Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, February 05, 1857, Image 1
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sami^mbitoh }ProPrietor'- An Independent Journal : For the Promotion of the Political, Social, Agricultural and Commercial Interests of the South. |nwn *. grist, mkm. < . *%
VOJL. 3. YORKVILLE, S. O., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1857. NO. 5.
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Cjroitc Iflctri).
r . <1 .
.
- . TRUISM.
Time snccess crowns stern endeavors :
Life we know is bnt a span,
V One day less each morning measures,
Wisely use it while we can.
Every station has it.? troubles,
- Murmuring o'er it will not mend :
Meeting misery makes it double;
Longest lanes must have an end.
X
sunbeams atter snowers are nngnteer,
Seeking sorrow is a sin.
Loving hearts are ever brightest,
" Peace, that jewel, dwells within.
Fretful fears in gloom repining
Shade the heart with dark despair,
See, there's light around you shining,
And for shadows never care.
Longest joys wont last for ever,
- Make the most of every day;
Youth and beauty Time will sever,
- ? - But content hath no decay.
pome Mairs.
ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE BETHEL DIVISION, No. 37,
. ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1857,
. BY J. LHARRY.
prBltSHRp BY ORDER OF THE DIVISION.
Ladies and Gentlemen :?I am constrained
to state, that I feel myself incompetent
to the subject which has brought us
together, as I ana unaccustomed to public
speaking, and make no pretentions to oratory.
You will,, therefore, please bear with me
while I shall tell yon a few plain truths, in
a plain way, and if I shall have done this so
as to fasten the conviction of them on your
minds, I will then have accomplished all
that I design on the present occasion. We
have not called you together that we might
make a display of eloquence, with which we
are unfortunately not gifted ; nor to tickle
your fancies with finely wrought composition,
but to tell you what we are trying to do?
how we are trying to do it; to make plain
what we think your duty is, by answering
some of your objections, and thereby gain
you over to our assistance in a great work.
The sole object of the organization we advocate,
is the suppression and extermination of
-? the vice of Intemperance, and thereby rid
the country of the greatest and most withering^irse
that rests upon it. It is not our
purpose to war directly and individually against
the myriad of vices which are the offspring
of Intemperance; but to strike at the
root of the matter?to kill the pareut and 1
starve out his children ; or in other words,
to remove the cause of vice, that the effects
may cease.
Our great aim is to place the rising generation
in an attitude of defence against the
/wAnrtrtM aim! ap tntumnomnna fn
giumug Oil ui ?
a feeling of disgust, at the use of intoxicating
liquors 'kis a beverage " and to reform
as far as we raff those who are hastening
precipitately and unconsciously to a drunkard's
grave.
The majiner in which we propose to accomplish
these great and desirable ends, is
by an organization, which, for beauty and
system, stands Unrivaled in the annals of Societies.
v The organization is as purely republican
as the government under which we
live,* and strictly harmonizes with the purest
principles of morality and propriety. You
have been told that it corresponds in this respect
to the government of the Presbyterian
Church, and I can think of no other organized
body by which its workings can be so
clearly illustrated.
It consists of a National Division, corresponding
to the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church, and made up of delegates
from the Grand Divisions of the States;
which Grand Divisions correspond to the
Synod, and are composed of delegates from
the Subordinate Divisions, which Subordinate
Divisions, correspond in sovie respects
to the Presbyteries of the Presbyterian
Church. The organization is such, that uny
member of the Order, with proper qualifications,
may pass to a seat in the highest Division,
and eventually become the chief officer,
or president, as it were, of the whole
Oislpr?onrrpsnnndinc* in this rpsnppt In nnr
r- n ?t j - ?
Republican form of government.
Members have the right of appeal from a
lower to a higher court, as it were, just aswe
have from Presbytery to Synod, and from
Synod to the General Assembly, or from a
County to a Superior thence to a Supreme
Court. We might enumerate various other
features of the Order, but deem it unnecessa- 1
ry, being persuaded that you now understand
its motives and leadiug principles.
We pass on to notice some of the various '
objections which are urged against it. It has '
been objected by some that it originated at !
the North, and was therefore an abolition !
movement; by others that it is the offspring
of Catholicism, and that its treasures all flow
into Catholic coffers; but time and observa- |
tion have sufficiently dispelled these un- 1
grounded objections. Had either of these i
things attached to the Order, it would, long i
ere this, have been proclaimed trumpet- i
tongued to -the world, since hundreds of i
slaveholders and men of the purest stamp of
Christianity are now associated with it, and
are intimately acquainted with *all its operations,
in all their public and secret ramifications.
