The Carolina Spartan. (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, July 30, 1857, Image 1
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VOL. XIV. SPARTANBURG, S. C., THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1857. ? ; 55^^37^ ' j
THE CAROLINA 8 PART AN. ??
BY OAYIS & TKIMM1EB. T,
r me
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UAitULJLKA SrAJtlAJN.
i" i
From Russell's Magazine. ^J,e
MY FATHER'S GHOST. bor
On a stormy March eveuing, in the year sen
17?, I found myself benighted upon ? lux
lonely road, which rati through one of the (
moat sparcely settled districts of North- nat
Eastern Virginia. The clouds, which had vj8i
been lowering all the afternoon, gathered [ t
at twilight into tempestuous masses, which Htr?
swept madly before an east wind, and soon |jm
overspread the entire heavens with one ira- 80ft
penetrable veil of gloom. bee
The rain rushed down in torrents and so cou
blinded was I by its force, that I literally gre
could not see the head of my horse in whose raei
eagacity and sure-footedness, however, I bee
was ready implicitly to confide. The storm |)AG
raged for three hours with uninterrupted jn \
fury, and I began to despair of finding shol- gjn
ter for the night, when a feeble glimmer on ti,j|
the left, proceeding apparently from the |*t?
summit of a steep hill, apprized me of the by
vicinity of a human uwelling. At the be
emne moment, my animal quickened bis fan<
pace, and in a short time stood panting be- grii
fore the entrance of a house, which, in the ing
imperfect light of a lantern that swung in me,
the front passage, seemed to bo of coiuide- uiw
rable size and pretension. I dismounted, ous
and knocked loudly at the door. There mo
was no answer. After a pauso I knocked *ou
again. Still, no answer. Were the in- tort
mates dead, or had they, like mysoif, lost moi
their way in the storm! For full five min- 8W2
utes I pounded the panels of the heavy oak the
door, shouting at intervals until I was quite hal
hoarse p.nd exhausted. At.last theio was de*
a stir within. The stairway creaked under but
the footsteps of some person descending to he
the first story. The movements were slow a,,,
and cautious, as of one who anticipated j.n.
meeting a foe. In a moment ot two they den
ceased rtflogeiner?everything was silent as t|,r<
In-forc. I trow grew impatient, and taking in <
the butt of my riJing whip, w hich was *a(round
with iion, Struok against the door i,er
furiously and without intermission. "Who reti
^tre your' said a quavering voice from ihe me
interior, r "What do you want! go away? ma
go away. I've nothing to give you?go hut
M-w-t-y." Never before or ?itico have I let
listened to tones which denoted such an to i
abyss of abject terror. Here's bonte wretch- tbii
C<1 nlisef, thought I, who tears an inroad pos
ujK?n hi? iron chest! ! explained inyrposi- aro
lioti, and besought shelter and hospitality pit:
until morning. The bolu were slowly ver
withdrawn, and to my amazement there sou
stood before ine a hale and stalwart man of VV<
about sixty, habited in a faded dressing Wjo
gown, and slippers, but whoso face, as re- fled
vealed by the candle which he carried in der
his trembling hand, was as pale as the lace sou
of death. ded
"Sir," said he, with an ovidently Hercu- the
lean effort to recover his composuie, "I beg pin
your pardon?this is a wild neighborhood by
?burglaries aro common?and?and?in ten
short, I did not know I should liavo to son
deal with a gentleman. You're welcome, the
bit, whik ill. to I
I followed my host, who, with a singular tua
uncertain gait, (not the gait of an intoxica- ?e?i
ted man,) led me up one (light of stairs to sysi
an apartment which I presumed to be the iuy
drawing room. If so, it had evidently not esp
been put to its legitimate uses for a long am
period. Heavy layers of dust rested on the pai
chairs and ottomans, and the rich carpet sue
upon which wo walked, defaced rnthcr by roo
neglect than age, gavo out a dry musky cau
odor, excessively pungent and disagreeable, swi
The mirrors, of which there werefour ofcx- spe
traordinary size, were completely mil-dew- wh
ed, and a huge chandelier depending from wn:
the ceiling, and enveloped by several thin paa
wrappers of gauze, looked wholly dim and tba
lustreless. bail
The ceiling itself was of most remarkable dee
construction. It was concave, very 'ofty in wei
the centre, and adorned in several parts reg
with elaborato bas reliefs by uo means in- 1
artistically conceived. Two tall wax It i
candies, in ponderous silver candle- leas
ticks, stood upon the mantle piece, tot!
