Indiana Palladium, Volume 5, Number 48, Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, 5 December 1829 — Page 1

r-s. JO

EQUALITY OF RIGHTS IS NATURE'S PLAN AND FOLLOWING NATURE IS THE MARCH OF MAN. Balow. Volume V. LAWRENCEBURGH, INDIANA; SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, Number 48.

CONFESSIONS of an office HOLDER. I am a man with a wife and five small

helpless children. My wife was reputed an heiress,.having some swamp lands in Kent county ; and I kept a latin school in Chester-1 own. Swamp lands, after all are no great inheritance when a man hai a family; and teaching latin in the coun try, did notgo far to help me out ; sol was a good deal puzzled to get along in the world, in our country, politics were pretty much of a business, and I was a ittle given to electioneering in a quie way. It was many a long year before I was enabled to muke out precisely what part I should take, for there was always a considerable balancing of sentiments amongst us: and if there was any thing I did despise, it was to be in a minority. At last I was brought to a great push in the year 1821, when we made a run against the oid Federal Senate; and out I came, on that occasion like a man. The Senate went to the wall, and my active exertions were crowned with the most complete success. had great joy in the event, because there was nothing balf way about me, and my good genius had got into the ascendant. A man with a wife, and the prospect of a fa' mi ly oh his hands, ought not 10 be modest. tie has, positively, no right to be so. The world never believes enough good of any man; but of a modest man, it believes nothing; h is downright superflu us, the most inefficient thing living. was determined not to let that 6tand in my way, so I gave my boys a holiday, and looked very naturally to getting an office, for turning out the old federal Se nate. Lvery body, that is, of our party, for I now belonged to the party, signed my recommendation almost the very day after the election. M memorial was six feet long with signers, and no sooner did Governor Spriggcast his eyes upon if, than down he set me for an office in the city of Baltimore. I gat it for three good reasons, first because I was an Eastern shore man, which is alWays a great recommendation, aa there are so few of my countrymen m office in the city of paltimore; second, because my memorial was six feet long, and third, because 1 had a wife and growing family. How could a man be better qualified for office! If there be any period in a man's life when his spirit crows for joy with an audible voice, it is when a man with the prospect of a family, (five small helpless children!) a timid despouding man first breaks the seal that locks up hi commission of office, and reads that flt tering compliment, 'Know ye' (ihe people of Maryland) 'that reposing especial confidence, &c. &c.' I' added, I am sure, a cubit to my soul, it not my food) ; I felt all at once sagacious and statesman lik3, a thousand new emotions agitated me. I was suddenly mystified and transfigured, nd felt lik Brutus and Cassius, and H ratius, Cocl-s, nd Old Putnam, and M irk Anthony, and Gen. Jackson, and Guv. Sprigg himself, by turns. My school was dismissed with a patriotic valedictory, and I repaired to the duties of my new functiou. It was rny determination to sustain my post with dignity. My wife's brother Richard, wlio had Always called meZtchariah, was admonished, in public to nddress me as Mr. Winterhottom, and my mother's nieces, the Grubs, dropped Cousin Zck, for Cousin Winterbottom, as more consistent with the honors of my condition. In fact many changes take place, naturally on such occasions and reason good, a man is twice a man who represents the State and himself in his own person, and who connects his name with the history of his country for the benefit of his posterity, that is if he be a man with a family or the, growing pros pects ol one. Uei my posterity 20 to the Clerk of the Council and search the documents, and if they are not of the Dame of Winterbottom, they are no posterity of mine. The vain glorious have their reward. Gentle reader! if thou didst but know how fulfilment hath played the rogue with promise; what a wormwood face experience hath put on, and how she hath put a spider into mv cup, and flies into my pottage, and a toad in my cham ber, and coloured the very inmost walls of my sanctuary with a sombre colour, and painted blue devils on every inch of them, thou wouldst turn thee, inconti nently, from all office hunting and office holding, and abjure and renounce them, as unworthy to be named or thought on, and ony to be given over as corner -tones tor the dogs of the city. I held on steady to ray office, but in what mise Vi . . . it mi 1 ry, 1 nave now 10 leu. 1 tie world is a chess board aud we are poor pawns

