Spirit of Progress, Volume 1, Number 40, Charlestown, Clark County, 31 July 1851 — Page 1

THE SPIRIT OF PROGRESS

WILLIAM S. FERRIER,

DEVOTD TO POLITICS, NEWS, COMMERCE, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, THE MARKETS, &C

EDITOR and PROPRIETOR.

CHARLESTOWN, INDIANA, THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 31,1851.

VOL. I

the spirit of progress Is Published every Thursday Morning, by WILLIAM S. FERRIER

MARY

BY CHARLES SWAIN

The graceful and the beautiful. The gentle, kind, and airy. Together met to mould the form And gift the mind of Mary. There’s nature in each careless curl, In every grace a moral; Her month—’tis Cupid’s mouth sweet girl, And full of pearls and coral.

manners. We look upon and admire such, just as we do a superb statue of Venus. As a work of art it is insensate marble, having no soul, beingof no use in practical life, and good for nothing but to look at. The beauty of the mind is true beauty; and the affectionate daughter, who nestless herself lovingly into the hearts of her parents —who makes her mother a companion and confident—who not only works with that mother, but takes the heaviest burden upon herself—is the true ladyShe may never have struck a note on the piano, yet her house is melodious with harmony such as angels sing. Her exterior may be humble, but her interior life is clothed in the vestments of immortal beau ty. There are many ‘young ladies’ whole character is on the surface. Dress

She’s like the keystone to an arch,

That consummates all beauty; She’slike the music to a march. Which sheds a joy on duty, All happy thoughts and feelings rife Seem evermore to guide her; The very ills and cares of life Forget themselves beside her.

Office on Market street, in Stierheim’s New Building — up-stairs. Terms of Subscription: The Spirit op Progress’ will be printed on an Imperial sheet, and furnished to subscribers at the following rates: One copy one year, in advance, - - $1 50 If paid within 6 months, ----- 2 00 If not paid until the expiration of the year, - - - 2 50 10 copies to one address, - - - - - 12 50 20 “ “ “ - 20 00 We wish it to be understood, that our terms will be strictly adhered to. Payment made in one month will be considered in advance. Clubs will be regarded as single subscribers, and charged accusingly, if payment is not made at the time of subscribing. Any person sending us the names of 9 subscribers, accompanied with the cash, will be entitled to the 10th copy gratis. Terms of Advertising: Advertisements will be inserted conspicuously at the following rates:—A square of 10 Lines, or less inserted three weeks for $1 00 Each subsequent insertion, - - - - 25 One square for twelve months, - - - $8 00 Two “ “ - - - -$12 00 Quarter of a column for twelve months, 15 00 Half “ “ “ 20 00 One “ “ “ 30 00 The above terms will be strictly adhered to in all cases.

Spiritual Rappings Once upon a midnight stormy, an old bachelor attorney pondered many a curious volume of his heart’s forgotten lore; while he nodded nearly napping, suddeenly there came a tapping of some one gently rapping—rapping at his chamber door. ‘ ’Tis the spirits!' and he started, rapping at my chamber door. Oh! help! I'm frightened sore.’ Then into his chamber flitting, (not even once permitting him to fly into the closet or to get behind tho door, ) came the ghost of fond hearts broken, (with many a ring and other token,) and they sat them down beside him, on tho dusty book-strewn floor, sat them down amid the volumes of most venerably lore. Quote the lawyer ‘what a bore!’ ‘It must be something serious, this is certainly mysterious, quite an advent of the spirit-resurrection can amore. But I understand them mostly!' here there came a rap so ghostly that he could no more dissemble as he had done heretofore, and his face grew pale and paler, as he started for the door down he fell upon the floor! Then there came a clatter, and his teeth began to chatter, as the spirits gathered round him and accused him very sore, how with handsome face all smiling, and with winning words beguiling, he had charmed away the senses of fair maidens by the score! and each lass has fondly fancied ’ tvvas her he did adore. Quoth the lawyer—‘Nevermore! Started at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, for the answer, strange enough, quite a relevancy bore; they began a noisy rapping sort of spiritual clapping, which the lawyer thought could be but a fashionable encore; then again, as if his soul in that word he would outpour, did bo groan out ‘Nevermore!’ Presently his soul grew stronger hesitating then no longer; hesitating then no longer '0!’ said he, ‘sweet sprits, your forgiviness I implore on my knees to every ghostess who to love has played the hostess, I will promise to recant the many faithless, things I swore will you promise then to leave me!’ Here he pointed to the door; quoth the spirits ‘Nevermore.’ ‘Be that word our sign of parting,’ said the hapless wight upstarting, ‘hie ye hence into the darkness, Suck ye out some distant shore. In the noisy campor forum in the lonely sanc sanctorum , such ghastly grim, ungainly guests were never seen before. Leave my loneliness unbroken, (here he opened wide the door,) rapped the spirits ‘Nevermore.’ So these vixen guest of evil!—spirits still, though most uncivil—they will never leave the lawyer, though in ’tears he may implore. At his false heart they are tapping, they are raping, rapping, raping, and he wishes, oh how vainly, that his haunted life were o’er; and ho often sighs, ‘Oh could I recall the days of yore, I would Flirt--ah, ‘Nevermore!’

