i f - : V , " , r -. '. . - - r '..!.. f - j - - ' ; i ; . . .
5 i t J 'H.MS " . - - -r 1-- ' - I"- ?- . - -1- ; r t - , ' -k 4f - -: -
. H'-" ;
BOKHARA: ;
lmir and its People.
Trtnslated Ifidiri the! R)i3s'an ,of KhanikofT. ,By the
lemem a. tie lioue, Madden, v
During: the last five centuries, a. large share
f public Interest has been directed to the Kha-
Vat of Bokhara, as the great central point where
(tkc lines jof jcommerciaKontercourse between
DortbeasteTri and southern Vnu ' western Asia
converge recent events' have attracted a more
painful curiosity towards jhis country, since its
exploration has cost the lives of our countrymen;
'''? ' iai 'it , . m .a
Stoddard and:onouy. nnaniKoii, me author
of the volome before us, appears to have visited
Bokhara in an official capacity ; ho hat corn
piled his account from the narratives of prcvi.
013 travellers, connected and enlarged by. his
own observation, and appears, in some instances,
o have obiaioed valuable; information from the
vMohammedart authorities. , We sliall endeavor
H give; a cOmJreised butli tie of; his description
ti the jan, Moplej and rulef f Bokhara, refer
ring those ivlfi are anxioufpr further details to
"the wof ic3ci: . ;;r'-"" v
I Tie bouridaxiesof the Khanat of Bokhara are
fixed by mountains 6u the north and cast; they
taeel the lerstan j)rovtnces on' the 'south and
loath.westi vUere the i desertsto jiomc extent,
form a natural; frontier, and oh the western side
it is nornttxally! joined by the Khanat of Khiva,
but the jgratjiten!t pfthe intervening dtslcX
renders It jmpbssible to ti a definite frontier.
Jflie extent of .the Khanat of Bokhara mar be
estimated at jabout 5,600 square miles, but' riot
more than 'this tenth part of this is inhabifed the
remainder beirjg unfit for occupationYor at least
untenanted The. country; fur the most part,
presents the 'aspect of a succession of clayey
isline soili and sandy steppes, having a visible
dope to the spith-vjesf. Ijs chief rivers are the
Amu.Uariva,(Uxus) and it& tribntnri. hut thn
termination
ol
, r --. , r
the Amu in the sea bf Aral, ren-
ders it of comparatively little alue as a highway
fi trade. Kl
anikofT enters at somo length m-
to the discussion of the "tekata qucestio, the an
i , i ? ; i
cient courte of the Oxus, and inclines to join
ihose tvho'4ss rt, that thelriveri'at one period,
bowcii Mq inq iaspian, we nave not,Jibwevr,
icen any examination of the country sufficiently
iccurate to juaily a positive conclusion. We
ttJoweyfer suggest tieossibijitx of the
course Of the ri er ha vingbeen changed by some
tonrulsion o ( vhich the following curious cir
cumstanrejarTo daf a1 little Corroboration : J
HThere isM superstitioijs belicprevalent Lt
Bokhara, that i on- the eve !of every new year,
vbichjlhey'recinfrpm theyernal equinox, there
Diust oe an earthquake, and in order. to be suk-e
of it, they stick a knife in the ground over night,
reckoning h$ commencement of the year from
the moment the knife falls from the vacillation of
thearth.'i
The absence bf streams,
wells, and fountains,
eipbsei the inhabitants of
the Khanat to great
inconvenience and. sufferin
, Indeed, a prrv
lent and painful disease, qfwhich we quote the
description: isj gene
attributed to this cause
MMArt;isfan illness of which the symptoms
iw,that sojne parts of the tody swell and fester;
the patientUfleii feels acute pains in the bones,
ind constant in vard heat, a parched mouth, and
continual hirst, -Occasionally, we may even
lay frequently, tc the great relief to the patient,
the ulcer bursts, and exposes to view a small flat
worm, of a viiitish - colour,! which 13 cautiously
Kized by means, of two snjall thongs firmly tied
tsether,and dmwn out by little and little. In
Bokhara the r" a re expert persons-who can dis
rn from, e'xternal signs when the worm is near
to skin, which ihey pierce through by means
cTa small hojok, and draw it out, but one " must
k,T?ry cautouj "during the joperation not to
epk the vforh in two, or cave the head inside,
se;the wprtn iscapes to another place, and
?Wch is wjrebfteri pehetrtites 'deeper 4Jito
!Mhody, djfbtnsAvhat Jk called the hidden
Tjtska. v Injt he li Liter case ; the worrns on being
strojed i theibody creates inveterate swell
"flgsj and (fjijie sinews are attacked, Iho feet
jnd arms becon e contracied, and dry oft, leav-
ng tJiO pat eat d cripple fur; life. The number
siderable.
