Newspapers / Southern Weekly Post (Raleigh, … / March 17, 1855, edition 1 / Page 2
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T H SOUT EM W i . f-1 fi.il i l - ! i . i of his1 desk, out of -V.t-Clerk No. 2 turns reu, purple i.'d wl;i; by turns ; the old man receives his 1-n. y and nkH, a noisy exit, mumbling Eomcthiu- HHit c.u..ter-jumpera and broad: cloth jitew York Tribune. METROPOLITAN CORRESPONDENCE j LETTER LXXXVI. j . Nkw Yoke, March, 10, 1855. . Adpd4 teriJUd-MarcK unnds-Ftowert-Show win-dowi-A peep into torn of them Taylor ', GmpU& " rWii-OWth ttreet awhil-A picture by Horace Vernetr- Tifknu't window IlaughwouV decorated china Beet. dry-koode palace A stindy at Stanwix Hall BUI Fool the pjgUit, dead Public lamentation The thirtieth exltiiition of the National Academy open Cleaning the ttrem English Sweeping Machine Americanized Operatic emeute Discordant ton of harmony Th trade tale. . - - - My DkarPost r The truth of the old adage, Onei swallow does not make a summer," is forcibly illustrated this morning, in the return of W nter after the nine days wonder' of Spring, whict we have enjoyed since March set in. This is a c )11, gusty, dusty morning, though the sun shines brightly enough for summer. March winds, however, are quite in season, and I have no dojubt they have their part to perform in the greatfeconomy of Nature. The poet evidently held this opinion when he. wrote the immortal ! "March winds and April showers j Briug torth May flowers." Of oe thing, I . am quite certain, that the const quen.it will., be more welcome than the antece dents I have a passion for turly flowers "the first stveet offerings of the Spring," and though I am not likely to "Die of a rose in aromatic pain' Lara free to coufess that its exquisite tints and delicious odors, take captive my willing senses and fijl me with delight,' Hut enough of flowers, at least until they be come I realities. instead of creature.- of the ima gination, a they are at present, save only the delicate offspring of the green-house which are displaced now and then in the show windows of our florists, . .Speaking cf- show windows, only those of your i enders w ho are familiar with the metro polis :an have any just idea of the multitude of beaut ful and" costly. objects which may be seen "free gratis" upon the line of Broadway. There are scores of windows before which the stranger is tempted to linger and gaze with open eyes at the wealth and luxury which they reveal. Take an example or two. At Taylor's famous restaurant and i e-cream saloon, on the corner of Kranklin street there'i. a show window of immense size, a single pane of glass in which, is . said to be worth five hundred dollars. At almost any hour of the day you may see a crowd of people flattening their noses against the crystal plate as if they expected to inhale the aroma of inim meral e viahds temptingly spread out. within. I hav ! not a bill of fare before me, and cannot threkre give you the French appellations of the elaboiate and expensive dishes ; but I can desig nate spine of them by good plain English names, such s Boned English Pheasant, (though it is hard o discover the thing itself beneath its dis guise of glazing and other ornament. Roasted '' Grouse, similarly tricked out ; Canvas-buck Duck- with iMirious garnishments. Besides these are .rare :nid delicate pastries and patiseries, (I am obliged to speak French occasionally,) with all manner .of fruits mysteriously preserved in their auttmjiiia) freshness. But iIk-sh are gross delights, and l"t us cross the street"- to the more attractive "exhibition in the w Frenc a moi ndows of Messrs. Gonpil & Co., the great i "picture -publishers, and importers. Wait lent and you will get a place near tie winddw which contains a whole gallery of pic tures, an every style of art, oil colors, -water co lors, lithograph and. line engraving. Beautifu! too, nj any of them are, and well worthy of your' ad inii taste, of for at th store, ng gaze, for these art-caterers are men of pnd' they deal largely in the finest works rt. After you have looked awhile windows, and when you are inside the paking the inevitable purchases which the display has provoked, do not miss the oppor . Jtumtyj to ascend the spiral stair-case at the end of the saloon, which will conduct you into thas free gidlery. It is to a single picture, however, I that jou should confine your attention just now? and y uu will find it in a room by itself. It is a repi esentation of "Joseph sold into Egyjrt? and v as painted by Horace Verxet, one of the n ost distinguished of modern painters, and the u ost popular of the French artists. This is not a very large picture, but it is very rich, very beautiful, very satisfactory in nearly every respect The coloring is high but not excessivej while the character is exquisite, and faultless I had aamost said. Two of the group are dipping4 the coat of many colors into the blood of a kid whicl lies dead in the foreground. Landseer, himself could not paint a finer bit of dead nature than hat is; Others of the brethren are coun ting the money received from the merchants, and others sti'l are-looking about with half defiant, ! half-djissatisfied looks. Near by is Reuben peer- j ing anxiously into a deep pit, into which his pity and his prudence," combined, had plunged Josepii, out of the reach," as he vainly hoped," of the cruelty, and cupidity of his brethren.. In the distance and very beautiful the perspec tive is ! there recedes the great company of the . Midisjnites, among whom Joseph is now a cap tive iound. The whole story is exquisitely repeajted to the ,eye of the spectator. The only thing" that seems strange is the representation of