now. in the British Museum. x
Oneinl6l8 followed by the intro
duction of wigs into France in 1G20. 4
One in 1663- two newspaperestablish
meiltsj at Oxford and London, founded
this year. - .
"Ohe in l 6o7 wigs first worn by judg
es two years after.
A remarkable one in 16S0 this . year
the burning-glass and cmmion mirror
were invented, and Jesuits' bark brought
into general use. Tauris,in Persia, had
15,000 houses thrown down by an earth-,
quake, and 1 most of its inhabitants de
stroyed. One in 1729 -llefculaneum, which
was buried by an eruption of mount Vesu
vius, in 79, was discovered in 1730. Ma
ny Valuable manuscripts have been found
in the ruins.: ' ,
One in 1744 two years after which,
Lima was destroyed by an earthqua e,
74 churches, 14 monasteries, and 15 hos
pitals thrown down, and" 5000 lives lost.
The year foHowi'i, a remarkable hail-
storm in Yorkshire the stones measured
o Y
five inches round. Port) Royal, (Jauu) j and anticipating his approaching destiny,
tlestroyed by a" storm the same year. ) he became so much dejected, thatjhis con
One in 1757this Waj? I preceded by ! duct excited the attention of his fellow
the destruction of Quito In Peru, nnd the -prisoners j who being greater proficients
overthrow of 2000 houses in the island of
Mytelcne, in 1755 : at l! same time )- .
porto and Seville su(Tered severely ; and
ip the course of 8 minutes, at List
tsiost of the houses, indeed wb'ofe stn
Lisbon, :
treets t
' were swallowed up and .5.0.00 human be
j in S perished ; Coimbra and Bru a suf-
fered and :A Ubes, was swnlKwed lip;
Pez sunk, with 12000 inhabitants, and a-j
K,-n Imlf tlir Tclti'ifl nf iTrf!jir:i WfHi dp- i
trdyed. ! This very year, one of the A-
. '
zores was divided in two, 'am
id
10,000
people buried alive.
One in 1759 Truxillo in Peril swal
lowed by an earthquake the lame year.
Balbec shared a like fate. Damas in
Barbafy wa? nearly destroyed, j with 60
ufonnu oi n iuiuhcum. mpuii
aiso neariy nnneuHiiu uieie tluP-
tion of Vesuvius the year folio wing. ; j
One in 1760 followed by a ' most
dreadful storm, the effects r f which are
still remembered by some ot Hie old m- ,
habitants of JNewbern. v .
Une in August 1774 128,000 packs
of playing cai ds were stamped in Lng-
land, and 00:; pair of dice, the year fol-
lowing. In '?6, less than two years af
fifr
as
appearance, our innepennence
declared, and subsequently achieved.
One in Sl there was a riot in Lon-
l"".'Si'uu'.J VK
, .
In 1792, two appeared this year the
plairue destroyed b()0,G0: people, in L-
cypjt. ami the year foilowL'iff, 2000 died
ol the yellow fever in Philadelphia.
Among tlie events which have imme
diately preceded, succeeded or attended
the v isits of Comets, none are more con
spicuous than the establishment of Banks,
which, by some, have been considered
as hotbeds, in which " the root of all e
vil" attains a forced & unnatural growth.
In 170. with one of the most remark
able comets, the Bonk of North America
made its first appearance in Philadelphia.
Another comet was observed in 1784, !
; and pieseutly the I dnks of ilp.ssachu
1 -setts and INew-York were instimted.
1 In 1790, two appeared, .followed the
j year after by the Bank of the United States
j and eipht branches, and the bank of
Providence and accompanied bv the
Bank of laryland.
Others were visible in 1792, 93, 04, 95,
06. 97. and 08, each of which - was at-
tended by more. 01 less banks or saHelites.
There were 2 in 1799, attended bv the
Manhattan bank, and followed by three
others. Inoculation by kine-pox intro
duced by Jeimei in 1800.
f801, 2, 3. 4, 5, and 6, each ushered
in their comets and their banks thejat
ter altogether more than twenty in num
ber, "and among them the banks of New
bern and Cape Pear. ; .
The comet 'of 1807, came in with the
attack on the Chesapeake, accompanied
by embargo and non-intercourse, and fol
lowed by Steam Boats in 1808.
That of 1811', 1 was cotemoorarv with
f L 1 . -
the establishment of, Gadsby?s Tavern, in
"Baltimore, one of die best in the United
States; and preceded, by one year, our
late glorious contesttwith Great Britain.
. 1 8 19- 1 his year several banks have
stopped payment, diany merchants fail-
1.1 11 r 'J 1
ed, and the yellowiever commenced its
ravages in Philadelphia. - W hat V is to
follow, time only can unfold.
Noi do I believe that if proper pains
were taken, there would not be found in
the catalogue of occurrences connected
with these phenomena, as many eveiits
tending to the amelioration of the r,eem
ingh forlorn condition of mankind, as
possibly can be produced of a contrary'
nature. In.fact, mankind are too apt to
overlook, or forget the kind dispensations
of Providence, while they-are. ever reav:
to blazon their n:sioi tunes and repirie
1 the trials of adversity.
wr-ui ji'jxmj1; u'it
M I S C ELL ANEOU S."