Each sweet expressive glance appears Of nature’s best selection; It took the world six thousands years To perfect such perfection. All gifts divine that could combine. All charms of nymph or fairy. Agreed to grace one beanteons face, And witch the world with Mary.

manners, accomplishments, all are external. They are ‘outsiders.’ When the scorching fires of adversity burn beneath its surface, there is no protecting wall upreared within. The whole becomes but a heap of ashes, though it may contain the outward semblance of humanity. The true lady cultivates the higher nature. She is religious, but not fanatical --courteous, but not fawning. Reposing serenely upon the arm of her Heavenly Father, and associating with unseen angelic spirits, she meets the storm with calmness, and accepts it as a disciplinary mer cy. Her sympathy ever pulsates to the cry of suffering, and her hand is ever o| m to relieve. She is beautiful at home, beautiful at the beside of the sick, beautiful at the hour of her departure into the work of spirits, beautiful through life, and tran scendentally and eternally beautiful in Heaven.

his malady, recomend hard work by all means; nothing else will effect a cure, and this, taken daily in large doses and with an empty stomach, will scarcely ever fail in completely removing the difficulty. Never have “the blues.” They are not worth having. Shake them off; they have no right about your person any more than a swarm of bumble-bees. If they want to hive, let them find some other place besides your head or your heart, for these were made to entertain different visitors. But, if you feel them coming sometimes in a lonely hour, and, with your mightiest strivings, cannot seem to drive them off; then take the alternative left to a sensible warrior—retreat, run a way from them. — Take your hat and sally forth into the fields, and as you go whistle some lively air, or sing some cheerful song and when you’ve walked, and whistled and sung awhile, then make a pause to see if your enemies are yet in pursuit, and when you look for them they won’t be there; for the ‘blues’ and music are sworn enemies, and the latter is generally the victor. Or if you must be alone and contend with them, then summon some good book to your aid, devour its contents eagerly and you will forget that yon ever were troubled with such dark shadowy visitants. But above all, keep a clean conscience and you will have littrouble from these unwelcome intruders.

She speeds as if with wings so fleet No birds could ere surpass them; Yet none can ever spy her feet, Though ’tis believed she has them. She lends a spell to every scene, Her Step makes winter vernal; A something half divine, between The earthly and eternal!

A Man Starving.

The first starving person I saw was a few days after the story of the woman and dog had been repeated. A servant in the house where I was stopping, at Kingston, said that the milk woman wished to see a man near by, that was in a state of actual starvation; and he was going out to attempt to work on the queen’s highway; a little labor was beginnig opposite the house, and fifteen pence a day stimulated this poor man, who had seven to support his rent to pay, and fuel to buy. He staggered with his spade to work; the overseer objected; but he entreated to be allowed to try. The servant went out and asked him to step into the kitchen; and reader, if you have never seen a starving human being, may you never! In my childhood I hail been frightened with the stories of ghosts, and seen actual skeletons; but imagination had come short of the sight of this man. And here to those who have never wacthed the progress of protracted

BEAUTIFUL SONG.

BY WM. D. GALLAGHER. Oh think not less I love thee, That our paths are parted now; For the stars that burnt above thee Are not truer than my vow. As the fragrance to the blossom. As the moon unto the night, Our love is to my bosom— Its sweetness and its light.