Every year new moves were makincrjall neutrals. In medio tatissimus,

and I kept edging round to keep myself on the winning bide; but it was a mat ter that required a &harp eye, and being a timid man, with a wife and a helpless growing: famil) , it gave me many a heart burn, fir??, there came the great quarrel of 1824, in which I contrived to keep pretty quiet and wideawake, but the fact is, I did not vote in that election, except for city council, where thank God a man may be independent withoui paying for it. But this riuarrel was fol lowed up every year, and the more it was followed up the hotter it got. I am a timid man by nature, with a wife and five small and helpless children, as I said before, and as I hoped to be saved, I had but one single thought, and that was to keep my office in peace and quiet: and sticking pretty much to it, I was iu fact (it for nothing else, so that it was a sort of sine qua non. But the election grew very serious, and all the patriots wanted offices, and the parties wanted voters, and I bezan to think, very naturally. that my vote, as well as my office was wanting among them. So I determined to be very impartial, and made a sort of bargain with myself, that if both sides would support me, 1 would support them, and accordingly 1 subscribed money to lelray the expenses of abusing General Jackson and Mr. Adams both at the same time. But there was a terrible bawling out for good men and true. Now unless a man is an office holder. with a wife and family, he can form no conception of the horrible import of these words. Good men and true, is a nhrase which, ex vi termini, excludes the veryidea of a cautious;, considerate, circum spect officer which I profess myself to be. It can comprehend, only your devil-may-care fellows who have nothing to lose neck-or-nothing gentlemen, with ot chick or child ' to provide for, who go the whole. But to me these sounds are full of unmitigated terror, and not a good night's rest have 1 had since they were first set up. I used to think the month of September, when I lived on the E istern shore, bad enough with musquitoes and agues, and bilious fevers, and always felt happy when the frost came, but all these evils turn into blessings in comparison with the Septembers I have passed since the good men and true have come in fashion. September is now a villainous, scourging, purgatorial month a quarantine on board a plague ship a coward's period of rumination before a battle a school bo)'s interval between playing truant and get-. tins whipped for it. I wish it to be observed that, being a timid and cautious man, with a wife and five small and helpless children, 1 never was decidedly for either Adams or Jack son, but measurably in favor of both. And here was the state of Maryland equally split up between the two; and fierce as dragons on both sides. Now the vcxatfon of my cause was- this, that it was not only required of me to be, hut universally believ d that I was as fierce as the rest, h belonged to mv office to be so what right had a man, who was serving the people, to bf- prudent and re flecting and sensible? God knows! I was willing to be as ferocinu as they could have wished if I could onlv have seen where things would have settled down. I had a frightful presentiment that the offices would hereafter be confined to the diabolical good men and true, but on what side, it puzzled me to tell. Ma ryland bad been last year against the old general, and it was a deep specula tion to Find out how many turn coats there would be on the first Monday of October. I never was so distracted in opinion, and yet, I was obliged to be as decided as if I knew all about it, I watched the bets but fools will bet on any thing I understand reaction pretty well we had experience enough in that last year but I confess, 1 could form no idea where it would hit this time. Har ry Clay's dinners might or might not work miracles, and feed the hungry in Maryland as well as in Kentucky; but I felt considerable doubt. Besides Maryland never fights with much heart, against the General Government. Our people are sensible, and have objections, like myself to minorities. Then the newspapers! Ferdinand Mendez Pinto was gospel to them: it was like children building with cards, one party stt every thing erect, and the other laid every thing prostrate. I never had such difficulty to make up my mind in my life. Yef, notwithstanding, all this time I was obliged to be thorough-going on both sides, and gave the people the worth of their money. There was kind f horror among the belligerants,ol

