Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-10 00:00:00

AN EDITOR ROBBING THE POST-OFFICE.

The telegraph announces the arrest of James 0. Bray.
man, one of the editors of the Chicago Democrat, on a
charge of having robbed one of the letter drawers of the
Post-office. Mr. B. waived an examination and gave b'ail
for appearance at trial. The Chicago Tribune gives the
following version of the aff iia, obtained from the offieero
who made the arrest :—" For the past two or three
months, Messrs. McNally and Co, newspeper and
periodical dealers, Dearborn•street, have lost a large
number of valuable letters, mostly registered ones, and
they had complained to Postmaster Price. Officer Paul
LT. Dennis, the well-known detective in the employment
of the department, was instructed to ferret out the
matter, and if possible ascertain what became of the
letters. Mr. Dennis, having satisfied himself that the
robbery was perpetrated by some one outside. of the
office, a strict watch was kept upon the drawer, but for
some days no letters were lest. Daring the busy hours in
the office a string was tied to the drawer, to which was
attached a large sheet of paper. so that the drawer
could not be opened without attracting the notice of the
delivery clerk. Early in the morning and in the evening
the drawer was watched. Mr. Brayman ha-s been in the
habit 9f taking the exchange papers of the Democrat from
the office early I t the morning, before many persons were
about,' and McNally's drawer is near that used by the
Democrat ofrice- On Wednesday morning last Mr. Bray-
man was seen to open McNally's drawer, lett took no-
thing out, there le.ing no letters in it. This was not
thought much of by the officer, a; Mr. Brayman was well
known, and it was supposed he had opened,the drawer by
mistake, supposing it to be his own. On the following
morning, Thursday, another person being on the watch,
Mr. Brayman was again seen to open the drawer and take
out several letters. one of which was a decoy letter, con-
trinine 10 dollars in bank bills., As may be presumed,
the officers were not a little astonished at this ; but aware
that Mr. Brayman was an intimate friend of McNally's,
and, sti ! believing it impossible that he could be guilty of
larceny, thought it better to wait before arresting him,
and ascertain if the letters were not returned to Mg
Nally, as there seemed a strong probability that they
ware taken for that purpose. 0.1 the following morning,
F. iday, the letters not having been returned to the owner,
Mr. Brayman came to the post-office as usual, and
after taking the exchange, papers out of the Democrat's
drawer, again opened McNally's drawer, & took out three
letters,' puttine them into his pantaloons pocket. As soon
abate. B.e .minenced unlocking the drawerDarden signalled
011.41.04- r Dennis, who immediately loo!ze.1 into the office
thrciagh the door and saw Mr. Brayman shutting the
drawer. Mr. B. then started through the alley toward
Clark-street, followed by Dennis, who took him into cus-
tody before he got out of the alley and brought him back
to the office, where he was searched, and the letters found
upon his person. In his pocket was also found a key
which opened McNally's drawer. When arrested Mr
Bray m iu was terriblvagitated,and so completely paralysed
as 'scarcely to be able to utter a word. After• he had
somewhat recovered his self-possession, he stated to the
officers that on going to the office he found a boy taking
a letter from MeNelly's box, and fearing the lad had no
authority to do so; took the Leters from him for the pur-
pose of giving them to McNally, but Mr. Darden asserts
that netklad came into, the office at all, as he had not
taken his eyes from the drawer until after Brayman had
°leased it himself and gone out again. Mr. Brayman was
taken before Uaitel States Commissioner Moulton for
examination, bat the accused waived his right to hearing.
and (he Commissioner' fixed his bail at 9,000 doll.; but
afterwards reduced it to 5,000 dole., and Messrs. John
Wentworth, Luther Haven, John S. Buchanan, and Lucius
A. William, becoming his sureties, he was released from
custody. After his arrest his house and his room at
the Democrat office were searched by the officers, but
none of the missing letters were found. We
give the above statements as detailed to us by the
officers, there being no legal investigation of the matter.
Pney may or may n!t4 be true, but the officers profess to
be ready to make oath to them whenever the trial takes
place. Mr. Brayman was for many years connected with
the Baffalo Press, and has always borne an irreproach-
able character. About four years ago he came to this
city and became the associate editor of the Democrat,
being intrusted with the management of that journal in
the absence of its chief editor, Mayor Wentworth. Dar-
ing his residence in this city he has won the esteem and
confidence of a large portion of our citizens, hundreds of
whom deem it incredible that he could have yielded to
any temptation to commit such an offence. For the sake
of his relatives, who are among the most respectable
people be the State—for his own sake, and for the honsur
and credit of the profession—we deeply regret. the occur-
rence, and sincerely hope Viet he may be able to make
such explanations of the affair as will at least show he
had no criminal intentions. Mr. Brayman is a Deacon of
the First Baptist Church in this city. He has borne a
leading part in the advancement wed success of Sabbath
schools and missionary enterprises, and at the time of his
arrest the key of the church was found upon his person.
Mr. McNally is one of our most worthy citizens, and he
has lost,,according to his own estimate, between 1,030 and
1,203 dols: by means of the Post effieetrobberies, a loss he
is ill able to beebt.—Neiv Yo-rk. Tribiene.

