r~ -- ...
i - - n?i r rmnr-iri
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Plank Roads.
The following letter from Mr. Winslow, of
Fayetteville, to a committee of the citizens of
Columbia, is worthy of perusal of our citizens, if
from no other consideration, than that it will
show how our neighbors are going ahead:
From the State Bights Republican.
Fayettville, March 3, 1852.
Dear Sir :?Yours of the 27th ult., came
to hand and J shall proceed to make such replies
to your questions as I can, remarking that if
anything I may do or say will aid in the beginning
and prosecution of a system of plank road*
in any section of the country, I shall be repaid
for any labor I may have taken. They form exactly
the mode of internal communication adap- 1
ted to the wants of our part of the country, bet- 1
ter calculated to be useful, more certainly profitable,
than liues of railroad, except, it may be, !
on the main routes for the mail and travel. Railroads
may be the back bones, plank roads the
ligaments and ribs of any State system of com- 1
inunication. 1
r>i.>?t- v?0^io om ih/i mnil-i for t.hfi planters and '
X 1(111 XV IU(?UO W?V IWMW* ? J
farmers, because simple in their mode of construction,
cheap, in our wooden country, and, if 1
the routes are judiciously selected, and the lines !
well built, certainly profitable, and as far as my 1
observation and experience go, very popular. J
The wonder to me has boen, that, being in the 1
habit of making roads by laying pine poles, no 1
one had thought of ttying planking a road, and :
tl us introduced the system years ago. We are
far behind, in our part of the world, in the race '
of internal improvement, and I fear we shall nev- !
er overtake our new sisters of the confederacy. '
I shall now proceed to answer the questions
referred to. J
The proposed length of the Eayettville and 1
Western Plank Road, for the present, is one hun- s
drcd and twenty miles to Salem. Its terminus 1
is on the Virginia line. 1
Ninety miles are completed and under toll. 1
The means arc ready to build thirty miles more, 1
and the work is goiug on as rapidly as possible. ,
The first plank was laid November 1849, and ?
the eighty-eight miles was put under toll about 1
three or four weeks since. t
The progress in building will depend on the 1
facilities with which you obtain plank, mainly? 1
127,000 feet of plank, and 30,000 of stringers *
being required for each mile, besides timber for c
culverts and bridges. We had to jesort to the t
use of steam saw mills, without which, after the c
first twelve miles, we could not have built the 1
road. Then the progress of construction will 4
x depend on the face of the country over which 1
your lino passes, and the force you employ. r
Lately, on an inspection of the work on our 1
road, fourteen hands, over a good line, well clear- ?
ed and ready, laid, in a day, 175 yards of plank
?600 to 800 ft being a very good day's work
in long days. '
The lumber on onr road, for the eighty-eight 1
.miles, cost about six dollars per thousand feet. c
On forty-four miles, the cost of clearing, grub- ,
bing, grading, laying plank, putting in small ?
bridges and culverts and finishing, was four hun- c
dred and twenty-five dollars per mile. On sev- s
ea miles, now under contract, this worn is clone for
four hundred and thirty-seven dollars and fifty
cents per mile. On another road running out of
this place eleven miles, the above work has been
taken at 1440 per mile. Much, you must remark,
will depend on the character of the country.
From three hundred to four hundred dollars may
be said to be a fair ?verage cost per mile for the
above work.
Plank, eight feet long, three inches thick, and
not less than eight inches wide. See Specifications.
Stringers?for this see Specifications.
We have a single track, and as yet have not
found a double track necessary*.
Our road, when one hundred and twenty
miles arc completed, all charges, engineering, salaries,
contingent expenses, toll houses, <fcc., ?fcc.,
as far as I can now judge, will be about eighteen
hundred and fifty dollars per mile.
We have ei^ht toll bouses in the eighty miles,
which cost, with two to four acres of land to
? -V t"n/l.a/1 itrao liiimltY/zl and
cacti) awuw imvc uuuuuu w bu?w M..?
twenty-five dollars on an average.
The amount of grading done on our road is (
perhaps less than some persons think ought to (
have been done. We set out to build the road 1
with a grade of not more than one foot rise in ]
twenty four feet horizontal, except a certain part 1
when the exception was made, to one foot in six- '
teen.
