The Anderson intelligencer. (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, March 03, 1870, Image 1
HOTT & CO., Proprietors.
ANDERSON, S. 0.. THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1870.
VOLUME 5.-NO. 36.
. Blue Bidge Bailroad.
I^EPOEJ Off SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE AP?
POINTED UNDER CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
.^OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO INVESTI?
GATE THE. AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY.
Columbia, S. C, Feb. 21,1870.
? - Trte Speclal Joint Committee, appoint?
ed under concurrent resolution of the
Ueneral Assembly to investigate the af
ftrirs of the Blue Ridge Railroad Coropa
nj*, metnt the office of the company, in
this city, Wednesday, February 16, 1870.
*;oTf hey were courteoasly received by the
President, Gen. J. W.Harrison, the Chief
Ejaginoer, Col. J. P. Low, and by the
members of the Executive Committee,
his. Excellency Gov.R. K. Scott, Hon.
Sanies L. Orr, Wm. Gurncy, Esq., J. EL
Jer ks. Esq., all of whom were present.
JjC.he-Committee, in the outset, desire
to express their gratification for the cour?
tesy with' which they were received, and
tnVre?dihess and disposition evinced by
%he officers of the company and the mem?
bers" of the Executive Committee to facil?
itate your committee in the object of
their visit, and meet the wishes of the
<r6neral Assembly.
**TBe committee found the records of the
company carefully kept, embracing a
minute detail of tho work, its history; the
reports of its former and present officers
and. engineers, also, the proceedings of
tho Board .of Directors and Exccutivo
Committee, together with all the facts
ami information relative to tho contract
with Cresswell & Co.. and the causes
which resulted in the rescinding of that
contract.
-elfter; careful examination of the re?
cords of the proceedings of the several
rn>ctings of the Board of Directors, and
the Executive Committee, hold at Charles
tor, and Columbia, your committee fully
concurred in the opinion and request of
the Stockholders and directors, that the
proceedings, including the annual reports
of the President and Chief Engineer,
should cot be published until a final ad?
justment of tho contract with Crcsweil
&.Uo. was made. The committee also
find'that another reason why the annual
reports to the General Assembly have
been delayed, is, that the company have
had in the field for the last two months,
a corps of engineers running an experi?
mental, line, which it is believed will
avoid all the tunnels in South Carolina,
cross the Blue Ridge, or Stump House
Mountain, with a tunnel of but 300 feet
in length, be a saving of two miles in dis?
tance, a great saving of time, and a largo
expenditure in construction. Owing to
incloniupt weather, tbo report of this
corps of engineers has been dclaj-cd, the
company being desirous to include a state?
ment of this new survey in their pro?
ceedings. . Tho committee, however, aro
pleased to state that all the reports and
proceedings aro now being prepared for
publication in pamphlet form, ar.d, it is
hoped; will bo ready to be laid beforo the
General Assembly prior to its adjourn
mcnt. Your committee, however, direct?
ed their principal inquiries into the facts
and-particulars connected with the award,
and rescinding of the contract with Cres?
well & Co. After hearing the explana?
tions made by the Executive Committee
and officers of tho road, your committee
were fully convinced the company was
fully warranted in withdrawing from that
contract, and effecting a compromise, by
which the company, at tho prices for
which tho work can now be let, save at
least $1,400,000, chiefly by the groat de?
cline in the price of gold, and the prices
at which labor can be obtained, and the
prices also at which iron and other mate?
rials can now be purchased. Asa further
explantaion of this great difference, the
attention.of your committee was directed
to the price oi gold in July last, when
the contract with Creswell & Co. was
made, it then being at 136, and the pres?
ent price, which is 119. This decline of
itself, the officers and members of the
Executive Committee claimed, effected a
saving to the company of least fifteen per
cent.
Your committee, with a view to bring
to the attention of the General Assembly
more fully and particularly all the facts
and details connected with this matter,
submit with this report some accompany?
ing documents, including a report of Hon.
James L. Orr, Chairman of the Execu?
tive Committee.