had no
1 - 7""-- -! " w ohiiiv aiai
tnenativef attribute this iUhess to the unwhole
omi qualify f jthe.Avater in their hauz, or res -"ws
of . va;ter; and in corroboration of the
ttrrectness ofthjsfact , wo jmay add that persons
wrink witef out of w. lls, and the running
ater in jijQ pnals, are elVrant from that com-
Tie population of Bokhara is verjdiversi-
m i but tjifrf Ukbeks appear to be thmost rtuH
erous tribeip; Their customs differ little from
W of otuel nomadic rac :s, but they have a pe
Biliar me fcalleduJt.orTi, of such a singular
Lftture, that We extract, the description :
Ion!
;mg to the tr aster, whose guests they happen
f The messenger, oh fulriliinir his errand.
Wheih;t;4f'.tbe:kid, and grasping it firmly
H his -right'hand by the vo hind legs, hastens
Jjhe ;y7.1 The;'; latteras. soon as they
t'py him returning from i . distance, rress for
M to meet hip, and endeavor to wrest the
UuS&tcred aoiihal from his irrasn. Whenever
4nJ one obtains; the raro success of snatchincr
limb or
pursued by
ma nf clinr.
S.the 8poil j The game lasts until one of the
"y succeeds in carrying off a large slice of
rM'.home!, and in screening himself from
r-pursuH. I The excitement of the game
iiff excess, that murders are
.cotnmtea.. Custom, which has re
Z V" tHs ?nflanco h'3 force of law, forbids
tu T ,s Hf fj16 murdered to seek redress at
hat T i i tt Urdere "t. if t can be proved
io game of
W T ' 1ave' been toldtbat even thc'Amir,
. ,,hiy sits Samarkand in" autumn, takes nart
jjmesjand is not offended if pushed by
if f? happensjto receive a lash with
&ti aa lhe, latter can hardly be avoided at
cjn,ft i , "n - r 111 j jlueI"crea kiu, De
ity: "une
be o LrnnZA it-j
i ; :ucavouring to
'ear the way for' his
j - , ; t '
ere ' L' ' ' -
ikott- v? tnbdVm..D?raravWDIch
. ? 18 clincd 1 to connect Avith the.Gip.J
-Tb
Its
, y. -urnis is someumes very con
5 oid that an inhabitant of Khiva
liian izii 01 sum v
kMj hundred br more riders assemble togeth
Jr and havjngj chosen one frorhjheir party,
. i -
ytiie vhole carcass, qr eien only a
nent of itj libeU off in hiiturn,
7a Of hisf Companion ntl aro oairi
BRUJJERl: & JAMES,
A Editors
:$ Proprietors. , 7 ,,-.
C"J
syirace; they are horse-dealers and fortun
ellers, thrir women go unveiled, and hare not
be best iftcharacterj; :They arejearded as
inu-nor ueings, and are not allowed to pilch
fhf r tentsn Jhe viemtty of an UzbeckencampI
fI1fnU 4 ?-ties of Bokhara appear to be in
f S? cnUnuous decay Samarkand, a name
Wich prose - pndpoetryr have associated with
wealth and greatness hai fallen into ruins, and
tuuiainf noioing wonny oi remarlc beyond tho
luuju ui lue rwguiy i imur : f !
;f The coffin of Amir Timur is placed in a
fuio, oi me ursi may oe saia io repre
pent the shrine of the creat mosaue. in which
fhs sepulchral monument tor Timur is raised
fri. a t- ' i ., -i . . .
iho .iwr ijjavcu in wnne ma role slabs, the
wills ornamented with inscriptions fronithe Ku.
rah, and heiel and there the ffildini? is still in
gojrxl preservation. In the centre of the second
panmeni,sranas on a marble pedestal, sur
rounded yji grating also of marble, the monu
mntal stonc of Timur ; having the form of a
jbur-conered tnincated pyramid, three feet in
TIT " f c Bl 111 5gin ana is sci up.
on its narrow end. The colour of the stone h
(dark gieenverging on black ; it is well polish,
ed. Nadir.Shah on taking possession of Sam
arkand, had the stone brought before him, in
Inonsequence bf which it is now split in two.
rnne maruie siaos surround it, and it serves
tombstones for the family of Amir Timur.
