Decatur Eagle, Volume 9, Number 37, Decatur, Adams County, 1 December 1865 — Page 1

Tlf F I) FCA TU R E AG I E

VOL, 9,

rDT-ET a BL-a DECATUR EAGLE, I 133UED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING; BY A. J. HILL, PCnLIitIEU AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE—On Monroe Street, in the second Iter; of th« building, formerly occupied by j ■Jesse Niblick as a Shoe Store. Terms of Subscription l ■One eopv one year, in advance, tIf paid within the year, a no : not paid until the year has expired, - ™ ItTNo pim-r will he discontinued until al, , arreragesare paid, except at the option of the , publishers. Terms of Advertising! One Square Tthe space of ten lines bre- ! Tier] throe insertions, ■»' V" Kach subsequent insertion, , , J ; CTNo advertisement will ho considered less than one square; over one square will be conn- ! tod and charged as two; over two, as three, Ac j JTT.I liberal discount from the above rates. Blade on all advertisements inserted for ape- j riod l inger than three months. | O’local Notices fifteen cents a line for each j iasortion. Jgl> Printing. Wo are pranar-vf to do all kinds of Plain and ( Fancy Job Printing at the most reasonable I rates Give us a call, we feel confident that aatisfnv u i-.'.n '■>• _ Special Notice. TO 1 0 VBRTISEUS.— Ml advrrtieemente la hen for a specified tine, and ordered out before theeepiration ofthetimespccilied, wiHhr charted the regular rales for tin sumeup tothe time they are ordered out. ~~ SISCELLAXEOUS. THE COINERS. FROM TIIF. DAIRrOF ADKTKCTIVB. During the year of 1847 Uie west was j < flooded with a counterfeit coin. It was,; so well manufactured that it passed read- ! i ily. The evil at last became no great ■ t that the United States aullioritcs reques- 1 1 led that askiltul detective might be sunt i to ferret out the neet of coiners. I was ! fix ’d upon to petbrm that duty. > I had nothing to guide me. The fact, ( however, that Chicago was where the i counlerleit coin was most abundant, led ! ( ine to suspect that the manufactory was j i somewhere within its limits. It was, |i therefore, to the capital of the West that j; I proceeded. I spent live weeks in the * eity without gaining the slightest clue 101 l the counterfeiters. I b< gan to grow discouraged, and ■ really though I should be obliged to re- j i turn home without having achieved any li result. One day I received a letter from my wife requesting mo to semi some ■ 1 money, as she was out of funds. I went ; \ to the bank an 1 asked for a draft, at the : Slime time handing a sum of money to j; pay for it, in which there were several ■ half dollars. The clerk pushed three of ; i them back to me saying, “Counter- i feitV | : “What!’’ said I. “vou don’t mean to j i tell me those half dollars are counter- ; i feil?” ' “I do." I “Are you certain?’’ 1 “Perfectly certain. They are remar- . kably executed, but are deficient in ■ weight. See for yourself.’’ > ! And ho placed odo of them in the ba! sr.ee against a genuine half dollar, and j the latter brought up the former. “This is the best counterfeit coin 1 ever saw in my life.” I exclaimed, ex amining them closely. “Is all the counterfeit money in circulation here tit the came character as t is?" “0 deer, no,” the clerk repited, “it is j not uearly so well done. These are the work of the famous, New York, conn i terfeit, Ned Willett. I know, tlmm well, for I have handled, a great many in my time. Here is some of the money that is circulating hero," he added, taking half dollar from a drawer. ‘Y ou *oe that the milling Is not so well done as Ned Willett’s altnough this is pretty good too." I compared the two and found that he was right I supplied the place of the three counterfeits with good coin, and returned the former to my pocket. A few days after this I received information which caused mo to take a (journey to a small vtllag* about thirty miles from Chicago. I arrived thereat . night and took up my quarters at the only tavern in the place. It was a wretched dwelling, and kept by an old man and woman, the surliest couple, 11 think, it Las ever been my lot to meet.; Ja answer as to whether I could have a lodging there that, night I noticed the host gave a particular look at his wife, end after some whispering I was informed in tho moss ungracious manner possible fpitt I coiild have a bed.