From the examination made by your
committee, it appears that Creswell &
Co., in their contract, undertook to com?
plete the entire road, to make it ready
for the rolling stock, and receive in pay?
ment, at the prices named in their con?
tract, the bonds of the company, at par,
and for reasons which are fully set forth
in the above report alluded to, of the
Chairman of the Exccutivo Committee,
Creswell & Co. also undertook to advance,
from their own means, within the first
eight months, to tho Blue Ridge Railroad
Company, $1,000,000. Your committee,
after reviewing all the circumstances
connected with a consideration of the
prices at which the contract was awarded
Creswell & Co., especially considering tho
price of gold, the cost of materials, price
of labor, and the further fact that they
were to bo paid in bonds, at par, and
which, at that time, it is shown, could not
have been sold for more than eighty-five
cents on tho dollar, feel compelled to say,
that the prices, in their judgment, were
at least not extravagant. It was, bow
ever, shown to your committee, that tho
company were not disposed to expend
84,000,000 of bonds do tho work, without
providing securities of a similar charactor
lor the whole cost of tho road, and at
that time it was proposed to ask the Gen?
eral Assembly for an additional guarantee
to that amount. This made it necessary
for the company to keep within its con?
trol the issue of tho ?4,000,000 of bonds,
until such time as soiuo action could be
taken by the General Assembly. The
failure ot Creswell & Co. to expend a
large amount upon the work was a severe
disappointment to the company.
The intended application to the Gene?
ral Assembly was rendered premattire
and injudicious, unless the company wero
able to show a large amount of work
done, and a certainty that these contrac?
tors would complete the entire road in
the space of two years.
From all the facts and evidence before
them, your committee are satisfied that
the Executive Committee, in making the
contract with Creswell & Co., acted with
the usual circumspection and good judg?
ment, but could not guard against tiie
rapidly occurring contingencies of fluctu?
ations in the money market, the many
difficulties in the negotiations of bonds,
and the unexpected and continued low
prices of State securities in the great
money markets.
The great advantages which the com?
pany will reap by rescinding the contract
with CroBwell & Co. is shown in the ne?
gotiations now making with Mr. Steers
for a portion of the work from Walhalla
to the North Carolina line, a distance of
about thirty-five miles, including the earth
work, tunneling and masonry at prices
far below those stipulated for in the Cres?
well contract. Even on that portion of
work the saving will be nearly 8200,000 j
and taking that as a basis, the Chief En?
gineer expresses the opinion, that at the
same rates, tho saving on the whole line,
at tho present rates of gold, would be
81,400,000; and should gold decline to a
par with currency, the saving then would
be fifteen per cent. more.
In this connection, your committee
would state that Mr. Steers comes highly
recommended as an old and experienced
railroad contractor, by some of the
wealthiest capitalists r.nd directors of
Northern railroads, with which Mr.
Steers was connected as contractor.
Accompanying this report, the commit?
tee submit a statement ot bonds issued
under Act of General Assembly, Septem?
ber, 1868.
Your committee, after patient and
laborious examination of all the records
of the company, do not hesitate to ex?
press their high appreciation of the zoal
and management of this great work, by
the President, General J. W. Harrison,
and the devotion he has exhibited in his
unwearied efforts to push it forward to
completion. They also take pleasure in
testifying to the energy and abilities of
the Chief Engineer, Col. J. P. Low, as
manifested by the elaborate reports, in
detail, of the workings of his department.
The committee feel assured that the offi?
cers of the company and tho Board of
Directors have displayed a commen?
dable zeal in the prosecution of the
work, and they cannot but express the
hope that they will receivo that encour?
agement from the General Assembly
which will inspire them with renewed
enorgy and confidence, in pushing forward
to completion a work which must bo of
so much permanent advantago to the
State at large, and which it has been tho
highest wishes and ambition of some of
its wisest men an d statesmen to complete.
The committee asked to be discharged.
H. E. HAYNE, Chairman.
D. BIEMAN,
W. B. NASH.
report of executive committee.
Columbia, S. C, Dec. 22,1869.
At a meeting of the Board of Directors,
it was resolved that the Executive Com?
mittee should consist of five members,
three to be elected, the Governor of the
State and the President of the Company
to be ex officio members, and at the same
time Judgo James L. Orr, Mr. Joseph II.
Jenks and General Wm. Gurney wero
unanimously elected.
At a meeting of tho Exccutivo Com?
mittee, held at Columbia, December 3,
1869?present: Judgo James L. Orr, Mr.