JTjider the Apartments we have just described,
fsja vault, into which if one has a wish to de
scend one must crawl nearly on all fours. It
contains th coffins of. the persons alluded to,
and the spo under which each lies buried is
marked by It white marble slab with appropri
ate inscriptions on it."
Bokharaps a cheerful looking city ; but its
chief beauty ji rises from the orchards and gar
dens with which it is surrounded. The mode
of laying out the gardens is very similar to that
practised by the ancient Egyptians ; the follow.
ng passage might almost seem a description of
the picture pfjan Egyptian garden in the British
Museum:
j jM Every one who can afford to increase his
prden, neverj fails to do so; there is a kind of
ostentation attached to it, and as the silver pop.
M is the only tree which is allowed to grow
here, which does not yield fruit, the . least 'ad
dfton to a garden is calculated to increase its
profjts. Thefce poplars are usually planted in
side and clps to the mud walls, separating the
garden from other properties, and as they attain
a considerable height, and are very bushy, they
screen the otljer productions of the garden from
the unwholesome effects jbf the cold winds. A
quadrangular pond is usually dug in the centre
of the garden, from whence runnels are drawn
orT in all directions. Four principal paths,
leadingTroni the -pond at right angles, are cross
ed by others, varying in number according to
the extent of the garden. The intervals are
Under fruit-irees and shrubs, such as the vine.
Hhe pojnegranjate, the fig tree, the apricot, the
apple tree, thq pear tree, the cherry tree, and the
Sinjid, or Jegda."
KhanikofT asserts that though there are nu
merous shops; in Bokhara, the trade of the place
U hut trifling, and that most of the shops are
empty. There are three annual caravans to
the Russian fairs, but the heavy expenses of a
transit over a difficult country, destitute of roads,
greatly limit the commercial intercourse. He
adds a hint wjhich should not be neglected :
- : Hi j ' - " '
"Manufacturers who work chiefly for the
markets of! Central Asia must also study more
diligently the prevailing taste of the Asiatics.
ihus, for thsrancefc muslin' turbans 'with cold
borders at cth ends, as they are manufactured
with us, arej more sought after than muslins
brought frojk other quarters. The muslins of
Glasgow, for (example, which have birds repre
sented on thepn, cannot be used by Mussulmans
in making their namaz, for they represent the
figure of a living creature. :It was a lucky idea
on the part of our Moscow manufacturers, who
sent out last year checked turbans : fur they
not only pleased the Tajiks and the Uzbeks, but
the AfTghansjalso. Their quick sale shows how
advantageous 'it is to study variety in saleable
articles, suited to the wants and caprices of one's
customers."
The civil and religious administration of Bok
hara is based on the Koran, and the city being
regarded as invested with peculiar sanctity, the
inhabitants, are among the most bigoted of Mus
sulmans. jTheir fanaticism is increased by
their having a! university in which young men
are trained to hereditary uselessness : their
course of studies being strictly limited to the
Koran, thexommentaries, and the traditions, of
course all novelties of science and al new dis
coveries inf" nature are viewed with as much
horror as by bigots nearer homeThe monks
and kahndtrsy iho begging friars of Islam, lend
their aid to strengthen the popular superstition
and are bitterly hostile to all strangers."
'The presen Amir, o ruler of Bokhara, is de
scribed as a crafty, sanguinary tyrant. lie has
exterminated the Sipahis or old feudal soldiers
of t)ie Khinat, with as little mercy as Moham
med Ali eihib ted to the Beys of Egypt : f
Long did he act in secret ; till at length, in
the latter t end Tof 1837, he declared himself
openly. TheKush-beghi was banished, first to
Kcrshi, then tq Nur-Ata, from whence he was
recalled to Bokbarat and thrown into the palace
prison. ' His tather-tn-law; Ayaz, the topchu
bashi; was named Bey as a recompense for the
eminent jservice he" had rendered the Amir on
his accession to the throne, and appointed gor.
heaped upon him : but he felt the approach of his
downfall as soon as he learnt the late ci ivusn-
beghi nevertheless, as he could not 'openly de-
fy the pcTweroC the Amir, on receiving an order.
to'appeaT before-hinr Bokhara, ho was forced,
pn octagonal ediiice, surmounted by an eleva.
Ie dome 1'jfhe interior consists ojf two apart
bents, of whfch the first may tie said to repre.
-i-r-4
Keep a' check rrox iiii. Voca
IS SAFE.