the b ethren of Joseph in the costume of mod- . em j. robs ; but (his anachronism tiie painter justifies by the plea that he knotcs the costume and manners of these modern wanderers" of the desen , and does not know those of the time of Josepjh. Bujt I was speaking of sights on. the street,, and really did not design to go in-doore at all for- my objects of attraction. Let us pass on, nor sfop till we come to. Tiffany's, where again are slow windows, revealing sights of magnifi cent such as bronzes, ornaments in or-molur vases of curious and costly decoraticjns, caskets of go Id and silver, parures and bouquets of dia. monc s and pearls. It is well perhaps for the eager lookers-on, that their purses are not filled with mint d gold or current bank notes. ' Cross the street and look at Haughwout's broad and ample windows, in which are spread out services of china, porcelain, I might call it - jCOHMUHICATlONS, poetically' I suppose fit for European palaces, but intended for American hotels, which are our true western , palaces you . know 1 Admire, for you may justly do so, the magnificent vases which stand arow, and the elaborate decorations f which were all done within the buildings, a rare and beautiful process of art which you may go in and see, if you feel disposed to do so, thanks to the courtesy of Mr. Haughwout. j. I have not mentidned the tithe of the grand windows between the two parks the City Hall and the Union and I cannot find more space for more than one other, and that is Beck's dry goods palace, which stands within the shadow a df that marble temple, known as Grace Church. Beck has a sumptuous store, with a small park in front of it, all flagged however. Behind the great slabs of plate glass which compose the front of the store, are treasures of silk and satin brocades, and other tissues; velvets and laces. There, the ladies Btand in eager admiration, not speechless but voluble. " Oh what a love of a dress that buff and purple plaid silk would make, Ellen i" And Ellen assents; but thinks that tlie striped blue and fawn would be prettier still. Beck's is certainly one of the street sights of the" metropolis. lie shows out his true colors, and they are popular with the dear ladies. But, dear me There is more than half my paper filled fath show windows, and what is behind there. Ah, my dear Pactvte metropolitans understand ilie art of display to perfection, but to appreci ate it, your readers should see for themselves. A little hile ago there was a shindy at a : amous drinking saloon in this city, called Stan wix Hall. The principal performers in it were some of the noted pugilists, 'whose disgraceful prize-fights have occupied quite too much of the public attention. In the melee which then took place Bill Poole was wounded, and a day Or two since he died of his wounds. The city i$ well rid of a desperate character, and yet i-buld you believe it, such was the importance tf this fisty hero in certain political circles, that public meetings have been held to dqhim honor, and to express sorrow for his death. V tem . pora, 0 mores ! j The National Academy of Design opens its thirtieth Annual Exhibition of pictures on Mon day, at the galleries formerly occupied by the Pusseidoif collection of paintings in the Hall of x. Chapir's Church. The collection is un doubtedly the finest which has ever been pre sented by the Academy, but I will not begin to 91 scribe its attractions until I have space and itne enough to do it some degree of justice., j There is a prosjHrct that New York will become i clean city ! Do not think me insane in ma. king this announcement. I base my opinion lipou two things the energy of our reforming mayor and the. introduction of street sweeping jnachines. The.-e aie of English iuvcnt'ou, with Yankee adaptations of course, for w henever did John Bull make anything that. Jolinathnn did not find it necessary to alter.it before he Could make it available ! They are curious jnachiues, but as .they go along the street they )ook like huge boxes 011 wheels only. Inside liowever, tht-v consist of brooms two or three jeef wide, working up-n an ehdle.-s chain. The brooms collect the dirt and force it up an inclined plane into the receiving box. They make clean .Work of it upou smooth pavements, but don't pa at the holes very, handily. However, they ale rapid, wholesale operatixes, and with skillful Ipanaement will do good service when they aie brought into general use here. J 1011 will scaicely feel jiriuch interest, I sup pose, 111 the operatic war which is raging in our Jnid-t. We have had ah JSiueute at the Acade- ny of Music unfortunaje edifice and; hail of 'discord ;is it is ! and now Ole Bull, the unhappy manager is the victim olj all sorts of artistic 011 slaugl'ts from the disappointed inemheis of his troupe. He has not iaid them, and thev 'are paying hina in generous abuse. Yeril'y, there is juot a more quarrelsome, ill-tempeied, vxactin, and generally disagreeable class of people in the Svorld than foreign musicians and vocalists !