Joseph H. Jenks and General Wm. Gur?
ney?the following resolution?"Hcsolved,
That, in view of tho unexpected difficul?
ties which have arison to embarrass tho
prosecution of the Blue Ridge Railroad
under the contract with Creswell & Co.,
tho Executive Committee bo instructed to
confer with the contractors in reference
to rescinding the contract on terms just
and equitable to both parties"?together
with the resolutions of tho Board of
Directors and Stockholders at tho annual
meeting in Charleston, which wero re?
ferred to this committee, and, being under
consideration, Judge Orr moved the fol?
lowing report, which was adopted, and
ordered to be submitted to tho Board of
Directors:
The Executive Committee, to whom
was referred a resolution : That, in viow
of tho unexpected difficulties which havo
arisen to embarrass tho prosecution of
tho Bluo Ridge Railroad under the con?
tract with Creswell & Co., the Executivo
Committee bo instructed to confer with
tho contractors in referenco to rescinding
the contract on terms just and equitable
to both parties?respectfully report :
On tho 6th day of August, 1869, a
contract was made with the Bluo Ridge
Railroad Company by Messrs. Creswell
& Co., to construct the road at a price
which, according to the estimate of tho
Enginoer of the same, was not to oxceed
tho sum of S8J00,000. When that con?
tract was made, gold was worth 136.
On their part, the contractors agreed
to placo to the credit of tho company, on
tho first day of September, 1869, $300,
000, to bo used in liquidating tho bonds,
coupons, and floating debt of tho compa?
ny. Beforo that dato they notified the j
President that ho could draw against that
sum.
The said parties also cnterod into con?
tract with Mr. Thomas Steers to do tho
work, but a very small portion of the
work had boen performed, as the cequel
will show, when the contract was annulled.
I The contractors undertook to execute,
within eight months from the date of their
agreement, not less than 8700,000 worth
of work, which amount they agreed to
advance, taking only as collateral an
equivalent sum in the bonds of the com?
pany, with the understanding that said
bonds were not to be disposed of without
tho consent of the company, until after
tho meeting of the Legislature. The great
inducement to make such a contract, was
the fact that the Engineer, having repor?
ted that the cost of construction would
be between eight and nine million of dol?
lars, that an absolute sale of any portion
of the bonds necessary to carry on the
work until the meeting of the Legisla?
ture would have prevented that body
from authorizing, by an amended Act, the
issue of a sufficient number of the same
class of bonds, to wit: First mortgage
bonds, to complete the undertaking. The
company were fully convinced that if tho
road was to be finished, it could only be
done by State aid through guranteed
bonds, and that a disposition, absolutely,
oi any of the four millions would have
compelled the Legislature, in granting ad?
ditional assistance, to issue a second class
of mortgage bonds, which would have
materially deteriorated in value and un?
necessarily injured the interests of the
road and of the State. Hence, the ob?
ject of the agreement with Messrs. Cres
well & Co., was to compel an advance by
them of $700,000 for work done, in addi?
tion to the $300,000 first alluded to, and
thus to save the Blue Ridge Railroad
Company all of the original bonds, to the
end that when the Legislature took
further action in the matter the addition?
al issue of bonds requisite to complete the
road might be of the same class.
Up to 4th of December, the subcon?
tractor under .Messrs. Creswell & Co.,
notwithstanding their agreement, had
done but little of the work. The Direc?
tors of the Company met in Charleston
on the 19th, and tho Stockholders on the
20th of November, and declared the con?
tract of Creswell & Co., invalid because
of their failure to perform its stipulations;
but at. tho same time, in tho resolutions
which were adopted, they authorized the
Executive Committee "to give tho contrac
tors an opportunity to withdraw from
said contract, if they prefer to do so, and
also t j make such indemnification for any
outlay to wbioh the said contractor may
have been subject, which may be agreed
upon by tho two parties, and which, in
the event of disagreement, may be deem?
ed to be just, by disinterested persons se?
lected by both parties."
Subsequently, tho Executive Commit?
tee met in Columbia, and the contractors
made claim for a very largo indemnifica?
tion for outlays, and expenses already in?
curred, as well as for profits, which they
claimed would havo been realized by them,
had tho contract been fulfilled. On an
examination of the contract, it was found
that tho Company had a right, in case of
"unreasonable neglect or failure to per?
form the contract, to serve a written no?
tice upon the said parties, setting forth
tho grounds of their apprehensions, and
specifying the manner, together with a
reasonable time, in which said parties
might cause such grounds to be removed,
and if, at the expiration of such time, .
said grounds of apprehension were not
removed, then full power and authority
was vested in the Chief Engineer, to place
such force of men on said work as would,
in bis judgment, secure a completion of
said work in the manner and time speci?
fied by the contract, deducting the ex?
pense so incurred from the estimate of
the amount due, and payable to said par?
ties of the first part."