Can there be a doubt then, as to the
groundlessness of these objections? We
leave reason and common sense to answer the i
question. i
It has been objected from various quarters
that the church is sufficient: that it ill j
become men of the world to dabble in mat- :
ters which belong to her, and to assume du- i
ties which belong to her Ministers and offi- ;
cers, and that therefore, there is no necessity
for such an organization. * Do the experience
and teachings of the past justify this
conclusion 1 We are forced to answer, No !
Prior to the establishment of any temperance
societies, this secret enemy and vile monster,
Intemperance, under the dominion of tlx
church a/one, instead of being suppressed 01
even crippled, grew with gigantic rapidity
and threatened to devastate the fair soil ol
the human heart and sap the very founda
tions of Christianity. It was introduced a*
a favorite and necessary guest, into the fami
ly circle, and permitted to poison the breath
of infant innoceney with its virulent matter,
It was used on almost all occasions, and foi
almost all purposes : But since the introduction
of Temperauce Societies, and especially,
that of the Sons of Temperance, its influence
has been rapidly retrograding. The influence
of these societies have extended to, and
rescued thousands whom the church could
never have reached. We therefore conclude
that there is a necessity for this society. The
Church has a great work to perform in evangelising
the world, and needs all the assistance
possible; and as intemperance is one of the
greatest barriers to salvation, we believe
that the Church should labor with, and encourage
every proper means that may be eraployed
to suppress it.
Every one readily admits this, but you still
object to this society as a proper means to
bring about this great end. Men argue that
we have do authority from the Bible for such
an organization, aud, therefore, they oppose
it. Have we any authority from the Bible
for Tract Societies, Boards of Publication,
and the various benevolent societies which
have been organized for the purpose of relieving
the suffering, instructing the ignorant
and elevating ? degraded humanity ?"?
Though we find none of these spoken of in
ikitf AWAI-1 Hnrtlr *\A/III1 in w n /J O
iiiat oatiuu JiUUHj uuuci tucdc pccuuai ??//ico
and do not find the laws and regulations by
which they are governed, written out word
for word, yet we believe that the doctrines
of that most sacred of all books authorizes
them, and the most scrupulous among us
would be slow to doubt their expediency.?
We argue, then, that if it authorizes these,
it also authorizes the one we advocate, as it
is truly a benevolent society, having for its
object the suppression of vice and the good
of the race, "without money and without
price," only so far as may be necessary to
defray its expenses and keep it in successful
operation. Away then with this crippled
objection.
We have slight objections, too, and principally
from those plain, unsophisticated, matter-of-fact
kind of men, to ouY simple, though
beautiful and attractive uniforms. We consider
this objection of very little importance
indeed, but, as we wish to satisfy all cavils,
we will give this a passing notice. You say
that you can see no necessity for such a uniform.
Admit that there is no crying necessity,
can you see no propriety in it? Had
we the time we might cite you to the various
vestments, staves of office and badges and
colors of distinction used in the ancient Jewish
Ceremonies, and to the "toga virilis" and
"imperial purple" of the "Romans in attestation
of their nroDrietv. We read, in the
i r J /
loth chapter of 1st Chronicles, of David
bringing "the ark of the Covenant" froui
Obed edom, where "he and all the Levites
that bear the ark, were clothed in robes of
fine linen" and "David also, had upon him
an ephod of linen," which was a kind of
girdle, that was brought from the back of
the neck over the two shoulders, and hanging
dowu in front was put across the stomach,
and carried round the waist and used as a
girdle to the tunic. There were two kiuds
of ephod?one of plain linen and the other
embroidered, for the high priest. On the front
of these were two precious stones, on which
were engraved the names of the twelve tribes
of Israel. Every part of this uniform bears
a close resemblance to our regalia. We
might cite various other instances, where
vestments of various colors and patterns were
used to distinguish the different orders of
priests, &c. And was there no propriety in
these? Why is it that Ministers, even in
our day and generation, choose to wear white
cravats and sable vestments, if there be no
propriety in such things ? It would be considered
almost sacrilege for a Minister to appear
in the Pulpit clothed in white, and
much more so, if he were to appear in red,
or any other color apart' from the one peculiar
to his office. His peculiar dress is his
regalia, and his Bible his badge of office.
Can we see no propriety in the regalia of
the village /up and city dandy? I think
wp onn \Vlmn wp spp n vmmcr man nrnmi
nading the streets with a kind of gobbler
gait, or loitering on the pavement, the most
prominent parts of whom are his nicely finished
cane, kid gloves, "principe cigar"?
mustache of peculiar twist, and cocked hat,
we are warned that he is a member of the
order of coxcombs, minus brains, and had
better keep clear of him.
Can you, who have had the advantage of
College training, see no propriety in the
badges and regalia that distinguish the literary
societies? which, by the by, are more
strictly secret associations than that^of the
Sons of Temperance.