NATIONAL SELF-DEFENCE.

TO T}l EDITOR OF TIDE NOETII2RN TIME I.

. - -
Sir,—ln these days of European peace, however super-
ficial, and of English strength, however undermined, it
becomes no matt to be an alarmist : I do but forecast a
possibility, and suggest a move to meet it. We shall soon
find ourselves permanently, for all Acoidental purposes,
denuded of a standing army, in being ne tallest to all
thinking men that our Eastern empire must be maintained
by us as a huge colony dependent upon military occupa-
tion. No confidence can henceforth be given to the
native, whether soldier or civilian ; caste must be trodden
out, idolatry abrogated; and if the population will net
quietly obey our rule, they must feel upon their necks the
iron heel of the conqueror: Our standing army is hence-
forth.' virtually an Oriental pelice, after it shall have
accomplished its first duty of retributive re-conquest.
Meanwhile what is our condition westwards? Has
Russia forgiven us? Dees Austria love us? Are we not
detested by the national heart of France ? Is there a
people or a potentate who is cordially our friend, and not
rather a jealous, indignant. or vindictive rival*? So far
as other nations are -concerned, in spite of diplomatic
management and philanthropic courtesies, we are a people
isolated in oar envied grandeur; and the jackals of all
Ciristendom would be gladly down upon the lion in his
sickness.
Internally, what is our moral state? Crnmercial in-
flation ever at the bursting point of a.collapse, and all
manner of speculative successes (Heaven be praised for
them !), liable, notwithstanding to mundane change, and
dependent, under Providence, upon the annual corn crop
and cotton crop. None can ever tell what a season may
bring forth. Ct,rinth and Carthage were as prosperous
and as secure—as corrupted by contentions oligarchs, as
defenceless in the day of visitation.
Our rulers are now bagging ;grouse upon the moors,
after having expended their utmost energy in relieving
certain powerful adherents of bad wives at a reasonable
figtire ; and to do them justice, they have east at parting a
momentary glance upon our winter defenceleisness so, far
as to propose calling out the militia, end making it a wet-
nurse for the army—a good move to a certain extent, but
amendable in the view that both for agricultural and fac-
tory purposes we are by no means overhanded ; and in
the further view, that what we ohidlt want is not a
nursery far our armies abroad, bat an armed people living
fearlessly at home.
tjAnd this,7sir, is the point I come to.. What wo now are
most in need of, as a permanent institution of the country,
is (under good and well-considered regulations) a local
and national system of self-defersee—the RVfle Club in
every parish. Details (for lam purposely short to save
your space) are obvious, easy, and open to all manner of
alteration to suit neighbourhoods. It is utter nonsense to
inaagiae that poachers are thereby encouraged, or mur-
ders made easy; you sheet pheasants with any tool
rather than a Millie, and a cobbler's knife is handier than
a bayonet. But, in fact, our universal rifle clubs should
be the picked good men and true of all neighbourhoods ;
their gatherings the met'rym tking of united classes ; their
shooting and drilling ground the fresh downs or broad
unreclaimed heaths of a county; and their prizes: the
pride of each English yeoman descendent of the whilome
archers of Agincourt and Cressy.
Why do not our governors encourage this Idea? A
People disarmed, and guarded (against as welt as for) by
the centralised forces of soldiery or police—this is
modern wisdom in statecraft—this is the fashionable foil y
of our partisan rulers. Any notion of ennfilence shown
in England's sound true heart. is despised by OUT wordy
debaters; and the good Alfredian principle of local self-
government is denounced n 1 if it wore not (as it truly is)
the great cure for all Boris of disaffection, and the real
strength of an independent people.
Sir, through your good favour I place now again before
the public mind, after long interval, an idea often hereto-
fore urged by me ; and though thus crudely and curtly
thrown out, for your space sake, end my haste, and your
readers' patience, I do hope that you and others wit
forthwith recommence a wholesome agitation to get up
National R Clubs.—l am &e.,
MARTIN F. TurpEß.
Albury, Guildford, 7th Sept., 1857.

