Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-07-20

) teal journal, who was supposed to know
!. every thing, past, present, and to come
e .sCur calamities are owing TO the enor
nous specnations which have taker
: place In real estate. We needed q checl
E OF some sort. We were buying lots +
E the moon and laying out photographic
. cities IN the stars, and the consequence
e is revolution unparalleled in cur an
i nals''
d The conversation was here interrupt
ed by the news that some twenty new
bankruptcies had occurred among the
: Oldest mercantile houses In the city that
, +, one bank had stopped payment, and that
a run had been commenced on the others
Ali was confusion and dismay. Indivi-
duas were hurrying to and fro with
bags of coin upon their shoulders, of
which they had Just been draining the
banks. Idle rumors were every where
circulated
The president of one of the banks had
committed suicide, and others had alb
seconded with the moneys committed to
their trust. Mobs were forming to Law
waste all the monied institutions of the
city, and TO tumble the buildings about
the ears of their officers. The mayor
had called out the military to preserve
the public peace. The police patrolled
the streets by day, and the watch was
doubled by night. The citizens of New
York were in dread of the fire and the
sword.
Tho hour of three, p NJ, when all
business ordinarily ceases in Wall street,
at length arrived. The omnibusses,
those most convenient things in the
world, (only when you want them, par
ticularly on rainy days, when they are
either full or going the wrong way,)
rumbled over the pavements. The null
titude began to scatter; but, long after
the money repositories were closed,
might be seen lingering around the bull
letins of the newspaper-offices knots of
| anxious, discontinued spirits, talking over
the events of the day and anticipating
the horrors of the morrow.
1t was in one of these little assemblies |
that Mr. Beverley Lee, a handsome, fash |
ionable, light-hearted young fellow, a
contributor to the periodicals and an
author of no mean celebrity, became
participation in the all-engrossing CONVEX
sations of the times. Mivins, an opu-
lent, influential broker, who was ac-
counted ga good man. on change, and |
proudly denominated in that vicinity ga
BEAR" took him by the button, and
pointing out the ruins of a building that
had fallen to the ground not long before,
said
''That, sir, is now all that remains Of
those who were ONCE nick-named the
Rothschilds of this country"
81 am sorry for their misfortunes,"
said Lee.
''Sorryr' rejoined the broker, eff my
wish could have been realized, not only
they, but all the Jews in New York
should be buried in the ruins"
sWhy so?'' said Belmont, calm, dig
nifed, silvery- haired, feeble old gentle
man, who stood next TO Lee, and who had
been listening 10 their discourse without
taking any part in it.
Because" said Mivins, raising his
voice and clenching his hand with strong
emotion, sin my opinion, it's part of
the religious creed of Jew to cheat a
Christian
s.The Christian religion did not teach
you that precept," said Belmont, mildly,
slight flush passing over his fine coun
tenance as he turned upon his heel to
depart.
'sStop, SIR" said Mivins, placing his
hand upon the old gentleman shoulder
and OBTAINING him, ssif you mean any
thing by what you have just said, you
mean to insult me, and thus resent it,"
added he, furiously, splitting upon his
garments.
Belmont instantly rushed upon his as
salant, and Lee, perceiving his danger,
flung himself between the parties just
10, hc low at hi = :
new acquaintance full upon his own stall {
wart bosom. A scuffle ensued; but the ;
parties were soon separated. Not, how
ever, until cards had been exchanged I
and the residence of each Individual as
certained. That evening Mivins was {
waited upon with a cartel, and meeting
for the morning. Lee did not
retire to rest till late that night; his ;
mind was filled with contending emotions. |
1t was the first time his person had ever
been proianed by a blow, and he was on
the eve of washing out the stain upon
his honor with his blood.-Of all cha |
racters on earth, he detested that OF 9
duellst most; but he was young, ardent,
and full of those false notions of honor
which have deprived the world of some t
of its brightest ornaments The few I
hours that were left him before the !
were employed in making his
and In writing to one who was
dearer to him than life. To her he en-
closed lock of his hair, and tear fell I
upon its glossy brightness at the thought G
that, they might never meet again.
At the break of day, which was cold, 7
and misty, two small boats
were seen shooting across the Hudson
river towards the Jersey shore They '
arrived at nearly the same time Lee
and Mivins stood upon the bIooo-stained 9
spot where Hamilton fell. As the par !
Ties we're about taking their stations,
they we're interrupted by the sudden ap-l :
pearance of the venerable Belmont, who !
had been the innocent cause OF their 9
meeting Approaching Lee he said 70
ssYoung man, this quarrel is miner
- t,,rnsn- MsxsnS he rouffuuad-