Whole Ao. 531.
Tarborough, (Edgecombe County, X. C.) Friday, December 5,
183.
Vol. X JVo. 03.
The Tarborough Free Press,"
bi' r.KOHGR HOWARD,
)ui)lisiied weekly, at 7'7:o Dollars c::d Fifty
.'cuts ;-r year, it" j;ud ia advance or, Three J)ol
.u' at the expiration of the subscription vear. Tor
iiy period less than a year, Twenty -Jive Cents per
iK iuh. Sul)cri!)ers are at liberty to discontinue at
any tinu. u civini; notice thereof and paying arrears
-those reKliiii; at a distance must invariably pay in
a.l iikc'T iive a responsible reference in thisvicinity.
A. U ei tiM-ments, not exceeding 16 lines, will be in
srr tol at 50 cents the first insertion, and 'J5 cents each
c.i,iiiii:uance. Longer ones at that rate for every 16
it--. Advertisements must be marked the number
insertions required, or they will be continued until
i :lierwise ordered, and charged accordingly.
Letters addressed to the Editor must be post paid,
v they may not be attended to.
To the Public.
VINl eM.iMished myself in the Town of
Halifax, the1 object of this is to say that I
have j;ist purchased
J lsiivge J Warehouse,
And made every necessary amme-
.J?J men lor the Storage and Shipping
SSSlii' of COTTON and other Produce, to
Petersburg, Norfolk, or New York.
This houe is situated very high and above the
danger of the rie of water, to which some of
the Warehouses are subject.
Should any of my Edgecombe acquaintances,
and of the adjoining counties, be dispopd to
send Produce this way, their former knowledge
of me will be sufficient for them to know that
their business will be faithfully attended to.
IV ILL. II. H ILLS.
Halifax, 2'2i Nov. 1 S3 1.
Just received and uovv opening.
At the Cheapest Stove in this place.
A large and handsome assortment of seasonable
STAPLE AND FANCY
Cloaks, Blankets, Hats, Caps, Pools, Pumps and
Shoes, S.uldle, Hridles and Harness, Hardware
and Cutlery, Iron and Steel,
Ploughs and Points, Cotton Nagging, Ropf and
Twine, and every other article usually kept in si
milar establishments; all of which may be bought
at prices as cheap as at any Store in ihi St.ite.
J. IV. COTTES.
Tarboro, 13lh Oct. 1S3 L
JYoticc.
flMiE Subscribers are now removing ft om their
old stand to the Store formerly occupied by
Messrs. llyman & Lawrence, and directly op
posite to John V. Cotten's. They will in a few
days offer for ale, a quantity of S', Molasses,
Sugar and Coffee, Hugging, Hope and all ol
the heavy articles which are important to farmers
it thi season of the year.
CASH, and the highest price, will bp p. ml for
baifd Cotton. niciuutns & co.
Tarborough, Nov. 27th, 1 S3 1. U2
Family Jtlouminsrs.
Just received, and now ready for inspection,
Jit the Cheap Cash Store,
Black Italian Lutestring, Gro de Swiss Gro de
Berlin, and Gro de Naples, in great variety,
cheap,
Jlack India Satin Levantine and Sarsenetts,
English and French black Bombazines,
Black French and English Merinoes,
Black Bombazeltes, Circassians, Calicoes, and
Ginghams,
Ladies black silk, cotton, worsted, and lambs
wool Stockings,
Ladies black hoskin and silk Gloves,
Ladies black silk, gauze, and merino Shawls and
Handkerchiefs, in great variety,
Flack silk Fringe,
Ulack worsted and silk blond Edging,
5-4 black Crape, made expressly for veils.
JAMES IV ED DELL.
Nov. 20th, 1834.
Tallow, Tallow.
GOO POUNDS prime Tallow, for sale by
J. IV. GOTTEN.
20th Nov. 1S34.
FAXVZFHXiETS,
Published and for Sale at this Office.
A PATRIOTIC DISCOURSE.... the xVorth
Carolina Whig's Apology for the Kehukee
Association. ...and, A Basket of Fragments, by
tbt Rev. Joshua Lawrence. Also, A Review
of Clark's defence and justification to the Kehu
kee Association, written by a lay member of the
Association. ...and, Occurrences in the life of El
der Joseph Biggs, wrote by himself.
Tarborough, August 9.
on
tin Vs.
CONTENTNEA Association
'Sm?!00"!"1 U,i0n mee,in" h0t,Se'iM f Cy
-j wwi. lust, niju continued in session three
r rom inn Mimuoc !...-.. i . .
. . v, ..w t.diii mat leuers iroia eighteen
elmrches were handed in by their delegates, from which it op
paired that during the past year there were baptiz-d therein
4; received by letter, 7; restored, 1; dismissed better, 23:
excluded, 9; dead, 10; member., 677. The following s the Cir
cular of the Association:
CXRCUXiAK LETTER.
The Contention Association, assembled at Union M- II. ecombe
county, on the. 21th October, 1S34, to all the churches ant brethren
composing the Association.