The grade of one in twenty-four, it may be, *
has not been strictly observed. The road is such 1
an one as that two horses will do the work of 1
four easily, and is an excellent road ; parts of it j
cannot be surpassed by any plank road in the
tountry.
fhe amount of grading, therefore, will de- 1
pend on the elevation and depression in the line, '
streams to cross and the grade you adopt.
Except the first twelve miles, the road has ,
been built by contract. I have thought that if :
the Company did the work under the inspection
of their own officers, the road would be better
built, and cheaper. I differ with many in this 1
opinion. I think the engineer of this Company 1
agrees with mine. 1
This road will undoubtedly pay. What, I 1
cannot say. I think eight to ten per cent., and
lay up a fund to rebuild in ten years. Be this '
- *A An/1 waa in Un/1
83 11 HUtV, iuc iuij;iuiciucuv uuu ire in luo lauu
on the line of the first forty-two miles of road
would more than pay the cost of the road.
The road has been, and is now steadily gain- 1
ing on the public mind, and is vastly popular;
more so than any work of improvement I have
ever known. As an instance of this, we have
four roads now building out of this place beside
our road.
You have a copy of specifications, such as form
a nart of our contracts, and may be of use to
r~~ >
you.
We always desire to give the preference to
Our pitch pine plank and good oak, will, I tfiiua,
last ten or twelve years. You can judge of these
1111 I II ".-MWMBMM? ?-'-gg
matters better than I can. I see, in two year8
wear of some plank, very little indication of much
damage.
You will pardon these crude remarks, thrown
together under the pressure of matters of business
on my attention, and make what use you
nlr>a<w? nf them. with the nromise. that if I can
be of any service to you, it will afford mc pleasure.
Very respectfully,
EDW'D. LEE "WINSLOW.
Cotton?llow the market is Controlled.
A late number of the New York National
Democrat, contains an article upon the Cotton
trade, setting forth views which strike us .as
sensible and true. The writer is evidently well
acquainted with the whole machinery of the trade
and we will endeavor to state his positions. The
system of "advances on crops," so common, in
nearly a similar form, in this couutry, in the
means by which, in the end, British capitalists
are enabled to wield the influence which elevates
or depresses the price of the staple. The agents
of English bankers make "advances" on bills of
lading for cotton sent to their houses in Liverpool
to be sold there on account of the American
shippers; that these advances seldom exceed seventy-five
per cent, of the American price, and
that the sums to make those advances of Brit- j
ish capital, but upon bills of exchange so drawn j
that the cotton will have reached Liverpool, and j
nay be sold there before the bills mature, so that J
he funds to make the payment on these bills of
exchange are derived from the sale of American
:otton, instead of being advanced by the Brit- j
ish bankers.
The writer has compiled a table from statislies
of the cotton trade, giving the amount sold j
n the Liverpool market to the trade; the amount j
sold for exportation, and the average price du- j
nng each quarter. It will be seen that instead j
>f retaining the cotton crop here to be sold to
he trade, at American prices, we send to Liverxk?1
that which is consumed on the continent as j
veil as that which is consumed in England, and !
jiving us the use of Britsli capital, these British '
jankers compell us to advance our capital, and j
,o run all the risk of the British market. And i
vhat is most extraordinary, is that they have so '
.r,maiiViinorcr nf mmniPrCP. that We I
M I au^wu bliV IIIHVUMIWIJ V. - -J _
ire not only compelled to lend them our capital
m their bills of exchange, by the use of which
hey send our cotton to their market, but they
ibtain an exclusive control over our cotton in
hat market, so as to enable them to regulate
he price; and the table shows that they have so
ised that control that the price almost invariably
ules at a lower rate during the months of A>ril,
May and June?the time at which the
jreater part of the Hills of exchange fall due.