Who would pretend to doubt the propriety
of the dress and staves of office woru and
used by our militia ? No oue has ever
thought of objecting to these things, and why
then to the simple and beautiful uniform of
the Sons of Temperance ? You say it looks
too much like Free Masonry, and therefore
you object. The fact, that it resembles Free
Masonry in some of its external features,
does not constitute Free Masonry. It does
not follow, because a man favors an ape that
he is therefore an ane. indeed. You mav be
. *
be assured, my friends, that this Order is not
one of Free Masonry. Though I was once
a member of this order of Temperance, for
nearly four years, yet I know as little now
about Free Masonry as I did prior to my connection
with it. Suffice it to say then, that
as the Free Masons as a society, claim no
affinity for us, we therefore as a society, form
no part of them.
But you say, suppose we admit all you
have said to be correct, we still have more
weighty objections to urge. What is the use
of paying our money and where does it go ?
Iq answer to the first part of this question
1 wc might ask what is the use of pa)ing pub
r lie tax on laml and other property ? Is it no
, to support government by which laws ar
f made to protect us in our lives and property
- Why pay money to any benevolent cause
* such as foreign and domestic missions
Boards of publications, Education &c. Yoi
i all understand these things very well, anu i
is on the very same principle that you pa;
your monev into this society. But wlier
you ask does this money go ? This questioi
is easily auswered. Five cents of your dol
lar, or one dollar of every twenty goes to th<
Grand Division of the State and ten cents n
that dollar, goes to the National Division fo
their respective support. Ninety five cent:
of every dollar that, comes into the.Divisioi
remains there until expended by a vote o
the majority of the Division, for whatever he
nevoleut or other purpose, they may thinl
nrnner All share ennnllv in its henefits. a:
i? r " ? 1 v - ?
no officer or member receives any pay fo:
his service. The quarterly dues are regula
ted by each Division, so as to make them
together with the initiation fees, if the msm
bers see fit, barely defray the expenses of th<
Division. So much for the money.
The next and last objection that we pro
pose to notice is the secrecy. This seems t<
be the greatest hob goblin of all others.?
Speak to men, who are not overly scrupu
lous about, secrecy in other matters, and, es
pecially, if it be for the promotion of world
ly agrandizeinent, about, joining the Ordci
and they very bluntly answer that they op
pose all secret organizations, because the Bible
says, that we must not. light our candle aui
put it under a bushel-, &c.. My friends* die
you ever think soberly on this declaration i
Opposed to all seefret organizations? This i.?
very broad ground. In thus opposing your
selves, you are sapping the very foundation;
of the government under which you live !?
Our Legislatures and National Congress have
their secret meetings in which business i;
done, with closed doors, for the good of the
State or Nation. Our Military and Navj
have their secret associations, either which is
more strictly secret thau the organization oi
the Sons of Temperance. The Church ses
sions, Class meetings &e., are, I was jgcinjj
to say, as strictly secret, associations as the
one we advocate; the greatest difference be
ing that wc confess our secrecy and they de
not. The family circle, that most, sacred ol
all human societies,?organized for thegooe:
of the race,?without whose benign influence1
all social order would moulder into confusion,
and the whole race would be ushered inte
ruin and wretchedness: this eheerished so
cicty of so ninny subordinate divisions with
the Great, I Am, and his retinue of angel?
and archangles for its grand division or head;
this organization, which we so much love
and cherish, is secret from its foundation up.
And the man, who becomes recreant to the
graud principles and laws which regulates it*
operations by exposing to public ridicule its
cherished secrets, must inevitably suffer the
consequences of his own folly. Many of the
Literary Societies of the institutions of learning,
throughout the world ; are more strictly
secret than the institution of the Sons oi
Temperance. In all of them, so far as I can
learn, the Constitution,?By-laws, proceedings
and other matters are srrictly secret.?
Some of them go so fur as not even to permit
any one, except members to look into their
Halls,?thus keeping the society with all its
appendages, initiation and other fees and
ceremonies, a profound secret from the world.
And who objects to these societies? No one.
Many who strenuously oppose the Order oi
Sons of Temperance are, not only advocate?
of these, hut even founders and supporters
of them They know the design of them tc
be good?and that the secrecy is attached
merely to excite an emulation for the promotion
of kuowledge. If these things are all
right, why cavil at. the innocent secrecy of a
society whoso great and only aim is the elevation
of the social, political, moral, and
thereby, religious condition of "degraded humanity
?" You have been told that the only
secrecy that attaches to the Order is its
initiation ceremony and pass-word?which
are perfectly harmless iu themselves. The
pass-word consisting generally in a phrase or
short sentence, as "peace is happiness," or
"down wun too lujuor name, ,.\:c., and sitnilar
in every respect. To the watch-word of
the camp, given to scutinals and such as have
occasion to visit the grounds, and used as a
signal by which a friend is known from a
foe. The ceremony is a kind of ritual which
is as chaste as chastity itself', and is beautifully
arranged and elegantly attractive in all
its parts. Tts sentiments harmonize with the
most refined sensibilities, and coincide with
the strictest notions of propriety and morality.