Dear Biietiiken: According to former mage we address yiu by Cir
cular. As this kind of letters is offered but once a year, we "M Really
anxious to present something that will aid you to grow in gra and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. do not
know how to do this better than by exhorting you to attend ta he li-ht
and to the
HEADING OF THE SCRIPTURES.
The Bible is the word of God. It contains tbe matter and si. 0f all
things concerning the salvation of sinners, and the comfort of saint Pur
suing the letter and the spirit of it, we never wander, nevrr nistake.
Aside Irom the scriptures, all else is but the wild superstition of haihen
ish darkness, or at best, the imagination of enlightened men. Al false
religi..:) arises perhaps from false conceptions of God: and as the Bible
is all the work that gives correct views of him, we cannot read it tb fre
quently nor too carefully. The scriptures display his character as ctator,
and decide whether he willed in sovereignty, or depended on the coun
sel and will of others; whether he worked with sovereign power, x de
pended upon the aid of others. They exhibit him in providence aid re
demption with the same decisions of character. They prescribe thenan
ner in which he will be worshipped by us, whether it must be lv the
offering of our bodies,orof our spirits: whether he will be worshiped as
a merciful Cod only, or a just as well as a merciful God: whether hewill
be worshipped as having only a claim of obedience from us, or whther
h' has not a claim of punishment also. T he scriptures exhibit him to in
the awful and sublime character of judge of quick and dead. Shoving
us whether in judgment a knowledge of our crimes will be lacking, onot,
and whether or not, he will call every sin in to judgment. U'hethe or
not. he will acquit all the human family, or a part, or none: and The
acquits any, they show upon what principle, and if he condemns any, Hey
how upon what principle. They show us our relationship to him: whth
er in our primitive state we did or did not, owe him perfect obedierce:
whether we maintained that state by obedience, or fell from it by trns
gfC"sion: And, if we fell by transgression, whether our transgression ex
erupted us from the debt of obedience, or incurred a new debt of punsh
ment or suffering: and if a new debt of punishment, whether it be tm
porary or eternal. They show whether transgression did or did not is
(pialily us lor ptying the debt of obedience: and, if it were possible fo.us
to pay the debt of obedience, they show us whether that would pay bth
debts, obedience and punishment, and whether one debt will pay tyo
which aie separate and distinct. If we thus owe a double debt toGd,
which we cannot pay, the scriptures show us whether God has cone
scended to grant any discharge or not; and whether that discharge or fr
giveness be the reward of human works, or the gift of divine grace: wheti
er sinloi, lost, condemned and wretched man may become the child T
God; whether ibis is by any change in man or not, either in reforming tb
external deportment, or in repentance toward God, and faith iowati
our Lord Jesus Christ, making him a new creature. They show whetl
er such a jer?on loves nn, or holiness; whether he loves Jesus Christ an'
his service, or satao and his service: whether a saint of Christ can sin an
still remain a spirit; whether or not he is saved so long as he maintains ai
upright walk, and again condemned as soon as he transgresses; or saver
with everlasting salvation. If the scriptures afford this light, (and abun
dantly more. I you will at once agree that there is great advantage in read
ing them. You will pardon us also for pointing to a few of the disadvan
tages of not leading them. As often as you read, you hear in a manner
the voice of your God, your Father whom you love. JNot reading, you
lo-e this privilege. As oft as you read yon see, even if it be dimly, the
lace ot Jesii Christ, and hear his gracious will concerning you: not rend
ing, you lose these blest enjoyments. By reading, we find whether we
have passed from death to life; not reading we may continue; to be deceiv
ed. If the Holy Spirit has wrought the work of salvation within us, and
revealed Christ the way, the. truth and the life, to us, reading tbe scrip
tures makes the way more open and clear, the truth more sweet, and the
life more delightful and heavenly. You loe, in some degree, tbe comfort
of these by not reading. In short, brethren, if you neglect the reading of
the scriptures, you will not be prepared to converge with the brethren with
so much satisfaction, you will lose much even in meditation; you will not
understand preachiug so well; you will grow more worldly-minded,
lukewarm and cold; more feeble to resist temptation; have less zeal for the
prosperity of tbe church and the cause of God generally; be more liable to
receive eironeous doctrine. A sound ministry goes far towards maintain
ing the truth in the church; but whenever the church gives over the read
ing of the scripture to the ministers, it takes the first step toward Jepart
ing from the truth; and continuing to neglect the reading of God's word,
the church will sooner or later be seen departed from the truth ar. over
whelmed in error. It somehmes happens that ministers of our ovn de
nomination through mistake, quote that for scripture which is mere tradi
tion; if you do not read carefully you will receive it and set it do.vn as
scripture. Men through design may quote wrong, and largely ningle
their own trnditious, self-will, and self-choice, and you will not be pepar
ed to detect;.! hem. If he preacher reads a text which you have nu seen
nor heard, you miy judge there has already been a great neglect of read
ing. If you feel more interest in reading men's books than the wcrd of
God, it augurs badly. The truth of the, scriptures is a charge comnitted
to the church for sale-keeping; and it is as though the Lord had said, Heave
my truth in your hands; take care of it till I come. Much depend on
reading the scriptures; perhaps more than upon all other religious exercises
n.ii together. Mav we rend them constantly and impartially; and the Lord
give us understanding in them. May we make them, (and not wlat men
think about them,) the rale of our constant faith and practice. Tie Lord
be pleased to guide you along the narrow way, and lead you thmigh the
strait gate to his rest, for the sake of the Lord Jesus; to whomoc glory
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
0?Thc State of Georgia has purchased of his owner, at the
enormous price of $1800, a negro man named Sara, wih a view
to his emancipation, for his services in extinguishing he fire on
the State House, which occurred upwards of a year a;o.