Hastening to light one of these, my con- ma
^ doctor happened to stumble. The lamp soiz
fall from his hand, and was instantly ex tin- ftUr
guished. This simple accident appeared ly ?
to give him the most intense concern. 1 *]
could hear his teeth chatter in the dark, Cen
and he fumbled so long about the floor at- olli
tempting to regain the lamp, that I was of t
forced to come to his assistance. I had a pos
box of matches in ray pocket, a few of which ere
were dry, and with one of these I succeed- hoi
ed in illuminating the room. The face of bio
my oompanion was even more ghastly than sho
it had been before. was
I tried to re assure him by assuming a pro
gay and frank manner. A t
*4What a noble old mansion, sir, yours hiu
seems to bel I had not expected to find loo!
such an establishment in the back-woods," croi
The man mumbled something in reply, No
pulled the bell rope with violence, and then all <
fell languidly back into a seat. par,
I followed his example, and for Ave min- self
utes neither of us spoke. During this in- ed 1
terval, 1 repeatedly observed that my com ove
pardon's eyes were fixed upon roe in n fur- |y,
tive, suspioious manner. He waa dreadful- doc
r ly nervoua and uneasy, shifting his po- vrlu
aition every moment, and looking from
time to time koenly towards the door. At ']
length, a brawny negro, hie aarvaot, I pre- don
oed, entered, and to hie charge I was iu- by
otly committed. The master slunk ra- su
r than walked away, simply honoring fo<
with a hasty bow as he left. My curi- eh
ty was aroused, mud I addressed a few sa
ding questions to the servant, who re- co
id in a manner which led me to fancy
4 the fellow was idiotic. I could abso- wl
sly extract but a single intelligible sen- m<
ce from him, and that embodied the in* be
nation that my hotse bad been carried wi
the stable and comfortably provided for. H
[ observed that, having ridden thirtv co
ea in the course of the day, I was both "r
igry and wearv, aud that, therefore, supand
abed would be immediately acCepla- m
, The uogro signified his coinpreben* ca
i of ray wishes by a grunt, left the room
h some alacrity, and returned in a short ar'
e bearing a waiter loadod with cold "e
, and two decauters of wine. ^
made a considerable meal, and was ^
n shown into a snugly furnished chaiu* ,
, enlivened with a roaring fire, and pre- jQ,
ting an appearance of comfort, aud even c
5? ,U , * x ' m
Oppressed by fatigue as I was, it would ^
urally be supposed that sleep would have
ted rue unbidden. But no sooner had QT
brown myself upon the bed than a y
inge restlessnoss took possession of every at
b. The mattress on which I lay was wj
and downy, and yet I could not have w
0 more uneasy had I reclined npon a ar
ch of thorns. Exhausted to the last de- to
e, but unable to close ray eyes for a mo- yc
nt, I tossed and tossed for hours, until I
arne aware by the burulng heat of my nQ
ids and forohead, and a parched (oeling
ho throat, that I had contracted a ra*
g fever. I was constitutionally liable to |Q
1 disease, which uever failed soonor or |a(
ir to atfect the brain, and I now knew f*n
a ringing in my ears that I was about to w
nuMCKca oj delirium, umdually, my
cies grow fantastic. Uucarthly faces gQ
mod out from the embers. The dicker- j |
shadows on the wait leaped up towards ^
, waving what I imagined to be the
ny arms of savages, performing a furi- wj
war dance. 'lhen, from ami J this j
tloy group, there rose n low wailing
nd, which resembled the cry of some ^tl
.ured vic.iin, pleading for reloaso and
rcy. Now, with regard lo the quickly- ^
lying savages and the grolaqucrie of ^
ir wild movements, I entertained that ^
f consciousness of illusiou which seldom ^
erts us either in delirium or in dreams,
the wailing sound* I profundly felt to .
real. The dancing became more rapid
I reckless; the weird figures increased ^
dlglously in bulk ami outline, until sudily
they seemed to dart towards the door, ^
ough which they disappeared, doubtless
dinso of their victim, who, as I thought,
i making a desperate etTo.t to esc-pe, ^
ding the air with shtiek on shriek as he ^
cated. Iu a state of unbounded excite-. j,
uL I spiang to inj feet, and rushed ^
dly after the shadows. A light was still
.i;.ni.. .: - - = ? re
! ? ? uiuuj iii mu rctT|r urn ruum, which, ^
me observe, win iu immediate proximity
my chamber. ] dashed up and down ^
i apartment, crossing ll?e fioor at every
aiblo angle, for ilie phantoms were all
und me, and tbo victim still wailed more
rbly than ever. I have said that at the ^
y acme of my madness I knew the j
mis of lamentation ami terror to be real.
>11, as I ran frantically about the room, I
i arrested immediately beneath the mufI
"biilliauta" of the chandalier by a wonfal
increase of distinctness in these ^
nds. Previously there had been no j
inite syllabification, but now loould catch
meaning of words, pronounced in a
intive, beseeching manner, accompanied ^
deep groans, and the occurrence at in- j
rats of what I took to be the blows of ^
10 dull and weighty instrument. Under
instinctive conviction that 1 was about
>e brought in ooulact with what was ac- ^
I and tangible, tbo delirium which pos- ^
ted rue became at once intensified and
tern a tic. I determined to penetrate the
stories by which I was surrounded, and ,n
eciaily to decipher the riddle of the blows cr
I wailing*, which grew louder and more re
nful every instant Evidently, thev is- w
d from the room above me, and this J se
m I now determined to find. Stealing nj
itiously into the corridor, 1 crept with a ?'