What more can we say of it? or how
much more public can we make it, without
repeating it "verbatim et literatim,"? If
you are not satisfied with this explanation,
we ask you only to be initiated, and if you
are uot then satisfied with the truth of what
we afhnu, you have the privilege of dissolving
your connexion with us at once.
How many of the very best men of America,
numbers of whom are most strictly orthodox
ministers, of the Gospel, are now,
and have been, for years, co-operating with
the Order? Among all these, we have never
heard of one, who was, in the least, unfavorably
impressed with any of its principles,
after having become a member. This
we deem the strongest proof of the puritv of
the Order, and the unfounded objections to
its operations. But still we are charged
with lighting our candle aud putting it under
a bushel! Permit us to say, without any
disparagement to persons, or their opinions,
that this charge is unwittingly false. If we
have any correct idea of the interpretation
of this passage of Scripture, we do not understand
it to mean, that men are to go out
into the streets and make long prayers, and
do their alms to be seen of men; but rather
their profession, character and doctrine render
them conspicuous. "As a city sit on a
hill they cannot be hid." "Men will look
at them and make observations on all their
words and actions in order to form a judge
i- merit of their religion." It forbids those
it whose minds God has been pleased to enlighte
en, from retiring into cloisters, deserts, or
? anv secret, rpcesses, or from bringing themi,
selves in obscurity, abd enjoins on all to fill
i, up their stations in families, iu societies, and
a in the Church, so as to "glorify God in the
t sight of men." And as Christians are, in
y this sense?which we take to be the true
e spirit of the text?on the authority of no less
i a personage than the Rev. Rr Scott'; we say
- as Christians are in this sense the light of
e the religions- world, in the same sense the
f Sons of Temperance may be termed the
r light of the moral world. Our light shines
s transcendently elenr before men. Our Coni
stitution; liy-Rawr, principles, doctrines,
f motives; actions, words and works, are known,
- and read of men, and are open to the scrulic
ny of a gainsaying world. We are, perhaps,
s more zealous in the cause we advocate; and
1 . A - 1? ?. I * I 1 /?. .
r more reauy 10 expwin us oojecrs anu lea
tares, than any others; still we are stigmati,
zed with lightingour candle and putting it un
der a bushel. If men were as strict to ob;
serve all the doctrines and teachings of the
Bible as they m-m to be in observing this,
we would then have a much better world.
The Bible says Love the Lord thy Clod with
all thy heart, strength aud mind, and thy
neighbor as thyself"?don't, covet, don't lie,
don't swear, and don't drink liquor; yet
men have no scruples in doing many ofthese
r things.
We believe that all the secrecy that, at>
taches to the Order is justifiable, from the
1 fact that its design is for good and uot evil.
1 The ouly thing that, cau render secrecy per>
nicious is that it is employed for pernicious
, purposes- We believe, also, that there is a
propriety in it, since it renders the associa,
tion more attractive by throwing a charm of
. enticing snspence around it?securing it
, from the ridicule and imposition of the world,
s and thereby rendering it more permanent.
. Why was it that the Washingtonian and
j other Temperance Societies were so short, in
, their duration, and why was their influence
C not extended so widely and felt so sensibly
as that of the Sous of Temperance ? It was
r no doubt, in a great measure, from the want
1 of system, beauty, and attractiveness in their
mode of operation. The "modus operandi"
j of the Sons of Temperance is a perfect symep
try, beautifully harmouizing In all its parts,
[ and we venture the assertion that it has done
, more good than all the Temperance Societies
that ever existed. It has gone forth
, since the year 1842, the year which gave it
birth, into almost every nook and corner of
, a whole hemisphere, and has excited an in.
terest on the subject of Temperance in Kurnrm
nnrl ncnnr>inllv in ihot nmc
, .VJ,.., ... ""p"""') """
, never felt there before. The Knglinh Parliament
has once and ngairr, within the last
, few years, proffered the hospitalities and ur.
ged them on the acceptance of some of our
, distinguished lecturers, to go there and lec,
ture thronghout the kingdom on this mo,
mentous subject. None can be ignorant of
the fact, that, in our own land and country,
it has exerted a wonderfully beneficial effect:
p politically, socially, morally, and religiously.
( Observation and experience fasten the conviction
upon ail, that various pernicious habits
have gone into disuse, and that wholc.
some customs have been established in their
. stead, since the foundation of this Society.