The Ilfoniteur• du Senegal of June 2, minims tits
recital of an eight days's pursuit by a squadron of French
Sipabis of a band of Moors who had devtAf.ed Gordon.
The rear guard of tic band, oonsitting almosc entirely of
the princes and chicle of the family of the King of the
Trarzt, was at length overtaken aul cat to pisces. Thirty
women and children, wbon the Moors had carded off
from Garden, wore recovered.
A lIAPPY LITTLR COUNTY.—For the last ten years,
the judges of 'assize have frequently passed high cube_
gloms en the Cowley of Rutland for the very small
amount of criminal business bronAht before them .On
Friday last, Oakham county -jail and hones of correction
was in an unprecedented condition ; the door of the male
dew.rtment of the prison were thrown open, there not
being any prisoner confined here. On Saturday evening
the agreeable anomaly was dissolved by the committal of
•Thomas Tombln, of Barroirden; for U 'days' hard
. libour fors misdemeanour.

CONCLUSION OF THE MOEXION CONFERENCE.

On Monday night these conferences were brought to a
close by a social meeting at the Teetotal Ilan, Broadway,
Westminster. The proceedings was certainly of such a
character as were never witnessed in a conference
before. The attendince was not very numerous, but it
comprised all the leadiuglinerabers of the conference.
when we entered the assemblage was engaged in singing,
in a loud strain, one of their favourite hymns, led on by
Eldor Bernard, to the tune of " Low-balked Cart The
purport of this song was the long lockvi-for day when
they would all get to Z on. (Utah). It seemed to be
rather a painful effort to Brother Bernard, and it was
decided,ty so to those of the audience who happened not to
be r r..; 0 n s
Bros her Silver, one of the elders, next obliged the com-
pany with "a Milt! harmony." It was something about
"I never knew what joy was
Till I became a Mormon," &c.

In this song' the audienCe was favoured with an accom-
paniment by an ass in 'an adioinine stable. The wall was
sa thin as to reader:everything audible ; and the earnest
warnings of the Mormon aposiks were mired up with the
braying of the ass. and the urgent entreaties of his keeper
that he would " come over."

•
Tae party who next "obliged" was a young man who
reported the proceedings of Sunday, and who occupied a
prominent position upon the platform. At the beginning
of the service this young man was called upon to ett:!ge
in prayer—the first time we ever savea reporter drop his
pencil for such a purpose in public. '
Elder Snow and two- others united in a doleful strain.
The melody was " Ethiopian," and the poetry was of
about the same calibre as the songs of that class usually
are.