ft and quiet pace up the stairway, and ; cc
edily reached the door of tho apartment I
euce the singular noiso proceeded. I
i now enabled to hear everything which w
ed within. There could be no doubt 9e
t a cruel and personal chastisement was ,M
tig inflicted upon some one. Groans of y
p anguish and hoarse petitions for pardon
e interrupted only by the repeated apd le
ular strokes. at
?ever developed into frenzy a9 I listened. in
ras easy to persuade myself that nothing ar
than murdor was about to be commit- n(
. That, of course, it was my duty as a ,n
a and a Christian to prevent. So I 00
;ed tho handle of the door, which, to my n<
prise, yielded to the pressure, and quick- :u
interod the room. 10
The spectacle which mat my eye was (K
Lainly moat strango and startling. Grov- u<
ng at the foot of a rough wooden imago
he Virgin, lay the man whom I suped
to be the master of the hoiue, gath- P(
d up into a heap, with a leathorn thong
d loosely in his right hand, and the
od flowing freely from his side and
ulders, which were perfectly bare. He ra
i motionless, and I percoivod upon apaching
nearer that he had fainted away. ^
aper wai burning on the table before
i, in tho blnzo of which lay a mysterious
king scroll, marked at the top with a
is, wrought, I imagined, with red ink.
sooner had I perceived this scroll than 8(
f.RfA fnr tlin rvinrlition nf mw VimO n>?? HI
isdod by ft burning desire to possess my- ':i
of tho contents of the paper. I snatch- m
up the first page and glanced greedily 0T
r it. Incapable of reading consecutivefor
1 wmj dizzy and dim of sight, the wr
nment before roe resolved itself some- lo
it into the following shape: lii
, August 20th, 17?. tl
'his is the confession of > I have V
e the . lie is d ?, and
' the ?rbor in , near the enclore
marked . . It eras all - *
>t to foot , but his sero eras
. I knew that ??. What
y to Eiui. . Ob! God
nfess ? ? confess ?? die .
Thus far had I deciphered the scroll,
lich was blotted, worn, aud in pArts alost
illegible, when I heard a faint rustle
hind me. My host had recovered, and
u standing bolt upright by his chair,
is figure was as rigid as the figure of a
rpse. The muscles of the faco were
awn dewn, and his eyes rested with asto'
glare not upon the scroll, which I held
ray right band, but on the folds of a
inbric handkerchief, saturated with eau
cologne, which I had mechanically bound
ound my forehead to soothe the raging
ndache of fevor.
Into the substance of tlm handkerchief
t initials of my name were distinctly workin
black and blue thread. The intensity
the man's gaze fettered me as with invisible
chains. At iength with a moan,
>t of pain or anger, but of deadly suspense,
i bounded up to me, tore the handkerief
from ray forehead, and staggered with
to the light. He held the initials iu
ery possible position, repeating them to
mself in a lone of abstracted inquiry. All
once bis manner changed to an air of the
idest terror. Springing up like a mad
an, be Waved me off with outstretched
ma, shrieking out, "Have you come to
rment me beforo the time! Fiend that
u are, would you drag me to a lower hell
an this? I will not go?no?no?i will
it go! I defy you!" he shouted, apparently
lining courage from the very extremity of
s despair. "I defy you," and then in a
rt'or key he ninUered idiotically some old
Lin exorcism,"Conjuro te?scelestixsima?
iquissima?atqa mieerrima?conjuro te!
njitro te! / "
In one of those fantastic changes of mood
common under the influence of delirium,
now grew heartily tired of the scene,
out which I thought there was a vast
;il of mummeiy, so, tossing the scroll,
li?ch I bad all along retained, scornfully
>ra me, 1 reeled bnck to my chamber.
>wards morning I was visited by a deep,
it unrefreshing slumber. It was late in the
ly when I awoke, ratioual. but greatly exrusted.
My first impulse was to attribute
o events of the uight to disorder and exlomeiit
of brain. I knew from experience
ov startling and vivid a fever dream
iglit be, but in the present instance a
irial circumstance demonstrated that I
id not been moving altogether in a region
phantasy.* The cambric banJkurchicf
> longer nvclt?pcd iny head, nor could I
id il wither beneath the bed cfothca or in
y quarter of the chamber. Now 1 wr.?
solalily cerUiin. thai I had, just nf
r retiring, made u*o of the hand kerchief
r the purpose I have specified, and in conmation
of this there stood the uncorked
>Ulo of cologne upon a chair within
ach of the bedstead. My speculations
ere distributed by the unceremonious entnce
of the negro who had seived ine on \
e evening before, lie brought in an ex
llenl breakfast, which ho arranged on a
ie table of mahogany, presenting at the
me time his master's compliments, with
o hope that my fever had subsided! IIow,
asked, did his master know that I had
(Tered from fever? The fellow opened his
es in the extremity of astonishment, inrming
me that I had been sleep-walking,
id had coine nigh murdering my ho6t ie
o entry. The explanation satisfied me.
really then hud committed certain exllvfirrim?Aa
urnro nswloriallw
- ' "S ?V'"l .. .V" nv.? J
ted by an inflamed imagination, After
o necessary Apologia, and thanks which
charged iny attendant, (who, by the way,
as not the stunid creature I had supposed
in,) to convoy to his master, I partook
laringly of the meat nnd bread before mo,
ak ing up for this neglect of the substantia
by copious draughts of coffee.