- The jsons (and daughters) of harmony they may be, but certainly they are nothing else than the jsires of discord I j I have not left myself room, I find, to say ianything of the new books which have appeared 'since 111 last. However, thty are not numerous, jand as the book trade is dull, my next letter will afford me space to notice them a'ud all oth jers which may be issued in the meantime?, Messrs. iBangs, Brother & Co., the grat book1 auction Jeers, and the jagenls of Bohu's popular books, I will commence the spring trade salts on Mon day next. The catalogue is large and the sale swill undoubtedly be a very important and extent isiyo one, notwithstanding the depression of the times. And now let me give you for a finish ing touch to this letter the sign 1 ' COSMOS. For the Southern Weekly Post. Messks. Epitors A. remark in the course of your reply to the Standard, in the Post of the 10th inst., 6iiggest'ing the propriety of his " calling onithe Oak City Guard to put you down or on the new Fire Company to put you out," certainly does not imply any very great compliment to either organization. Our broth ers of the Fire Company, I have no doubt, know their post well enough to be always on hand whenever their services are needed ; and as for ; the O. C. G., they have no desire to engage in J w.'ordy warfare with paper bullets ; their name j and deeds may yet appear high on the roll of jFame. It' is unfortunate that two Companies 1 should be attempted, especially when one is j tc be composed " exclusively of mechanics ;" j the O. C. G. certainly can have neither envy nor (jealousy towards their brethren in arms, and have never expressed any such sentiment, but i because a false step was taken in the outset, they determined to break up and begin anew, as it would have been a moral impossibility to succeed under such an organization. A com mittee of conference was appointed to meet a similar one from the Independent Guards, but could not agree on any terms of union. It. was our wish'; "Firm and united let us be Rallying 'round our Liberty." v ej are sim wining to admit them or anv oth ers who will sdbmit to the fundamental rule of our corps the ballot. Every good citizen will be delighted to see a complete and lasting military organization in this city, and if there is such - an exuberance of spirit that two Companies can be maintained, so much the better. However mnch we may be separated here, however much we may differ now, let us hope that when our common coon try calls, we shall present an undivided front, and under whatever name we may march, we shall never suffer one leaf to be plucked from our oaken chaplet, and may at least merit a place ide by side with our gallant sister the Cockade City. The Oak City Guard have adopted a gold laced green, uniform, in accordance with their name. They number about 60, and have chos en the following officers: W. H. Harrison, Captain ; R. S. Tucker, 1st lieutenant ; C. G. Scott, '2d do. ; F. C. Shepherd, 3d do. ; P. F. Pescud, 4th do. ; Dr. J. J. W. Tucker, Surgeon ; C. H. Thompson, Orderly Sergeant; J. J. Ire dell, Com'y and Treasurer, J. H. Kirkham, Quar termaster H. D. Coley, Ensign. MISCELLANEOUS. JAPAN. The Japanese, in their physical conformation, differ materially from the Chinese, or the ap pearance of the former is perfectly unique and peculiar. Their countenances are pre-eminently distingushed for a feminate softness, tinged wftha hue of & they are graceful in their movements and every thing which becomes the gentleman. Their easy walk is the very poetry of motion. They are remarkable for their self-possession as well as their ' dignified deportment, and seldom are known to manifest the least surprise.. The com plexion of the higher classes (such as the prin ces of the blood and the nobles of the land which I met on my way to the capital of the country, iu the cities of Kanagawa and Kasacca, aud saw, at the interview with the Commo dore.) is a rich olive, their foreheads high and their eyes dark, while the complexion of the Chinese has a cadaverous appearance, foreheads low, ej'es sma.l, and their expression of counte nance reminds you of a pewter button set in lard. In one word, the Chinese are common clay, while the Japanese are pure porcelain. The Japanese temples are most beautifully and eligibly situated on the highest hills and iu the most charming groves. You enter them generally through rows of choice trees and wiid japonicas, which are as hig!i as our ornamental trees which shade our dwelling. They are not distinguished either for architectural ta.-te or beaut', and have no storied aisles and fretted roofs, but are large primitive structures, with ornamen:ed door-ways and exposed rafters, re sembling the temples seen all over China. Thev are neat and clean, and the floors are covered with mats. Thev 'have no chimnevs, for, like the houses, they are warmed-by l-ra.-iers. The most indifferent paintings adorn the walls of these temples, and in front of them you al ways tiud large bells for summoning' the people. fonts of holy water and numerous huge idohs. The highly ornamented altar is theou!y thing which attracts and retains your attention, for it almost persuades you that you are in a Roman Catholic temple ; and were it possible to trans fer the idols from the Japanese temples to those in America, I very much douht whether either class of worshippers would be ny the wiser, or even aware of the change. Erect a cross in a Japanese toinple, and jon cannot distinguish the one from the other. The priests shave their heads, count their beads, wear long robes, and the service is attended ly the lighting of cun- dles, the burning of incense and the ringing of bells. The striking resemblance between the externals and ceremonials of the two religions is very remarkable, and must have appeared so to all who visited therm- The priests who effi ciate in these temple's are under the vows of celibacy and are supported by the voluntary contributions of the people. The temples are principally Buddhist and the worshippers that throng them are idolaters. May the Sun of Righteousness soon rise upon the provinces of Japan, scattering the darkness of many genera tions and transforming this island-home of idol atry into one beautiful and, glorious sanc.uary! Rev. Mr. Btttinger. A Good Hit. A negro woman named Patsy who resides in Blanford, has had