Elder Hyde, of the Reading district administered, in a
brief speech, a large quantity of delicate flattery to his
ecclesiastical superiors around him, being particularly
attentive to the two apostles, Pratt and Benson, who sat
near him. He scornfully alluded to the attempts now
being made to put the Mornrorrimpostnre down, and took
the liberty of saying that all such efforts would be. un-
availinr_i. Ho said, if people wanted to know the true
character of Joseph Smith, they ought to go to the Mor-
rnonites to make the inquiry. and not to their enemies.
" Brother Hyde" was frequently interrupted by the
youngsters, two or three of whom ware, last evening, FO
lively, that they had to be removed from the apartment.
Then another of the. reverend gentlemen, or very.re-
verend elders, or right reverend apostles, or whatever
their ecclesiastical titles may be,' favoured the company
with a' song. He was followed by Elder Snow; who
recited a story about " the Gambler's Wife," with a de-
gree of ability which does net entitle him to any commen-
dation. The blessing bf God was very, frequently asked
unon these extraordinary proceedings, and asked with a
flippancy and irreverence very shocking to a well rega-
-1 tred mind. Another of the elders sang a song. styled
" Sectarian Nonsense," one verse of which ridiculed the
absurdity of a man when he is ill going to a doctor as the
gentiles (i.e , all who are not Mormons) do, instead of
going to an elder of the church to be healed.
One of the Yankee Elders, fresh from the Salt Lake
Valley, said. he " felt fast rate." He could fetch in
firing, if they wanted it; and he ea'culated be was always
" to band". when anybody was wanted to move•the fixins,
to hunt up the lost sheep, or to drive the oxen. When
anything of this kind was to be done, he was always to
hand, to do the best' he could; but he wasn't much of a
hand at discoursing. He drew a pitiable picture of the
heathenism of this country, arid gave a glowing descrip-
tion of the enlightenment and happiness of the saints in
Utah. Ile said-he had been: persecuted 'with the saints
all his-life; and just as he was settling down in peace at
Utah, 'the set-tient-of the Lord sent him forth to England
to warn this wicked generation, and he obeyed; although
it was a great trial to him.
. A Mr. Harrison, who was one of the-very few English-
men amongst these Mormon prOphets, next addressed the
meeting. but "the donkey again interrupted, and the
animal's exertions were ably seconded by some of the
youngsters, seem of whom were eventually obliged to be
removed. Mr. Harrison said that Mormonism and its
professors were not to be judged by existing standards;
for they were far above and beyond. them. It, had been
said that Mormonism was unnecessary, because there was
nothing new in it that was true, and nothing true in it that
was new. This was not the case. It supplemented the reve-
lations of the Bible and completed them. They lied been
accused of saying nothing yesterday of polygamy. The
polygamy they advocated was not the lustful polygamy
of the orientals ; for his pert, he sail, all such
polygamy. (Laughter, and groans of " Amen ") The
polygamy of the Mormons was a system welch controlled
the lusts and passions of mankind, and reduced the
marital duties to some kind of system. Mormonism did
not allow mon and wcinen to rush into matrimony as
dictated by their passions, and without any guiding prin-
.ciple. Mormonism came to them with principles adapted
to every- condition of a - man's life ; it entered into the
privacy of the chamber, and controlled every action.' It
taught men to act as God would have them act. This
was tee difference between the Morehnnite polygamy and
the Oriental system. Tim Scriptures themselves were
written by polygamists, and he had been taught to study
the writings of those polygamists in his youth, and to
pray over them ; he had done so, and ho found that set of
polygamists so good that be thought he would try the
other lot (the Mormons). [ rills coarse jest was received
with llugoter by the "S tints."]
The congreg Ilion then indnleed in some degerel verses
which they sung to the popular air of " Minnie," of the'
words of which song their psalm" was a wretched
parody.
Elder George Read then recited a piece about "The
Bishops' Banquet," describing the good living of the right
rev. prelates—a recitation which was singularly mad
apropos and in very bad taste, seeing that it was immedi-
ately followed by the Morrnonite " refreshments," apples
and pears on damp and dirty " waiters,' with little cakes
and biscuits, which were stele and unsavoury. Those
were washed down by copious draughts of pump water
from large jugs.
Another Elder then 'indulged in a "little harmony"
about " Sleepy Parsons," the chorus to which was—
" Heigh() 1 you sleepy parsons I
Ha I ha! ha! ha! what a lark!
After all your college learning
Yon will fled you're, in the dark."
The very reverend elder gave this song with much vigour
to the air of a well.known nigger melody, " Oh, Susan-
nah I don't you cry for me," and he added to•the effect by
. vigorous slaps of his hands upon his stalwart thighs, af-
ter the most approved fashion of the Ethiopian Sere-
raiders." •The effort was very much relished by the
audience, who loudly applauded.
Sister Pearce and several other sisters subsequently
rung.
An Elder, with a strong Yankee brogue, advised the
sisters to sell off their ornaments, which took them so
long every day to dust, and to put the money into the
emigration feud, 'to enable them to " gather out of Baby-
lon," i.e., to leave this country for Utah.
The Apostle Orson Pratt then gave the "Sisters" some
advice on the'subject of marriage. He said that marriage,
if celebrated by the Mormon Church, which alone had
full authority, extended not wily till death, but through-
out eternity: He urged them not to marry men not Mor-
mons, or else when they awoke in the Day of Judgment
they would find themselves withoet husbands, and be
obliged to remain single throughout eternity. This he
described to be horrible eventuality, and propounded
the doctrine that a propagation of spirits would go on in
a future world, just as the propagation of our species
goes on in this.
Ezra Benson, another Apostle *from the Silt Lake
Valley, addressed the audience in his shirt sleeves. His
speech was full of -Yankee humour, rather coarse, but it
told well with the saints. He said he felt "fast rate."
He referred to the subject of marriage, and to his own
wives and children whom he had left in Utah. and said he
believed that all his wives would not apostatise, and that;
therefore, he would not be likely to undergo the misery of
remaining sineie in heaven. lie described Brigham
' Young as the beat sad holiest man in the world, and said
he did not wonder at the sisters falling in love with him.
Every good man, he said, ought to have more than one
wife. He said he would advise the editors who abused
them to consult their works, and they would NIA every-
thing "as right as taturs." Be indulged in a variety of
jokes of the same class.
The proceedings terminated shortly after 1G o'clock.