. FROM THE tlVERPOOL MAGAZINE,
An Instance of Ingenious Depravity, j
Tlte age in vvhich we live, though dis
tinguished for. many other striking pecu
liarities,' is rendered remarkable for ac
tive benevolence, for a diffusion of lieht,
an increase of pauperism, and for melan
choly instancesol moral depravity, f To
prevent, in some degree, the vices from '
becoming contaoious, many salutary re
gulations hnvoben proj)osed, respecting ;
the distribution of criminals in our com-
raon jails, and not a few have. been in
troduced, through which the juvenile of- j
fender is prevented from growing harden- j
ed in his iniquities, by associating with j
such veterans in guilt as nothing can re-f
claim. The necessity of thes measures
may be gathered from the following an
ecdote, which to many of bur readers may
appear perfectly new : V
A man v1io had committed a robbery,
attended withtsome peculiar circumstan
ces of aggravation, was taken into custo
dy, and consigned to the common jail, to
take his trial at the ensuing assizes. As
this was his first ofience, he felt all the
1 degradation and horror of his situation, '
which an awakened conscience could im
part.' : Giving way to serious reflections.
in vice than himself," amused themselves
with his weakness:
and regardless of
their.own condition, sported with his ap
proachinr fate.
" One among them, however, in whom
art. imnudence and criminalitv had com
bined, took an occasion more gravelv to
reprimand his melancholy companion, on i
account of Jiis dejection assuring him
that unless he turned his attention to the
i..,i:..,. . u ,
u CIUuSJuJ'"-e u u V .
reply by the young ofTender, that he had
no hope of escaping, the e vidence being
strong and pointed against him : and that
hi own coascience directed him to plead
guilty. There is no case so hopeless,'
it was intirr;ateu, " ironi wnico a man.
r a r,uje monev ant rOOC
manas;e-
n,-nt? may not be extricated.: If you have
an(J m ; directions.
j I will engage for a given sum, to bring
j you off with honor."
Revived, a little at the prospect of a
, release. thou"h onlv promised hv a fel-
low prisoner, the young criminal listened
with much attention ; and began to en-
quire Cu what foundation he could test
j,is jIOpes ? " That Is a jioint," replied
instructor, ; which I will not reveal.
Your business is to secure the certain nav
nient of the monev on vour acouittal: to
Pau not guilty ;at the bar ; and, when
discharged, to provide for) our own safe-
N; the
rest ol the business you are to
th me." Shocked at the idea of
lekve wi
pleading not puilty, in a case which ' he
knew to be so clear, the young man hesi
tated to follow tlie advice given ; since
his only hopes of a j mitigation ofpunish
ment aiose' from a consciousness of his
penitence,' and the compassion of his
prosecutors. " Unless you will consent
boldly to plead not guilty," replied the
veteran, vl will have nothing to do with
you ; and you will inevitably be hanged."
1 he hope of hie being too strong for the
I voice-of conscience, 'the young map con-i
sented to plead not guilty ; and their af
fairs were soon arranged. ' r
" V ou have now." said the instructor, '
1 "nothing more to do, than to make jaie
acquainted with every minute circum
stance connected with the robberv; GTv e
me the time, the place, the light, the com-
pany, the dress, tlie conversation, with
g unwilling to put
into the hands of a villain who had re
fused to confide in him even the secret of
his own escape. This hesitation,' how
ever, was soon overcome, when he was
informed, that " without it he must die
on the gallows ; and that, even if this ef
fort to .save him proved! ineffectual, be
could but be hanged at last.' '
Their affairs having reached this crisis,
theyretired to a corner, where the young
manommunicated every circumstance
)f the robbery which he recollected. This,
by repetition, was, sotm impressed on the
mind of-his companion ; who, by ques
tions and observations, continued to in
crease his stack of information, until the
day.of trial arrived, wliich was to bring
his ingenuity to the test.' .
The young man was first arraigned
and, contrary to tlie expectations ol
i his prosecutor and of, most present,' who
! had been informed of his penitt
penitence,
pleaded not guilty! The evidences were
then examined, and the facts were authen
ticated in the most unequivocal manner.
The prisoner had no defence to make ;
and the only thing which was now want
ing to satisfy his doom, was the awful
sentence of the Judge, which he erery
moment expected to hear pronounced.