Somewhat refreshed, I sunk back upon
y couch. By degres a strange lethargy
opt over rao. Tho window curtains, stird
by a faiut wind, and waving to and fro
ith a monotonous motion, stole upon uiy
uses with the effect of low, regular and
ournful music. Soon all cotiseculivenesa
' thought wits lost, and I lapsed into a
mdiliou of absolute and rayless oblivion.
*?*?**
When next I wuko to a sonso of life, it
as with a feeling of awful depression?a
nsation of almost suicidal gloom. Darksss
was ail around mo?thick, palpable
trknoss. The atmosphere was cold and
imp, chilling 1110 to the very soul. 1 alio
pled to move, hut imagine my horror
id dismay, when the dull clank of chains
formed me that I had been bound hand
id foot. My brain was dizzy and vacant,
id the effort to penotrato the dreadful
ystory of my situation, resulted iuto a mo>nd
attack of delirium in which tho darkiss
suddenly hocame luminous with blue
id red meteors, and winged serpents flying
wards iuo with tongues of flame. Then
cur rod another snell of total unconscious
>8S.
I was aroused at length by aslight sound
>ovo my head. Upon glaucing upward I
rceivod a ray of light gliiumuriug from
u ceiling. It gradually increased until
i aperture like that of a trap door was
scernablo, and in the midst of it a palo buan
faco peering anxiously down into the
ingeon. I recognisod my host, and saw at
0 sanio moment that a rough wooden
dder communicated with the apartment
>ove. My first foolish impulse was to call
r aid and deliverance, but 1 instantly subsed
it, and determined to resort to strataun.
I lay perfectly still, scarcolv breathg.
After the lapse of some minutes, the
udor commenced to creak, and 1 observed
y host descending cautiously and pausing
1 every round.
Having reached the floor, bo groped toards
the place whero, reclining at full
ngtb, 1 rested as one dead, lie fell my
rnbs, which were rigid and clammy, and
ion ventured to stoop towards tny face,
fith a quick, furious molioa I threw my
mt about his neck, and pulled him vio
lently dswn beaid) me. I bad expected a
.lavage struggle, but the man seemed naralized
with surprise and terror. I held him
iu the firm grasp of desperation.
"Villain, scoundrel! demool" said I, tightening
my fingers upon his throat, until his
breathing changed into a short spasmodic
hiss, "I have you now! Either release mo
this moment, without one second's delay,
or, by the Eternal, I shall strangle you on
the spot!" "Let me go!" he replied, "you
are killing tue?only let mo go, and you
are free!"
I bounded to my feet, still retaining a
strong, though less painful grasp upon iny
jailor, threatening to brain him without the
slightest ado, if he veuturod to escape.
"Now, sir 1 release ino!" The wretch
took a small iron key from the pocket of
his waistcoat, and unlocked the manacles
with which i had been confined.
So soon as I felt myself nt liberty, I
seized my companion more fiercely than before,
and, although he was a person of powerful
frame, draggod him bodily up from
the wins-vault, as I afterwards discovered
my place of durance to be, and confronting
him in the honest daylight which flashed
cheerily upon me, sternly demanded an cxCnation
of the treatment to which I had
n subjected. The man's answer was
strango enough.
"Is that your property!" he inquired, pulling
a cambric haukerchief from his bosom,
nud extending it towards me.
"It is ray property," I replied.
"And the initials?the initials! what do
! thoy signify! Your name, sir, for God's
[ take your name!"
"My name is La Roche?Augustus Edward
La Uocbel"
The effect of this announcement seemed
to me miraculous. The tall, athletic man,
to whom I had made so natural a coinmunicatioh,
started back with *n indescribnble
gesture of fear and loathing, and utteriug
; one sharp shriek of auguisli, fell at my feet,
rigid?inanimate?dead.
The explanation of this mysterious narrative,
which, let me assure the render, is
not a fiction, for I have it in my power to
demonstrate the truth of every word of it,
was revealed to ini soma days subsequent
1 fr? llw. BinfTlllir urki/*k T li??? .? <
corded. Tho explanation is briefly as follows:
i
Many years before the date of ray story, 5
a gentlomau of French extraction owned i
tho gloomy old mansion in which I agpi- i
dentally sought shelter on the tempestuous <
1 March evening of 175?. The proprietor's
father was a certain Monsieur Auguste La l
Koche, who had left his country upon the \
revocation of the edict of Nantes. i
Burning wi-.h a sen*-o ,f tho tyranny t
from which he had escaped, M. La ltoche, I
[ with a reckless desire to leave the despo- <
lions of convention, an.I (so called) legiii- I
| mate monarchy far bohind hint, penetrated I
into tho hack woods, and with the remain* i
of a regal fortune, settled moodily down
amid lire solitude of a remote ami savage <
wilderness. Hi* family consisted of twin \ 1
children, both of them boys, and the infant 1
daughter of a dear ir iend, who had perished
in the civil war* of that unhappy period.
Madame La Boclie had died some months N
before her husband'* departure from France.