for the last twelve years, a scale over her right eye, by which that optic was closed to daylight. A few nights ago in a fuss ith her husband, he struck her down with a blow in the blind eye, when next day she found she could see with it equal to the other eye. Although the remedy is not an over pieasant one, still we apprehend that to Patsy this blow -must have proved a very pleas ant coup d'ail. Petersburg Express. An Intelligent Banker. At a hearing be fore the Supreme Court of New York, recently, on the question of appointing a receiver to take charge of the affairs of the defunct Empire Ci ty Bauk, Mr. Bininger, the President, was ex amined, but could not tell what the assets were, or what they amounted to. The close of the examination was as follows Judge Were you not selected as president because you had the same name as your well known namesake, the grocer. Answer No. Judge What was the reason, then ? Answer I do not know, but suppose it was because " I lived in the neighborhood of the bank." Judge Have you had any experience in Banking? Answer No. Judge Do you know anything- about bank ing ? Answer No. Judge Was that the reason you were ap pointed ! Answer Yes. Westward, Ho ! The Wisconsin papers say there is to be an immense immigration thither, from the Atlantic States, thi3 spring and summer. We do not wonder at it, if the statements they give us, of the cheapness of living there, to say nothing of plenty of work, and an excellent climate, are all correct- Mechanics, bartizans, laborers, who cannot get work even at starvation wages, in the over crowded cities of this section, let not another winter find you here instead of there. North m paper. Wickedhess of Germah Nktvspapebs. -The German Reformed Messenger denounces severely the character of some of the German newspa pers in the United States. It remarks: w The smallest number of mere English read ers can have any conception of the godless and infidel character of some of the German papers in this country. " "We allude- not now to those papers in the intejior of Pennsylvania, many of which are entirely free from objectionable matter, but mainly to those " issued in our larger cities, both East and West. Their editors are in every instance Foreigners disappointed revolutionists, ultra socialists, and frequently Jews, although the latter are unworthy of the name Were we to pass a judgment upon Germany from the spi rit which breathes from these weekly sheets, we should conclude, that the whole nation was one entire mass of corruption. And yet such a judgment would be far from the truth. Nine out of every ten of these miserable creatures, who are at the head of the papers referred to, are the scums and offscouring of their father land involuntary , exiles in many instances expelled students, who "left their country for their country's good." Odt Door Ex iircise. City people, country people and every body else should carefully read this extract froii Hall's Journal of Health : It is owing, mainly to'their delight in out-' loor e! xerlsefSal : thfe '-eld vatedtlaSseif irf Eng land reach a" patriarchal age, notwithstanding their habits of high living, of late hours, of wine drinking, and many other health destroy ing agencies ; the deaths of their generals, their lords, their earls and dukes, are chronicled al most every week, at 70, 80 and 90 years ; it is because they will be on horseback, the most el- eatitand rational and accomplished of all forms' of mere exercise, both for sons and daugh ters. But the whole credit of longevity in these classes, must not be given to the love of field sports, it must be divided with the not less char acteristic traits of an English nobleman he wiil take the world easy; and could we; a.s a people, persuade ourselves to do the same thing habitually, it would add ten years to the aver age of human life, and save many a broken heart and broken fortune, and broken constitu tion. Discovery ix Baking. A correspondene of the Scotsman, writing from Munich, says : " I have visited Profesor Liebig, aud seen his admirable lecture-room and laboratory, models for imitation in other countries. He told me that in England the bakers use a great quantity of alum in making bread. It is employed to make the bread white, r oist and soft. It acts by coagulating the gluten of the wheat, and it is deleterious in its effects. He has discovered that water saturated with lime produces the same whiteness in bread, the same softness, and the same capneity to retain moisture, while the lime renioes all acidity from the dough, and sup plies an element needed in the structure of the bones, which is deficient in wheat and still more so in rye. I ate bread made of it in his house, it was excellent. He uses fivd pounds of water saturated with lime, to nineteen pounds of rlour No other change is necessarv in the process of bak ing. Ihe lime coagulates the gluten as effectually as alum does. The bread weighs well and the bakers consequently approve of it. He allowed me to report the discovery at discre tion' INCIDENTS OF THE WAR. mortality at scttari. The mortality here has decreased somewhat, and 1 hope it may never again rise to the height at which it stood on the four preceding days. It is still, however, fearfully great. On the 29th there were 52 burials; on the 30th, 45 ; on the 31st, 52 ; making in three days a toial of 150. From the 1st till the end of the month, the in terments at Scutari have amounted to 1,480, in cluding three officers, two women and two chil dren. The morning sick list here yesterday showed that there were then in hospital 178 offi cers and 4,794 non-commkssioned officers and privates. A GHASTLY rr.OCESSION. A large number of