Let the planter examine these facts. Does
le believe that the price of cotton would rule so
ow, or fluctate so much, if it were sold in
"Jew York, Charleston, or Savannah, or Mobile,
>r New Orleans, instead of Liverpool ? And does
ie not see that the British Bankers, by an aIruit
use of British credit, obtain the use of our
mpital to place in Liverpool 'the cotton conumed
in England.' And does he not see that
his use of British err Jit gives large profits to
he British Banker, at the expense of the
Boston manufacturer as well as the cast of the
Southern produce!!
Who, that has noted the effect on our cur- j
j ? --.i i u..., :*
?ncy QOCS IJUl &uu\> ui?u, JL JO mc I'viivj v/i
hese British Bankers so to regulate exchange,
hat they always made a profit by drawing up>n
London, and does the planter not know that
,he British Banker is directly interested in redu:ing
the price of cotton in the British marktts?
When the price is low, it gives greater
>rofit to the manufacturer and greater activity
o British commerce, and enhances the value of
British credit, by enabling these Bankers to sell
heir exchange at higher rate.
But why shonlJ we send our cotton to Liverkh)1
in search of a market, and place it there unler
the hammer of a British auctioneer, subject
o the control of British Bankers, when we know !
hat if we would retain it in our own market the !
nanufacturer would be compelled to come here
uid buy at American prices ? Why should we
jay toll at Liverpool in the shape of profits on
'xchange and commissions, storage, and sundry
>ther charges, for the cotton consumed on the
" A tvi 1_ ?, 4t .
jontinent ot Europe? vvny ao we permit me
British Banker by the use of his credit, to control
our capital and regulate the price of our cotton?
Upon what does the credit of these British
Bankers rest, that they are enabled to lend it
,o as at such usurious rates of interest ? It is
node up chiefly of expenditures made by European
nations in wars, and in the support of armies
and navies, and privileged persons, which
have accumulated in the shape of a funded debt,
enables the holders of that debt to tax the European
nations to pay the interest, which interest
is a dead weight upon the productive industry
of their laboring population.
The funded debt of nine of the principal
European powers in 1842 (Belgium Denmark,
Holland, France, Portugal, Prussia, Spain and
Great Brittain,) was $5,950,070,450. By computing
the interest it will be seen that the annu
al accruing interest is more than two hundred
and twenty millions of dollars?the greater part
of this is payable in London; and it will be seen
that as the interest due by the continential pow
era must be remitted semi-annually to London,
the control of that fund enables these bankers to
so regulate the continential exchanges, as to render
money of greater value in London than
elsewhere?and every one who has noted the
operations of the Bank of England, knows that
tnat Bank acts as the great regulator, compelling
the precious metals to move to London, or
permitting it to flow out as it may be for their
interest.
These are startling facts and deserve the pn>.
foundest investigation. It is the part ofwisdoln to
provide a remedy.?Naahville Apgncan.
IWyivattlSl Dwflocratic Convention have
Sclbpted a resolution in favor of Huclianantor tlie
Presidency. The Cass nr-n subsequently refused
to participate in the selection of Delegates
to the National Convention,
Homestead Exemption.?A homestead exemption
bill has passed both branches of the
Ten lessee legislature. It requires the person
intending to take the benefit of it to file his intentions
before the issuance of execution.
' --J--;- -- r
THE SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL
FRIDAY EVENING, It ARCH 12, 1852.
THO. J. WARREN. Editor.
Our Market
Tho Cotton market since our last has been brisk,
at a slight decline from last week's prioes, extremes
ranging from 6 to 7 3-4.
Charleston quotations, 6 3-4 to 8 1-2.
Mr. Dempster
Has arrived, and will not fail, we arc sure, to delight
j our citizens this evening, with his Ballad EntertainI
ment at Temperance UalL
Acknowledgment
Hon. J. A. Woodward and Hon. J. L. Orr, will accept
our thanks for their recent favors.
Concealed Weapon*.
The inhuman practice of the present day?that of
carrying concealed weapons?by which human life is
' endangered, and often sacrificed, should meet with the
' prompt and universal condemnation of every good citizen
and friend of human kind.
This practice habitually indulged, shows, not only
cowardice in the one who practices it, but a diabolical
and depraved heart; such a character as would not
hesitate whenever a pretext should offer, to commit
any act of violence, against the laws and peace of society.