T in.m the Washiniton DemocraO' The Charge Against Mr, DFVIfAM, for Hatot Violated His Franking Privilege, Refutt<j|f Mr. Dunham in his speech on MondB alluded briefly to the story of his hav® violated his franking privilege, and aulK vindicated himself from the contemptiiMf charge. He called the attention of ills

Oh, think not less I love thee, That thy hand I thus resign; In the Heav’n that bends above thee, I will claim thee yet as mine, Through the visions of Life's morning, Ever flitted one like thee; And thou, Life’s lapse adorning.

hearers to the fact, that the postmaster at Jeffersonville had never published the reply of the 2nd Assistant Postmaster General to his letter, charging Mr. Dunham with a violation of his franking privi??e, and requesting that officer to prosecute

persons will live for mouths, and pass through different stages, and life will struggle on to maintain her lawful hold, if occasional scanty supplies are given till the walking skeleton is reduced to a state of insanity—he sees you not, he heeds you not, neither does he heg. The first stage is somewhat clamorous—will not easily bo put off; the next is patient, passive stupidity; and the last is idiocy. Irt the second stage they will stand at a window for hours, without asking charity, giving a vacant stare, and not until peremptorily driven away will they move. In the last state the head bends forward and they walk long strides, anil pass you unheedingly.— The man before mentioned was emaciated to the last degree, his eyes prominent, his skin shriveled, his manner cringing and the expression then and there made, never has. nor never can be effaced; it was the first and the beginning of these dreadful daysyet in reserve. He had a breakfast, and was told to come in at four and get his dinner. The family were from home; the servant had an Irish heart, consequently my endeavors were all seconded. Often has she taken the loaf allowed for her board- wages, (that is, so much allowed for weekly ,ood.) and sliced nearly the whole away—denying herselffor the suffering around her.— It must be mentioned that laborers for the public on roads, seldom or never eat more than twice a day, at ten and four; theirs was thepotatoe and oatmeal stirred about ■and buttermilk, the luxury which was seldom enjoyed. This'tnan was fed on Indian meal, gruel, buttermilk or now milk and bread in the morning, stirred about, buttermilk and bread at four. Workmen are not paid at night on the public works, they must wait a week; and if they commence labor in a state of hunger, they often die before the week expires, and *many have been carried home to their wreched cabins, some dead and others dying, who had 'fallen down with the spade in their hands. Thenextday after the wretched man was ■ fed, another, in like condition, at work in the same place, was called in and fed, he afterwards died, when the labor was ed he could get no more work. The first man gradually gained strength, and all ■for him was encouraging; when my purse became low—so many had been fed at <the door that pot was kept continually boiling, from seven in the morning till seven at night; Indian meal was then dear; the Americans had not sent their supplies; and much did my heart shrink at the thought that my means must bo exhausted Mrs. Nicholson.

must be true, either that the 2nd Assistant Postmaster General had not considered his letter worthy of a reply or else that consciencious officer had withheld the reply. because it contained something which would not aid hi.n in his efforts to injure him, and he had published a garbled correspondence to the world. Mr. Dunham then took up the law and showed that the statutes from which the whig papers had published their extracts were long since repealed, and he was acting under a subsequent one. The first statute upon the subject to which he should refer he said, was that of 1825, the 28th section of which contains this provision. “If any person shall frank any letter or letters, other than those written by himself, or by his order on the business of his office, he shall on conviction thereof, pay a fine of ten dollars.” He said, this was one of the extracts quoted against him, by the whig papers, and which was probably furnished by he Postmaster at Jeffersonville. He said he then held in his hands (holding it up) a copy of the Post Office laws, just such an one as he (Mr. Gresham) took that extract from, and there was a reference which all could see from that very section to a note at the bottom of the bottom af page which read thns, “Repealed, see section 5, act of March 3, 1845.” then there was a law quoted against him which a note upon the same page referred to from the very section to a note at the bottom of the page which read thus, “Repealed, see section 5, act of March 3, 1835.” Then there was a law quoted against him, which a note upon the same page referred to from the very section quoted, informed the reader, was a repealed seven years ago. Now that law of 1845 referred to in that note, gave to members of Congress “the right to frank written letters throughout the year." from themselves which extended of course until the first Monday of December following the expiration of their term of office, and all packages not exceeding two ounces in weight. Now, he said, this law like the one first referred to, restricted the franking of written letters to those from themselves or which means the same thin to such as were written by themselves or by their direction, but it imposed no penalty for its violation. But Mr. Dunham said this was not the law under which acted.— He acted under the law of the first of March, 1847, and which being the last upon the subject, must of course repeal all former laws in so far as it conflicted with them, and to this they mus look to see what letters he had the right to frank, and whether in franking those in question he exceeded his privilege and violated the law. The 5th section of that act reads thus: “Section 5, of act of March 1st 1847, That members of Congress, shall have the power to receive as well as to send all letters and packages not weighing over two ounces free of postage up to the first Monday in December following the expiration of their term of office." Now what was the object of that section, for surely it was not passed for nothing. It was evidently the intention to make