| I have frequently in the course of my | life been obliged to put up with wretched 1 accommodations, sol did not allow my J equanimity of temper to be destroyed by ; the miserable sleeping apartments into. : which I was ushered after I had finished 1 my repast. ' The chamber was of small size, and 1 certainly well ventilated, for I could s-e tho stars through tho roof. The bed was simply a bag of straw thrown into ono corner of the room, without sheet or I covering of ahy kind. This last fact, I l however, was not of much consequence, !as it was summer, and oppressively, I 1 hot. | I stood for more than an hour f azing' . out of the opening which Berved for a ; 1 window. Before me was an immense, ' ! prairie, the limits of which I could not see. The tavern in which I had taken up my abode appeared to be isolated from all other dwellings, and save the ; croak of tho tree-toad aud the hum of the locust, not a sound reached my ear. It ! was a beautilu! moonlight night, so bright i that I could see to read the smallest, ; print. At last I began to grow weary, and ! throwing myself on my pallet I was soon j jplunged into deep slumber. How long \ \ I slept 1 know not, but I was awakened j Iby a dull sound, which resembled some j one hammering in the distance. I suppose it was the peeularity ol the i sound which awoke me, lor it was by no means loud, but conveyed to mo the idea of some one striking iron with a muffled j hummer. I rose from my bud and went to the window. The moon was now in j the western horizion, by which tact 1 ■ knew that it must he near, morning j The soitud I have before referred to, j reached me more distinctly titan when in ' the back part of the chamber. It ap peered to come from somo outhouse I which were situated a hundred yards j from the house. Now I am na'tirally of an inquiring j' mind, and this sound, occurring as it did j in the middle of the night, piqti-d my J i curiosity, and I felt an irrepressible de -! sire to go outa ml discover the cause oi j. it, This desires, as the sound, con-j tinned, grew upon, me with such in- 11 tensity, that 1 resolved to gratify it at ' any price. i put on my boots, tho only article of ] attire I had discarded, and cautiously 1 opened the door of my chamber and I noiselessly decended thoricketry staircase. A few steps brought me into the < lower apparunent. which 1 found entirely I deserted. I crept quietly to tho window, ' and unfastening it without making tho I slightest noise, was soon in the moonlight. ' Not a soul was visible, but tho sound 1 have mentioned grew much more distinct hs I approached the place from whence il proceeded. At last I found myself before a long, low building, through the crevices of which I could perceive a lurid glare is- 11 suing. I stooped down aud peeped 11 through the key-hole, and to my extreme ; t surprise I saw half a dozen men, with < thuir coats off a:d sleeves up, performing a variety of strange occupations, t Some wore working at a forge, others i were supurinteding tho casting of moulds, and some were engaged iu tho process ol milling coin. In a moment the whole truth burst upon me. Hero was the gang of counterfeiters I was in search of, and the landlord and his wife evidently belonged to the same band, for in | one corner I perceived them employed,— 'the man polishing off some half dollar ' pieces, and the woman was packing the 1 finished coin into rolls. I had seen enough and was about to return to my apartment, when I sud- j denly felt a heavy hand placed on my | shoulder, and turning my head around,, I to my horror found myself in the grasp j I of as ill-looking a scoundrel as ever eoj caped the gallows. “What are you doing here, my good I fellow? ’ he exclaimed giving mo a shake. “Taking a stroll by moonlight,” I re- j plied, endeavoring to retain my compo- j sure. “Well perhaps you will just take a' stroll inside, will you?” returned the ruffian, pushing open the door, and drag-] ging me in after him. ! All the inmates of the barn iramedi-j ateiy stopped work and rushed toward . us when they saw me. What, what’s all this?” they ex-j claimed. . „j “A loafer I found peepin’ outside," said my captor. “He’s a traveler that came to the tavern last night and asked 'or lodging; the I last I saw of him he was safe in bed,’’ said the landlord. j The men withdrew to a corner of t’ue ; apartment, leaving one to keep guard , j oV ei m e. I soon saw they were in earu- . jest consultation, and were evidently debating some important question. The man II keeping guard over me said nothing hut ! i scowled fiercely. I had not said a sini gie word during all the time I had been

“Onr Country’s Good shall ever be our Aim—Willing to Prai33 aud not afraid to Blame.”

DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, DECEMBER 1, 1835.

jin the barn. I was aware that whatever I might say would in all probability do more harm than good, aud il has always been a maxim of mine, to bold my tongue when in doubt. At last the discussion seemed to be ended, for the blackest of tho whole c-una forward, and without any introduction, exclaimed, "I say stranger, look here, you must die!" i did not move a muscle or utter a j word. “You have found out our secret, and dead men tell no talus.” ! I was silent. j “We will give you ten minutes to say .your prayers, and also allow you the j privilege of being shot or bung." Suddenly an idea struck me. I re* I membered something that might save my life. I burst into a violent fit of laughter, in fact it was hysterical, but did not know it. They looked at cue another in amusement. “Weil, he takes it mighty cool, anyhow,” said one. "Suppose be don’t think we are in! earnest,” said another. "Cotne, stranger, you had better say your prayer,” said the man who had first ! spoken, “time flies,” My only reply wits a fit of laughter more violent than the first. “The man's mad," they exclaimed. “Or drunk,” said some. “Well, boys,” ciied I, speaking for i the first time, “this is the best joke 1 ; Uavo over seen. What hang a pal?’ I “A pal—you a pal?" “I ain't notnin else," was my elegant rejoinder. "What is your name?" i “Did you ever hear of Ned Willett?" i I I replied. “You may be certain of that. Ain’t i he the head of our profession?" “Well, then, I’m Ned.” i “You Nod Willett?" they all ex- i claimed, "You may bet your lif o on that;” 1 i relumed, swaggering up to the corner < where 1 had seen the old woman and ! packing the counterfeit half dollars. i Fortune favored me. Nono of the i men present had ever seen Ned Willett, i although his reputation was well known ■ to them, and my swaggering, insolent i maimer had somewhat thrown them off t their guard, yet I could plainly see that ; their doubts were not all removed. t “And you call these things well done, i do you?" 1 asked taking up a roll of a tho money. “Well, all i have to say is ( that if you can't do better shat up shop, 1 that’s all." “Can you show us any better?” asked ; one of the men. j t “I rather think I can. If 1 couldn’t t I’d hang myself.” e “L-t'.s see it,” they all cried. t This was my la:,t coup, and ono on ] which my life depended. U “Look here, geutleaion, I exclaimed, 1 f tekin' oue of the counterfeit half-dollars (i from my pocket that bad been rejected I at the bmk. “here is my last job, what do vou think of it?” ' It was handed hand-to-hand, some i saying it was no counterfeit at all, and ; i some saying it was. t “How will you prove it is a counter- t foil?” asked one. “By weighing it with a genuine one,” I replied. This plan was immediately adopted and ' its character proved. “Perhaps he got this by accident. I heArd a man whisper to another. “Try these,” I said, taking the other two out of my pocket. All their doubts now vanished. “Beautiful," exclaimed some. “Very | splendid!" said others, j When they had examined them to j their satisfaction they all cordially took j me by the hand, every particle of doubt having vanished from their minds. I carried on my part well. Some questions were occasionally asked involving ! some technicalities of the business; these, j however, I avoided, by statiog that I was j on a journey, and would rather take a [ glass of whiskey than answer questions. | Tho whiskey was produced and we rnado a night of it. It was not until morning ! dawned that w-separated. The next day I returned to Chicago land brought down the necessary assistance, and captured the whole gang of ! counterfeiters in the very act. The den ! was broken up forever, aud most of them ; i were condemned to serve a term in the i Statu Prison. I have those half-dollars still in my j possession, and never intend to part with them, for they were certainly the means of saving my life. The Reported Evacuation ol Mexioo by the I’reaeh. As much importance is attached to a . statement of the Independence Beige that i the evacuation of Mexico by the French ; troops may be looked upon as a thing de- - ciaed on in principle, it will not be uniai tcresting to recur lo the fact that about

