Indiana American, Volume 1, Number 30, Brookville, Franklin County, 26 July 1833 — Page 1

a a mm "iT. COl.VTCV 'J!.K COI'MUVV INTEREST. AN1 ()!.!( COL'XTUY's FRFEVil?. Vol. I. S?i&&ttZiYL'E,I?, INDIANA, .UTIT SG, 182 ivo. :so.

PRINTED AM) PrrilfllKH WKPKI.Y by c. r. n. uuisox, t in ailvance $'2y, in fix months or 3,00 at the expiration of th year. Xdvkutisements. Twelve lines, or less, will lie inserted once or three times, for one dollar; and 2 cents will be charged for each additional insertion.

COJDII'XICATIOXS. A friend of ours has politely furnished us with the following beautiful lines, which were inscribed in his Album, by a young lady. There ia in them a purity of expression a something which bespeaks the intelligent the high toned feeling of the American fair, that we cheerfully insert them, and trust the writer will excuse us for giving them publicity. MCSINCS BY MOONLIGHT. How coldly bright, the silent moon, Above yon cloudy pillar shines! How sweetly on the quivering wave, Reflected gleam her silv ery lines. TI.c peaceful silence of the night, Into the secret soul descends; And dreams of high and holy thought 'PI. if. c-onnn nnavn tnricnnrl inrr InniTj

I would not give an hour like this, In heavenly musings sweetly past, For days and years of earthly bliss, That only with the present last. In such an hour my spirit goes, Beyond the narrow shades of time, And soars away on chadless wing, To scenes unfading and sublime. To scenes whose pure and perfect light, Is faintly pictured in each gem, That faintly glitters in the zone of night, Or glitters upon her diadem. C. A. B.

FOH THE AMERICAN. ON COMMON SCHOOLS. There is. perhaps. n;t any one subject connected with Society, which ought to command a deeper or more general interest, than the subject of education in our common schools. Every community cf human beings is composed of fathers and mothe rs, of sons and daughters.

and of brothers and fillers: and with each of

these terms, and with all ihe intercourse and relations suggested by them, the necessity and importance of a good early education, is associated. All happiness and usefulness, in the necessary and useful relations, depend almost solely upon early discipline and early education. Almost every man in a free country professes, at least, to be a patriot; and a free country is a country where the great mass of the people are capable of governing themselves; but those who have not in early life enjoyed the advantages of a good education, can be governed in no war, generally, but by the rod or authority of a despot. He who acts in opposition to this, acts in opposition to the c xpressic n of ages. No maxim in politics is better established than this If men arc to govern themselves, they must have their tninds informed. They must he, individually, capable of controlling their own turbulent and unreasonable desires; of giving and receiving instruction, and submitting to reasonable and lawful authority. These requisitions should be acquired at an early period for he that does not know how to obey, does not know how to command. In pleading the cause of common schools, we must of necessity address those, who being advanced in life, arc never to enjoy those advantages. But no thinking man can, from this circumstance, feel himself less interested on the subject. You were, nvy friends, once young, though now old: and your earliest recollections, and the scenes of childhood, are still to you the most interesting. And whether you did or did not know the peculiarities of 3011th, w hen these privileges were at your command, you know their peculiarities now: and if you have one prominent and generous w ish with respect to this earth, it is. that all the youth of our terrestrial paradise may speedily enjoy, and fully appreciate the value of an early, complete and efficient education. We are familiar with the improvements which mark the progress of the Western country. Almost every object on which we fix our attention, has for its inscription improvement. We have

seen millions of acres of land cleared of their

heavy forests, and made productive of a great variety of rich and abundant crops. We have

seen the conveniences, the comforts, and the lux

uries of life multiplied; and the hunter's hut, and the rough cabin, and the hewn log house have raised successively on the same spot, and then given place to the stone, brick, or the marble buildings. We have seen communications by steamboats, canals, turnpikes and rail roads, ex