. Why then oppose it any longer? Every
i one, even . the degraded debauchee, who is
wedded to this false jade, Alcohol, readily
admits that intemperance is..one of the greatp
est evils that exist in the land. AmoDg all
. the avenues of vice, none, perhaps, opens So
. wide a path as intemperance. Kings and
( Emperors of every age, have drank the wine
t of debauch, and as a subtle conspirator with
the devil, it acts on every rank of man, from
i the most degraded to the uiost exalted, and
ever exerts a demoralizing influence. This
influence, too, is felt not only by the individi
ual upon whom it immediately acts, but also
Lv those who are drawn bv its examnle. It
is slowly corrupting, arraying vice in its
, most dazzling colors, and luring step by step,
iuto the dark mazes of that dismal night, in
which the soul finally loses the sense of its
, own high destiny. As the love of money is
, the root of all evil, so the love of alcohol is
the root of every vice.
But while the one confers many advantages,
the other is attended with none. While
the love of money is often followed by blessings,
the love of alcohol is ever a withering
curse. Where money circulates freely, it is
a sign of prosperity, life and business; but
where alcohol circulates freely, it is a sign of
adversity, death, arid stagnation of the general
pulse. While the one procures the temporal
blessings of a temporal home, the
other purchases the curses of heaven and an
eternal inheritance for a ruined soul. And
can the good and wise behold it every where,
the right hand tool of vice, carving its Hues of
moral death upon the soul as legibly as the
chisel traces its epitaph upon the tomb; an
elixer, that fires every nerve and vain of the
human frame into open rebellion against the
warnings of the spirit, can they see all
this and yet remain its advocates, or even
lukewarm opponents, or yet fail to raise the
hand and voice against the deadly peril ? If
?irnlaiif matter of merelv liodilv disease
and corruption could be bottled up and distributed
among numerous depots throughout
every city, town and village in the country,
and there uncorked to send forth its poisonous
effluvia to infect the pure air of heaven,
or in some pleasing mixture be sold as a
"Cordial for the ills of life," the good and
wise, nay, the overwhelming mass of mankind,
would rise in arms und cry out, that
some fiend incarnate had been sending forth
the legions of hell to war upon the habitations
of men, and exterminate them from the
earth. But what is the practical lesson here
taught? It is that men love their bodies
more than their souls; for alcohol is that
virulent matter, with one addition to its
power. It is not only deadly to the body,but,
it moreover, destroy the soul.
Yet the vice of moderate drinking?as the
the term goes?is that to which the world
has been wedded until it has grown hoary
with age. This perfidious bride is a sorceress,
who has all through life, been mingling
slow poison with the meats of her bridegroom,
the world; and has brought upon him crippled
limbs and mental infirmities, paralysis
of body and blight of soul. Rut the confidence
of the bridegroom in his perfidious
bride is beginning to be shaken. We look
with glowing hope and heart-felt pleasure to
the developments and changes of the last
<|uarter of a century, and anticipate with joy
the period, when this false jade will be divorced
and the world be freed from her poisonous
blasts, which have, so long swept over
its fair face like a withering syrocco, relaxing
the nerves and deadningthe sensibilities
of humanity.
And now, to one and all, and the ladies in
rmrHpiilnr top nnnonl fnr vnnr lipnrfv pn.rm.
i ; *** **rr? ^v vw wr
erution in this great work. Old and young
?wine-bibbers, moderate drinkers, total abstinence
men, and all, we want your assistance.
We want the Church, her ministers,
officers, people and' all, to aid us in assisting
them. Don't hold back to see what course
the community may take with respect to this
course, in order to determine on your duty.
Don't read your duty in the physiognomy and
action of men, but look rather to your Bibles
and consciences, decide thereon your duty,
"be sure yon are right, then go ahead."
We would have you know that this great
log of Intemperance is no ordinary log.?
Every one is either an auxiliary or barrier to
its progress. Every one, who does not assist
in rolling it away, is a stone over which it
must be rolled. There is no other means of
getting cut of its way than to get behind it
and put your shoulder to it. But the ladies 9ay
"we are the weaker vessels and cannot assist
in such a log rolling." You are greatly mistaken.
Your influence is much greater perhaps
than you think. Woman is the queen
of this world, ut whose shrine i-turday man
is ever paying homage. Without her, the
world would be a dreary waste, and men,
beastly drunkards. Woman's umpire is beauf
l f*ii 11 ir nr un ktt fko A I?1? tko Inn
| iiiuujr j/i r;cr?cu uj uic jiuct j main. luc iauj
guage:
"The world was sad the garden was a wild,
And, man the hermit sighed till woman smiFd."
And we would add that,
We have divorced the old alcoholic jade,
And sigh for noble woman's genial aid.
Select grafting.
Correspondence of the Boston Traveller.
THE TOWER OF BABEL.