i some change in the franking power. Its • objects was not to give members of Con5 gress the power to frank letters writen by t themselves or “from themselves,” for they > had, under the former statute of 1845, — indeed, had always had. It did not extend 1 the time because under the statue of 1845, i they’ had the right to frank throughout the • year, and of course until the first Monday • of December following the expiration of s their term of office. The only change I made then by this law under which he act- • ed, and by which he was governed, was |i that clearly indicated by its own language, 1 nor*that the former laws restsicted the r privilege of members to frank letters to > those “from themselves” or to such as ■ were by themselves, whereas that gavel ff .hem power to send all letters not exceedngtwo ounces in weight, without restric- , lion as to the person by whom written, • free of postage. The language is the > same in reference to letters sent as it is in : reference to those received, and in refer- • ence to packages sent and received and ' i the law no more required that the one i should be written by the member himself; • that those received or the packages sent and received, should be the language, he [ said was equally unlimited as to all, and ' the power to send all letters could not be l restricted to only such as were written by ■ the member himself. That would be a • giving a new meaning to “all.” • To show them he said, that he had not i : put a wrong construction upon the law, and i one trumped up to excuse a wrongful act, • he would give them a legal authority that I they would all respect. It was the opinr ion of one of the ablest jurists of our State [( —one who had added much to the juridiII cal fame of the State—one of whom they might well be proud. He meant the Hon. I CMmrles Dewy. He had asked his professional opinion upon this matter, and I there it was. He read it as follows: Charlestown, June 25,1851. I Hon. Cyrus L. Dunham, — Dear Sir: You have requested my professional opinJion as to the extent of the franking privilege conferred upon the members of ConI gress, by.the laws of theUnited States, i I have examined the several acts ofi : J :Congress on that subject, and am of the opinion, that the staute of March 1847 j (fifth section) gives the right to members i of Congress to receive and send by mail, '■J 1 igT/Mil-wri toamfcv - postage, up to the first jVJonday of De- ; Aimber following the expiration of their of office. Very respectfully’ Your ob’t servant CHARLES DEWEY. I Now that this law gives extensive, too ! extensive privileges, might be true, and he was in favor of restricting those privilegss; but that was no fault of his. He had"not made the law and surely, he could not be blamed so long as he did not violate the law, and for exercising the privileges which it gave him. No one exercised that privilege more prudently or conscientiously than did he. He would compare notes with any member of Congress, whig or democrat. Mr. Lee was Clerk of the House, The time had never been, when members did not frank for tne officers of the House. It had been, as he believed, a uniform custom always. The only letters franked for Mrs. Lae he believed, contained in every instance, information to a widow of a brave and gallant officer of the last war, who had a claim before Congress to a widow’s pension, and to which she was justly entitled of the progress of his claim and such information as he should himself otherwise have written, and consequently they were such letters as as even these conscientious strict construction gentlemen themselves admitted his right to frank. But, the law gave him full power to frank them all, and that is a sufficient justification ho had no apology to make fordoing what the law authorized him to do. 1

From the Philadelphia Sunday Ledger. Who is the true Lady—An Interesting and In-

structive Story.