two years ago M. Droughn dtl’lluyes said to Minister Dayton that the dangers of the Government of Maximilian would come principally from the Uuiled Status, and the sooner we showed ourselves satisfied and manifested n willingness to enter into peaceful relations with the Government the sooner would France bo ready to leave Mexico and the new Government to take care of themselves, which Frauce would in any event do as soon as it with propriety could, but that it would not leave or tempt the Arch Duke into difficulty and then desert him before he ! was settled, lie added that France could not do that. Mr. tiewntd, in reply to this narration of Mr. Dayton, instructed him to inform the French Government that, in the opinion of the Uoited States, the permanent establishment of a foreign aud monarchical Government in Mexico would be found neither easy or desirable. The United States, consistently with their principles, cannot do otherwise than leave ! , the destinies ol Mexico in the keeping of her own people, and recognize their sove reignty and independence in whatever form they themselves shall choose, and that this sovereignly shall be manifested. It was previously declared by M. Drouyn de l’Huys that as regards Mex- j ico, the purpose of the French Govern- j raeut was to give order of things there, to 1 repay themselves tor debts, expenses, etc , and then leave the country. The text of tho convention concluded between France and Mexico, regulating the conditions of the stay of the French troop 9 in Mexico tor the purpose of es tablisbing order and consolidating the new Empire done in the (Jas !e cf Miramizar, the 1 Oth day of April, 1864, provides that the French troops at present iu Mexico, shall be reduced as soon as possible to a corps of 25,000 men, including tbe foreign legion. This corps, in order to safely guard the inti rests j which led to the intervention, shall ro , main temporarily in Mexico, on certain! conditions, among them that the French I troops shall evacuate Mexico in propor I lion as tho Emperor of Mexico shall be ; able to organize the troops necessary to] replace them. The foreign legion in the | service of France, composed of 8,000 j man, shall nevertheless remain in Mexico i six years after tho other French troops! shall have been recalled. Frocn that mo- ] ineut the legion shall pass into the service j of the Mexican Government, which re-1 serves to itself the right of abridging the donation and employment of the foreign legion in Mexico. it was further stipulated that the ex pense of the French expedition to Mexico was to be paid by the Mexican Government, at Lhe sum ot two hundred and seventy millions for ths whole expeuse of the expedition down to the first of July, 1864, the sum to bear interest at the rate of three per cent, per annum from the first of July. All the expenses of the Mexican array shall be at the charge ol Mexico. The abovo is given morely to show what was tho originally declared purpose of Napoleon in establishing a monarchy iu Mexico, and the conditions, in part, upon which he furnished material assistance. The Tariff. We have already called the attention of our readers to the cruel operation of the Republican tariff in raising the price ol prints, nirisilins, and newspapers, and we this day give the testimony of another Republican paper, the Chicago Republican, showiDgs its like cruel operation in raising the price of woolen goods. We may remark that the tariff favors the introduction of foreign woo!, so that the manufacturer can use it unless our farmers will sell theirs very low, while it tends to exclude the foreign manufactured article, so that our manufacturer can charge our people any price almost, that he pleases. We do not agree with the Republican that we ought to submit to this without a murmur, but we do agree with him, that till we can got a Democratic administration in power that will bejust to the people, as well as afterward, we go forward and build up as far as we can, our own cities. That wo have before advised: wool. MANUFACTURERS. By the statement of tho wool manufacturers’ association, the value of woolen ! goods made in the years ending Juno 30 was §121,890,250. Os this, §33,627,858 worth was produced in New England, and $40,603*651 worth, or one-thud, in Massachusets, Meanwhile the West is sending wool to Eastern factories, and buying cloth in large quantities in return, paying freight, and profits both ways. These manufactories, it is said, are geli ting well paid. To sit down and nr> monopoly over this were but the peevish 1 complaint of a we,.tk child. Better go tc work, with Western swiftness and energj * j and build our own mills. The fields n 1 ©pen, the profits ready for whosoevei