Under this clause of the contract, Cres?
well & Co. having failed to do the amount
of work required, it would have been com?
petent for tho Chief Engineer to have let
the work to other parties; but it was
found, in consequenco of the very groat
depreciation in the price of gold at that
time, as compared with the price of gold
when the contract was made, that new
contracts could be entered into at so much
lower rates as would havo saved the Com?
pany more than 81,000,000; yet, while
the Engineer had the right, under the
contract with Creswell & Co., to employ
labor he would havo been compelled by
its terms to pay them tho full amount
therein stipulated; hence, Messrs. Cres?
well & Co., having tho advantage, undor
the contract, first by reason of their ad
vanco of 8300,000 (although the Company
have not deemed it prudent to use the
same;) and, pecondly, by reason of the
depreciation in the price of gold, have
claimed large damages, should the con?
tract with them bo annulled.
The Exccutivo Committee, considering
tho advantages which would accrue from
annulling tho contract, and raalcing
another that would save more than
81,000,000, for the cause already stated,
the Attorney-General of the Statc^and tho
solicitor of Creswell & Co. wcro invited
to appear before tho Board of Directors,
and both of theso gentlemen presented
their views. Tho principal point of tho
controversy discussed was, whether
Messrs. Creswell & Co. had forfeited their
contract by failure tocommcuce tho work
within the period and in the manner stip?
ulated. On both sides, tho arguments
were able and learned ; and without un?
dertaking to decide which view was cor?
rect, legally, tho Executive Committeo
aro satisfied that there is sufficient ma?
terial in the caso for a long, tedious and
doubtful law suit, which will necessarily
rosult in tho suspension of work on tho
road.
They thoreforo adviso to avoid litiga?
tion, by compromising with tho contrac?
tors, which they recommend shall be done
by paying to Messrs. Creswell & Co.
875,000 to release their contract, and
83,700, being one-ball interest upon the
8Um deposited to the credit of the Presi?
dent.
This recommendation of tho Executive
Committee is confirmed by the fact that
the company was not in a condition to
deposit tho bonds, and thus comply with
their part of the contract.
As above stated, none of the bonds au?
thorized to be issued by the Legislature
have been disposed of. A small amount
has been deposited in the office of tho
South Carolina Loan and Trust Company,
Charleston, as collaterals, to raise money
necessary for the purposes of the compa?
ny, but they have been used in such a
way as not to prevent the Legislature
from putting any additional issue of bonds,
which it may authorize in aid of the road,
upon precisely tho same footing with the
original bonds, and thus create a first
class security.
The Executive Committee hope and be?
lieve that the General Assembly will au?
thorize an appropriation of additional
guaranteed bonds to complete the con?
struction of the road, so important to the
commercial, agricultural and material
welfare of tho State.
In all of these recommendations, they
have kept in view, first, the interests of
the road, (its capital being owned, chiefly,
by tho State and by the city of Charles?
ton,) and. secondly, the interests of the
people; and they leel assured that results
will demonstrate tho wisdom of the policy
which is suggested.
Tbo Executive Committee then adjourn?
ed, for the purpose of submitting the
above report to the Directors.
(Signed) JAMES L. ORE,
Chairman.
statement of bonds issued under the
act of september, 1868.
The Board of Directors, In April last,
after much consideration and inquiry of
capitalists, determined to make the bonds
authorized to bo issued by tho Act of
September, 1868, payable in gold, princi?
pal and interest, being convinced that the
increased price such bonds would com?
mand in foreign markets would more than
compensate for any small excess of inter?
est to bo paid for the few years until
United States currency should be at par
with gold.
A text of a gold bond was thereupon
carefully prepared and placed in the
hands of the Ameaican Bank Noto Com?
pany, in New York, for engraving; but,
owing to many causes, this work was de?
layed, and the first bonds were only re?
ceived in September last.