Such a man should be shunned, loathed, abhorred.
This practice is more in keeping with the customs
which marked the dark and middle agea than the
boasted advancement and civilization of the nineteenth
century. Not only should there be law against the
carrying concealed weapons, but the penalty should be
severe and all violations enforced.
Time and again has this disgraceful practice been
presented as an outrage against society, by the Grand
Inquests of the countiy?but what has been done to
arrest the evil? Nothing I The first offender has yet
to be punished, for his sin against the peace and dignity
of the State in this regard. It would be far better,
that men who go armed, should not conceal their weapons;
an open honest foe may sometimes be admired
for his daring, but concealed villany is worthy only the
level of the crawling worm.
"Where is the necessity for this practice? Does an
honest man fear man ? He should fear only that Being
who has power to destroy this, and the life that is to
come. There is not the first shadow of a reasonable
excuse to justify this unholy practice; on the contrary,
there is every thing to condemn it, in law human and
divine. Human life is too lightly esteemed. By this
barbarous custom is it jeopardized, and often sacrificed,
when the causo given was not sufficient to justify the
act?from some slight misunderstanding, or trivial circumstance,
frequently, men lose that which no power
on earth can restore.
At this day the sacrifice of human life is immense,
and the cause may be distinctly traced to the brutal and
degrading custom of carrying concealed weapons, on
any and every occasion.
The force of circumstances, it is argued, may compel
a man sometimes to use this means of self-protection,
against the lawless aggressor, who has sworn vengeance
against him. There is a safer and better method than
placing one's self upon the same degraded level; let
the strong arm of law intervene. We can never justify
this practice. Let a man come out honestly and
show his weapons, if he must carry them?let it bo
known!
The Grand Jury of Richland District have recently
presented this matter, in addition to other matters of
importance. They say: '"We also present the detestable
practice, which wo are sorry to learn prevails to a
disgraceful extent even in our old and respectable
State?we mean the carrying, concealed about the person,
deadly weapons, which so often lead to shocking
acts of savage brutality, as are daily stated in our
newspapers and courts of justice; and which has induced
the belief abroad that American's have become
regardless of murder and homicide. Some severe remedy
should be applied."
Charleston Harbor.
The Washingtou correspondent of the Courier says:
"The Committee on Commerce yesterday agreed unanimously
to the appropriation pf fifty thousand dollars
for the deepening of the channel of the Cliarleston
naroor. mere is nououoi inai 11 wui pass, ana provision
has already been made for a survey of the channel
in reference to the work. This will be the first appropriation
by tho government of money for the purpose
of improving harbors or navigation in your State,
and it is attained through the attention and influence
of your respected representative, Kx Gov. Aiken,"
The Presidential Game.
"Wo are indebted to our valuable exchange, the
Charleston Courier, for tho following items of news
derived from their correspondent at Washington:
Tho Presidential controversy goes on briskly among
the Democratic members?the speeches in the House
for some days relating partly to that subject.
Some weeks ago, Mr. Cabell, of Florida, raado a
spoech in vindication of Mr. Fillmore's position, and
urging his claims for re-election. Iu tho course of his
remarks lie stated that Gcnl. William 0. Butler would
bo tho mum candidato of tho Democratic party, and
that tho Democrats could not unito upon a candidato
who was avowedly in fuvor of tho Compromise, whilo
tho Whigs would. This speech was considered as
tho first gun of tho campaign. Soon after we heard
that Gen'l. Butlor had written a letter declaring his
views in favor of the Compromise measures, and that
it was to bo laid beloro Congress as a manifesto of his
position. On Thursday, Mr. Breckcnridgc, of Kentucky,
an able young Democratic member, brought this
letter to tho notice of the IIouso, and vindicated Gen.
Butler from Mr. Cabell's remarks.
lie also commented on an article in tho Democratic
Iieview, a work, which usjie showed,'had' passed into
the hands ofUiaimnda of Senator Douglass, and was
dovotgd-fStiis interest. He showed that this review
""whs directed by a certain clique, which had undertaken
to represent Mr. Douglass as tho candidato of tho
young democracy of the Union, and to disparago all
othor candidates as old fogies. Tho review is especially
severe on Gen. Butler, but it sets asido Gen. Cass,
Mr. Buchanan, and evciy other candidate of tried
statesmanship and of long experience in public affairs,
Mr, Breckenridgo took the part of tho old democratic
loaders in opposition to Mr. Douglass and his clique.?