s works for thtm, and if those profits are a excessive, fair competition will bring j them to a proper level. , The bringing of gold toward par value j to pave the way for specie payments, will ;>! call for a re-a ijuslraent of taxes and tar--3 j iffs, so that some of our manufactures i a shall be fairly protected,and all branches; • of our homo industry experience a comi mon prosperity. The,, introduction of j manufactures into the west is of more I L importance, than many suppose. In ; > 1860 our factories, and shops eraplcyi ed 222,325, persons, end produce ar- ! tides, tothe amount, of §390,411,000.! With a wise policy of government,! i and wiih good western work, ! i such as is shown, in the movement to build up a wooion, mill wi,ooo,ooo| ■ capital in Chicago, wo can show, the; benefits, of cheap food, and coal, and \ wool, at our own doors, and iilus- ] (rate, auew the statement that man- j ufactures, roust coma where food and I | fuel as most abundant, by leading man ! ufacturers to come among us from ; the sea, board and from across the j ocean. Repudiation. Are the Republicans in favor of repu j diation? Gkrrit Smith, one of the most distinguished men of that party, is so. — 1 Uhe endorsed by the party generally? — We ir.akc a few extracts below from » speech of Mr. Smith. We commend them to our Republican friends generally also what he says on the necessity of war; And, just, here, sir, I would say a few : words on national debts. As such debts; are, in lira main, war debts, there can be no assignable limit to their accumulation, j so long as war is thought to bo necessary . —for, so long, there will be wars—and, | until war is abandoned, it will be held to i be unjust and dishonorable to repudiate ! war debts, no matter how crushing, and ! increasingly crushing, from ago to age, j j may be tho burden of such debts, ti j commanding is the influence of war, and! Uo world-wida and mighty the sentiment I which it has been able to create in favor ] •of itself, that no debts are deemed mote ; jsr.cted and obligatory than war debts.— j I And yet, so far from such debts being, in ' j truth, sacred and obligatory, there is j ! the most urgent and imperative duty UIto repudiate tbem. No doctrine should jba more indignantly scouted than the j doctrine that one generation may antici- ; pata and waste the earnings and wealth : lof another generatiou. Nothing is plain- ■ er than that the great impartial Father of I us all would Lave every geniraliou enter upon its course, unmortgaged and unloaded by prior generations. Nothing is plainer thau that in those States ol Europe, where the war debt is so great that the very life blood of the masses must b - sq-ttvzcd out to pay tho annual interest upon it, repudiation must take place ere these masses can rise into even a i.-iera-ble existence. It is a very common remark, at the present time, that Europe needs a revolution. She dues need a rev oliFi jj. Butsha needs repudiation more. However, there never will Le a decided and wholesome revolution in Europe, that j does not involve repudiation. It a peo- j pie, on whom the wars and crimes of pas: j generations have entailed an overwind j miog burden of debt, shall achieve a rev j olution, of which repudiation is not a part I ] their labor and sacrifice will be lost— s ] their revolution will bo spurious and] vain. e, » * * * I was about to say, when interrupted, j that it is absurd to claim that (he people j of England and Holland are morally ; ! bouud to coutiuue to dig from the earth, ■ and to produce by other forms of toil,, ■ the means for paying the interest on their j enormous war debt. They are morally | - bound to refuse to pay both interest and j priacipal. They aie morally bound to \ ; break loose from this load, and drag it no ] , I longer. For, so long a3 they drag it. ; i; they cannot exercise the right of tnan- 1 t hood, nor enjoy the blessings, nor fulifil j > the high purposes of human existen-e, — j i it said, that the Gov rnment, for whose : t; wars they are now paying, would have -! been overthrown, but for these wars? — ; rll answer that the Government which iu- ] i voived its subjects iu these wars, was j tho greatest curse of those subjects, and ! is the greatest curse of their successors.! The maintenance of such a Government . is loss. Its overthrow is gain. ****** q I would incidently remark that civil Government will be neither honest nor j frugal, so long the practice of war is con s liuued. I say so for tho reason that the j extensive means necessary to carry on wars, or pay war debts, oannot be obp taiaed by direct taxation. The people will consent to their being obtained only j. by indirect taxation and no Government v ever was, or ever will be, either honest jj or frugal, whoso expenses are d .-frayed M by indirect taxation, tor no Government, ■y whose expenses are thus defrayed, ever i 8 was or ever will be, held to a strict responsibiiity by tho people, and no Gov