New York continues to be filled with sick warriors from
Nicaragua, who have n means to reach their homes.
The baby affair of Mrs. Cunningham bee been dramatized
and acted upon the stage in New York.
A PLEA roa Cu UMBIR3.—A champion of this much
slandered vegetable has appeared in Life Illustrated. Lie
&Aye that not only are cucumbers harmless, but they act
beneficially, invigorate the mental faculties, and clear the
brain. We expect there will be a rush for cucumbers, if
all the neople with muddled brains should try the remedy.
—Portland Advertiser.

Crucoeseocuneer.—The United Serrice Gazette points
out that the pergy-wise-and-pound-foolish system is very
charmingly exemplified by the War Deplezment irr their
arranoments for Vac embarkation of troops for India.
Really, one would suppose that they believed Dover and
Shorucliffe to be inland towns, for on co other hypothesis
can we understand why troo2s would moved thence to
he embarked at Portsmouth, when the transports can as
easily lay off Dover pier. The other day four vgineents
avers moved from the camp and cantonments, and sent to
Portsmouth, at a positive lose to the coentry of some
£2OOO, and an immense additiea to the fatigue of the
poor men, who, after getting to Ge;port, had to go on to
Spithead to embark. It invo!ved a regular fatigue-day,
preventing the men from getting their meals at the proper
time. Lord Peemzure may dare et the alleged expense,
but if flay of the gentlemen iu his lord,hip'a department
will be at the trouble to make a celculati en of the cost of
bringing vessels from the river to Portsmouth for the em-
barkatien of troops, adding thereto, the railway cherg.s
from Dover, and compare it with the cost of embarkation
, at Dover, they will Ind that we are not very mach oat.