SALISBURY, ;N
immediately fo attend the summons. (But the
Amir had too much cunning to do him any harm
there. . He. quieted the fears of Ayaz, being
aware that if the old man's suspicions were
roused be might hide a part of his riches, or
consign them over to his son, and thus frustrate
him of; the coveted' wealth.' He therefore re.
ceired him very graciously, and on the eve of
- v.uuuiaiBauu, ucsiuncu UII Ului a
khalat, or dress of honor, of gold brocade, with
a turban of the same stuff. A beautiful Argo.
mak was also brought for him to mbunj on rich
ly caparisoned with gold trappings.! The'Arnir
himself came out and helped him io Vault into
the saddle. Ayaz iwas frightened at this mark
of condescension, and accordingly 'dismounted,
and bowing low his head, said he! feld he was
culpable in the eyes of the Amir, and entreated
that he might be instantly punishcdl asr-Ul-lah
embraced him, thanked him fr tk$ former
services he had rendered him. and with' the suh.
tie caresses bf a snake, lulled the suspicions of
meo.aman. ; Ayaz returned to Samarkand. and
after receiving two most gracious answers from
the Amir to his reports, he fundi v honeri th
siorm was tuown over and that the chief of Bole.
hara had not included in the dissfrace of the
Kush-beghi ; but his illusions sooii vanished;
he was once more summoned to Bokhara, and
thrown into the same prison with the Kush.be
ghi, where they were both put to death in the
spring of 1840. From that period the Amir
-u tu perst-cuie me oipanis wiinoui mercy,
flis hatred at first fell on the rehitinna nf th
Kush-beghi ; ho seized on their property ; ban
ished several -beyond the Amu-iyariyaf; many
were executed; and when the necessity had
ceased of screening his acts under! the! pretext
of his aversion to the Kush-bechi and his par
ty, Nasr-Ullah put to death or dismissed from
the ranks whomsoever he pleased, without giv-
ing io any one an account ot his acts."
The fate of our countrymen, and their long
suffering at Bokhara will give a melancholy in
terest to KhanikofTs account of thb prisons :
"The palace of the Amir Carki built on a
mouna i wneiner natural or artificial 11 cannot
j i .. . .
say) having five or six saienes in S height, and
about one verst and a half in circuit. It has a
square form, and contains about 20,000; square
sajenes, or Uventy-two tanaps. On this area
are built the houses of the Amir, the Vjzir, the
bhikh-Aval, the Topchi-Bashi, the Mirzai Def.
terdar, as well as the Dwellings of the burner-
ous retinue of the Amir and the above
grandees; three mosques t likewise, t
named
tie Au-
lhaneh, with some dark apartments to preserve
a " . - i? j
water ior me Amir during the summer1:
. f -.1 ? .
beats,
but which are- more especially appropri
ated to
state prisoners, when they happen j to give of
fence to their master ; such were, for instance,
the Kush-beghi and Ayaz-bey. From ihence,
to the right of the entrance, a corridor leads in
to another prison, more dreadful than the first,
called the Kaha.Khaneh, a name which! it has
received from the sworms of ticks which infest
the place, and are reared there on; purpose to
plague the wretched prisoners, t hav been
told that in tjie absence of the latter, some
pounds of raw meat are thrown into thej pit to
keep the tieks.alive. This institution of refined
cruelty has probably given rise to the fable of
the pit of scor lions, of which I ha vie repeatedly
heard account i given at Orenburg.! The Zin
dan or Dungen? is to the east of the Ark, with
two compartqents : Zindan-i-baJa (the upper
dungeon) and fhe Zindan-i-poin (the lower dun
geon. The farmer consists of several courts,
with cells for ihe prisoners ; the latter of a deep
pit, at least three fathoms in depth,; into which
culprits are let down by ropes ; food is lowered
aown to mem in me same manner, ice se
pulchral dampjness of the place j in inter,
as well as in summer, is said to be; insup
portable, according to the testimony of witness
es. Twice a; month the prisoners, chained in
irons, are brought out of prison to the reghisian,
where the Arnir gives his judgment on those
who are to be executed, and those who ' are to
be set at liberty. Those of whom! uo mention
is made, have their heads shaved, and are re
conducted to their former cells. This is; only
done with prisoners! kept in the first compart
ment. They generally go barefooted ; Jand to
form even a faint idea of the sufferings of those
unhappy wretches, one must have seen them
standing barefooted on the snow, the thermom
eter of Reaumur marking fifteen degrees below
freezing point,- waiting for hours together the
appearance of the Commander of the Faithful."
From the latest account that have been re
ceived, it appears that the Amir has reduced the
greater part of the ancientTransoxiana or Ma-,
we r-en-nabarj under his dominion, and that he
is exerting himself to introduce principles of or
der and habits of obedience among the wild
tribes of the Steppes.