OR TOE FREE press.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.
Jr. Editor; As internal improvement has for n series of
years, been a subject of much public as well as private contro
versy, and few people in this part of our State, being acquain
ted with the sea coast of North Carolina, I will, through the
medium of your paper, if you please, oiler a sm all communica
tion to the public on that subject.
This communication being intended to give some informa
tion, relative to the nature and situation of the ea coast of
North Carolina, and the country thereunto adjacent, I will be
gin with the southern part of the State; or that ot the Cape Fear
River. That river, where the great impediment to navigation
subsists, is from two to three miles wide; in the river ui that
place is an island, a few miles in length, which is calleu Long
Island; this island is much nearer tiie eastern shore than tho
western; the course of the river nearly due sou'h. t
This island appears to have been formed by the action of the
current; the river above and below this, is margined with rice
farms to a considerable distance: which are of recent date,
as shown by the spunge which forms this soil: tho ditches that
are dispersed through them in all directions, from four to livo
feet in depth, cut ibis decomposition of vegetable matter
with timbers intervening, in all directions, the whole depth of
the ditch: which is unquestionable evidence, that these farms
were once occupied by the water of the river. This some
miles of obstruction to navigation, is about the middle
grounds, between Wilmington and the Sound. Before there
was anything done to improve the navigation, the western
side of this Island, called the western channel, was if my
memory serves me right, agreeably to w hat I was informed
in the neighborhood; about two feet and o half the best; but
the engineer, after inspecting the situation of the place, advis
ed, that a gettee should be constructed across the western chan
nel, stopping the current altogether on that side, by which the
whole action of the water would be thrown on the eastern
side of the island; that channel being much the narrower of
the two, would be acted on in such a way by the current as
to improve the navigation, by cutting out the channel, and
thereby get water sufficient.
A gettee through the auspice of the engineer, was intro
duced by the Board and undertaken at five thousand dollars:
this getiee extends across the western channel, and is, I think,
from half a mile, to three quarters long (I have Walked on the
gettee, backward and forward) it is built of large timbers,
perhaps, from twelve to fifteen or sixteen inches square; two
tier of these timbers are drove perpendicularly into the bottom
of the river, from twelve to sixteen feet asunder; these girded
together at the top, with timbers of the same kind, and the
interval between, filled up with whatever they met with on the
bank, convenient for floating to the gettee. There was an
old gettee, two or three miles above, the particulars of which,
as to dimensions, cost, &c. I did no understand, but was
informed, it had no effect in improving the navigation, for
which purpose it was intended. We will now return to the
five thousand dollar gettee; which being of mammoth cost,
was exported to effect a great improvement in the navigation,
which as above stated, stopped the channel, that had two and
a half feet the best water; and the action of the current, did
not have any effect on the eastern channel, as prescribed by
the E ngineer; and here was an expenditure of five thousand
dollars, for improving the navigation, aud had made it two
and a halt leet worse than it was before they began. Then, to
obviate this impracticability, the plan of a drudging boat was
idopted, with which they were going to apply steam power,
md rake out the bottom of the river, to any depth that might
le necessary; this a performance of manual labor, would not,
Ike the gettee, fail to effect a grand improvement. This
trudging machine, is the contrivance of a boat that goes by
seam, in which there is a large shaft, that is put in motion by
seam power, this shalt lias arms, or timbers to it attached, to
tie extremes of which, are attached iron buckets, or scrapers,
tint by the action of the shaft, are made to pass down, and
scrape the bottom, fill themselves, come up on the opposite
site of the shaft, and empty themselves into the boat. Thus,
wien a boat load is obtained, go off and empty.
The labor bestowed in this way, for several years, that I
waisome little acquainted there, if I mistake not, had little
or io effect: and we do not hear of any great improvement
unt) this day, and it is highly probable, there never will be any
last ng improvement, in the navigation of that river.
'ihe land on the eastern side of the river, from Wilmington
to Federal Point, a distance of twenly miles, is light sand,
whidi yields to the action of the water at every impulse; the
bed if the river, likewise, being of a submissive nature, these,
yieldng to the action of the current, in its descent, and pre
pondiration, will, in air-probability, continue to be thrown in
to the channel, so as to prevent any improvement in the navi
gatioi. 1 will give it as my opinion, at least, (though, I do
not pretend to possess the knowledge respecting those things
which many profit to do) that with all the labor, or drudging,
they cm. bestow, for half a century to come, that the naviga
tion will not be standing, as good as the western channel was
before there was any thing done for improvement.
We will now attend to the improvement, which has been
endeavored to be effected below Newbern, the particulars cf