Tir.ir.OT, December8, 18">t>.?Tt is nearly
two years since that I informed your readers
of the grand and instructive discoveries in
ancient Nineveh, made by Mr. Place, the
French Consul in Mosul. Following up the
researches of Botta and Mr. Bayard, he
brought to light monuments of that long entombed
city, which equally amazed and delighted
the world. A man of genius and enthusiasm,
he was encouraged by his success
with an achievement which, if his opinions
shall be verified, will add imperishable lustre
to his name. The Tower of Babel was
supposed to exist only as a Biblical souvenir
a thing of memory and not of substance.?
And, indeed, to many who contemplated it
only i? its audacity and folly, it seemed a myth
or a fancy only of Oriuetal imaginativeness
or superstition. Besides, no locality was assigned
to the struct, re, except the great
plain of Shinar, and no debris or ruins remained
as the proof of its veritable reality.
How surprising, then, its discover)-, if discovery
it shall prove?that Titantie structure,
whose base was laid in the earth, yet soaked
rrritlv fhrx nrnfovo aT tl\o AaaiI on/1 td}> naa on m.
; ?>ii ii iiit it a i<i, i u vi nit ii vuuj uiiu tt nvot ouai- i
i mit was designated to pierce the very heav-1
ens! And why not discovered? Nineveh
! has yielded up its secrets after a burial of
loug ceuturies. Babylon, once the glory of
the Chaldean's excellency, has opened her
gates again?if not to her Persian besiegers, i
at least to the living generation of all races 1
?and in her cylinder books offers her his- 1
tory to the world's inspection. What remained
for discovery in the wreck aud ruin
of the Old World but Isabel, that mighty 1
tower, which was designated to pierce the
skies, and defy a second deluge ? If it
seems too much for belief, what should be 1
thought incredible when Nineveh and Baby- 1
; Ion are brought back to the land of the liv- 1
irig by a sort of resurrection, and their monu- 1
; meats of art are travelling through the na- j
i tions to amaze and delight mankind?
| Besides, there is a providence to be traced 1
j in these discoveries. They serve not only to
I arouse, but to instruct; they not only gratify <
the curiosity, but establish beyond all doubt j
aud controversy the veracity and inspiration ]
of the Sacred Records. -The light of pure |
Christianity begins to beam upon the early j
seats of the human race; it is meet that it |
should be met by the light of the remotest | ]
antiquity. j
The substance of the information which 1
has just been circulated relating to the dis- i
covery of tho Tower of Babel, I will give in i
a few words, expecting soon to receive fuller t
details, at the same time remarking that the 1
French Consul General of Beirot, Mr. Les- j
sops, has received various curious artioles t
which were found in the tower, which I hope i
soon to see and describe. I think my hand, (
if not my heart, will fairly tremble if once it f
takes hold of the shovels, the trowels, and ^
the hods used by those old masons and builders.
t
The village of Arbela, so famous in his- r
..i ? % . i /
tory for the decisive battle iougnt near Dy i
Darius and Alexander, is only a few day's a
journey from Mosul, to which Mr. Place, t
wearied with the monotonous wonders of ^
Nineveh, set off with his accustomed enthu- r
siasm in search of new discoveries, in a re- "1
gion celebrated in classical history. On his 1:
way an incident ocoured, whioh proves to o
what a degree the statement* of history re- r
specting the locality are the simple truth.? a
The escort of Mr. Place dismounted when p
they'reached the field of Arbela, following a
~ r ' ". "V -
the example of the Consul, who wished to
study the battle-fietd; and this he was obliged
to do standing, as Turkish etiquette permits
no one to remain seated in his saddle.
Soon, however, he mounted again, in order
to scour the plain, and the escort did the
same, except a single Turk of enormous proportions,
who followed on foot, puffing and
bathed in sweat. Mr. Place, pitying him
for his sad plight, asked him if he did this
hppnnap tip T>rpfprrp/t wnlVInor tst riftinrr
? r -ft "to"
"By no means," replied the Turk; "but I
am unable to remount my horse, because I
need the help of a stone iu order to regain
my stirrup, and who can find a single stone
in all the plain of Gingarnella?"
Now it is well known that I>arius employed
three hundred thousand men for many
days in levelling this plain and in breaking
whatever would interpose an obstacle to hi?
cavalry and chariots of war. In the centre
of the old battle field of Arbela rises a hill
of colossal dimensions, whose object the party
vainly conjectured, thinking it might be
a tomb, or a triumphal monument, or more
likely both. Unfortunately they had not
time to examine it, nor the appliances necessary
for exploring it.
Passing on, Mr. Plane and his party at
length discovered what they believed to be
nothing less than the veritable remains of
the Tower of Babel?the wonder of wonders,
and the grandest spectacle which the eyes of
men can contemplate in this age of the world.