was

mere nonsense you might as well stand with one foot on the cross of St. Paul Moderation, which was once a virtue in a man with a wife and five small and helpless children, was clean out of fash ion. What signifies it that Zeno has said, Seek the Golden mean, and Socra tcs, suit your action to the times, and Confucius, stand in the middle, nor bend to either side, or that St. Paul advises, Be all things to all men; or that Euclid demonstrates that the means are equal to the extremes, or that Suvarof com mands, Duck your head to a cannon ball, or that the celebrated Vicar of Bray supported 6even administrations? all this philosophy is dust in the balance when a legion of good men and true want the philosophers office. S-jme idea may be formed of my perplexities when it is considered that I was, strict ly, a good and true man on both sides and, yet, what so opposite in nature? I consulted with a few confidential friends who were as unfortunate as myself, and we gradually began to form a little club, and exchange opinions. What a miser able set of wretches we were! Our so ciety took in the holders of office, and the moderate editors, and we cheered each other up during the ravings of the storm. The editors made out better than we poor devils- they determined to print nothing on either side, unless paid for it as an advertisement, or if they did venture into the field at all, to keep a running posted account of debt md credit for both sides; one column of Ta ble Orator, and another of the Battle of the penny posts. Amos Kendall Ci. Toby Watkins Dr. and, in this way, it would have posed a Philadelphia Law yer to make any thing out of them. But our case was horrible. A mistake in Mathematics or Metaphysics, or in any matter of opinion, except in Politics, is mere moonshine, but in our luckless vo cation, the slightest straying out of that inscrutable path, which the wretched traveller can only keep in bv chance. takes the very meat out of his po, and consigns him and his helpless progeny to the charity of the good men and true from which St. Nicholas deliver us! I never ventured abroad without encountering the dismal memorials of these mis takes. At every corner, 1 could hear of some good man and truf-, who had wasted his breath and substance in his zeal to retain his office, expiating his rashness in retirement; they were like stranded sharks, flouncing on the sand and showing their harmless teeth. The wreck of an office holding world was around me Styx and Avernus, with their ghosts, could not have frightened me more it would be mv very case if I were found out i dreamed of these skeletons at night, and grew nervous with them all day. 1 fancied that 1 saw in every man I met an aspirant after rny office. My servants and companions, were converted in imagination, into spies; there were mines and torpedoes beneath my feet. If I read the papers, it was only to look at the advertisements, h st some stander by should be watching my countenance, to gather my opinion of the administration. 1 became suspicious and equivocating on the most harmless subject of conversation. !n another year, 1 am sure I shall be fit for the stage, so successful have I been in my late performances. A rampant politician would sometimes seize upon me to cheer mo with our successful prospects. 1 would brighten up, smile, and say, with an ad mirable significance of manner, let us alone, my dear fellow, for contriving the thing. And 1 would say exactly the same thing, with the same success, to a teasing dechimer on the other side Special committees were my abhorrence, of nurse I never attended thema nublic m er ought not to be expected to take ... an open part. But the pain of this con tinual watchfulness! and worse than that, the perpetual fear that two antag onists might, perchance, meet and find that they were confidential friends of mine or, that 1 might, in some incau tious moment, take a bottle too much, and realize the dreadful proverb, in veno veritus: or that some vile conjunction might tall in my horoscope, that should commit me, by circumstances. Never did man drag a more miserable chain. On the day of the election I was sore beset, at first 1 thought of having a letter written to me, informing me that my grandmother, or aunt or cousin was des perately ill, and summoning me instant ly out of town; again, it occurred to me, to be ill myself. But the truth was, 1 was in that nervous state; that I could neither remain in my house, nor leave town, a spell seemed to be thrown over