sick, and 1 fear, dying men were sent into Balak'ava to-day on French mule litters aijd a few.of our bat horses. They formed one of the most ghastly processions that ever poet imagined. Many of these men were all but dead. W7ith closed eyes, open mouths, and ghastly attenuated faces, they were borne along two by two, the thin stream of breath, visible in the frosty air, alone showing they were still alive. Jne figure was a horror a corpse, stone-dead, strapped upright in it's seat, its legs hanging stiffly down, the eyes staring wide open, the teeth set on the protruding tongue, the head aud body nodding with frightful mockery of life at each stride of the mule over the broken road No doubt the man died n his way down the harbor. As the apparation passed, the ouly remarks the soldiers made were such as this :- " There's one poor fellow out of pain, any way !" Another man I saw with the raw flesh and skin hanging from his fingers, the naked bones of which protruded into the cold air, undressed and uncovered.' This was a case of frost bite, I presume. Possibly the hand had been dressed, but the bandages might have dropped off. All the sick on the mule litters seemed alike on the verge of the grave. THE FRENCH ARMY REINFORCED. The French army has received an important reinforcement. The eighth division has arrived at Kamiesch ; it consists of 1 0,000 good troops, The ninth division, under General Brunet, is expected to arrive very shortly. Our allies wil, then muster upwards of 75,000 bayonets. The Turks in the Cbersoneae do not seem to amount to more than 5,000 or 6,000, judging from the size of their encampments. A Flat Contradiction. An orator holding 101 in in tavor ot woman dear, divine," con eluding in this wise "Oh, my hearers, depend upon it, nothing beats a good wife." "I beg your pardon," replied an editor, "a Daa cusband does." BuRursG Mud tor Coal. Dr. Thomas Hooker, of ew Orleans, claims to have discovered a chem ical preparation, which, mixed with mud as a brick layer would mix lime with sand, makes an excellent coal coal that can be made and sold in the New Orleans market for thirty cents? if made by ma chinery. It is said it lights easily; there is no offensive smell emitted ; bat little smoke, and very little dust or cinders. Tt ia .mtm.t ti'mM to attend to the pro- & ' ; . . . J I jects of men who have become weaned Dy tneir pursuits, as they look to farming as the only callinsr which premises reward. They speak ot 1 it with all the confidence and assurance ot men whosa lives have been spent in tilling the soil promising to themselves and their friends, such results as understanding farmers never dared to look for. They, without reflection invest their money in land, stock, and implements, plunge headlong into the mazes of agriculture, and m a few years wake up to the mortifying conscious ness of having most egregiously mistaken their calling. Such is in brief the history of many a man men who have never thought it worth while to inquire whether anything more was necessary to constitute them successful farmers. It is to Riie.h farmers as these, that agricultural literature owes many of its opponents. ' Posses sed of neither practical skill or judgment, with a little smattering of book knowledge, their boast ing of what they intend doing in the first place, their abortive efforts to make good their boast ing in the second place, and their failure in the third place, disgusts the practical farmer and leads him to undervalue the advantages which he by combining the scientific with the practical might realize.. Lecture. STOCKHOLDERS' MEETING. Pursuant to a call of the President of the company, tW stockholders of the North Caro lina Eailroad Company, met in general meeting, at Greensboro', N. C, on 5th of March, 1855. On motion of Mr. J. M. Morehead, the meet ing was organized by calling P. C. Cameron, Esq., to the Chair, and appointing D. Coleman and F. Fries, Secretaries. Messrs. D. Coleman and F. Fries, were ap pointed a committee to examine proxies and re port the number of stockholders present, and the number of shares represented. The committee report sixty-two stockholders present in person, representing twenty-five hun dred and ninety -four shares, and two hundred aud thirty-three stockholders preseut by proxies, representing thirty-five hundred shares, say in all 295 stockholders, holding 6094 shares. As the necessary number of stockholders re presenting the necessary number of shares of stock to form a quorum to transact business, thus appeared to be present, the meeting was pro nounced by the Chair, ready to take up the sub ject for which they had assembled On motion, it was resolved by theStockhold- ers of the North Carolina Railroad Company, in general meeting assembled, That the capital stock of said company, shall be increased one million of dollars. The President of the Board of Directois, laid before the meeting " An act for the completion of the North Carolina Railroad," passed by the ast Geueial Assembly of North Carolina, and explained the object of the provision of that act. A motion was made, and a stock vote being cfdied Cor, the meeting unanimously adopted the foHowinff: Resolved, That the Stockholders of the North Carolina Railroad, in general meeting assembled, give their Jissent to the provision ov an act, pass ed by the last General Assembly of th State of North Carolina, entitled, "An act tor the com pletion of the North Carolina Raitioad," and do accept of the same. Mr. I). Coleman presented theTfoilowing res olution: Rt solved, That from and after the day of , 1855, neither, persons, mails, mer chandise, produce, or Ireiyht ot any kind what- oever, shall be transported upon the Nonh