But his friends replied that ho was not at all answerable
for tho doctrines of tho Review, and had no connexion
with those who controlled it.
Yostorday, Mr. Campbell of Ohio, and others, brought
into their speeches on tho land subject many views huv'
iug ruferenco to tho presidential election. Thus tho
presidential question will bo the one most considered
by members of Congress, and it will mix itsolf with
every question that can come up.
\C? T3ii/,Unnnn V103 /to nrno rflAOlTTO^ tV>0
i JJU^iimiau uuO) uo uao avw&wvi ?uv
nomination of the Democratic Convention of hia State.
Tho vote was finally unanimous.
jry The demand of the French, relative to tho romoval
of the monuments from the Plains of Waterloo,
bad caused a general excitement in Belgium, and now
recruits were being rapidly collected for the army.
A friend informs the editor of the Fayettoville, N. C.
Observer that he was shown, a week or two ago, a
poorly executed counterfeit $5 note on tho Bank of
South Carolina, which had been passed by a man who
said his name was Wood, and that be resided in Sumter
District, S. C. The names of the President and
Cashier were engraved, and badly executed. The
same man had offered South Carolina notes to a number
of other persons in Richmond county.
Charleston.
The Mercury of Tuesday says:?Among the arrivals
at the Charleston Hotel wo notice the names of Professor
Bache, Superintendant of the Coast Survey, Lieut.
C. II. Davis, U. S. N. and Lieut. M. F. Mauray, Superintendant
of tho Washington Observatory.
We also notice the return to our city of the Chevalier
nulsemann, the Austrian Charge d'Affaires from a brief
tour in Florida.
Tiie Maine Law Defeated in New Jersey.?A
long debate on a law similar to the Maine Liquor Law
was concluded in the New Jersey House of Representa.
tives on Wednesday. Finally the question was put,
and tho bill was defeated?yeas 13, nays4G.
Forrest and Willis.?The suit of Willis vs. Forrest,
for assault and battery has terminated by the jury
awarding Willis $2,500.
From the South Carolinian.
Mr. Rhctt.
A number of the papers, whilst denouncing
the gross personal a-sault of Clemens on Mr.
lihett, and regretting the occurrence altogether,
commend the course of the latter. The Washington
Republic stands alone thus far in assailing
the punty of Mr. tihett's motives. Tfte i'luladelphia
Bulletin has the following paragraph in
relation to the matter:
" Mr. Rhett's Course.?It must gratify every
friend of good morals and true honor, to see that
a Senator in Congress had the courage to refrain
from the silly practice of duelling, when a
fair opening for it was made on Saturday. lion.
R. Barnwell Khett, of South Carolina, is the
gentleman who has earned this honorable distinction,
and not all the taunts of his antagonist,
Mr. Clemens, could induce him to resort to the
powder and ball style of ' satisfaction,' We
trust this example, coming from a Southerner,
may have its proper influence, and help to convince
the world that there is more manliuess,
courage, and honor, in refraining from a duel
than in engaging in one."
The Washington corrcsj>ondent of the Richmond
Examiner says:
" Mr. Rhett stands vindicated before the country.
A man who refuses t resort to arms from
eouscVitious motives is always respectable?prov
ded ho has not placed himself previously in an
insulting and bullying attitude. I do not think
that Mr. Khett has ever done so. H3 is long
uassod the meridian of life: lie is a man of diir
* ^
nificd and refined manners, a scholar, and a
christian gentleman. lie has had a difficult position
to maintain here, and he has done it with
talent, courage, and propriety."