me. Just in this condition of mind, a

rantmpole whip ana spur . and spur Jacksonian burst into my room. I would as leave have seen the hangman. He came to 7 take me to the polls, it was equal to b caught in the manner, to oe s eu going to the polls with him. Poh, come along not sick, we cannot aftord to have a true blue like you, sick to day. Blue enougl thought I. Its a beautitul day fur it assumiug a jaunty manner to show my heartiness in the cause. No time to be looking at the weather, we must be up and doing, if you want to keep you effice you must stay at the polls all day. Nt ver fear me, said I, keep up your spirits, don t wait for me. 111 follow you time enough. So oh he went, and time enougb it will be when I follow him. Ht was hardly gone before a 6ober-visaged, deep scheming old stager, who had been kind of polar star on the other side, came in to exhort me to perseverance 1 and :eal in the cause. I nodded, looked thoughtful and said in an expressive whisper, My Dear Sir, you know how far you can depend on m, and strange as it might seem, this satisfied the old gentleman, and off he walked, thinking, absolutely, that he knew how tar. Well it is now very certain that we lave won the election, and I hope to be rewarded for my troubles. For the last hree or four days it was very doubtful whether we had got the state, and, un it that was known, my difficulties were not over; I had to condole with the disappointed, and rejoice with the victors of this district, and, I must say, I did it idmirably; How do you account for he things? I would say, with an earn est nod of the head, and in a confidential undertone, to a long faced leader of the beaten party. While to a gay straggler on the other 6ide,as we swung past each other in the street, it was sufficient to give a broad laugh and passing cheer, 1 hink we gave them a dose on Monday, but now, thank our good stars! the thing is settled. We have won the state, and or the year to come I can venture to have an opinion, (fthith I wish to be un dersteod , is in favor of the old Geoerah 9 and to take my place among the good men and trse a class of men, for which I have the highest respect, and of which, although unworthy, I have always been, at bottom a zealous member. But may the saints preserve me from repetition of the sufferings I have passed! My solicitude has worn me to a thread paper. It has been a constant dripping-a bore by day and a bugbear by night. It has given me the dyspepsia, added a pound to myliver,and vexed my diaphram; obstructed all the fluids of my brain; dried up the pancreatic juice, and nearly paralysed my eighth pair of nerves. I am afraid if this state of things is to last, neither SwainVs panacea, nor Judkin's oinTment, well save me. Such is the immeasurable vexation of holding an office, with a wife and five small helpless children, in these days of when reform fiouiishes like a pestilence. ZACHARIAI1 WINTERBOTTOM. From the Journal of Corataercs. War in the East. The Declaration of War by Russia was issued on the 26th of April, 1C2C In that document the Emperor declares that he will not lay down his arms till he lias obtained the results which it sets forth, viz: all the expenses and los-cs occasioned by the war, defrayed hy Turkey; past Treaties acknowledged and enforced; inviolable liberty to the commerce of the Black Sea, and the free navigation of the Bosphorus; and finally, the fulfilment of the convention of July 6th, for the pacification of Greece, Present prospects indicate that he will be able to enforce these conditions. The principal events of the war, so far as we have been able to collect them, are briefly as follows: May 7, 1823 Campaign commenced. June 8 Passage of the Danube, capture of Satounowa, with 12 pieces oi cannon. June 9 Engagement between the Russian and Turkish flotillas near Brailow;the former consisting of 17 ves. sels of different sizes, and latter of 32. Of this number, 26 were taken, sunk, burnt, or stranded. Same day a Turkish flotilla, with arm?, ammunition, Sic, was captured off Anapa, on the Asiatic coast; .1200 persons and 6 standards were taken. June 11 Surrender of Isaktscha to the Russians, together with 87 nieces of cannon, 17 stands of colors, and a large quantity of ammunition. June 1 b In attempting to carry Brailow by storm, the Russians lost 640 myu