Carolina Railroad on the Sabbath day, except 111 cases ot extren e nece ssity, which was laid on the tab'e at the request or the mover. Mr. F. Fries otlered the following resolution Resolved, That the Stockholders of this Com pany, going to, and returning trom general meet ings ot the Company, tiavel over their road free, wli'icli was adopted uiiammouslv. n motion it was Revolved, That the President of the Company be directed 10 tender tiie subscription book for ore .stock, to the treasurer ot the State to make thb State's .subscription, authorised under an act passed by the General Assembly of the State ot North Carolina Railroad ; -having pre viously nirnisued ttie uovernor ot the State with his certificate, signifying the as-sent of the stockholders ot thts meeting to said act. On motion, the Chairman declared this meet ing adjourned sine die. PAUL C. CAMERON, Ch'mn. D. Coleman, F. Fkies, Secretaries. PKOFESSoks. Inthe youthful days of the 1 writer, (says the Enquirer,) when we heard the name of "Ptjofessor" mentioned, we fancied that the person alluded to was a gentleman, of learn ing and elevated character.- Years have passed. the " age of progress" has arrived, and the namfi of Professor ho loncrer has the sicrmfWiieA n.l importance once attached to it. We now find "Professors" in every department in life, and many of them ignorant illiterate pretenders bringing intdjj disrepute a title once used to des ignate greatness and worth. We might speak at length on jthis subject, and refer particularly to the numerous itinerant mountebanks con- stantly strollmg through the country, strangers to everything but impudence, and attempting, by the use ofj high'sounding titles modestly ap- , . i : ,j v.. i i i . i i yucu ia; luemseivesi io paim tnemseives on upon an unsuspecting, community, as something great and worthy, jj The moment a man can find cour age to go in jja balloon, although he knows not the alphabet and nothing about the science of teronauting, he dubs himself "Professor;" and so in reference to thousands of others who betake to the once honorable title to impress the public j within idea of their greatness and to enable them the more readily to humbug the people. A short time since a "Professor" made his ap pearance in this city " to cure corns." It is time the petple should treat with the scorn they de serve, art such modest, bastard Professors. The destruction of Col. Benton's house.- The National Intelligencer, in its account of the destruction of the mansion of Hon. Thomas H. Benton, gives the following incident : " Mr. Benton arrived from the Capitol in a brieftime, and at once asked respecting his books and valuable papers. One of his daughters, who had taken refuge at Col. Fremont's, one of the adjacent buildings, replied, 'We have saved nothing, father, but ourselves; your papers are lost.' 'Then let the house burn on,' said Mr. Benton, in an "apparently calm manner ; and for a time he continued to look on the men with more concern for the men who were at work, en cased in icy armor, than for any interest he might be supposed to possess in the perishing property." The Washington Globe, speakinc .' of the fire toVi oeTiAHA Cr DA 1 , TXT - nouse, says : ."7r "I". " replied, 'No, it was not insured ; but, I care noth ing about that; insurance could not have saved all that I considered valuable the bed on which my wife died, on which I sleep ; ber clothes, which were in a trunk setting at the head, of it; the articles which she prized most, around it the last things I saw at night, and the first in the morning and th papers in the adjoining room, many of which can not be supplied. But what I shall most feel ; more than I now do ; will be the loss of the memorials of my wife, whose body, still above ground, it will be my first care to remove to St. Louis when re leased from CongresSjNto be buried in the place in which I had collected the remains of my dead ; my mother, children, grand children, sister; to take the place by their side which she and I had marked out for ourselves." 0m Witt )0St WILLIAM D. COOKE, JAMES A. WADDELL, M. EDITOSS. RALEIGH, MARCH 17, 1855. Terms TWO DOLLARS FEB AJLN MM., ia Advance. CLUB PRICES: $5 full price,. Three Copies,. . . bight Copies,.. Tea Copies , ..12 a "16 j ....20, ....40. Twenty Copies, .20 - i 'Payment in all cases in advanet.) Where a club of eight, ten or twenty subscribersis sent, the person making up the club will be entitled to a copy extra. Postmasters are authorized to act as Acents for the Southern Weekly Post. Mr. H. P. Douthit is our authorized agent for the states ot Alabama. Mississippi and I ennessee. SPANISH INTOLERANCE. We find in the Baltimore Sun, the following remarks upon recent movements in Spain in fa vor of liberty of conscience. It is well known that the Sun is by no means partial to Whig- ism, Know-Nothingism, or Protestantism. We auote its language, therefore, with the more freedom : Spain axd Liberty. The cause osf Liberty is onward. The universal principles of human right will yet vindi cate their vnhersality. Although Europe has for centu ries been more or less subject to the power of a dominant church, aud Spain, among the most zealous and devoted of nationalities within its pale, spiritual or political, or both, we have now decided indications of the dawn of a more liberal and independent spirit even in old Castile. The last advices from Europe comprise the evidence of a great change in progress, and although success has not followed immediately upon the liberal movement, we see enough to anticipate the partial redemption of the Span ish Cortes at no distant day. On the Sth of February, M. Ruis Pons, moved an amendment on the clause