600 bonds, of ?1,000 each, seven per
cent, interest, have been signed by tho
President and Socretary of the company,
and the usual form of guarantee of the
State of South Carolina endorsed thereon
by the Comptroller-General.
It is due to that officer to state that he
made the point whether the company was
authorized by law to sell bends, and, as a
prudent precaution referred tho question
to the Attorney General, who furnished
a written opinion supporting the action
of tho company.
The company have not, as yet, dispos?
ed of or sold any of these bonds, tho low
price of State securities, until very re?
cently, rendering a sale injudicious.
? The bonda aro now in t he vaults of the
State Treasury Department, in this city,
for safe-keeping. Respectfully,
J. W. HARRISON.
President.
The Doom of Radicalism.?The New
York Sun, edited by Mr. Charles A. Dana,
who was assistant Secretary of War un
Mr. Stantou during the early days of the
rebellion, and who is as decided a Radical
as is to be found in the Republican party,
has been casting tho plitical horoscopo of
that party, now that the triumph of the
fifteenth "amendment may bo taken for
granted, and the negro taken out of poli?
tics. It sees in this very fact tho seeds of
the disease that will kill the iniquity, and
gives its reasons as follows :
"It is out of the final termination of
tho slavo contest that tiro main peril of the
Republican party arises. At the last Pres?
idential election more than half a million
of men voted for General Grant solely be
causo thoy wanted to see the pending
plan of reconstruction carried through.
When this is accomplished they will feel
no special attachment to him or his party.
Thoy are independent citizens, who never
support a party merely for tho good it has
done. It is to these satisfied Republicans
that the party may bo indebted for its
oarly defeat, and even its ultimate dissolu?
tion.
"Then there are tho doctrinaires of the
party who differ with its present policy
on tho tariff, tho currency, the construc?
tion of tho constitution, and tho gradual
absorption into Congross of an unwarrant?
ed share of the powers of the government.
Tho cord which has bound all of these
classes to the party is broken. Following
closo behind them comes the long pro?
cession of dissatisfied Republicans, scmo
of whom aro disgusted with the adminis?
tration, because of its nepotism, its favor?
itism, tho unworthy character of many
of ita agents, and its disregard of the
claims to consideration of distinguished
members of the party; while others aro
indignant at its failure to redeem its
pledges of economy, and because of its
fawning at the footstool of tho British
government, and its base dosertion of the
cause of free government on this conti?
nent. Though tho bond which has united
those classes to tho party is not yet sev?
ered, it is seriously weakened, and may
snap at the first severe strain."
? Thoso who are wondering at tho
high prico of eggs may gain somo infor?
mation from the fact that a littlo girl was
recently sont out to hunt eggs, and came
back reporting that the hens were "stand?
ing round doing nothing."
The Future of Political Parties?Our True
Policy.
"Washington correspondents tell us and
public journalists at home endorse tbe*re
mark, that the Republican party, is rapid?
ly disintegrating, and will soon go to
pieces. They tell us that negro agitation
furnished the life of the party, and that
without it, it becomes a caput mortuum?
a defunct organization. They tell us that
everything being conceded to the negro?
"liberty, equality and fraternity"?civil
and political rights in largest measure?
the right to vote, and the right to hold
office?"Othello's occupation is gone,"?
the mission of Republicanism is ended,?
the political map is to be readjusted, and
a new line of political departure is to be
taken.
But hope tells here as elsewhere, "a flat?
tering tale," which the calm lessons of ex?
perience will scarcely justify. The negro
was only a means to an end, we think, in
the history of Republicanism?a means
which to make effective, the party scru?
pled not to violate every sound rule of
constitutional construction, and overthrow
every opposing barrier of constitutional
limitation. The negro has been made a
valuable auxiliary, and when will he cease
to be such ? His oppressions were once
the rallying cry of the party, and he is
now in a condition to render still more
substantial aid ; to furnish the munitions
of war,?men and mouey. Negro agita?
tion was only a means to an end ; and that
end "the cohesive power of the public
plunder."
Is it to be supposed that a great politi?
cal party will go to pieces because it has
accomplished its work?that a party which
has foisted Reconstruction and negro suf?
frage upon the South, in order that it might
control the Government, will now abandon
its position, for lack of employment ??not
for lack of ability to do, but for want of
an end to accomplish ? That end, is
not yet fulfilled?that goal is not yet
reached.