tended and perfected far beyond, what our most

sanguine expectations not twenty years ago,

could have anticipated. And as the concomi

tants and results of all these, we have seen villages and cities, and States, with all their appen

dages, rising un around us. as it were, by en

chantment, and filled with a health v, active

and happy population. And it is utterly impos

sible for us not to cherish the wish and hope, that these human beings, who are to possess, and who

are to command all these improvements, should

continue to be happy and push on these and sim

ilar works still iurther and lurtlier. 15ut every

hope and every wish, must end in utter disappointment, unless efficient means are used to incorporate with all these improvements, the blessings oi" an early education, of the very best kind. Whatever may be the form cf government, or the latural advantages of any country, an overwhe't oritv of the inhaMants young and

old, male and female, must he employed in manual labor. This is a great and unalterable law of the nature of man as a social being, and as an inhabitant of this earth. No civil regulations, no discoveries or inventions, or improvements, will ever present human society in any other state, than the few commanding or leading the many; and a few commanding and enjoying what may be called wealth, and the many living by their daily labor, in comparative poverty. Therefore the many should be taught, at least, to know how to appreciate their rights as freemen. We are republicans, and the majority are in some form or other, to rule: or, to give character to the individuals who may exercise authority over us, and over our children, and we are ourselves the people. We arc the very laboring class ourselves; and though individuals from among us, and from among our children, may raise occasionally to what may be called wealth, ease and power, the great majority. (we. ourselves.) and the great majority of our children, must live by manual labor. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that they have a good English education. Every person who has paid the least attention

to the subject, is convinced that the state of com

mon schools general!, is by no means corresponding to our improvements in other de

partments. But no plausible reason can be as

signed why things should ahvajs continue so.

To the same spirit of enterprise which has

converted extensive forests into fruitful fields, and which has studded our river sides, and val-

lies, and mountains, with villages and ciiics; and

which has connected the distant and almost inaccessible points with easy, and safe, and expe

ditious modes of intercourse this same spirit of

enterprise, if only properly directed, would, in a very few years, erect a common school, of a new and superior order, in every village, and

every settlement, and thus put intellectual and moral, and religious improvement of a high standard, within the reach of every child, and of every youth in the land. No additional legal enactments are necessary to accomplish this ob

ject. Personal and voluntary exertion is all that is necessary. Legislative enactments with re

spect to education, are pretty much like the charters which were given by the European sov

ereigns to the first settlers of Europe. Not with-

out benefit in their own proper use, and useful to a limited extent; and of no use whatever, in any case, without extensive, vigorous, and continued enterprise. In the case of common school

education, theory and practice must, as in other

cases, go hand in hand. Something should be done which would correspond in its prominent principles, with other improvements. To continue the old modes will not do, any more than pack-saddles and fiat-bottom boats would now be

sufficient to carry en the communication be

tween Philadelphia and St. Louis. In my next communication, 3 0U will find the "vrhats and xi-hys" for giving a thorough English education. " PIIILO.

We extract the following beautiful lines from the

"Philadelphian." In style and sentiment, they are oi rare and surpassing excellence: A VISION OF PARADISE by mrs. it. m. hodge.

Music in depth ineffable! music sweet

As holiness could utter sweet as saints In the rich freedom of eternal love,

Could breathe open the high and holy air Of blessed Paradise; yes, strains which lived

Ere earth was fashioned, or the soul of man,

Stamped with the fadeless light of Deity;

Strains fitted only to the awful praise Of the immortal God! 'Twas such I heard. Uttered on harps of living gold, poured forth

By tongues of fire as countless as the beams Which fill eternity with cloudless day.