Even the New York Tribune has more decency
than has the pious organ at Washington. The
Tribunc says:
" The Senate at Washington saw, on ..day,
the conclusion, as we trust, of the affair between
Messrs. Clemens and Rhctt. Clemens finished
his speech, and Khett replied. Indecency of demeanor
and gentlemanly language 'he latter had
decid< dly the advantage, as, indeed, he lias had
throughout the controversy. lie stated that he
should not challenge Mr. Cle nens, for the reason
that his religious convictions are opjiosed to
fighting duels, He has long been a member of
a church, and, as such, f ars to otternl God more
than to incur the disapprobation of man. Mr.
Clemens admitted the validity of this excuse,
and said that had he known Mr. Rbett was a
?linr/.1i-Tr>f>niher lie would not have, used such
ptovoking language towards him. The Senate
Chamber was crowded with curious spectators,
who evidently had counted on a very different
conclusion to the dispute."
?/S/VNA/WWW>^?.^ i
The Fiue ox Sunday Morning.?When we
penned the account published in yesterday's Courier,
of the fire that occurred in the cellar under
Mr. Abbot's paint and oil store, early on Sunday
morning, we were fully impressed with the idea
that it had originated from spontaneous combustion,
and accordingly stated that it was supposed
' that such had b<H?n the cause of it. Yesterday,
! however, we made a most careful examination of
! the premises,, and the result of our investigations
! is that we have been compelled to come to the
: conclusion, that the fire was the act of an incendiary.
A number of boxes were piled up to
I within about two feet from the ceiling ol the
i cellar, which is of wood, and within a foot of
1 which is a cistern containing some four hundred
gallons of linseed oil, and in close proximity to
some eight barrels of camphene. Fire had been
lighted in the top box, which was burnt through,
and some of the others were also ignited. The
flames likewise extended upwards to the ceiling
which was much charred, and in the store inx.
mediately over UlO-?4'Ot?-where they had taken
effect were two large tanks containing Alcohol
i ? U- _vi rri _ i ? f. t__ it
ana burning nuia. ine pmn was ceriaiiuy wen
arranged as every precaution had been taken by
the perpetrator of the deed to prevent any evidence
of his attempt being discovered, for had
not Mr. Cheney and several of his boarders, so
opportunely arrived and quenched the flames be
fore they had penetrated the ceiling, not only
would no traces of the incendiary uesigu have
been left, but the whole of that locality would
doubtless have been the scene of a conflagration
?the very idea of which is frightful to contemplate.?Chat.
Courier.
-** >
We leatn that on sentence day of our Court,
which was Saturday last, that fourteen poi-sons
were sent to jail, for terms of from one day to
five months. In one ease, the party was convicted
18 years ago, and his sentence sealed and
deposited with the Clerk, where it remained un- opened
up to this term of the Court, the party
never appearing before to receive his sentence.
Many of the convictions were for petty assaults
and batteries, which should never cumber the
terms of the Court.?Cheraie Gazette.
m
Correspondence of the Charleston Courier.
t? 1. A
BALTIMORE, Jiarcu O.
Our citizens were appalled this morning by
the announcement of the perpetration of one of
the most heinous and bloody outrages ever committed
in this city,?all resulting lrom the excessive
use of intoxicating liquor.
At about five o'clock this morning, the watchmen
sounded an alarm of fire, which was found
to proceed from a two story brick house in Maiden-Lane,
occupied by James White, a boot maker.
The whole of the upper part of the house
was in flames when the firemen reached the
scene of the conflagaration, and the lowest part/
of the house being fastened, no doubt was entertained
that the inmates had alll perished.
The greatest exertions were consequently made
to extinguish the flames, and in a few minutes
an entrance was cleared to the chamber in the
second story, where the bodies of White, his
daughter, about 15 years of age, and his little
boy about 3 years of age, were found scorchV.*f
+l\sv LA 4- IT*A 7 <i f 4ab
cu tiMU umcftcucu vy iuu uauiunf tuc tnu iatici
on the bed, saturated with blood, and the father
lying on the floor, with his throat cut from ear
to ear, and a shoemaker's knife grasped in his
hand and a pistol by his side. On examining
the bodies of the children, that of the daughter
was found to have the throat cut, and the skull
fractured by a heavy blow on the back of tho
head, whilst there was a bullet hole in the temple
of the child, and its throat was likewise cut.