OCT The Editor of the u Alabama, Jour
nal" has beep presented with a novel ve
getable of tle Cabbage kind, raised from
seed sent from Belgium, by the Hpn. H.
W. Hilliard.j THis vegetable is abut the
size of a small hen's egg, and is a perfect
Cabbage, firm and white; it is said to be
a most delicate dish, and superior tcj any
61 the same (family of plants. IThd eeds
were sown in iuay, aim irttiBjJuH?u in
August as other Cabbage plants are, leach
plant producing from thirty toforty o
rjhese
beautiiui little uapoage neaas.
Scotch BtmJtingThe stability of the
Scotch banking system is illustrated, says
Blackwood, by the fact that at the late,
investigation before a committee of the
House of Commons, it was stated that
whereas iii Scotland the whole " fos sus
tained by the public from thei bank fail
ures, fot d Century cmd u -half , amounted
to 32,0dChe loss to the ;pubtic;7aring
the previous lyearin ljoon aldne, vxzs es
timated at TEN TIMES THAT. AMOUNT. , ' j i
j
.The editor
thatononeeV
without sheddi
! -i , . 7 i .!"'.. , ' V -'. ..fV
The editor of the Shippenburg Herald boasts'
that on one evening! he kissed forty Dutch girls
ling a tear 1 Hard hearted Acretch I
Ruixas.' Do tbisaxd Libextt
, " Gen'L Harrison : "
i i
FEBRUARY 22, 1845.
PROPHECY. OF NAPOLEON.
1 -.
The subjoined prophecy of Napoleon is
said to jbeja suppressed passage from the
Journal of Las Casas, and no one who has
perused that work will doubt it. , r .....
u In , less j than fifty years from the pre
sent time said the Emperor to me one
day, asiwc stood viewing the sea from a
rock which overhung the road. - the whole
European system will be changed. Rev
olution Will succeed revolution until
il
nation becomes acquainted with its indi
vidual rights. Depend upon it, the people
of Europe; will not submit to be governed
by these bands of petty sovereigns these
aristocratic cabinets. I was wrong in re
establishing the order of nobles in France ;
but I did it to give splendor to the throne
and refinement to the manners of the peo
ple, who wre fast sinking into barbarism
since the revolution. The remains-of the
feudal system will vanish before the sun
of knowledge. The people having only
to know that all power emanates from them
in order to (assert their rights to a share in
their respective governments. This will
be the case" even with the boors of Russia.
Yes, Las Oasas, you may live to see the
time but I shall be cold in my grave
when that colosal. but ill-cemented em
pire, will bp split into as manv sovereign
ties, perhaps republics, as there are tribes
which compose it."
After a few more reflections on the fu
ture prospects of Europe, his majesty thus
continued t ..
"Never was a webmore art fully woven
over a nation than; that horrible debt,
which envelopes the people of England.
It has been the means of enriching the
aristocracy! beyond all former example in
any country ; Whilst it has. at the same time,
aroused as imany fast and powerful friends
to the government as there are individuals
who receive interest for that money, so
extravagantly squandered to crush liberty
in other countries ; but even that must
have an end j some accidental spark will
ignite the combustible mass and blow the
whole system to the devil ! If the mighty
debt were due to foreigners, these cunning
islanders would not bear- the burden an
hour, but yould on some pretext or other,
break with their creditors and laugh at
their credulity ; but they owe money to
individual among themselves, and are
therefore likely to enjoy the pleasure of
paying theinterest for generations tocome.
France too has got a debt. Those Bour
bons think to maintain themselves on mv
throne by borrowing largely of the present
generation, in order to lay heavy taxes on
the next, and all future ones. But I know
the French too well to suppose that such
a system can be long tolerated. I know
that they have too much affection for their
offspring, to entail upon them a national
debt like that of England however art
fully incurred. No, no! my subjects are
too sharp sighted to allow the property
accumulated for their children to be mort
gaged to pay the Russians and the English
for invading them, and for the restoration
of the Vielie Courtne Imcfles, who now
insult them ! They will after a time, make
comparisons between them and me ; they
will recollect that the expenses of my gov
ernment Aycre, defrayed by imposts during
the war that my war cost France nothing
that I left her not one fraction in debt
but that I nriched her territory: Such
comparisons will not be favorable to the
Bourbons, i The French will cast them
and their debt from their shoulders, as my
Arabian vyould any stranger who should
dare to mount him. Then, if my son be
in existence, i he will be seated on the
r throne amidst the acclamations of the
people ; j ill he be not, France will go back
to a republic, for no other hand will dare
to seize !a jsceptre it cannot wield. The
Orleans j branch, though amiable, arc too
weak, have too much of the other Bour
bons, and ivill share the same fate, if they
do not choose to live , as simple citizens,
under whatever change takes place."