At this eventful crisi, an unusual stir
was heard among the prisoners who had
not vet been hroy-iht io trfr.t. On iirnkfnif
at inquiry into tlie cuse of 'this, disorder, one
. of them desired that the Court might
all the particulars of which you have any and was lortunate enough to be presen
recollection." The young man1 again at one interesting debate on a change ia
hesitated,, being unwilling to nut his life the mode of Presidential elections ; iw'n
infortttPG thrdlie bad fctrrthinf Cf fo.
portaiice.to cc nsirunicote cn lie prfct.','
occasion ; and desired that lie n,ir ht .l
j brought to the bar Lefe fcnteuce
j pronoured cn the prisoner then en 'Lis
I trial. The intelligence being con Kur '
cated., he wasordered to appear, land
siare ojia ne Know leiayve io tns efTa'r
then under consideration. . This was jusi
what he wanted ; and having oltaij
liberty, he addressed the Court in near-y
the following language.
f It is with the utmost shame that I ac
knowledge myself to have been, throul jj .
a considerable portion yf my lite, a most
abandoned character. Put my career cf
wickedness is now brought nearly to an
end : for I expected very shortly, to f0r.
feit my life to, the violated laws cf mv
country. But, bad as 1 have been, ICar
not ihink of permitting an innocent raan
to die for a crime ofhich I have been
guilty. I am the person who cummia,
tlie robbery, for which the prison r h
now arraigned ; and am the only person
who ought to suffer for it. And to prow
1
10 1 u.e saiisiacnoi oi uie onrt tiiar t,,,-
confession is true, I wilt relate a li tl!P
circumstances connected with the robbe
ry." Having said this, he began a hUo
ry of the whole transac5Joti, and entered
- i
V
into ail die minute particulars ofthe Ume,'
piace, manner and conversai ion, 6rc. with
which the prosecutor and hjs wiinnj
were well acquainted, and appealed ,j
them in their turns respectively for
truh of his declarations. And finally coa
eluded his account, with a serious ad mo.
nition to the witnesses, and to all present,
to be particularly careful how they swore
away the life of an innocent person under
a delusive train of appearances.
On hearing this unexpected statement
the Court was confused: the witnesf
looked upon each other with -astonU,.
intMl 5. u,e prosecutor was visibly arn
i ; ana even tne judge tnraselt was rrn.
j Ipunded. Recovering, however, frpra
in
their surprise, the judge after some obser.
v-
ations, ordered the prisoner to be acq i(.
ted, and set at liberty. In the meanwhile.
ine ?eu convicted leion was remanded,
while his indictment was preparing with
orders to appear and take his trial on li e
ensuing day. for the offence .which he hi
thus voluntary acknow ledped. .
On being brought to the bar, when ilie
usual question of Guilty or not Guilty,
was put to the utter amazement; cf all pre
sent, he pleaded riot guilty. The aston
ishment which tflns excited, was scared
less than that whic.h his pievious confu
sion "had produced. He was then remind
edofthe transacdons of yesterday, and
admonished not to indulge fallacious hopes
of escaping Justice through the mere in-
1 diligence of pleading, w
I tne allowed no per
hich the lenity of
sons who were ac
cused of offences.
Nothing could however intimidate biro, ;
or induce him to alter his resolution. He
still persisted that he was not euilty ; ai
ding, when addressing himself to ti"
Judge, " if you please ray lord, the gaol
er sha41 proye my inn6cer.ee." On being1
asked to explain himself, he replied, '; If
x you orderihe gaol keeper to look oer 's
books, he will find that 1 was in gaol whin
this robbery was committed." On seaicli
lng the becks, it wa? accordingly disrov
jered that he had actually been lodged in
gaol on the day preceding that of tlie rob
bery, and his acquittal was the ineuttfbls
consequence. On the issue of his trial
for his own offence, no account has been .
preserved. -
, EXTRACTS
Frctn a recent publicat ion, called1 Halfr
Travels in Canada and the Utdtci
States, in IS 1-6, end 1S17.
The sittings of Congress are held in a
temporary building, during) the repair of
the Capitol : I attended them frequently.
of the principal speakers took a pnrt in
it: Messrs. Gaston, Calhoun ?md Web-,
ster in support ofit ;nandc!ph and Oif ?
venor against. . The merits of the quessien -were
not immediately to be comprehe!
ded by a stranger ; their style cf ?pcak
ing was, in the highest degree correct
and logical, particularly that of Mr. Vvdi'
st ?r of New-Hampshire, whose arcr.mn
taiive ,acuteness. extorted a complirnent
from Mr. Randolph I :Self, albeit mu
sed to the complimenting mood. i'r-
Grpsvenor, both in action and language,
might be considered a finished orator.
far as our- present notions of practical fra
tory exteiid. M;r. Randoljih, w ii?e '
tical talents, or rather political sucee.n
said to be marred by an eccentric tura.ff
thought, which chimes in with no t
seems rather a brilliant than a cor,vinc'e
speaker ; his elocution is. distinct and clear
to shrillness, his command of langwre
and illustration seems unlimited ; but t?
gave me the idea of a ban dealing e
blows against a shadow, and waistin
dexterity in splitting hairs : his po!a:
sentiments are singular : he consider5 t l
government of the United S.a5es as 3a
elective monarchy ; Torture the conr
tution as you will,? said he, in thecocr
of the debate, ' the President will elert
- .
successor, and that will be his sen vwtf;,
ver he has one old enuuH n':;
him.' iSTo expressions are-csed,-!11 1
be, - approbation, or the contrary : wiiVi