The proud tower, which was built in defiance
of Tleaven, and aimed to pierce the very
skies, has lost, in the course of ages, its cloud
reaching elevation. Six of its eight stories
havo fallen and crumbled into dust; but the
two which remain are so high that they may
be seen for fifty or sixty miles round. The
base of the tower is quadrangular, and each
oiilo oViAiif oSv V\ n /lfAm
Oiug UUUUb IIUUUICU Ittl) lUUgt - XliC WTT"
er i9 made of bricks of the purest clay and
of a white color, which is a lit,le shaded with
a yellow tint. Under a clear sun, and as a
whole, this ancient monument of human skill
and daring presents a fine blending of colors
which sets the painter's pallet at defiance.
Before being baked, the brick had been covered
with characters traoed with the accuracy
of the hand of a writing master. Near
the top of the letters the straight strokes
were adorned with flourishes resembling the
heads of nails. All was neat, regular and
severe; and indeed those who saw those specimens
of ancient calligraphy affirm that the
fathers of the human race wrote a better hand
than their children.
Another curious fact arrested the attention
of the exploring party. The sacred record
runs thus: "And it came to pass as
they journeyed from the East that they found
a plain in the valley of Shinar, and they
dwelt there. And they said one to another
?Go to, let us make brick, and burn them
thoroughly; and they had brick for stone,
(or instead of stone,) and slime had they for
mortar." Modern sceptics may* ask, where
could these builders obtain all this bitumen?
?for a vast quantity must have been demanded
to meet the wants of so many trow
els. It is a singular coincidence that Mr.
Place discoverhd a fountain at a small distance
from the tower, whose waters flow in
such abundance as almost to form a river.?
The stream would force its way into a river
in the vicinity, did not the people haston to
stop it by setting the bituminous flood on
fire, when they tranquilly wait till the fire is
extinguished for the want of aliment. Thus
the old fountain still pours out ioexhaust-<
able quantities of bitumen, or slime, which
supplied these old builders in their vast enterprise.
Bitumen also adds to the durability
of bricks, as well as firmly consolidates
them in masonry. Could anything be added
to the marvel of the coincidences ? Thus
travels and expeditions in Assyria become
Biblical corollaries, and new proofs are never
wanting of old truths.
Among the interesting discoveries of Mr.
Place were certain inscriptions on fillets of
gold, silver and copper, and also upon a metal
now unknown, and which has somewhat
of the appearance of ivory. It has been submitted
to the experiments of intelligent metallurgist,
and its qualities will soon be ascertained.
Some very curious patograpbs, taken by
the expedition, completed their labors, one
of which was of the ruins of the palace of
the famous Queen Semiramis. This ancient
monument, situated on the height of a mountain
raised by the hands of men, overlooks
the awful solitudes which surround Lake J
Van?a body of water six or seven times larger
than Lake Geneva.
#
It is not strange that a gentleman who had i
een and handled some of the articles brought <
from the Tower of Babel by Mr. Place should <
be excited as he says he was: "In relation 1
So archaeological news I take the liberty to \
inform you that I have just seen the oldest I
Shings of the Old "World. Indeed, I do not <
know that I should be more surprised by see- I
ing the fragments of the ark itself; Taney i
x> yourself that I have just touched and held i
n my hand, and turned again in every way, 1
1 little morceau of the Tower of Babel! This i
irinket of moulded clay, illustrated and ba- <
fed by the sons of Noah, has passed from the t
flain of Shinar to the chapel of St. Mesmin,
ind is the fruit of the strokes of the hammer
n the hand of Mr. Place, our learifed and j
mterprising Consul, to whom I am indebted }
'or a sight at this precious little relic, about (
yhich cluster so many grand souvenirs." j
I will only add, that if your readers wish (
o obtain a distinct and acurate idea of the j
egion referred to, in which lies the battle (
ield of Albela, and the plain of Shinar, they z
hould open their atlas and survey the conn- z
ry between Mosul on the Tigris, and Lake r
7an, southeast of Ararat. It was very natu- j
al that the sous of Noah, descending from f
Ararat, should commence their agricultural a
abors in the fertile and well-watered plain i
f Shinar, lying to the east, where, in terible
remembrance of the flood, they vainly
nd impiously attempted a work which should
irotect them from the reeurrenoe of the dis- u
ster. Recently, I met ah English gentle- h
man, Major Frazer, who belonged to the
staff of General Williams, the hero of Kan,
who with three or four other Englishmen^
had gained the summit of Mount Ararat?
the first feat of the kind since the children,of
Noah descended from it. Thns, by a singular
coincidence, about the same time, the 4a*
cred summit was reached where the srk rested,
and the tower discovered which was er
rected on the plain at its base. '
A THRILLING INCIDENT. \
The tragedy of Nacogdoches, and-.tin*
romantic incidents which lead to the Texan
War of Independence, find their parallel on- - ?
ly in the Roman history ef Lucretia and the
elder Brutus.