Here th5 emperor paused for a few mo
ments, then waving his hand, he exclaim
ed, in an animated tone,his dark eye beam
ing with tjie enthusiasm of inspiration
France once more a republic, other
countries will follow her example. Ger
mans, Prussians, Poles, Italians, Danes.
Swedes and Russians, will all join in the
crusade of liberty! They will arm a
gainst their sovereigns, who will be glad
to make a cpnecssion of some of their
rights in order to preserve a minor author
ity over them as subjects. They will grant
them representative chambers ; and style
themselves constitutional kings, possessing
a limited power. Thus the feudal system
will receive its death-blow, and, like the
thick mist on the ocean, it will dissipate
at the first appearance of the. sun of lib
erty. But things will not end there ; the
wheel of revolution will not stand still at
this point the impetus will be increased
in a ten fold ratio, and the motion will be.
accelerated in proportion. .When the peo
ple recover a part of their "rights, as men
they will become elevated with the victo
ry they have achieved : and, having tast
ed the sweets of freedom, they will become
clamarous for a larger portion. Thus will
the statesjand principalities ofVEuropebe
in a continual state of turmoil and ferment,,
perhaps; for some, years-like" the earth,
Leaving in 11 directions, previous to an
earthquake. At length the; combustible
matter r will have f a vent f ; a tremendous
;- :;;;iVEW ISERIES, : ; V,
lNUMBEU-43,! OF i VOLUME L ;
explosion will take place the lava of En
gland's bankruptcy will overspread; the
European world, overwhelming kings and
aristocracies,but cement ing the democratic
interests as it flows. Trust mev Las Cas
as, that as from the vines planted in the
soil which encrusts the sides of jEtna and
Vesuvius, (the most delicious wine is ob
tained, so shall the lava of which I speak
prove to be the only soil in which the tre
u nueny wm taKc jirra and permanent
root. Mav it flourish for aires ! -Ynu ner-
haps consider these sentiments strange and
unusual.they are mine however. 1 was a
republican, but fate; and the opposition of
Europe made me an emperor I I am now
a spectator of the future." London Morn
ing Herald.
From the Lynchburg Virginian. "
CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES.
The attention of Congress has just been
called to a case of flagrant corruption, by
Mr. Eugene McDonald of New Jersey,
the circumstance of which are well cal
culated to surprise the community, and in
deed to alarm the honest yeoman rybf the
country, who, we are sure, are no prepar
ed for such astounding revelationk' More
especially will this feeling be excited if
there shall appear, even -from somewhat
indistinct intimations from other sources,
that there is good reason to apprehend that
the case referred to is only one of many
othersof a kindred character the type of
a class going to show that the public of
fices have been auctioned and sold, like
goods in the mart, to men destitute of that
honesty, (as the fact itself implies.) if not
of that capacity, which we have been
taught to regard as essential in all public
functionaries.
The statement of Mr. McDonald is long
and circumstantial, and we thus abridge
it. During an interregnum in the Navy
Department, a contract was obtained,
through Mr. John Tyler, acting President
of the United States, by one Col. Zabris
kie of New Jersey, for supplying the Na
vy Department with a quantity of live
oak timber. The contract, (which was it
self made in violation of law. no proposal
having been advertised of the purpose of
President, to whom he represented the-sa-
crinces he bad made -in his service, per
I I ; . i i
suimi nnu pecuniary inat ne was com
pletely out of pocket and that, unless fa
vored by him with this contract he must
be irretrievably ruined. The President
told him he should have it, and the neces
sary papers were directed to be prepared.
