The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-17
ST. LOUIS, Mo-. J,.lu 4, IS49.

This is every thing else but national gala day
in our devoted city. The only procession seen in
our streets is the pumed hearse and the noiseless
train, and the voice OF joy and mirth has been su-
perseded by the waiIings and lamentations OF the
sorrowing and heari-broken. Feasting and amuse-
ments have given way to fasting, humiliation, and
prayer; and the booming of cannon and the roll of
the drum to the solemn tolllng Of the " church.
going bell" and the plaintive dirge of the organ.
Affection has visited nearly every household, and
dread apprehension shrouds with gloom the coun-
ienances of all with whom you meet To-day
your neghbor greets you in apparent health, to-
morrow you are summoned tn follow his remains
to the city Of the dead Such is the present condi
ton Of thipgs in St. Louis. Who, then, can won
DER them that the anniversary of our glorious indie
pendence has been permitted TO come and &c with
out those usual demonstrations so becoming free
and grateful peoplei
During the last twenty-four hours there has been
some mitigation in the fatality attending the cpl
demic over the previous day. and, with the favora.
BILE change in the weather, we anticipate rapid
decline in the daily number of deaths. Over one
hundred deaths occurred yesterday from cholera,
and the total number of interments reached up
wards of hundred and twenty. Business has
been entirely suspended, and the city papers have
advised persons abroad not to ship produce here
for the present, it is found next to impossible to
get the necessary help to take of it, to find
|
rates. Vegetables and fruits of every kind have
been excluded from the city, and all that can be
found in our markets is beef and mutton, with oc-
casionally few young chickens. Not even new
potatoes permitted to be vended, and old ones
that are fit cook be procured at any price.
Yesterday rigid quarantine regulations went into
operation, and the foot of Arsenal island, several
miles below the city, has been selected as the quar-
antine ground, where all boats required to stop
before proceeding to the city and land their deck
passengers, as well as all those in the cabin who
are aboring under an attack of the prevailing cpl
demic. Not less than twenty-five hundred emf
grants are now known to be on their way to St.
Louis from New Orleans alone, seven-tenths of
whom would die of cholera if permitted to land
amongst at this time. During Sunday and
Monday of this week, over six hundred reached
here on three New Orleans boats, and if the same
fatality pervades among them that attended some
three hundred brought up by the Sutana on her
last trip, by Saturday night not more than two or
| three hundred of them would be in the land Of the
living.
At Alton, Illinois, there has been a large number
of deaths since Sunday last and in fact there are
but very few places in either Missouri or Illinois
where the epidemic has not made its appearance.
The visitation of this pcstilence has completely
put an end to political discussion and excitement
of all kinds; and Colonel Benton, for the time
being, has resolved To defer his further peregrna-
of this district is in perfect of bewecnity
as political weathercock ever was known, and
both divisions of his party are after him to ascer-
tain under which king he designs serving. The
Benton men claim him, for the reason that he did
not subscribe the southern address; and the anti
Benton men insist he will be with them, for the rea
that it will afford him the only chance of ever
again getting the nomination of the party. Self
interest and not principle control, however, all his
actions, and he will be sure in the end to be found
where he thinks he with the most success per-
sonally aggrandize himself.
am glad that Mr.. Preston, the universally es-
teemed and popular Secretary ofthe Navy turning
his attention TO the proprety of placing the hemp
growers Of the west par with the foreign producer
in furnishing supplies Of this article to navy.
Under the past administrations the most gross and
ntentionalnusticeh has been melted 10 the western
hemp-grower and system of rigor established
that amounted to prohibition Of the purchase Of
domestic hemp, though Of better quality than for
eign hemp, that was procured in preference TO our
own for the use of the navy.
The great States of Kentucky, Illinois, and Mis-
souri, have deep and abiding interest in the being
permitted TO enjoy the benefits Of home market
for the great staple product, hemp and in way
can Mr.. Preston or the administration give them
selves more strength with the great body Of the
people Of the west than to do justice to in this
respect and encourage the purchase Of American
hemp for American purposes. This, however
will never successfully be accomplished until the
old chiefs OF bureaus made to give way to COM
peIent persons not preudced against the west, and
who disconnected in feeling, if not in interest,
with the importer and dealer in foreign hemp. Az
ter the next census, however, the west will have
the strength To take Of itself in this and other
respects, and IL they then exercise that power
Their arbitrarily, il will arise from the system Of
prohibition that has been long practised towards
them from participating in furnishing their pro-
portionaie supplies TO the General Government
| hope Mr.. Preston will persevere in this measure
that our navy may he secured the OF American
hemp, which is far better article than the average
quality Of foreign hemp that is now almost exclu-
sively consumed by our different navy yards.
SPARTACUS.