The young La Bodies' grew up, tall, vigo- ,
roua, sod manly, well skilled in woodcraft, |
and with considerable general information ,
derived from their father, who, himself, a ,
scholar, faithfully grounded them in the
"humanities," and whatever else was then
coneidred necessary to the education of a i
genllciuou. i
j Emily Montaign, tho old man's ward, ,
j maluiod, as ihe years passed, into a maiden ,
of exquisite beauty. Louis and bis brother |
Augustus Ed ward La Roche both very natu- i
tally foil in love with her. In the course i
of lime what had been a rflcro boyish fancy ,
assumed the most passionate strength and .
earnestness. The brothers became deadly i
rivals, and the hatred which grew up be- i
tureen them, it was terrible to witness. As ,
for the fair Emily, she could not conceal her j
preference for Augustus, and that the girl's |
I love was sincere will at once ho conceded
when I mention that uouis, being by a few ,
hours the senior, was tooled upon as the
heir of his father's estate. Upon the death
of his parent which occurred about the period
to which I now refer, Louis formally
offered his hand to Emily Montaign, and (
was respectfully, hut firmly, refused, lie
extorted from her a haughty confession of
i her attachment to Augustus, whose chain- (
ber he inslautly sought, subjecting hitn to
an unheard of indignity.
"Were you fifty times my brother," exclaimed
the insulted parly, snatching his
rapier from the wall, "you should answer
' for this!?Co mo with me, sir, if you be a
man!" And Augustus rushed out of the
' house like a maniac. Louis followed him
, more calmly, hut with a deadly purpose in
I Iris soul. They mot in an adjacent garden,
and a ferocious conflict took place. At
i l.,r,??l. A. r il 1 .1 1
r** f iuii, pujicthi uiiuu^ii uio
body, and apparently quite .dead, llorri|
fled by the crime ho bad committed, the
j survivor fled from the scene. Ho abandoned
hie homo for months, and when with
partially disordered reason, he vontured to
return, it was only to find that Kraily had
! disappeared, and that his "houss was left
. unto him desolate."
l.eJ on by a resistless fascination he
sought the garden in which the fatal conflict
had occurred, and there lha tender
, grass just sprouting upon the mound, he
behold a now-made gravo, with a rude
head stono of wood, bearing *ho familiar
initials A. E. L., deeply carved, and colored,
aa ho thought, with life dead man's blood.
Thenceforth, louis became a misanthrope.
A more utterly wretched croaluro existed
not upon the face of the earth, lie renounced
his father's faith, and espoused the
strictest tonots of Romanism. In vain ho
sought to exorcise the fiend within him hy
fasts, vigils, uud cruel bodily torture.
What, meanwhile, had become of Kmily
Montaign.' Impelled by a presentment of
ovil, she sought the gardon not long after
tho encounter, and there discovered hot
deeding and senseless lover. Augustus, al*
hough desperately wounded, still rctambd
oino signs of life. She used certain simple
estoratives, staunched bis wounds as well
4 circumstances admitted, and after great
lifficulty succeeded in conveying bitn to a
lottage which was near at hnnd.
Tbero, she bursed him until he was cobalescont,
when tliey wore privately mar*
ied. A day or two after they left the
leighborbood, south the nearest seaport,
ind, fliiefly by the salo of the wife's jewels,
ibtained money sufficient to carry them to
England. They settled in Liverpool, where
tgustus, by great good fortuno, obtained a
nercantile position sufficiently profitablo to
'ietd a support to bltnself aud bis wife,
kmielimoin the autumn of 173-, I, Angus*
us Edward La Kocbe, the younger, was
>orn. At my own request, I was educated
is an engineer, and had just attained my
tiajorily whou both my paronts died. After
'ainly trying to obtain any lucrative employ*
ueut, in my native land, I sailed for Virginia,
aud was cngnged in a professional
our, wheu the events of this narrative ocurred.
I was strikingly like my father,
md it onunot therefore be a matter of won*
lor that Louis La Kocho should have taken
no, his uophew, for the ghost (permitted to
cas&umo its mortal body) of the brother,
vhoin it was his firm belief that ho had
lain thirty years before.
Everything leuded to ntronghten his sus>icions,
aud when at length I revealed my
inino to his urgent questioning, nothing
:ou!d have been more natural than the caastropho
which ensued. Why I should
save boon dragged, and then incarcerated,
^ cannot divine. Who can account for the
ragarics of a madman?
A few more points remain to be unrid*
lied. My father never wholly recovered
rotn his wound. It left him with shatter*
id uerves and a morbid dread of bis broth*
ir, whom he now looked upon as a hardenid
villain capable of any atrocity, flo deermined
to let him live in the awful conriction
that he had murdered his nearest
cinsraan, and therefore he caused a mouud
o be erected, resembling the packod earth
>f a grave, headed by the wooden cross
which I liavo described as bearing bis ini*
.ials.
It is not necessary that I should enter
nore minutely iulo tnv fainilv history. or
jr ? J * I
>peria!ly refer to the sources whence these
rarious startling facts havo been derived, and
whereby they wero fiualiy combined into a
consistent record.