Eternity! how shrink the loftiest powers

Of man's imagination, when it flings

Its crasp upon eternity! But now,

I stood upon its glorious mysteries. The light

Of God's eternal presence filled the place,

With radiance infinite, and brought to view,

Clear as the bright splendor of the sun,

The smallest atom in the treasured depths

Of justice, love, and vast redeeming grace. I saw amid those bright and sinless hosts, The ransom'd of the Lamb that blood-wash'd band. Who passed thro' fire, pestilence and death, To reach the Holy City. They were there With crowns of deathless victory, and robes Of peace and mercy. Loudest in the song I heard their joyful voices. Far and wide The sacred anthem rang and echoed back In one eternal peal. The voice of praise Was breathing every where, and all was lost In one vast depth of glory and delight, Equal to God's infinitude of love, And power to bless the beings he lias formed To stand before his throne foreverniore, And bask in the rich glory of his smile. I saw but Oh! the fearful task to pour The likeness of those glories into thought Of earthbom origin, still covered o'er With the dark gloom of sin! A seraph's voice Inspired by Deity could only fling One feeble ray of light from that blest clime, Into the humble soul, still chained to earth And fettered with the clay. But there shall burst The glorious morn of an eternal day On the believer's sight, and he shall see, With cloudless vision, that ineffable And nameless depth of blessedness, which pours Its gloomy treasures o'er the ransomed soula Around the Throne of God. Major Jack Downing is about fitting out an expedition to capture the Sea Serpent.

To the Editor nf J'cw York Daily Advert inn DrnvNixoviixr, 29th June, 1S33. De vr Sru. This is goin to be rather a lengthy letter. We've had real times. I begun to feel pretty streaked for our folks when I see what was done on Huston Common, and over there to little Cambridge. I told you I was going on there to get things to rights; and when I got here, I found 'em all in a terrible raking about that crowncr's lie down in York bay. There was nothing at all goin on. I went full drive to the meeting house and got hole of the rope, and pull'd away like smoke, and made the old bell turn clean over. The folks come up thick enough then to see what was to pay, and fill'd the old Tabernacle chek full, and there was more outside than you can count. 'Now,' says I, 'I suppose you think there's going to be preachin here to-day, but that's not the business.' 'The Gincraliscomin.' That was enough ,now' says I, be spry. I lell'd the Gineral last w inter he'd see nothing till he got down here, and if we don't make him stare ; then there's no snakes.' Where's Captain Finny ?' says I, here I be.' says he, and there he was sure enough; the critter had come out of his bush-pasture, and had his brush-book with him. 'Says I Capt. Finny you are to be the marshal of the day'. Upon that he jumpt right on eend. Now says I whore's Seth Sprague the schoolmaster?' Here I be,' says he; and there he stood with his pitch pipe up in the galley just as if I was going to giv e out the psalm for him 'you just pocket your pitch pipe,' say I 'Seth, and brush up your larnin, for we've pitch'd on you to write the address. 'Why Major,' says Zekiel Bigelow, 'I thought I was to do that and I've got one already.' But says I, 'you don't know nothing about Latin; the Gineral can't stommack any think now without its got Lath: in it, ever since they made a Doctor on him down there to Cambridge tother day, but howsoever, says I, 'Zekiel you shall giVc the address after all, only jest let Seth stick a little Hog latin into it here & there,' and now-says I 'all on you be spry, and don't stop sturrin till the pudden's done.' Then they begun to hunt for hats and down the gallery stairs went. And if thcre'd been 10 thanksgiving and independence dayscomin in a string. I dont believe there could be more racket than there was in Downingville that afternoon and night. By 10 o'clock next morning all was ready. I had em all stationed, I went out and come back 3 or 4 times acrost the brook by the potash to try cm. I got a white hat on, and a shag bark stick, put sonic flour on my head, and got on to my sorrel horse, and looked just as much like the old gentleman as I could. A rter try in them 2 or 3 times I got cm all as limber as a with, and the

last time I tried em, you've no idee, it went oil

just as slick as ilc. 'Now,' says I, 'tenshon the hull" Stand at ease till you sec me agin,' and then I streaked it down to old Miss Crane's Tavern, about two miles otT, and waited till the Gineral come along, and afore I had mixed a second glass of switchel up they came and the Gineral look'd as chirk and lively as a skipper. 'Now' says 1, 'Gineral we are going right into Downingville, and no man here is to give any orders but mysel'' and I said this loud enough for Mr. Van Buren and Govenor Woodbury and all

on cm to hear me, and they was as all hush artei

that as cows in a clover lot. I hen we all moun

ted, and on we went I and the Gineral alectl

a head on em. And when we crossed the 1) rook

savs I 'don't be afeard of the string pieces hefc

Gineral we aint in York now.' 'I'll fnliow

you Majur,' says he 'thro" thick and thin 1 fe safe here.'

