Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1858 — GARDEN CITY GLEANINGS. [ARTICLE]

GARDEN CITY GLEANINGS.

“Seeling Knnirledqe Under Difficulties'’ —The St. I.ouis Election—The Atlantic Cables Recorder's Court. Chicago, August 7, 1858. Dear Gazette: Since my last, I have been making every reasonable effort to gain riliable information in regard to the progress the candidates for the Senate are making in their tour through the State; but without much success. The papers ore contradictory, and they are the en!y source of information in reference to matters outside the city. One paper will assert that the caiididate-Avhose cause it advocates was met at such a place with most enthusiastic applause, 1 another will came out tlie next day with a denial, bo*h stories are plainly written, and, taking into consideration the candidates, it is a hard matter to steer a middle course. ■ The news of the election of Barret over Blair, in St Louis, has created no little sensation among politicians here. The democrats take it as a sign of the weakening of the Republican cause in Missouri, which seems natural enough, hut the foundation of the opinion is too frail, and Will firm. The principles of Re.pubI licanism are gradually working into a strong ! foot-hold in that State, unquestionably for her benefit; and it is conceded on all hands that sir : will soon come to a sense of the advantages arisi lng from the abolition of slavery and the adoption of tree labor. There is little fear of iter; j you may set her down as safe, the election of j Barret to the contrary. The Republican papers | of this" city, as well as the St. Inuis Democrat, talk strongly of fraud having been committed at this election. In four wards there were some two thousand votes polled more than were deposited in April, and this in the middle, of tire summer, when the number should have been fewer. There has also been delay in the return of the poll-hooks. If such is really the case, that fraud lias been used, the most prompt investigation ■•should, and probably will, be instituted to asccrLtain tile abbettors and perpetrators; and that they : may receive their just penalty, is certainly the \ wish of every right-minded man, he lie Deuio- \ crat or Republican. These evils of fraud upon the ballot-box, and ontrage to communi tv, Cannot he put down too sooti or "perempiorl v. If they are suffered to grow, a moment’s reflection will potently suggest to what terrible results it will lead. e have had sufficient and startling ■ evidence of ils < IF cts in the operations of Vigilance Ceiiiinifb'es in California and New Orleans, i and it is certainly the only time to prevent and j punish the offenders when the practice is in its ; infancy News" unexpectedly reached us on Thnrsd ' . that the Atlantic ('aide had been laid. W- ,i ■ ! been put off so long, there were so ma. \ - j dietory. reports ,and conjectures afloat, that'even I the most sanguine were beginning to lose hope !of its I immediate accomplishment. Many j doubted the news at first; but when dispatches I arrived llrom all sections of the country, staling the effects of -tlie information .n each locality.* conjecture given to the .winds, and every one seemed as glad a7id willing to shake hands with the world generally .as though dives rich redatives had suddenly sought the undiscovered country,” not forgetting the living ere their departure. It seems scarce possible to realize that this greatest enterprise of the nineteenth century is no longer'a matter of speculation. years since, it seems, when the cpide idea otcon-

trolling the electric current was practiced upon g by that venerable and learned disciple of Faust. It would have made him start, as with its own : force, could the thought have found reasonable j place ill his mmd, that but a short time must intervene ere his half developed undertaking woula be a glorious reality; the! the-electric wire would be stretched across the brood Atlantic to bind with stronger tie the Iriendship of a stable mother and enterprising daughter. Timt “/.ay” vlas ;i 1 symbol of deeper meaning than was probably attached to it; for it lias jin locked and displayed, ■ot only the wonderful mystery of one branch j • science, but has given lo the world an iuvaiuauxiliary to progress. The croakers of evil ,u.* i . and all such unenterprising men as have i endeavored to throw a damper on the enterprise, had better betake themselves as speedily as possible to the'rural districts—“ldler iile ” for instance—and there take nj> a permanent abode.! The learning of such men as ShalVner, et at, is of very litfle'udvantage to any one but tlfe.nselvs. This progressive age lias no room or use for them; Oil the contrary, they take up valuable space, and the' sooner they hide themselves, the j sooner will they confer the only benefit on the community they are capable of granting. Learning, without ability or desire to put it into practice, is of us much use to the needy as a bag of dollars in tile bottom, of the ocean, or too much after the fashion of the “dog-in-the-munger” style, neither of which is likely to suit. But Yankee ingenuity is give him the faintest hint, and the plan is developed before you are aware of it, and executed with alacrity; he seldom fails even ill the first trial, and never in the last. On the reception of the news here, the English and American flags were soon floating side by side in front of the Custom House; the Telegraph Office was speedily garnished with miniature stars and stripes, and the shipping on the harbor had their colors at the mast-head; dollars, even in these hard times, were collected, a huge piece of ordinance was brought into service, and its thunder-notes intimated the intelligence even to the quiet settlers on the distant prairie. The case of the People against Louis A. Doolittle and Alfred \V. Allen came up before the Recorder for trial on Thursday. The case, your re <J >rs may remember, was a most outrag n>us and cowardly assault upon Mr. Keith, Principal of Brown Public School. These men, without provocation, entered 'the school-room and heat Mr. K. so violently that he was confined to his bed for several days; and though months h - passed, he has, not yet recovered from the Their excuse was, that he chastised ■ brother of Allen's, which‘was c'isprov ~ . oik Heaven, we have not l , with all our f.a Ti , such men for jurors in tjiis-coininuiiity as rule a farce of justice in the Mutt Ward tiial. Too jury \ were out but a short time, and returned with a , verdict of guilty of an assault and battery of such jan aggravated character ns can hardly fail to inI flict tipon th«-perpetrafors the highest p-nnltv

six months in the Bridewell, or one thousand dol- ■ lars fine, or both. It is sincerely to be hoped | that “both” may be inflicted, and that the defendants may be employed in the prosecution of geo- ; logical instead of phrenological researches for i the full term. The charge of Recorder Wilson to the Granff Jury upon the opening of tlie August term was, in many respects, a good direr He brought into it, however, too many personalities in reference to “Long John,” the Democrat; there was also ! considerable “Buncomb.” ' He insinuated in the most gentlemanly manner that the jury would do wdl in finding a bill agaii st Long John and Little John, our Mayors, in the case I mentioned j briefly in my h.st. | The bodies of the three young men who were | drowned last week by the swamping of their yaclrt have been recovered. Senator Trumbull will address the Republicans of this city, in mass meeting, to-morrow night. I will inform yeu of tlie proceedings in my next, j _ ' • In haste, yours, Quiz.