in the constitution which re cognizes the Roman Catholic religion as the religion of the State, and torbids any public act repugnant to the observances of that religion. The amendment also re cognized liberty of conscience, but it was rejected. Such amendment, however, is sufficient to quicken the hopes of every friend of human liberty, and the right of the people to the free exercise of their will in matters of reli gion. Compared with the exclusive spirit and policy which has for centuries past ru ed tlje authorities of Spain, the movement is a most significant one. Sudse queut to the failure of the amendment of Pons, Orense and other members of the Cortes supported another re solution to secure religious- liberty, but this was also re jected, and. we hare the vote upon it, 139 to 73. This is a strong vote, seventy-three members of the Spanish Cortes, representing, indeed, the democratic element of the country, and the opposition spirit' prevalent in Ma drid. Espartero is a man of resolution, and adheres firmly to the restrictive provisions of the constitution, and the arbitrary power of -the ministry. But the supre macy of ecclesiastical dominion is assailed. Its unity is impaired, andthe repuhlican tone of the Cortes gives to the world the assurance that the days of politico-religious dominion are numbered. Several of the States of Europe have, within a few years past, asserted their intyjendencs, in direct antagonism fo the vexed authority of the Church, which ha heretofore ex ercised equal power in the State councils, and sometimes an influence superior to tJtat of the State. The time is evi dently advancing, however, when liberal principles will disintegrate the cohesive elements or all such associati ons, aDd leave the people free at least to pursue the dic tates of conscience, within the scope of that rational li berty essential to social order, We ask especial attention to the words we have italicised above. It thus appears that there are two parties on the subject of the rights of conscience in the Spanish Cortes the De mocratic party contending for those rights, and the Conservative or Catholic paity in a large majority opposing them. Well may the Rich mond Examiner tcall the Romish Church4 the 4t Gibraltar of Conservatism.'' In the last paragraph of the foregoing the reader will find it distinctly admitted, by the Sun, that this intolerant church has of late both claimed and exercised a paramount political power in various States of Europe ! The Sun makes, the following practical ap plication of these new movements in Spain : It is strange that while States of Europe are thus con tending against the ecclesiastical dominion which has so long and relentlessly oppressed them, and are gradual- lv winning their way to light and liberty, the States of this Union should be contemplating an adverse policy. We affect to glorify the monarchies of Europe, as they emerge from the thrall of religious intolerance, yet at the same time there are those among us who, within the very sanctuary of civil and religious liberty, propose the os tracism of their fellow citizens, because they Jo not pro fess a kindred faith to their own. ' There is nothii g more insidious than religious intolerance. But there is at the same time, nothing more truly adsurd than the glorifica tion of tolerance out of one corner of the mouth and the outcry of relentless proscription from the other. Men may endeavor to reconcile these things with their notions of consistency, but others must stultify their intellect to the level of idiocy to be thus deluded, or else led captive hl tbir Preiudices. theJ are determined to -go it But we too have a practical use to make of the facts thus revealed. As in Sardinia, so in Spain, the influence of the Kmish Church is now exercised in opposition to the liberal or democratic party. In the latter country this democratic party is, for the present, in a hope less minority, notwithstanding the apparent change for the better in, the administration of the government. The sympathies of all good republicans in this country, are due especially to the democratic party in Spain, which is found struggling against such tremendous odds. It is the duty of the republican press everywhere to make common cause with these Spanish patriots, who are endeavoring to break down the politi cal dominion of the Romish Hierarchy in Spain, and to secure a lasting recognition of the rights of conscience. Those papers which here repre sent that hierarchy as friendly to freedom, civil and religious, not only contradict all the histo ry of the past, but resist the evidence of facts now constantly transpiring on the theatre of .European politics. Their course is calculated to encourage and sustain, in its policy of peise cution and oppression, the deadliest foe of free dom, known to the world, and at the same time to paralyze the noble efforts of European liberal ists to cripple iu power. v THE 0STEND CONFERENCE. The document which embodies ihe results of the Conference held at Qstend, last Fall, by Messrs. Buchanan, Mason, and tsoule, in rela tion to the proposed acquisition of Cuba by the United States, has at last been made pub lic, and begins to excite universal attention . If we have understood that report correctly, jt embraces the following conclusions, supported by many plausible considerations which are creditable to the ingenuity, if not to. the statesmanship of its authors. That Cuba is eminently desirable to the United States, not merely on account of its immense natural re sources, but because- its geographical position enables its possessors at all times to command the navigation of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi river that its immediate acquUj. tion is important, because its present unsettled condition renders it not unlikely that Spain may be compelled, in order to retain it, to eman cipate the negroes and reduce the island to the miserable state of Jamaica, or else to abandon it to the African population, to become another Hayti on our coasts that, therefore the offer of an immense sum, sayone hundred and twen ty millions, should be made to Spain, and every honorable means of persuasion be employed to induce her to sell the island Ho the United States (which offer and all others that government has. since refused)-that they will not pretend to determine whether -the seizure of Cuba j now necessary to the continued safety of our . country, but if such should be the opinion of the Administration and of Congress, they would regard that plea &i ample justification of the act, and would urge the prompt execution of the measure indicated. Such, we say, is our understanding of this remarkable document. We forbear to- com ment upon it furtherthan to say that, if the for cible seizure of Cuba be indeed necessary for our self-preservation, the United Stales must be in a desperate condition, and a resort to this plear which is only justifiable in the last Tesort, would be a confession to the world that our country is on the verge of ruin. We have just read the letter of Mr. Marcy -to Mr. Buchanan, written soon after the present Administration came into power, in which the . views of the Secretary of State- are presented in commendable contrast to the subsequent re coramenditions of tjie Ostend Conference. Mr.' Marcy evidently disapproves of any strong measure fdjr the acquisition of Cuba, and would not consider such an act justifiable unless, to use his owrijvoids, some u modification " of the Spanish administration over it should occur, "which is likely to be injurious to the United States, or to the well-being of tLe governments on this continent.". The recent course of the Administration towards Mr.-Soule, and the de cided opposition manifested to every sort of filli bustering expedition, leads us to hope that the wise aud honorable policy .advocated by the Secretary of State 'will hereafter' Lo sustained by the President apd the country. Should Cuba be Africanizt d, or in case of a successful attempt at revolution on ihe part of the Creoles, should any European power inter fere to perpetuate their thraldom under the do minion of Spain, we would advocate the iiite position of the United States as warmly as any one. Certain great and 'admitted principles would, under such circumstances, clearly justify us in aiding the oppressed patriots, and receiv ing them, if they desired it, into our family of States; but for the sake of our national charac ter, let us not, in a time of peace, with no bet ter plea than that of tyrants, necessity, invade the territory of another nation, stain our hands with the blood of its defenders, and extend the area of our country at the expense of "its glory. , J We have sundry smaller objections to the acquisition of Cuba, in the manner indicated, but we will not trouble the reader with them. Could it have been obtained by fair purchase for a reasonable sum, we are not so sure Jhat we should be averse to it. But that is for the present out of the question. Spair has posi tively refused to sell, probably because she felt in honor bound to retain the island, after o0 many fillibustering attempts to take it. There may,. however, at some not distant day, prevail in her councils a'more .liberal spirit. The tendency in that country is to reform, and there may be a' decided revolution which will produce a neces sity for money, which the sale of Cuba would readily supply. u A masterly inactivity," on our part, is clearly indicated by all the circum stances of the case. Violence of the Press. The extremely violent tone of the partizan press generally, throughout the United States, is well calculated to excite alarm in the bosom of a patriotic ob server. We do not recollect ever to have seen 6uch disgraceful exhibitions of party rage, as are now daily witnessed in various quarters. The English language seems taxed to its utmost ca pacity for opprobrious and abusive terms with which these furious editors seek to overwhelm one another. Now, in our opinion, there is no thing more undignified, more indecent, more childish, than such insane fury about the deter mination of questions which depend for their solution upon facta alone. There is nothing which more clearly indicates a want of confi dence in one's cause. Truth needs no such en forcement. She is stern and uncompromising, but has no more affinity with passion, than with error. It is impossible for the popular mind, to which these violent appeals are made, to deter mine the truth of anything, in the midst of such a tempest of verbose declamatiora, as that which now rages around it. Wb assure our correspondent, who speaks in behalf of fhe " Oak CityGuards," that our reference last week, to that gallant body, was made in no spirit of disrespect, e mentioned them as the Only military corps in this city of which we . had heard at tha time. They will never, we feel confident, employ their arms in any other than an honorable cause, nor do we suppose they would be willing to co operate in any attempt to crush the liberty of the press. We wish abundant success to tbenv as well as the Independent Guards, and the Fire Company too. The express train on tbe Hudson B.iv railroad, on Friday, ran thirty miles in 555 minutes!
Southern Weekly Post (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 17, 1855, edition 1
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