We once knew a ‘young lady who lived in fine style. Her parlors were elegantly furnished, and her dress was always of the latest fashion. She had her piano and her teacher, and she played Italian music charmingly. In all the exquisite graces of life she was faultless.— She had a rich vein of sentiment, too and could talk philosophy, and discuss standard authors, at pleasure. Of course she read novels—in fact, a large portion of the day was devoted to that interesting and instructive class of polite literature.— She was also somewhat industrious for she would occasionally work elegant embroidery. With an abundance of curls, that floated over her neck in beautiful profusion, a fine form, hands white and delicate, large powers of conversation in the usual drawing-room style, she was followed by young men of taste. Yet somehow, she never married. The beaux fluttered around her like flies over a pot of honey, but they were careful not to get caught as those other insects are apt to do! Their attentions were never so particular as to require some friend of the family, to demand what were their intentions. This was no fault of the young lady. She was within the market as plainly as though she had inscribed on her forhead, ‘A Husband Wanted, for particulars inquire within.’ But the husband never to our knowledge came; and we believe that at this day she is a disconsolate old maid.

. The Forest Funeral. She was fair, with tresses of long black hair, lying over her pillow. Her eye was dark and piercing, and as it met mine she started slightly, but looking up she smiled. I spoke to her father, and turning to her, asked her if she knew her condition? 'I know that my Redeemer liveth.’ said she in a voice whose melody was like the sweetest strains of the Eolian. You may imagine the answer startled me, and with a few words to this import I turned from her. A half hour passed and she spoke in that same deep rich melodious voice. ‘Father, I am cold, lie down beside me,’ and the old man laid down by his dying child, and. she twined her arms around his neck,and murmured in a dreary voice: ‘Dear father,’ dear father.’ ‘My child.'' said the old man; ‘doth the flood seem tort deep for thee?’ ‘Nay, father, my soul is strong.’ ‘Seest thou the thither shore?' I see it father, and its banks are green with immortal verdue.' Hearest thou the voices of its inhabitants?' 'I hear them father, the voices of an, gels calling from afar in the still solemn night time, and they call me. Her voice, father?’ Oh! I heard it then.’ ‘Doth she speak to the?’ She speaks in tones most hevenly. ‘Doth she smile?’ ‘An angel smile! but a cold calm smile but I am cold, cold. Father there is mist in the room.—You’ll bo lonely, Is this deth, father.’ ‘It is death, my Mary.’ ‘Thank God.’ Sabbath evening came, and a slow procession wound through the forest to the little school house. There with simple rites the clergyman performed his duty and went to ihe grave. The procession was short. There were hardy men and rough, in shooting jackets, and some with rifles on thier shoulders. But their warm hearts gave beauty to their unshaven faces, and they stood in reverend silence by the of Mary. The river murmured, and the birds sang, and so we buried her. I saw the sun go down from the same spot and the stars were bright before I left for I always had an idea a grave yard was the nearest place to heaven on earth and with old Thomas Brown I love to see a church in a grave yard for even as we pass the place of God on earth, so we must through the grave to the Temple of God on high.

A Frenchman, who under tho ns me Tamar-Bey had arrived at the highest dignities in the east, has just died at Tripoli. His original name was Souchon, and he was a drummer-boy in the array of Egypt in 1798. After the battle of Helliopolis, he and some others fell into an ambuscade in the desert, and were made prisoners. Djezzar ordered the whole of them to be put to death, but the officer charged to carry the order into execution, being touched with the extreme youth of Souchon, spared his life and sold him as a slave to the Pacha of Tripoli. This latter incorporated him in his troops, and soon discovered in him so great a capacity that by degrees he raised him to the highest ranks, and at last made him governor of Andjelah in his dominions. His administration was marked with great energy and firmness, which in the end led to the establishment of order and prosperty. He died lately at the age of 68, during a visit which he was paying to the Pacha of Tripoli.

Discovery in Surgery.— Among the scientiitc critics in Berlin, according to the corespondent of the Philadelphia Buletin, there has been more interest lately in a newly claimed discovery of chlorine to cure cases of pain. The difficulty in the use of chloroform, thus far and a difficulty far more felt in Europe than America—has been the danger of suffocation, or otherwise injuring the body such a total stoppage of some of its functions. This new application claims the merit of escaping the danger. According to this account, the fluid, (some 10 or 20 drops,) is dropped on the part effected, or on a lint bandage slightly moistened with water, and then applied, and all bound up in oil silk, and a linnen band. After from two to ten minutes the part becomes insensible, and the pain is no longer felt, whether it be from rheumatic, nervous, or other disorders. After a time it returns, again but usually weaker, and with several applications it is often entirely relieved. The discoverer’s name is Aran, and he has already presented a memorial on the subject to the Academy of Paris. Scientific American.