The lines between Democracy and Re?
publicanism are as distinctively drawn?
the issues as vital and controlling as ever.
The one is still as ever the party of strict
construction and State rights?the other
of centralization and "the higher law."
As the Republican party with regard to
the South has been ready to "camp out?
side of the Constitution," we may be sure
that it will scruple at no means to effect its
ends. The omnipotence of Congress is the
favorite dogma which ministers so well to
its purposes. Congress is made to swal?
low up the chief prerogatives of the
Executive and the Judiciary?and this
too in the name of popular rights?in
violation of the fundamental law?the
true vox populi. The contest between
Democracy and Republicanism is a con?
test between constitutional liberty and
its opposite?centralization?despotism.?
Here is the issue distinctly marked, and
between which the true sons of the South
cannot hesitate long in choosing.
But is it necessary to choose ? When
so many questions oi State policy?ol
paramount importance nearer home claim
our attention, may we not "for the nonce"
lay aside party names and party organi?
zations, and unite both Republicans and
Democrats on a broad common platform.
If the Republicans are willing to ignore
their party, and go into Convention with
us for the purpose of nominating candi?
dates for office; if they are willing to
break up their "Union leagues," and call
off their "dogs of war," then it will be
time enough for us to consider the pro?
priety of a "third party" or "no party"
movement. The Charleston Ncics thinks
the term "a third party" a misnomer.
There is little significance in names, yet it
seems to us that it is rightly named, or
the thing itself is a myth. At any rate,
and in any event, if we are to have an issue,
and to fight a battle, we prefer to fight in
the same phalanx?under the old banner,
and with the same battle cry still. We
are Democrats or nothing.
To sum up what we have said in a word
?A battle ot parlies is being waged, as it
ever has been waged, bey?nd our State
limits, in which though we feel a deep in?
terest, we can tender perhaps nothing more
substantial at present than our sympathy.
We are willing to accept a truce until we
can adjust matters near and dear unto us at
home. If we can agree upon a truce, it is
well. Then let there be peace. It we
fight, let us fight as Democrats,?Abbe?
ville Press and Banner.
The Oldest Spot on the Globe.?
Prof. W. C. Keer, State Geologist of
North Carolina, makes the following
statement: "Tho facts above stated are
sufficient to indicate that those rocks be?
long to tho most ancient of azoic series.
Tho intensity of tho metaraorphism, tho
characteristic rocks and their contained
minerals, together with tho total absence
of anything like organisms in even tho
least altered and latest of the scries, (in
Chorokco county, for example), render
this conclusion inevitable And not only
do they belong to the lowest geological
horizon, but the ontiro absence of all rep?
resentatives of the latter formations makes
it further necessary to conclude that we
havo hero an extensive tract of tho oldest
land on tho globe; and as North America
is the oldest born of the Continents, so
tho Black Mountain is tho oldest of the
first to cmergo from tho faco of tho un?
broken sphere of waters when tho com?
mand went forth, 'Lot the dry land ap?
pear.' "
We havo never travelled a great deal,
nor do wo know much about geology, but
from tolerable familiarity with tho region
referred to, we aro inclined to the beliof
that the learned Professor's opinion is
correct. That Buncombo region is evi?
dently very old?certainly tho oldest
looking country wo have ever examined.
? Courtship is bliss, but matrimony is
blister. )
Eulogy by Hon. Robert 0. Winthrop at
the Burial of George Peabody.
The last ceremonies over the remains
of the illustrious philanthropist, George
Peabody, were performed in the HasW
chusetts village which bears his name.
The funeral was attended by nearly 10,?
000 people, including many distinguished
persons. Hon. Roberfc G. Winthrop de?
livered an interesting and impressive eu?
logy, closing with the following eloquent
peroration :
And so I bid farewell to thee, brave, hon?
est, noble-hearted friend. The village of
thy birth weeps to-day for one who never
caused her pain before. The "Flower of
Essex" is gathered afr tby grave. Massa?
chusetts mourns thee as a son who has
given new lustre to her historic page;
and Maine, not unmindful of her joint in?
heritance in the earlier glories of the pa?
rent State, has opened her noblest harbor
and draped her municipal halls with the
richest, saddest robes, to do honor to thy
remains. New England, from mountain
top to farthest cape, is in sympathy with
the scene, and feels the fitness that the
hallowed memories of "Leydcn" and '''Ply?
mouth"?the refuge and the rock of ber
pilgrim fathers?should be associated with
thy obsequies. This great and glorious
nation, in all its restored and vindicated
union, partakes the pride of thy life and
the sorrow of thy loss. In hundreds of
schools of the desolated South, the chil?
dren, even now, are chanting thy requiem
and weaving chaplcts aronnch ?hy n?vae.
