Litchfield enquirer., 1838-04-05

MIss MARTTNEAu in her new work on this
countrv--Sketches of Travel introduces por-
traits Of our leading men. Of President Van
Buren, she says:
5 Twas often asked whether did not think
his manners gentlemanly. There is much
friendliness in his manners, for he is a Kind
hearted man: he is also rich in informations
and lets it come out on subjects in which he
cannot cdhtrive to see any danger in speak,
ing. But his manners want the 4rankness and
confidence which are essential to good breed
ing. He questions closely without giving any
thing in return. Moreover he matters to a de-
gree which so cautious aman should long ago
have found out to beadisagreeable; and his
flattering is not merely praise Of the person
he Is speaking to- but a worse kind stii-a
skepticism and ridicule of objects and per-
sons supposed to be distastcful to the one nc
is conversing with. Aas~ -,
The following was Bfittef after she nad
visited the Senate Chamber at " ashington
The American Senate rs mQSt imposing
assemblage. When first entered II, Thought
Inever saw a finer set of heads than the forty
six before my eyes two only being abse mt
and the Union then consisting of twenty -four
States. Mr.. Calhoun's countenance first fixed
my attention; the splendid eye, the straight.
forehead, surmounted by a load of stiff, up
right, dark hair; the stern brow; the inflexi.
BILE mouth lit is one of the most remarkable
heads ii the country. Next to him sat his col
league, Mr. Preston, in singular CONTRAST
stout in person, with round,s ruddy, good
humored face, large blue eyes, aud wig,
orange today. brown yesterday, and golden
tomorrow. Near them sat Colonel Benton,
temporary peoples man, remarkable chief
" for his pomposity. He sat swelling amidst
his pile Of papers and books, looking like
being designed by nature to be good humor-
ed barber Oh innkeeper, but forced by fate to
make himself into a mock-heroic senator
Opposite sat the transcendant Webster, with
his square forehead and cavernous eyes; and
behind, the homely Clay, with the face and
figure ofa farmer, but something of the air OF
divine, from bis hair being combed straight
1 back from his temples. Near them sat South.
ard and Porter; the former astute and rapid
in colntenance g. gesture; the latter strange
" rningling boyish fun and lightness OF
manner and glance, with the sobriety snita-
BILE to the Judge and the senator. His keen
eye takesin every thing that passes his eS-
traordinary mouth, with IFS overhangingNiip;
has but to unfold into smile to win laughter
from the sourest official Or demagogue. Then
there was the bright bonhommie Of Ewing OF
Ohio, the most primitive looking of senator's
and the benign, religious gravity of Freling.
huysen the gentlernanly. air oil Buchanan
the shrewdness Of Poindexter the somewhat
melancholy simplicity Of Silsbee,-all these
and many others, were striking; and for no.
thing n,orethan their total unlikeness to each
other. No English person who has not ira.
yelled over half the world, can form an idea
of such differences among men forming one
assembly for the same purposes, and speak
ing the same language. Some were descend
ed from Dutch farmers, some from French
huguenots, some from Scotch puritans. some
from English cavaliers, some from Irish
chieftains. They were brought together on
>oflaw courts, sugar fields, merchants stores
mountain farms, forests, and prairies. Thu
stamp of originality was impressed on every
one, and inspired deep involuntary respect
have seen no assembly Of chosen men, ant
no company Of the high-born, invested will
the antique dignities of an antique realm, hal
SO imposing TO the imagination as this cOllec
ton OF stout souled, full grown original men
brought together on the ground of their sup
posed sufficiency to work out the will of thei
diverse constituents.
DEATH FROM 1MAGINATToN.-A man named
Thomas,who lived in the village of Drannocl
in the parish of Gwinearnas, courted his frs
cousin Elizabeth, and it was understood tha
he was engaged to marry her. She was very
per, even, as the event shows, to madness
Some disagreement occurred between them,
and he, either to pique her, or out of resent
ment, paid particular attention to another
Young woman, whom on Sunday afternoon,
he accompanied to methodist meeting
Elizabeth, knowing this, and concluding that
she was discarded by him. took prayer
book, folded down the Tooth Psalm, and TAX
ing the book with her into an adjacent field,
hanged herself AS soon as Thomas came
from the preaching he inquired for her, and
hearing that she had not been seen for two or
three hours, he exclaimed, "Good God, she
has destroyed herself!" whence it was infer
red either that she had threatened to do so, in
consequence of his desertion, or that he ap-
pretended such catastrophe from the yio-
lence of her disposition, but when he found
that she had indeed committed self-murder,
and had seen the leaf filled with curses, which
she had marked as her dying imprecation
upon him, he cried, 81 am ruined forever
and ever !" Endeavoring, however, to escape
from the thoughts and feelings which pursued
him, he removed from Drannock to Mara.
zion. Change of place brought with it nc
relief; the curse he believed was on him, and
lie attributed to it whatever mistortunes be.
.fel him; and they were not few, tor ne was
several times hurt and even manned IN the
mines in which he worked. He carefully a.
,voided the evening service ON the twenty
second Of the month, and dreaded to go near
a reading school, lest he should hear the ia.
tai psalm read as a lesson, frequently in his
dreams he saw the deceased looking at him
vindictively. and holding open. the marked
passage and he was often heard to cry out,
aOh, my dear Betsey, shut the book book y
In the forlorn hope that if he were to marry
and have family, his thoughts might be