Just as we got on the role, t'other side of the

brook.wc come in sight of Downingville; and savs

I there's where I live, when I m to hum, and the

sight of our house makes me crawl all over. I'm

sick of Washington; and if Dawningville folks

only know'd half what I do about one follow

you've brought along with you, they'd want to

take him like a streaked snake l y the tail, and

snap his head off. 'Aint that a snug farm?' siz 1. The gineral riz right np in hiz stirrups, and siz

he, 'I'd go cast of sun nze any day, to see sich a

place.' I thought I should go right through my

shirt colder, for the Gineral was tickled to pieces Nothing haz held a candle to it that he's seen.

Seth Sprague had put the children all on the

school house you could nt see an atom ot the

roof with green boughs, and singing a set piece he had made; and whin I and the gineral passed

by they made it all ring again, I tell you; whether

it was his lacing the sun or what, but he looked as if he was en'ny jista going to cry, for he is amazin tender hearted critter. Jest then Sar-

gint Joel, who had charge of the field piece in front of the Meetin House, touched her off; and

didn't she speak. This composed the Gineral

in a minute siz he, 'Majur, I shouldn t want nothing better than a duzzin of them guns to change the boundasy line along here jist to suit

you; but look Majur! what on earth has got into

Mr. V an Buren s horse? Sure enull Sarg

Joel had put in a little tu much waddin, if any

thing; and Lnock Bisscl, as sly as a wezel, shpp d in a 'swad of grass,' that hit Mr. Van Buren's horse and sot him caperin, till he kinder flung

him. 1 was wrathy as murder siz I, 'where is he?' and I arterhim at full split he was clip pin it across the orchard, so that you might put an egg on his coat flap, and it would"! role off. I streaked it round the corner of the etone fence tohed him but'fore I got to him he had kctch'd the horse and was clcarin out of the county and' fore this he is slick enuffin the Province. They tell different stories about it, but Deacon Willobysecn the hull on it, and he siz Mr. Van Buren hui.e on like a lambcr eel, till he was kinder)