In hundreds of comfortable homes, provi?
ded by thy bounty, the poor of the grand?
est city of the world even now are breath?
ing blessings on thy memory. The proud?
est shrine of Old England has unlocked
its consecrated vaults for thy repose.
The bravest ship of 3 navy whose march
is o'er the mountain waves, whose home
is on the deep, has borne thee as a con?
queror to thy chosen rest, and a* it pass-,
ed from islo to isle, and from sea to sea,
in a circumnavigation almost as wide as
thy own charity, has given new signifi?
cance to the memorable saying of the
great funeral orator of antiquity: "Of il?
lustrious men the whole earth is the se?
pulchre ; and not only does the inscription
upon columns in their own land point it
out, but in that also which is not their
own, there dwells with every one an un?
written memorial of the heart."
And now, around thee are assembled
not only surviving schoolmatos and old
companions ot thy youth, and neighbors
and friends of thy maturer years, but vo?
taries of science, ornaments of literature,
heads of universities and ucademies, fore?
most men of commerce and the arts, min?
isters of the gospel, delegates from, dis?
tant States, and rulers of thy own'State,
all eager to unite in paying such homage
to a career of grand but simple benefi?
cence as neither rank nor fortune nor
learning nor genius could ever have com?
manded. Chiefs of the republic, represen?
tatives and more than representatives of,
royalty, are not absent from thy bier.
Nothing is wanting to give emphasis'to
thy example. Nothing is wanting to fill
up the measure of thy fame. But what
earthly honor?what accumulation *of:
earthly honor?shall compare for a mo--'
ment with the supreme hope and trust
which we all humbly and devoutly cherish
at this hour, that whon tho struggles and
the victories, the pangs and the pageants
of time shall all be ended, and the great
awards of eternity shall be made up, thou
mayc8t be found among those who are
"more than conquerors, through Him who .
loved us !" And so we bid thee farewell,.,
brave, honest, noble hearted friend of
mankind L *.vrr ? _
-*-\
The TIRELESS Brain.?Our brains are
soventy-year clocks. The angel of life
winds them up once for all, then closes
the case and gives the key into the hand
of the angel of the resurrection. Tic-tacl
tic-tac 1 go tho wheels of thought; our
will cannot stop them; they oannot stop
themselves; sleep cannot still them, mad?
ness only makes them go faster; death
alone can break into tho case, and, seizing
tho ever-swinging pendulum which we
call tho heart, silence at last the clicking
of tho terrible escapement Wo have car?
ried so long beneath our wrinkled fore?
heads. If we could only get at them, as
wo lie on our pillows and count the dead
beats of thought after thought, and image 6
after image, jarring through the over-tired
organ ! Will nobody block those wheels,
uncouple that pinion, cut tho string -that
holds these weights, blowup the infernal
machine with gunpowder? What a pas?
sion comes over us sometimes for eilenc?
and rest ?that this dreadful mechanism,
unwinding the endloss tapestry of time,
embroidered with spectral figures of. life
find death, could have but one brief holi?
day ? Who can wonder that men swing
themselves off from beams in hempen
lassoes ? that they jump off from parapets
into tho swift and gurgling waters be?
neath ? that the}r take counsel of the grim
fiend who has but to utter his one per?
emptory monosyllable, and the restless
machine is shivered as a case that is dash?
ed upon a marbfo flooi ? If anybody
would really contrive some kind of a le?
ver that one could thrust in among the
works of this horrid automation and
check them, or alter their rate of going,
what would the world give for the dis>
covery ? Men are very apt to try to get
at tho machine by some indirect system
or other. They clap on tho brakes by
means of opium, they change tho mad?
dening monotony of the rhythm by mean*
of fermented liquors. It is because tho
brain is locked up and we cannot touch,
its movements directly, that we thrust
these coarse tools in through any crevie*
by which they may reach the interior, at
ter its rate of going for a while, and at.
last spoil the machine.?Holmes.