Juan Costa was a person of influence and
bravery in the wild forest, but he fell under/,
the displeasure of Santa Anna, and his min-.
" _ T>.5 ,1_ _f> %T
ioo, reams, ine commanaantoi nacogaoenes,
was sent to arrest him. He arrested the.
father at the sapper table, attended by hi*
only daughter, a; yonng girl .of surprising
beauty and intelligence. He loaded him
with chains, and cast him into prison, notwithstanding
her prayers and entreaties^
Finally he proposed to free the father if the^
daughter would consent to sacrifice her inno- .
cence and honor. She rejected the infc*
mous proposal with a blew in the face. The
armed ruffian swore a horrible oath to ex&
cute his will on both. . . >
With dark eyes, tearless, fixed as those of
a corpse, yet flashing a double portion of
luminous fire, she mounted a horse and hurried
away wild around the country.;
She halted at every house', no -matter
whether Mexican or American, and rehearsed,
in thrilling horror, her father's wropgj
and her own.
All timid modesty, all weakness hidvan-'
ished from her tongue, utterly consnmed.by
the scorching thirst for vengeance. She
painted, in passion's fiery language;' and
with awful rainuteless, the fact of. the damning
deed. She bared her virginbosom,'Mid:'
showed the livid marks of the rayifcber?r
fingers among the azure veins along the su^
face of snow, now so polluted and .toiled, but
before so pare as the gleam of an angeF^'
wing. -. :
And still, wherever the beautiful ' maid
wandered,a deafening yell of wrath and Vengeance
rose up against the tyrants. Th^Tpeo^'
pie of both races and all classes flew to arme,
appointing a general rendazvons for the 14th
of June, at the residence of the absent and;
now imprisoned Juan Costa. r -.* *
It was there debated by the people the
mode of attack, and who should be their leader;
but nothing being agreed on/the whrfp
assemblage bade fair to break up in oonfasion,
when a tall and powerfully-built strarfger,
who had just entered Texas from the
States, came forward and addressed the
titude. .
"I am a stranger, and also a man; and I
owe my life, soul, body, health.and happiness,
all?all to wopan?to my motherland
if I turn a deaf ear to the prayers of "aninnocent
woman, asking my aid. Against a:villian,
may she and ay God curse me 1 Tf yoft"
stay behind, I go for one to fight Pedrajt^
and his well armed ravishers of ' you wive#and
daughters!"
The speech was received with tremendous
cheers, and a general shout, that seemed to
shake the solid earth, uttered th^fiwtpeal
to the revolution.
"We will go! Death to the tynbts'rr1
Freedom for Texas, and the gjo^shall be?
our leader!"
And then for the first time was-bearif -Hr
the land of Texas, the name destined to become
an echo to the pulsation of all hearts
?the name of Thomas J. Rusk. .
The next day he led his raw recruits to?.
the attack of Naoogdoches, and stormed tejfr,
ry position against immense odi^aftera|r
assault of four hours, the carnage- being
dreadful on both sides. Fortunately among
the slain was the dead body of the atrobiejurT
Podrns ~ , "
?
Facts about the Tbesidents.?Foat
of the first seven were from Virginia. Two
of the same name were from Massachusetts,and
the seventh from Tennessee. Ail but
one were sixty six years old on leaving officii
having served two terms; and one of them;*
who had served but one term, would ha^h
becn sixty-six years of age at the end pf'another.
Three of the' seven died 'oa tjiie:
Fourth of July, and two of them "on the
3ame day and year. Two of them were on:
the sub-committee of three that drafted the^
Declaration of Independence, and these two
died on the same day and year, and on .the
anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,
and just half a century from the. day
of. the Declaration. . The names of three of
the seven ended in son, yet neither of these
transmitted his name to a son. In raspeot
to the names of all, it may be said, in Contusion,
the initials of two of the seven were
the same ; and of two others that'tjiey were
the same. Therremaining one, who standi
done in this particular, stands alone also in
Ire love and admiration of his countrymen
urd the civilized world?Washington
_ . _ . _
Jf the first five, only one had a Bon, and1
hat son was also President v
. ;/
The Muck-Bed?There is a "placer"
oo often un worked,which contains untold.
veal th to the farmer. It is a well-establishid
fact, that two loads of mack, which may .
>e generally had at the cost of draining,
somposted, with one load of animal manure,
iirnish three loads of fertilising material
jqual to barn yard manure. Let not this .
neans of increasing the product of the farm
emain unemployed. Add muok to the mamre
from the stables, spread it over the
rards, use it freely. If sufficiently. dry, it
orms a capital bedding material for stabled
nimals, absorbing the liqid manures, and
lecoming thoroughly inoorporated with the
olid,?Ex.
Honesty.?Obsolete; a term formerly
sed in the case of a man who bad paid for
is newspaper and the coat en his btok.