Mr. McDonald goes on to say that the con
tract, so obtained, was gotten by Zabris
kie not for himself, but for a third nerson
(supposed to be Mr. Swift of New Bedford,
Massachusetts.) who had agreed to pay
Zabriskie ten thousand dollars for his a
gency in procuring it, but who, afterwards
changing his mind, refused to give more
than eight thousand dollars for his share of
the u pickings and stealings" which sum
Zabriskie finally agreed to accept. But
it so happened that two of the principal
officers then in the Navy Department,
who were aware of the villainy! of the
whole transaction, and who werciindeed
the instruments of its perpetration! deter
mined that it should noj; be consummated
without obtaining their share of the per
quisites also, being opposed t& munojtolies
even in crime? Upon the old principle of
dog eat dog," one of them, Mr. Voorhees,
chief clerk of the bureau of construction
and repair, stole a march On Zabriskie, by
carrying the papers, as soon as they were
protected, not to the nominal, but to the
actual contractor. (Swift,) who paid him
at once the sum of 88000. Voorhees hav-s
ing thus the bribery fund in his own hands
and possession being the eleventh point of
law, determined to hold on upon' one half
of the amount, which lie did, in despite of
Zabriskie's furious protestations, who at
length, however, seeing, that it jwas one
of those cases in which silence was the
only prudent course, consented to take the
other moiety. But unfortunate fellow ! he
was compelled to subniit to still another
reduction upon his commissions, of 81000,
for the benefit of Mr. Scott, Navy Agent
.at Washington city ! This statement Mr.
McDonald professes t p have receivedjli
rectly from Voorhees himself in confi
dence, and under a pledge of sccrecyv
some 15 or 18 months ago, a pledge from
which he has been relieved by the recent
death of Voorhees. Such is the statement
and if it be true, what will the country
think of a President Who resorts to a cor
rupt use of the patronage with jivhichhe
is clothed, for the purpose of rewarding
his beggarly partizans, and, if possible,
oT securing thereby bis own re-election ?
It may be said that snch a story cannct be
true that Mr. Tyler is too high-minded
and honorable thus to have prostituted bis
powers, and degraded himself. We hope
it may turn out tobe so ; but . we rather
apprehend that it will not only tuni out to
be true, but that it does not stand solita
ry and alone,"an isolated illustrationlof
the depthtof corruptionfinto f Vhich . tve
have already plunged. At all events, the
accuracy-of Mr. McDonald's statement
will soon be tested by the scrutiny of the
committee on Public Expenditures;ao
Avhom it has Ibeen rrefercd; for Icxarnina-
-; We alluded above to certain other in;
ff n A Vnltit I lonn m.n4 . .1 .1 a .
A,av wcjwiiuiciii iu ici me couiract- auuress recently made oy the lion. J. W. jib. .
to the lowest bidder.) -was obtained by Za- batts, of Kentucky. The occasion which in-'
briskie, upon personal solicitations of the duccd it, was the presentation to Mr. T.i bvlhe -
nml i, l , . 3 -r 8imilar abused
Dl Hit ESYv e shoul11 b more
uatcd that yW&igZ
(mcamns doubtless, the in?ont iohn
Jones of the MadisonianJ -ha
gratuities from' certain persons uho haa,
w:....u,uLt , uius inuirecijy impmin"
bribery to the official editor the court or4
gan. ! Amos Kendall, for Some rcnnn' r-
other, (we pretend nbtUo say what4bo
reason was, though the public are not so "
auu, we imagine, as not to be able" to give
f'Prf Rood guess at? it,) pretended to
think that he was aimed nt in tMc ;n:n..i
ation and, in ii letter to the Globe that"
immaculate natriot tWln
BRIBES HAVE been, tendered him, lb
use his influence toibtaih .m fnr n re
plicants, he has always been far too hbn-1
est to contaminate his hands with the
base lucre and he advertiap tK i,.nt.u.
forth all such tenders will be
jected I But what savs John Jon.? nrt -
deny the soft impeachment r No.'
lie contentshirnself by meetingthe GlobeV
implication bf 7iV honesty with a direct'
charge against the Globe fcclbi He says ,
not a word in vindication of-his own in-:
trgrity but rather impliedly "confesses ;
the corn," and then seeks to place the
Globe on the same a level of infamy by
affirming that that paper l!as been guiW X ,
ty of, bribing an officer of the government."- '
by giving to that officer $3501) to secure '
its editors some S 1 00,000 w'irtK of print.: .
ing, to substantiate wliich allegation theT
Madisonian says it is prepafed. with, tho' .
proof! 1. - . .; ij. r-; ,rv.' i
nWhat will the country say to these dc- ;
velopments 7 Do they not show, that aC r , -radical
change is necessarj' in theofficerst
of the government-a thorough 44 reform. ; . U
in all the Departments an effective par-. 1
ification in the Augean stable, the nffi n- -:
siye odors of which rival already thepu-'i-
Miuiiy yi riuropean courts, and smell rankv
the subordinate stations, a defaulter is de
tected, and is permitted togo unwhint of
justice, but to see the President. of the
United Statesdegrading his high position,
by giving facilities to fraud and-corrup- ;
tion, by giving offices and contracts to his :
parasites and courtiers, in order to enable -them
to fill their purses by bribes and per
quisites, is humiliating to the last degree.!?
