The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-22
Correspondence.
BosroN, Oct. II. 1919.
WV ID RD'0
CHEAP POSTAGE.


The Free Sellers here are making udcrous
attempt to steal Wing thunder, in appropriating to
themselves the popularity of the cheap postage
movement. In their State address they very coolly
make Of it to give sound to their political prom
Uses, But the good people of Massachusetts, cannot
be blinded or deafened to the fact, that Messrs.
Briggs and Ashmun were among the earliest and
most Jealous champions of the measure. AS far
back as 1912 and lS43, before Free -Soism was
heard of, Mr.. Briggs laboring in Congress to
forward the cheap-postage SYSTEM and to prepare
the public mind for it's adoption. He introduced re-
port and bill from the Committee Post Offices and
Post Roads, embracing, ultimately or prospective
ly, the whole principle of minimum postage; and
he contributed largely to waken the public intel-
gence to the expectancy and feasibility of a great
further reduction. And now that the people have
liked the change well-that they want it to be
carried further-and that it can be carried further
with due regard to the public interests-the Free
Sellers have the inpudence to claim it of
| their own pet measures, which must stand or fall
with their success Is it not n sign that they are
becoming aware of the insufhciency of their own
principles, that they thus stealing feathers from
other peoples caps'
ANOTHER PLATFORM WANTED.
The Free Sellers and Locofocos still agtaing
the question whether it is not possible to construct
! a platform upon which both parties may stand.
The experiment was made in Norfolk county, but
| fell through. We have too few influential politi
clans in this State of John Van Buren's elastic po
htica conscience to render such coalitions easy.
ENTERTAINMENTS, &c.
Miss Davenport, young lady, who was here as
an infant phenomenon some nine years ago, is
playing an engagement here at the Howard thea
tire. She appears in the line of parts made familiar
by the acting of Fanny kemble and Ellen Tree.
She is a pleasing and we'll educated actress. but
does not 'scarry the town" like her great predeccs-
sors, although she has drawn very good houses
TINS far. statement having appeared that MIR
Davenport and his daughter the BrumInes
and the 'nfant'' of Dckens's nicholas Nickleby' -
Mr.. Davenport has come out with letter contra
dieting the superstition. II cannot be denied, how
ever, that Mr.. ID. bears a remarkable resemblance
10 the picture of Brummels in the etchings of the
illustrations of the novel.
see it stated, by the way, that the celebrated
Rachel is coming here. The Courier des Etats- Unis
Of yesterday gives countenance to the rumor.
Young ladies must brush up their French. Rachel
is probably the greatest tragic of the age
but should fear there were not people enough in
cities. with the exception perhaps of New York
and New Orleans, sufficiently versed in French TO
enjoy her acting. She might doubtless reap, how
ever, a very lucrative harvest in those two cities
Benedict, Truffi, Vita, Rosi, and others, are to
remain here ten weeks, ana give concerts, COM
mencing Saturday next. So we are likely to be
well provided for in musical way We have the
nobest tenor in the country in Benedict
SUFFERING At sEA--cAsTIsG LOTS.
The New Bedford Mercury vi to-day give. let
t.r - tai IL.
2lst giving most melancholy account of the suf
fering Of himself and boats crew in the Pacific
lie was master OF the whaling bark Janet of w,st
port. On the 23d Of June, lS49, being a thousa nd
miles west Of the coast Of Peru, he got separated
from his vessel. He towing a whale when
this happened; and, with his boats crew, he was in
a suffering condition, from the boats having cap
Sized by which he lost compass, paddles, &c. In
vain did he make all sorts Of signals b. the bark
He thinks they wilfuly forsook him, but this is
contradcted by the statement of the mate in charge
Of the Janet Capt. H. lost two of his men in at.
tempting TO bail his boat, and then steered for the
uninhabted island Of Cocus, distant thousand
miles. Having no compass, he had to steer by the
north star and the currents from the south Some
Of his men went delirious from want of food and
water. On the seventh day they had to cast lots
for who should render up his body as a meal
TO his comrades. The poor fellow on whom the
lot fell met his fate "with perfect resignation and
willingness" On the ninth day, as IL bya spe.
cal providence, dolphin leaped into the boat, at
fording Them food for some time. They also caught
birds; and twenty days after parting from the
Janet they reached Cocus Island They were
drcadfully exhausted; but pig, which they caught
and killed, afforded the means of rcviving their
strength. Two days after reaching the island,
boat from the Leonidas, which happened TO be wa
tering at the island, reached them, and they we're
taken on board the ship and kindly treated Crowd
cd as the annals of the whale fishery are with dis
asters, remember few to compare with this in the
suficrings TO which the boats crew from the Janet
were subjected. -