What was the trouble? Step with us into the kitchen. That fat women, with a red face is a servant of the house. She does the cooking, the washing the chamber work. From early dawn until late at night she is a slave. Well that woman is our charming young lady’s mother.’ She never sees her daughter 'callers.’ If by accident present she would hasten out again, with embarrassed manner, looking as though she had committed an offence, while her own child’s face would be suffused with blushes.

A Loud Certificate. Miss Susan Nipper gives a loud certificate in favor of some of the popular patent medicines of the day. She was suffering from general debility, sick bead-ache, heart burn, tape-worms, constipation, rheumatism in the back, shoulders, and hips, and besides these she didn’t ‘feel very well herself more’n half the time.” ‘At length,’ he says, ‘I was brought very low, so that my most impudent friend did not know me and the regular faculties did not expect me to live from one end to the other. ‘About this time a friend recommeded, as a last resort, that I should try a few bottles of the Pictoral Oxenated compound Saxfarilla double distilled extract ot Cherry Wine Bitters and Syrup of Huckleberry, satisfaction given or money refunded, to be well taken before shaken, destroy the label as soon as possible, no pay no cure, beware of couterfeiters, - none genuine unless the proprietor is on the wrapper. I took three dozen bottles of this truly invaluable medicine, and it gives immediate relief in three months.’ Personally appeared the said Susan Nipper, as aforesaid, and swore to the fore going, and said she’d be darned—if it wasn’t true.

From the New York Sun. “The Blues.” One would think from the way in which some men talk of their troubles, that they were masses of unmixed indigo, they have so much to say about being "blue." This term is susceptible of a great many definitions according to the circumstances in which different people use it. One man is blue, because he has been building castles in the air and finds them all dashed to bits by the stern realities of everyday life. Another man is blue, because a fit of selfishness has taken him and he don’t want to hear about any other troubles but those which belong to his little self. Another is blue, because he was out late the night before and so must come yawning down stairs in the morning to opiate every body else with his selfishness. Such should be put to bed immediately. Talking will only aggravate the difficulty, and spread fell contagion all about them. A comfortable nap is what they need. Still another is blue —dreadful blue, because he is too lazy to do anything, and is groaning under all the wretchedness which idleness always brings, and yet for the life of him cannot tell what is the matter, “only it’s something.” Poor fellow! The doctor can’t do him any good. He is in a sad condition. There is but one remedy for him. Set him to work at something no matter what it is, till he gets sense enough to be competent to choose a profession. It’s hard work to get a lazy man a going, especially if he has the “blues.” But if he comes to you for prescription for

Now take a walk with us. In that work-shop, do you see that hard working mechanic? The wrinkles are hardened upon his face, and the gray hairs are thinly sprinkled over his head. He looks anxious, and as though at his heart-strings tugged some deed sorrow and mortification. He is the father of our beautiful ‘young lady,’ and his earnings for many years have been absorbed in the expensive luxuries that her admirable taste has craved. He, too, is excluded from the society of his own daughter.

The Massilon News offers a reward of $5 to the finder of a lost note for fifty-two thousand five hundred dollars—a pretty large note to loose or to keep.

She moves in a circle above her parents and in short, is ashamed of him. They drudge—she reaps the the friut. She has no pulsation of gratitude for all this, she despises them, and in fashionable gatherings, is among the first to curl her pretty lips at ‘low chanics’—provided she can do it safely. Is she a true lady? No—ten thousand times No! We object not to her accomplishments—to her taste in dress—or her

Jenny Lind is usually called a nighting ale, but a “chap” who gave twenty dollars for a ticket, the other day, says it’s his opinion she is a “robbin.” A land of liberty is a land of newspapers. I had rather have newspapers without a government, said Jefferson, than a government without newspapers.

If you would be cheerful, be busy.— Indolence and low spirits are as nearly related as whisky punch and deviltry.

The extra session of the New York Legislature passed 332 laws in one month; expeditious lawmaking.

NO. 40

The pangs of unrequited love made Mr. Hagar, the shoemaker, take poison at Fort Des Moines, when as his end waxed near, he breathed his last, and pegged out.