I would merely observe, in conclusion,
dial I atn now the solo proprietor of my
jncle's once gloomy mansion, and that if
any of my readers would like further to
?atisfy themselves of the tr'ttli of this story,
Lliey have only to address a letter to me,
care of Geo. Washington Skitlleflint, Esq.,
la>x 8,963, 1' h, P. O., anid I shall
be happy to give thein ail the additional
information in my power.*
* Wo are indebted for the preceding story to the
Murtcoua Attention of A. E. Ivi lt?>clie, a grandioti
of the gentleman who was mistaken for hi* fa
liter's ghost. Mr. L. i* now residing iu Portsmouth,
Va.?Rui*rll'4 Mugiziiu.
The Declaralion of Independence.
^Msny popular impreessions concerning
'the Declaration of Independence," are derived
from fou^lh^-July orations and picLures,
both of which are apt to mislead as
Joes the picture of "the First Prayer in Congross."
Nine out of ten supposo that some
where about noon on the fourth of July,
177G, Congress passed the vote atliming the
Colonics independent, and that the old bellringer
in the steeple of the Stale House, received
the intelligence of this event, was
teized with a sudden enthusiasm to^wing
the old bell, to rjpg out the news to the people
in such a loud joyous manner as nut
the quiet citizens of Philadelphia in n wonderful
exciteiueut. Then there was the
3igi:ing of tho Declaration, we have a
picture of that too, which teaches us how
the representatives of tho Colonies vied with
each other it) putting their names to the
immortal instrument, so that before night
the famous parchment, the original pa]>or,
which now is seen in the Patent Office, was
engrossed, and signed as we now have it:
A few facta gleaned from various sources
will be interesting as rectifying these impressions
about this famous transaction ?
this crisis in human affairs. On tho 10th
ofjuuo, 1770, Mr. Harrison, of Virginia,
reported a resolution, part of which is said
to have been a literal trauscript of the instruction
givon by tho Convention of Virginia
to their Representatives iu Congress,
and which was moved on tho 7ih of dune
in Ccngross by Richard Henry Loo. Mr.
Harrison's resolution embodying Mr. Lee's
is in these words: "Resolved, That the
consideration of tho first resolution ho postponed
to Monday, the first day of July next;
and in tho meanwhile, that no lime he lost,
in case tho Congiess agree thereto, that a
committee he appointed to prepare a doclnmlinrr
to the etfflet of iIia suiil fir*' rA?oli?.
tion, which is in theso words: 'TIihI theso
United St?to9 are, and of right ought to be
free, and independent States; that they are
absolved from all allegiance to tho British
Crown; and that all political connexion between
them and tho State of Great Britain
is, and ought to bo, totally dissolved.'"
This resolution was adopted.
On tho 1 lib of June, Thomas Jefforson,
John Admire, Benjamin Franklin, Roger
Sherman, and R. K. Livingston, wero appointed
a committee to draft tho Declaration.
Richard Henry Iieo, as tho original
mover of the resolution for declaring the Colonies
independent, would have beon named
as chairman of the committee, but, unfortunately
for himself, he received intelligence
of sicknoss in his family, which made it
necossary for him to bo absent before that
committee was appointed. Jefferson had
the reputation of being a brilliant writer,
and succeedod to tho placo of honor. The
elder Adams, in his auto-biography, says
that he saw and read the original draft
of the declaration, and he speaks in terms
of rapturous admiration of it: *'! was delighted
with its high tone, and the Sights of
oratory with which it abounded, especially
that concerning negro slavery," dec. lie low
further sa; s of the Committee, intimating 12
thnt Jefferson's paper bad not been read by wa
all the members. "We were all in haste, del
Congress was impatient, and the instrument Thi
was reported, as I believe, in Jefferson's the
handwriting. Th
On the 28th of June, the committee re- in(<
ported the original declaration, which was
read for the first time in Congress. On
the 1st of July, this declaration w as aga'm
read and discussed in committee of the |
whole. It was carried in the committee by ^
vote of the States; Pennsylvania and South t
Carolina voting against it. John Adams ler
ays, that in the discussion July 1st, Dickinson
of Pennsylvania, opposed the decla- 'refi
ration, "in a speech of great length. * * *
lie conducted tho debatonot only with great p]ra
ingenuity and eloquence, but with equal po- j
litonoHS and candor, and was answered in mo
the esmo spirit." yu
Dickinson, a brother of Gen. Philmon
Dickinson, of New Jersey, an officer whom .j
Washington frequently mentions with hon- |
or, was a strong debater and a sincere pat- 8lQ
riot, acknowledging the grievances com- ,
plained of, but lacking that steru and bero- al|)
re spirit that animated such men ns Adams, ^
Witherspoon and Leo. IJence he shrank j^
froru an opou rupluro with Groat Britain, rftr
ascertain to end not only in greater evi's j
to the country, but to individuals promi- cRj
neut in the rebellion. In this feeling two nu
other representatives from Pennsylvania
shared. But of this more in another place. ^
Dickinson's speech produced a profound j
impression, and this is not to bo wondered j
at when wo consider the nature of the con ^
test which it was the object of that speech ^
to show. John Adams, ouo of the most
fluent and powerful speakers, answered
Dickinson, and it cannot be too much re- jia'
greueu mat not a scrap oi that speech remains,
except perbaps tbo tradition out of |io
which Mr. Wohster made one of his most ^
| splendid paragraphs. It was on the 1st of jjc
July that the newly elected delegates from
j New Jersey, of whom Dr. Witherspoon was ^c|
one, took their seats and voted a solid vote tag
for the declaration.