>' eminent, not hold to such responsibility, ; ever was, or ever will be, either honest or ; frugal. 1 have referred to the loss of life and I property by war—of life, that is so precious—of property that is so indispen- ■ sable tn the enj yraent and Übefullness of life. But there is an unspeakable greater ' loss than F is, whh which war is also ' chargeable. 1 refer to lire damage which j morals sud religion suffer from it. All t nees add, ou this point, is that til; power :of war to demoralize the world, and to ] corrupt the puiest religion in the world, 'is abundantly manifest in the fact that ! the moral and religious sense of even I good men is not shocked by war. No , stronger, argument can be brought, | against war than the fact of its power to ! conform the morals and religion of tho ; world to war. * * * * * The doctrine that war is a necessity, !is the greatest of all libels on man. Tho ! confidence, which in private life, wo man'ilest in each other, proves that it is such : a libel. Wo walk the streets unarmed. !We go to bed without fear, and with unlocked doors; and we thus prove that we regard oua ftllow-raen as our friends, and notour foes—as disposed to protect, and not to harm us, * * * * * * Whilst, for the reason, that I believe that there is no need of war, I believe there is no need of making preparation ng-dnst it, I, never lielcss, admit that there is need of Government, of prisons, an of an armed poliece. \\ hi Ist I hold ] that a nation whose Government is just in I all its dealings with its own subjects , and ] with foreigners, and which so far con- ] finds, in and honors human nature, as to I trust, that even nations are capable of the reciprocations of justice —ay-, and the I reciprotations ofiove, also—l say, whilst ' I hold, that such a lialiqp needs to make jao provision against war, I still admit, j that it is bound, in common with every ! other nation to have every tlnug in readiaess, both on sea and Dad, a consider* j able armed force, to be wielded, as occasions may require, against tbe hastes j httmani generis —the enemies of the ' human race—the pirates, that both on land and sea, “lurk privily for the in* ! accent prey.” A Sonora Story * Tho following rich story is related by a Sonora paper, at tho expense of a i oueer gening who vibrated between that town aud Oregon, as “advance’’ agent of a concert troupe, and who, though pretty clever iu sellingcuriously inclined, does not always come off first best: Frank Ball, traveling in a vehicle bearing a strong resemblance to a pedlar’s cart. Old' lady rushes out from house by tho roadside. Ths following coiUqy ensues: Old Lady— ‘Say what have you got to sell!” Ball—“I am traveling agent, madam, for tho greatest menagerie of ancient or I modern times which is shortly.to ho ex- ! hibited in this section affording to the I inhabitants there of ail opportunity ot j viewing the most stupendous collection I of animals ever before exhibited. Okl Lady—“ You don't say. Havo i you any elepnnts?” ! Ball—“We hive, madam six elephants ! but the-m constitute a comparatively ! unimportant part of the show. We ha\ e living specimens of bipc Is and quadrupeds, who roamed over ths earth, not | only in the antediluvian, but also in thn ' pliocene and postmiocone period, omora* Icing tho megatherium, with six legs and I two tails the ictlliyousaorus; with four ' eyes and threo tails; the gyftsticusi with Ino eyes, two notes and four tails; the ' plesiosarus, resembling Satan in shape, ■ which spits fire and breathes sulphur, I and many other sped - too numerous for j enumeration. Wo also have a pious ' lawyer.” Old Lady—“ Well I declare." j Ball—“ But, madam, the greatest curcsity by far of our exhibition, u a learned and classically educated monkey, i who was brought up a Mohammedan priest in the mysterious regions ot the Great Desert of Sahara. This monkey I speaks with fluency all the modern i languages, besides Latin, Greek, and He. | brew. He can repeat tbe ten commandi inents. The emancipation proclamation, 'President Lincoln’s' last message, ani peforms tho most intricate examples it ■'[mathematics with rapid.>v ease, andao ! curacy. While being exinbitcu mAt asaII ingioli he actually repeated along speeob 1 ofthe president. This monkey corra- ' j spends . , 3 ; Beautiful young lady suddenly etiCk f her head from window aud calls out: i| • Mother! mother', ask him whv the. 1 j lot the monkey travel solar a.ieai ol i A other animals!" r i anrixo should ioarnl temperano * 1 from the moon; tho fuller sh-i gets tb • amaller her horns become.

NO. 37.