The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-12-12


and inerminabe carousals which form striking
feature Of almost every southern community.
The natural warmth and buoyancy of our air.
awakens congenial feelings in those who respire
it and as if life had let loose all her sweets at
once, the incautious victim of his own impru-
dence, often lets fall and breaks the golden bowl,
while endevourng to drain its honeycd contents
at draught. And thus it is, that the evils result
ing from wrong use,or rather absolute abuse'of
heavens richest blessings, are but too frequently
alleged TO The imperfection of those blessings
themseIves-as if heaven had nterminged her
best gilt with poison"
CIRCUMsTANTIAL EvIDENcE.-The Boston
Mercantile Journal gives the following remarka-
bic case of MURDER and conviction of an inno-
cent person, as illustrating the uncertainty of cir
cumstantial evidence. The Journal also employs
it as all argument against capital punishment.
A negro who had run away from his master
in South Carolina, arrived in London in an
American ship. Soon after he landed lie got
acquainted with poor honest laundress in Wap-
ping, who washed his linen. This poor woman
usually wore two gold rings on one Of her fingers;
and it was said that she had saved little money,
which, induced this wretch TO conceive the design
OF numbering her, and taking her property. She
was widow, and lived in humble dwelling
with her nephew Ono night her nephew came
home much intoxicated, and was put 10 bed. The
negro, who was aware of the circumstance
thought this would be favorable opportunity for
executing his bloody design.
Accordingly he climbed to the top OF the house,
stripped himself naked, and descended through
tie chimney to the apartment of the laundress,
whom he murdered--not until after IL severe
struggle, the noise or which awoke her drunken
nephew, in the adjoining roonl-who got up and
fastened to the rescue ofhs aunt.
In the meantime the villain had cut of the
finger with the rngs--but before he could escape
he was grappled with by the nephew, who, being
very powerful man. though much intoxicated,
very nearly overpowered him, when by the light
OF the moon which shone through the window,
ne discovered the complexion of the villain,
whom, having seldom seen negro, he took for
he devil! The murderer then dsengaged him
sell from the grasp Of the nephew, and succeed
Ell III making his escape through the chimney
But the nephew beloved and ever afterwards
had struggled, ana vuJ'A.dnuil with whom he
the air and disappeared.
The negro, in the course of the struggle, had
besmcared the young mans shirt in many places,
with the blood of his viciinl-and this, Joined
with other circumstances, induced his neighbors
to consider the nephew us the murderer of his
aunt. He wusurrested, examined, and committed
to prison.-though he persisted in asserting his
innocence, and told his story of the midnight
vistcr, which appeared not only Improbable, but
ridiculous in the extreme. He was trcd convict
ed, and crocuted-protesting to the last his total
ignorance of the murder, and throw wing it wholly
on his black antagonist, whom he believed 10 be
other than Satan.
The real murderer not suspected, and re-
turued to America with his little booty-but after
Il wretched existence of ten years. on his DEATH
bed confessed the murder, and related the par
ticulars attending it.
AN EvENrFUL YEAR.-The year 1912 was
probably the most evcntful of any in history, an
cent or modern. England convulsed by
the riots in the manufacturing districts Mr.
Perceval lost his life, and at his death commenc-
cd the detestable reign of Liverpool and Vinsit-
tart; Wellington took the towns of Cuidad, Rod
rigo and Badalos and won the battle of Salamen-
ca; Spain abolished the Peerage and the Inqui-
siton, and proclaimed her new Constitution all
South America was in civil war and Napoleon
fought the battles of Wno, Smoenski, Brodino
and Moscow,-and finally saw his mighty hosts
perish in the snow; the English likewise took
Almarez and Seville, and witnessed disgrace and
defeat from the Americans at sea and in the Can
adas. In this eventual year no less than three
millions of Christians, under the sanction OF
mother church and holy priesthood, were armed
for reciprocal carnage, and all Europe and Amer
lea were made slaughter houses of the human
race. Its supposed that more than one million
of men, women and children were butchered, or
otherwise sacrificed in this memorable year.
What apicture ofihe spirit of Christianity is this
The OILY event of inc yeur 1912 on which ia.
tonal person can reflect with satisfaction is the
spirit of freedom which in Spain destroyed the,
lnquison and established her glorious Consti-
tuition; and vet even this noble work i'll two
years was subverted 10y the perjury of the most
mean and oxecrable wretch in cxistence--Ferdi-
nand, the petticoat maker!
DIsCoNTINUANCE OF SUNDAY TRAVELLING IN
ENGLAND. We learn from an English paper,that
at recent meeting of coach propretors from all
parts of England, held IN London, it was very
generally determined to give up far posi-
bic, the travelling of public coaches on the Sab
bath. This measure asresolved upon, prnci,
pally on the ground that it would be an actual
SAVING to the proprietors, us there would be very
nearly the same number of passengers as at press
ent though spread over six days instead OF seven,
while many of the expenses would be diminish
ed one seventh, and it would be great relief to
the horses. Several of the proprietors were al
so influenced in coming to this decision, by rell-
rious considerations. All the coaches between