The next day, July 2d, the paper was
again read and subjected to n severe process,
which sifted out some paragraphs. ^
Some were thought too disrespectful to- gn
wards the english people, some too hostile
to the king personally and some were too co,
condemnatory (indirectly) of the institution ^
of slavery, During this eliminating process,
Jefferson was greatly excited at limes '
showing his chagrin; which state of mind
Franklin greatly relieved by telling to Mr. ^
Jefferson the criticism made on the sign g>(|
which a hatter in Philadelphia had over ^
his store. About one quarter, according to
the elder Adams, or one-third, nocording to
Jefferson, of the original paper, was stficken
out, leaving the document as we now
havo it. The adoption of this paper was |Q|
warmly debated through the second, third
and fourth days of July, and towards the ^
close of the latter day, tbo motion to adopt
prevailed. It was then signed by nearly
every member present, except Mr. Dickin- .
sod, who refused to sign. Willing and
Humphreys, two delegates from Pennsylva
nia, purposely absented themselves to avoid
signing. These three gentlemen wore de- ?.
capitated forthwith by the Convention of
Pennsylvania, then in session, and men P?
elected iu their place who would sign. Of "
the other Pennsylvania delegates, Frank- ?
lin, John Morton and Jatnes Wilson, eigned
the declaration at once, and Robert Mor- Pr
ris, die remaining delegate was absent on ..
public business and bad permission to sign 'l
afterwards. . f
It is a fact worth knowing, that the dele- 1
gates front New York were willing to sign, m
but waited for instructions from borne, which L
they received and put their names to the 1,1
declaration on the 15th of July.
Matthew Thornton did not take his seat *
in Congress until the 4lh of November, and
at that time ho signed the declaration.
The original paper, as interlined and ,l
| amended was given to the Secretary of Congress
to to engrossed on parchment, and
j this engrossed copy, the one in lite Patent
: Office, was again signed by most of the .
members on the second of August, and at J0<
different intervals afterwards by the rest,
i Can any one tell whether the real original
; is yet in exietencef ^
' These facts are gleamed principally fronrt ^
tlio Journals of Congress, Tucker's Life of I
Jefferson and the work of John Adams. w
The passage on negro slavery, w hich was be
I erased from Jefferson's original draft, is not
1 published in books accessibly to tbe most. a
That passage is as follows: "lie, the king, <jj
j has waged cruel war against human nature ,n
; itself, violating its most sacred rights of life if
1 nn l i:> ... ;.. .1.- r _ J:-. ?.
i nuvi niruuT iu? |ii:i.vii!a ui fi uutnill |i'JOpie
who never otfonded him, captivating ^
and carrying them into slavery in Soothed w
' hemisphere, or to incur miserable death 'in ot
their transportation thither. This prncticHl f0
! warfare, the opprobrium of Infidel nations, f0
is the warfaro of the Christian King of
Great Hritaiu. I.'elcrinined to keep open a n(
market where men should he bought and | |<>
sold, he lias prostituted his negative for sup t|;
pressing overy legislative attempt to pro- i|,
hil>it or to rostrain this execrable commerce. ih
And that this assemblage of horrors might
want no favl of distinguished dye, he is now w
exciting those very people to rise in arms
among us, and to purchaso that liberty of
which ho has deprived them, by murdering rc
these people on whom ho has obtruded i
j them; thus paying otf former crimes com- p,
mitted against the liberties of one people ,|,
with tho crimes which he urges ihctu to Q
commit against tho lives of another." jrl
Tucker, in his life of Jefferson supplies tl
this remarkable passage, together with all it
the changes made iu tho original draft of w
the declaration. e<
Gordon, in his history of the lievolution, st
says the reason why the %firat x>( July did b
not become Independence Day, was that n
"neither the colonies nor members being at
' unanimous, it was postponed till the uext st
I day." ?
Hut when did tho venerable bell; still o
' preserved in Independence Hall, peal out p
tbo uotea of libertyV Gordon has the fol C
> HI
II nil
ring answer: "July 8tb. TlmMf, ui
o'clock, the Declaention of Independence
proclaimed at the State House ie Pbilaphia,
amidst the greatest acclamations,
u same evcuing the equestrian statue of
king was laid prostrate on the ground,
e lead of which it is made is to be rod
0 bullet*." Bockaway.
[xTsw York Ofosnwr.
Marshal Marmoat. ' ** ,
In the Memoirs of the Duke of Raguss;
ter knowu as Marshal Marinoat?writ- ? 1
by himself, is recited, the following idesling
anecdote. It ooeuned to 4796)
1 illustrates Martnont's firmness and selfpeel.
An invasion of Eoglaod was thee
dilated. Bon apart*, who then won bis
t Italian laurels, was named "Coraman.