Truly, Washington city has become a nest1 V
of foul birds 1 I - : .
THE VALLEY OF
i ' i i
THE MISSISSIPPI.
The following eloauent extract. dprrmflvnr J
the extent and resources of the greaf American ; v
Valley, and the difficulties and loss of life Vt
tendant upon tho neglect of Congress to remoro" '
the obstructions in its rivers, is a portion of an" - I
commercial and river men of Cincinnati, of a
splendid silver pitcher, as a testimonial of their
appreciation of his effortsln Congress to brov
cure appropriations fbr the purchase by the G6-;
vernment of the Louisriile and Portland Canal,"
and for the improvement of the navigable wa-
ters of the West - r -s
.. ' . - , r
" Tho vast eitenrand boundless resource of '
thecreat valley of the JVIiasi..; nnl ri.lVA ton
but little known abroad, and scarcely estimated s ' :i 1'
or realized among ourselves. Extending from V 4 , . '
me xotn to the 47tb degree ot north latitude,
and stretching from tho Allegh'anies to : the .
Rocky Mountains, it embraces an, area of moro T
than 400,000 square miles of land, unsurpassed - 1
in fertility, and unequalleiin its production : at -
j-countryJntersected in every direction by, mag, ; :
pnificent and beautiTul nVers, aflbrding more than- :
12,V00 mile of navigable .waters. . Hero we I,
possess every thing which man can ask for his 1
comfort and independencc-minei of wealth
untold millions of riches in copper, and iron,
and lead are in the bowels of tho earth, and on . - -the
surface rich pastures gladden the ere of the ?s
nerasman, wen adapted to thi raising of cattle ...
and sheep, and; the jirowth tC wool. and i lands -
fertile in tho productions of hemp and floury of - .
of cotton and sugar, ccrn arid maize, ahd"allthe
necessaries and most of the! luxuries of life
and this country is inhabited by rribra than six
millions of people, unsurpafsed byrthe inhabi.'
tants of any portion otthe civjlized world for in:
dustry and enterprise, for talentfor honor, for
courage, and for all Ihe qualities. which' elevate ;
and adorn human nature, and render man asu-1 'fx
perior being. Our resources are thus unbound-:1-ed,
and our people capable' of putting1 ihem Io
tho greatest advantage. Yet we are not con- ''
tent our difficulties are the result of the vervr '
abundance which is yielded to our labors ; ' our t f
productions are vastly more than wc can conv "-Kjl
sume, and we must lind market for them abroad : j
our indetatigaule merchants and traders do ac-
comDlish this, lot their difficulties be what thv
mat' .rmtp tnt mnti nv Sit aim hit a I -
nected the waters of the Ohio, with those of the,
lakes, br the means of nayisableTTcanals : and; :
Indiana; and Illinois will effect the same object
and your citizens, by" individual; enterprize,". f
are ooing me same ny meant of a railroad. ;"
Bountiful as nature has been to us, sbmething' lr
4till is left us to contend with and urmount
Obstructions existin our navigation which can-: ." I
not be overcome by individual or .State enter-'
prize, and we must look to the National Corern- ,.
ment frr the means. Such are the falls of the ' .
Ohio, and ihe rafis and snags, and sawyers '' of V
tuc :uii5i9ippi ana us inuuxariei, inco wmun- .
Ij constitute obstruction to our commerce, but
our enterprising rjver men arein danger of their.
fives at every stroke oTthe piston or the oar. .
Millions of property have been lost and hundreds
of lives have been sacrificed by the 'neglect "of ?
the General Government to make adequate ap. -propriations
for the removal r of these bstruc
t ions and the construction of harbors on the;
western lakes. 'During the last session of Con '
gross, whilst the western appropriatipns wero
under discussion, it seemed lhatj. hardly a'' mail ,
arrived which did not bring the news of some
sad and melancholy disaster upon cur lake s or
our rivers the very breezes which camo over
thcAllehanies seemed to wau upon their-bo. '
soms the death shrieks of our hardy and enter-; r
prising navigators, as they sunk and were i buried : '
in the waters iof the lake or of the Missi ilppi
and the wa cf widowed wives and ori.han
children seemed to accuse the rulers of tho na1
tion of being the murdereri of their husbands'
and fathers by neglecting to cuke tho ncccssa '
ry appropriations.' ; . .. ,'s ; -. . . - "
4
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