jerk J up like a trounced toad, and he ? ime down j

on the horse's rump jist as he kick'd up behind and that sent him clean over the fence into th'i Deacon's pototoe patch. lie turned over so fast in the air you couldn't tell one eend from t'other: hut his feet struck first, and he stood there, the Deacon siz, and made as handsome a bow to the folks as if nothing on earth had happened to him. The review of Capt.Finny's company did take the shine off them are Boston and Salem sojers, I tell you, but they M as all as keen arter the Gineral that, all I & Capt.Finny could do, we couldn't keep the line strait; and they all got into sich a snarl th at you might as well try to straiten a sheep's wool. The bell was ringing all the while two people was up there with stone hammers poundinon her, caze uncle Josh had gone and took bell rope, and tiedFone ecn'd on't to the steeple, and carried tother een over to the Deacon's chimney more than 12 rods off: and every inch on't was hung full of flags and where there want no flags he had got all the cloths out of the fullin mill, and the gals and Downingville beys had gin all their handkerchers and gowns and flannel shirts, and it was so high up, and the wind kinder struchfem .all together so you could'nt tell a check shirt from an old Continental. The Gineral was tickled half to death; says he, 'major, that looks about right.' 'It does so, says I 'Gineral if that aint Union I dont know.' He's as keen as a briar to catch any thing cumin he dont care where he is; lie snorts right cut. As soon as we get down to the meetin house.Zekel Bigelow gin him the address. It was stuck full of Lattin words here and there like hers in the wool of a stray sheep: and Zekiel, who knows ecny thing, dont know Lattin yet he keens the packing yard, and salts down more fish than any man in 3 counties round; and it was real curis how he got along. He'd throw in the salt, and then the pickle and the nitre, jest a leetle't time and when he came to talk to the Ginral about presarvin the Union arid the Constitution, it was jist the thing and when lie talk "d about nulhfiers he cut. and shaved and made the scales fly, I teil you every hair on the Gineal's head stood strait on ecn'd and there stood that criteer Zekil right afore him.lalking like a book,nndrhis head was as smooth, and every hair on it slick'd do wn with a dipp'd candle, and that are kew of his"n wo"d tell the folks behind which w ay his eye turn'd jist as well as tho' they was lookin strait in his face caze it kinder lodg'd on his cellar and ever-time be look'd up, it would stand still a minute and pint right strait up in the air. Then ccmc the Gincrl's turn his Jieart was so full hee'd but jist speak and I was jist a goin trbegin to speak for him when out become. 'My friends' says lie 8 though I tclM cm tl.v.rr: South, my fathcrwasf.il Irishman and my ir.o'hcr too, I am as clear a Yankee (and lu turned ar.d looking round him, slaped his hand on my shohler) 'as the Major himself says he, 'and lie knows if,' 'soldo' says I Gineral, tell'd'cni all s often enough.' 'I will presarve the Union I'll be handed and choaked to death if I don't; and when ." want pickle I know where to find it. I am g!a 2 to hear you say, that salt petrc once in a while is good I always thought so .and if the constitution spiles in myhands fir the want of it In't stand another election.' Here the Gineral was going to stop, but says I in his ear, 'you must .give'uni a little Latin Doctor.' Here he off haf again

'Fplcribus unum,' says he 'my friends sine qua non.' That'tl do Gineral sajs I, and then we turned to. and shook ail the folks roun till dinner time and then we made bake beans and salt pork fly, and the cider loo I tell you. The folks had 'nt eat r.olhingsincc I got on the ground. After dinner I tell'd the Gineral about that are blasted rascal Laoch IVissle who tucked in the grass waddin. 'That's the same fellow' say3 I 'Major Barry turned out of the Post Office. I knew he was a scamp, and if he was'nt then he is how 'why Major,' said the Gineral, 'it was just so with that infernal rascal Randolph if he did'nt disarve what I gin him cforc he attacked me, lie sartenly did afterwards; and w here's the odds. Plaugy little says I, Gineral To-night we're goin to a quiltin at Uncle Joshua's. Miss Willboy the Deacon's eldest datar is sprucin up for it she is rather too old to be handsome, but she is a keen critter, and always has sumthing tu say. The Gineral and Mr. Van Buren both talk about her considerable. If the Gineral, don't keep a sharp look out Mr. Van Buren will go clean ahead on him for he is perlitest critter amongst women you ever sec. The Gineral says he must have some of our Yankee gals in the cabynet next winter, and I kinder have a notion there will be some hitchen teams

dounc here abouts afore we quit.

V e shall go strate irom here toSaratoquc and wash inside and out there. I expect we shall

need washing afore we get there.

I his is the longest letter I ever writ m all my

life, but I'm to hum now. It would cost vou a

good many of your odd ninepences I guess to pay the postage if it warn'tfor the President, he franks all my letters and that aint what he docs

most folks.

I may tell you about the quiltin frolic to-night

in my next, but won't promise, for I have jist as much as I can do here, to do all the choars for

the Gineral and write near about fifty letters a

day for him.

J. 1)UWNLG, Major;

Downingville

Militia 2d Brigade

GREAT MORTALITY AT TAMPICO. The Captain of the Mayflower, fust arrived.

New York, from Tempico, whence she sailed on

the. 11th ult. reports that the Cho!. ia is raging

with great violence. On the day bt i.re he left, one hnndred and eighty persons died out of a population of about ur thousand.

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