-in-Chief of the army of England." Marmt
was attached to bim as Aid-Js Camp: v
napaite wishing to have accurate infor* ,
itioh concerning the defensive prepare* '
us of the Eoglifth, was turning over id .
mind the means of procuring it. The
ry **J*:
"A. M. Galloia, a man of respectability'
J distinction, bad a mission to England;
the purpose of eschanging prisoners:
fore setting o(f, he came with M. Talleyid
to General Bonaparte's house, Rue da
Vicloire. Suddenly the doors oC the
Mnet opened; the General called me, ana
sooner did I find myself the fourth id
s cabinet than he saiil. to me, 'Marmopt;
Gallois is about to go to England with
ornmission to treat for the ekchahge of
son em; you will accompany him; yod
I leave behind your uifonn; you willpasd
bis secretary, and you will procure inforition
of such and such a nature; you will
ike such and such observations, Ac. Ana ' ?
detailed to roe tuy instructions. I listened *
biro without interrupting biro; but wherf *had
finished, I answerod, 'General, I re-,
e to go.' 'Howl you refuse to go!' skhl ?.
'Yes, General, I continued: 'you give
i the commission of a spy, and it nsithwf ?
longs to my duties nor accords with m*
tea. M. Gallois fblfils a mission which
openly recognised; mine would lie bend
the sphere of honorable recognition;
f departure with him would be knowd
ail Paris, and it would be known in . *
gland that his pretended secretary is one
the principal officers of your statf?your
rctidential aid-decamp. Unprotected b*
i law of nations. 1 should be arrested,'
d either hanged or sent back with in?a*
p. My life aa a soldier belongs to jou:
t it is only as a soldier that I am bound
lose iL . Send me with twenty ftre bus*
rs to attack a fortress, 1 would go without
urrauring, thoftgh certain of falling, beuse
that b my profession. The present
se is different! He was confounded byb
y answer, and dismissed roe, saying, 'f
all find other officers' more sealoua and
are docile.' This bold contest with a matf
powerful, thb decided answer in oppoai'Q
to his wishes, made u great impreesiorj
M. Talleyrand, who was not acquainfea
th nae then, and who has often spoketj
it to me siuoe. When M. Talleyrand
d Oallois were gone, the General called
a and said, 'What were you thinking of,
answer me in that way before strangers!'
entra!,' I answered, 'I am aware of the'
in my answer must hare caused you, and '
its apparent impropriety; but permit nasi
teil yoa, you had rendered it necessary;
>u had not hesitated to make an offensive
oposition to nie in their ptcstacei, and I
utd only wipe out the stain by also repelig
it in their presence with indignation:
you had spoken to me of it en UU a-taUi
should hare discussed it with you in n
auner accordant rtiih the respect I bear
>u and the sentiments I owe to you.' He
tderstood rno, but for a long while after
?ated tue with great coldness. Duroc, to
lioui I had narrated this scene said, 'I ami '
.k-? k -- - r? t
?iuiviui luAb ih viau ii k unppcu ku uio, lur *,
ouid never have darfcd to tefuse him.'
ilkowsky, who witnessed the explanation,'
eadiug lest the mission should devolve
i him, hastened to prevent it by saying;
eneral, not one of us woul 1-have accept-'
i it.' Nothing more was said on the sub-' . .
et, and every one was saved from the obq?yn
ir(
Novkl Bki)ub.st.?At a recent sitting ot
? Sotatus of the University of London,'
e assembly was congratulated on a recent
cision of one of the higher courts, by .
bicb the University became entitled to a
quest of $100,000, under the will of the
te Mr. Thomas lJrowtl, of Dublin, to found
hospital for the investigation and cure of
seases of quadrupeds and birds useful Id
an. Singular, and perhaps outre as this
inritable legacy may be, we have no *
>ubt but, indirectly, it Will prove of great
inetit to the community at frtrgc'. Whevf
e consider how miich we are dependent
) the lower aniiunlt?-as they are called?
r food, clothing, and irtanj of the com
rts of life, who shall say that every im-'
-oveinent on their physical condition must
>t benefit tbe lords of the creation! In thirf
cality, we are sorry to say that the contion
of the quadrupedal slaves sadly need*
0 watchful care of ihe philauthopist atuf
f legislator. NVo fear, however, thai it
ill bo some time ore this sanitary reforuf
ill obtain the attention it requires,
n?ad.arly Sold.?The New Yotk cortspoftdent
of the Boston Journal stated in
letter, a short lime since, that a large
arty of Irish Catholics had attacked am!
smolished the walls of a Presbyterian
hurch in Now York, in the presence of an
nmouse crowd, attracted to the spot by
>e deed, and that no ariest were made,
c. A. clergyman of Lawrence, Mass.;
role to the Mayor on the subject, and reiired
a reply denying the truth of the
element. "Had any attempt of the kind
eon made," says his Honor, "I should ha.' 5
sed erery resource in my power to prevent
jcli disgraceful proceedings, and to presrve
the peace protect the property of
ur citizens. The Church referred to was
f course "The Old Brick Church," then in
rotcees of demolition, principally by "frW*
1 at hoiks."