An inquest was held by Coroner Essendcr, and
the testimony adduced, rendered it certain that
the father had murdered his children in their
s!e?p and cut his own throat, previously setting
fire to the house. The daughter had evidently
struggled with her father for her life, but all to
no avail.
The bodies were removed to an adjoiningshed,
and laid side by side, presenting a most shocking
spectacle. The flames instead of concealing,
had only rendered more hideous the murderers
ghastly work?the gashes in the throats of the
children, with their brains protruding from the
orifices in their skulls. The father's corpse appeared
more bedly burnt than the others, and
disclosed on the neck a gaping wound that nearly
severed the head from the shoulders.
It appears that the wife and mother was com
pelled, about a week since, on account of the
continued ill treatment from her husband, and
the fact that she was daily expecting her continenient,
to leave the house and take up her
residence with her grandmother m another section
of the city, where she now lies not expected
to live, She also took with her the little boy,
leaving the daughter with the father to keep
hou-e for hira. Yesterday afternoon, however,
he vis t >d his wite, being at the time perfectly
sober, and on leaving prevailed on her to allow
him to take his child home with him, promising *
to take good care of it- He reached home with
the child early in the evening, and after taking
supper went out, leaving it in charge of its sister.
Nothing further was heard of him or the
/?Jiil,Jron until nhnilt 4 o'clock fchlS moniill!?.
when he was heard by the neighbors knocking 6t
the door, and showing all the evidences of the
most brutal intoxication. The daughter finally
au a'cening opened the door, and let him in,
The usual noises were heard in the house, as
when he came home in this condition, and about
an hour afterwards the neighbors were aroused
by the alarm of fire which subsequently disclosed
the foregoing frightful facts.
The murdered daughter was named Elizabeth
Jane, aud was in her fifteenth year,?a bright,
intelligent beautiful and promising child, greatly
beloved by all who knew ner, and a general favorite
in the neighborhood. Amid the crowd which
had gathered around the bodies was an old lady
who resided in an adjoining house, and as she
viewed the remains of the daghter, excained,?"
Poor, poor Lizzie !?she was so good and kind, <
and so much beloved by us all?her life was one "
of suffering and sorrow?always endeavoring to
conceal and hide from the world the conduct ofa n|
d: unk<n and worthless father, who has returhd
her love and devotion by destroying her in her
\OJth and innocence"?tears now choked the
poor woman's utterance, and she turned away
with lamentations of sorrow which drew a sympathetic
tear from the eyes of all present.
"White, when under the effect of liquor, has always
been regarded as a most dangerous man,
and from the fact that he was fond of bis children
there is no doubt that he was laboring under an
attack of mania potu at the time of enacting this
bloody tragedy.
European W ar Preparations.?Items of intelligence
from uarious parts of Europe, brought I
by the last steamers, make mention of warlike
preparations of the different Powers. In the annexed
summary the reader has a bird's-eye view
of them:
Advices from Lisbon of the 11 th February state
that the Portuguese were preparing for all contingencies,
and for the eventualities of a European
war. Recruiting was going on over the country,
and heavy guns were being mounted on all the
fortresses from which artillery had been with
drawn after the civil war of 1847.
Tho Paris correspondent of the London News
states that a confidential order had been issued _ i
by the Minister of War to all the Generals to
hold themselves ready, with all their personel and ^
materiel, for a movement which is fixed for the ^
22d February. The initiative vas to be taken
this time by the troop at Lyons under the command
of Gen. Castcllane. On the 22d it was
supposed that the empire would be proclaimed.
The impending "croup demain" is colored byreports
in favor of a French Protectorate in Italy..?
Louis Napoleon is represented to be in astate of ;
complete exhaustion, both of mind and body,
which is usual after periods of great energy and
excitement.
Agents of France are said to be at work sedulously
sapping the allegiance of the Belgian
army, so that a military declaration in favor of
annexation to Franco might easily be got up in
any Belgian garrison.
The Belgiau Government has ordered an aug- ^
mentatiou of one hundred men in each of the !
battalions of the regiments of the line of tho ar- i
my of Belgium. As there are forty-nine battal- >1
s
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