killed, including Major Generals Wolf

cc 1 imoth. 1340 wounded. June 20 Brailow surrenders to the Russians, on condition ot the garrison being permitted to retire to Silistria: 273 cannon, 612,000 lbs. of nowdero and an immense quantity of balls wewi taken. June 23 Surrender of Anapa, (Asiatic Turkey) witb25 pieces of cannon, and a large quantity of ammunition The crrison TciiHsied of 3,000 men. July 2 Previous to' this date, the Ru& sians had taken seven iortr sses, vir; Braih w, Matschin, Toultscha, Hirsova,Kustendi, Keuzgon,and Managalia besides Anapa on the coast of Aisa. Toultscha was garrisoned by nearly 2,000 men, and had 91 cannon on ihe rampartsJuly 15 The fortresses ofKars (Asiatic 1 urkey) taken by storm. 1 he garrison, it is said, amounted to. 11,000 men, 2,000 of whom were killed, and 1,500 made prisoners, including s, Pacha of two tails: 151 pieces of can non were taken. July 21 Silistria invested by the Rusj sians. lunist 7 Tn the night following thie day, the Russian flotilla before Varr.a made an attack upon that of the Turks, and captured t4 vessels. dug. 20 The Grand Vizier left Con stantinople tor the army. '7f 22 The fortress of Ardaghane (Asiatic Turkey) surrenders to the Russians. 'Mi 25 News arrived at Odessa of the capture of Achachil and Topsa chale, (Asiatic Turke)) together witK 3-1 standards, and several thousand prisoners. ; September 26 The Seraskier of Widdio having crossed tne uanune near ivaiefat, and being on the advance,- wag attacked by Gen. Geismar, and after an obstinate engagement was compell ed to retreat. HiVloss is represented to have been ve ryf severe. Same day a manifesto was issued from St. Petersburg, ordering a new levy of four men in every 50Q,rf the population. October 7 Varnjf' tarried by assault. Garrison, incluruing the armed inhabitants, supposed to have amounted originally to 22,000 men. When captured, was reduced to 6,0Cd. This was one of the most important fortress es of the Turks, and its capture secured to the Russians a permanent footing on the western coast of the Black Sea. The Emperor in a letter to Count Diebitsch of Nov. 20, speaks of it aa 4that fortress which had never seen a conqueror.' From this date the active operations or the campaign may be considered as ended. Oct, 15 Blockade of the Dr.rdannelleg officially announced by Admiral Heyden. March 5, 1829 A battle was fonght near the river Natonebi, (Asiatic Turkey) in which the Turks lost 1 ,C00 men, killed and wounded, aiid the Raa sians about 200, March 20 About this date Sueboli was captured by the Italians, and immediately fortified fb. a permanent posh tion. April 1 1 Three detachments of Tur 1 kish troops cross the Danube into little 1 Wallacnia, but are driven back, after suffering considerable loss. an engagement about two miles distant, in which the Turk's lost 00 or 500 men, and the Russians abotkt 150. On the same day a battle was fought near Paravadi, the Turks being led on by the Grand Vizier in person. Tur kish loss in killed, 2,000; Russians, killed, 501, wounded, 627. June 11 Great battle" near the village of Kulavvtsha, not far from Shtimla, in which the Grand Vizier commanded in person. In this engagement and the subsequent flight, the Tcrks lost 5,000 men killed, a great number of prisoners, 43 pieces of cannon, 6 standards, all their ammunition, wagons, baggage, &,c. and saflered a complete dispersion. June 20 Surrender of Silistria to the Russians. The garrison, consisting of S,000 men, and the armed inhabitants, consisting of 10,000, were made prisoners of war, and among them, two three-tailed Pachas; 250 pieces of caui r.on, and 100 stands of colours, were taken. June 27 :Erzerum captured by the Russians. Among the prisoners were the Seraskier and four Pachas; 150 cannon were taken, 29 of them at Hassan-Kale. July 10 Choris and Berburft, (Asiatic Turkey) occupied by the Russian?

WW