Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-08-21
N0XL,


ders' above you You know and feel it-Sam had
too much independence to stoop. Kill off Stuart and
Michie and will, when the Constitution is altered
to suit my purposes, blow the rest OF you away with
the breath of my nostrils. But neutrality there,
will preserve as my organ" With that awoke, and
10 1t was dream, the Interpretation leave to the
reader. JOHN BUNYAN.
N. B. should have added, what all will infer,
that Red evidently was the hero Of the dfeam-that
with one more turn of the wheel, it will require no
gerrymander to fix us-that with the empty honor Of
sending certain persons to the Convention will pass
away their own mo, al influence, and rent will be-
left and wound given hard TO mend or heal.
eEs,1. aurrw1FE,s LETTER TO JOHN DorroM.
yMessrs. Editors "A while ago, chanced TO
come in upon John Bottom and little crowd Of bis
followers whom lie was entertaining with letter he
had just received on the subject of his new doctrines.
listened, and learned that it was from celebrated
pirate of the Isle of Wight by the of Qutwife;
and as it is a curious document } got copy from
John which send you for publication. II is as
follows:
ISLE or WfGHr, 1850.
Dear Mr. Bottom ~ our letter has been receive
ed, making some enquiries into the customs Of our
Island, and especially concerning the success of tho
late "linalion of the matrimonial partnership 10 one
year."
am truly glad to see you virglnians waking up
at last and am happy to be able to convey to you
my testimony TO the complete success OF what you
abslractonists call our new experiments. We, like
you, endured for long time political and social bur-
dens, among which not the least were the lile-ten-
ures and like you we might now be groaning under
them, had we not determined to discard every thing
old-fashioned without exception, and TO build up
new system by the lights Of reason and experience
suited to the age live in. We apply reason now
to every ,hing; precedent is worth nothing. For how
can say that what was good for me ten years ago,
is good for me now under quite new state OF things.
Our opponents said that we made light Of sacred
things and that we even tramped on the virtues be-
cause they we're old and ugly. Not SO, said |. Mu-
liability and variety the laws of nature, aye, the
laws of God. What's Jaw, what's virtue, what's best
in one age and one nation, may not be law, virtuet
or good in another.
The sons of Adam married their sisters. The pa
triarchs had many wives-the late Jews and early
Christians thought it best 10 have but one. II was
wrong for The Jews 10 eat swne's flesh, for the fol-
lowers of Mohomet and the Sons of Temperance to-
dring wine--but The modern Christians may eat and
drink what they please in unlimited quantities. in
Sparta il was lawful and right for boys TO steal, ifthe
theft was concealed then again, the commandments
not to steal was almost universally obeyed until the
sovereign people found out that they could properly
take my private property for public uses, provided
the public got dispensations for the sin by an act oil
Assembly, and paid me what they thought was right.
You see then, my good Bottom, that there are no
fixed, immuable and universal principles oil either
public or private virtue; but that the only thing
worth asking is, what in your opinion is best to bs
done under given circumstances, for the public good;
,hor IN oodi fho
of the majority. will now give you an illushs!ion
of The way in which we Of the Isle of Wight, have
applied this principle of innovation TO our necessis
ties.
We were burdened with heavy debt which we
were not able to pay. Under the old-fashioned doe
trines so injurious to unfortunate Staes we would
have remained helpless debtors to this day. Is be.
came apparent that the public good required imme-
date relief, and it was very simple thing-ws 70
pudiated.
Again, the old law Of nations compelled us to re-
specI the rights of other natons-so strict and abb
surd was that old law, that if we saw neghboring
island whirled around in the Sea and ready to go-
down like scu!tled ship 10 stand idle by and give
no helping hand-because, forsooh, we had no right
to NEEDLE in her affairs. But said to my country
men, humanity the best interests OF the Anglo-Saxon
race, and the true interests Of our neghbors them
selves will Justify US therefore, let like true he-
roes strike down the Spanish tyrant and rescue
beautiful Cuba from imbecility and misrule. -
You perceive, John, how gloriously our doctrines
give play 10 the highest faculties and finest feelings
of humanity There's nothing contracted about them,.
nothing low, nothing narrow-Democratic in the
largest sense of the word.
Now as to marimony you are very far behind
the times We have looked at the subject like busi-
ness men, not like sentimental fools, and give You
my whole idea when tell you We have treated IT,
and you ought 10 treat it exactly you would any
other partnership. 1t is partnership OF two, con.
consisting of an active, ostenslble partner, who
ought to be always the man, as he is with U.S. and
not the woman as lie is with you sometimes, and
dormant partner, sometimes called the sleeping part
ner.
Now our experience has convinced me that II u
best in all partnerships TO dissolve and settle up once
year, and this truth we have applied to the matri.
mona partnership, and in spite OF vast deal oil con-
serya,ive and sentimental twaddle which, strange to
say, came mostly from old maids and old bachelorss
we got the system to work, and il has worked well
ever since. 1t will only be necessary to mention to you
one great advantage Of this system: Formerly gross
raunds were practced upon the active partner,n COM
sequence of which he found he had taken dormant
partner into his concern whose property had been
greatly exaggerated,bu who turned out utterly snoiv@
entnot worth sixpence, Sir Again, many firms
were ruined by the extravaganza ofthe dormant part
ner,and for this there remedy, ior you know
we had 10 pay for any thing they ordered and TO take
unon usat last all their &c
in short we had no control over the business at a be.
cause the dormants were in for life, and they knew
it. and as you very properly remark, there was no
responsibility Bye the bye, Bottom, that word res-
ponsibiity is great invention ofyorrs. lhoPe you
are making good use of it in Virginia.
Well, for all those evils, dissolution was the only
remedy It was practicable with US formerly, buo
was attended by terrible loss Of credit on both Sides
Now. however, thanks TO Reform, the partnership
expires with the year and assure you Christmas il
a merry time with us on the The Isle of Wight. You
cannot conceive what life and activity now per-