The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-09-03
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

!. giles borne triumphant through the scenes of
S carnage and horror to Montery and Albu-
: querque-perhaps to chihuahua and Saltil-
= 10. And even then, judging of the future
!, from the past, we will fall something short of
having conquered peace.
We have made Mexico feel our power to
do her evil. Our blockade of Vera Cruz,
, putting stop to all the business of that port
: has subjected its people to untold horrors -
? Peaceful laborers and their families, includ-
ing many innocent children, have died by
hundreds of want and the pestilence it begets,
for lack of the employment and food of which
we have bereft them, but they do not seem
to be conquered yet-we mean those not al
ready starved We have enabled those on
1.-THE Rio Grande to make good deal of mon
ey out Of us, buying our goods cheap, and sell
ling their provisions dear, and still they are
not conquered into peaceful and humble
frame of mind On the contrary all accounts
concur in stating that the Mexicans of the
Rio Grande hate us more intensely than cv-
er-that one of our men cannot 90 out of sight
of his comrades without danger of the deadly
Spanish knife and it is so dangerous for an
| American to be drunk in or near Matamoros
that Gen. Taylor has sternly forbidden the
sale of liquors there. Not even in Matamo-
ros have we conquered peace.
y no peace comes not of butchery and
deadly hate-of CHASTITY wounds by hundreds,
and torrents of human gore-far otherwise:
Mr.. Polk seems at last to have been convinc-
ed that conquest is an impracticable, or at
least too expensive mode of striving for peace.
For our nations sake we hope he has made
generous offer, and one that will be accepted.
Let him prove to the Mexicans that we deep
ly regret the wrongs we have done them, and
would gladly make PREPARATION, asking them
to manifest similar spirit Let our rulers
do this, and they will speedily make peace in
moment far better than conquering it.
INITIATING BALLooNs-It may be sup
posed that nearly all the citizens of the Uni
ted States have seen balloons, or at least pic
lures Of them, and have some general ideas of
the principle by which they are made to as
cend But as we have had frequent applica-
tons for information on the subject Of the
mode and expense of initiating them, we shall
describe the process in manner more ex-
plicit than heretofore published. A number
of casks are provided and set up on end, the
upper ends being open. In each cask is pla-
ced quantity Of sui phuric acid diluted with
five times its weight Of water Each pound
of acid will produce ten cubic feet of hydro
gen gas therefore, if the balloon to be infa-
| ted is required to contain 10000 cubic feet of
gass, 1000 pounds Of acid will be required.
Each cask is provided with covering of
painted cloth, which is made to fit the top;
and from each Of these caps, tube Of paint
ed cloth or leather extends to point direct
| ly under the balloon, which is placed CEN
trally, in a collapsed form, and with the open
part downward. Thus arranged, a quantity
of iron filings and turnings equal IN weight
to the original quantity Of acid is put in the
the tops The acid Immediately commences
cowoding and dissolving the iron, by which
action the oxygen Of the water unites with the
iron, and its other component, hydrogen, is
| liberated in the form of gas, which, passing
through the tubes to the balloon, readily in
lates it. When ebulition has nearly ceased
in the casks, fresh supply Of water, nearly
equal to the original quantity, may be added,
which will occasion renewal Of the chemi-
cal action till the iron is nearly all dissolved.
The power of buoyance of this gass is q trife
more than one ounce per cubic foot; whence
it may be calculated that the buoyancy Of a
balloon of 10, 900 cubic feet will be at least
six hundred pounds. The weight of the bal
loon, if properly constructed, being made Of
silk or cambria, and thinly vanished, will not
exceed over three hundred lbs, thus leaving
surplus buoyancy sufficient to carry three
hundred lbs. extra, besides the appended car,
lines, &c. The cost of the iron and acid will
average about four cents per pound and the
solution of the sulphate of iron will command
about half the original cost.-Scient!fc Aaer-
lean.