The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-18


and for good while in the race we kept well
ahead. We had our great Elk btion--a real
new smart speculation, which do not turn
out failure, which exceeded every body's hopes,
and which brought about no revolutions ut all
AS it turned out even the extra policemen might
have been dispensed with, aud 10000 vislters Of
all classes have congregated and dispersed daily,
without as much disturbance attends com
mon country fair. Moreover, the dollars have
really come tumbing IN amain. We say II With
out any malice, or any wish TO create annoyance ;
but the fact il, that even the hyperbocal conJec-
lures of American irony have fallen short OF the
truth in this interesting particular IL was cal
culated thai zoe shouM realize $4,000 900, tohereas
zoe hare got orer $2 100000 afhis rery moment,
wih sic good oeeks before us stH- And all this
is in hand, too, and in solid coin, 80 that we
fairly walk awny from our rivals. ! he true tri-
umph of American genius would be to transfer
these winnings, by some brilliant counterstroke,
to the soil of Columbia Mr. BarnUn, We OBJ
serve, is actually among US, and his presence,
like that of Napoleon in the field, is always
cmnous of business. Still, although the royal
commissioners seem sorely embarrassed with
their specie, and although their friendly advisers
among the public are almost much at fault,
we have not yet heard of any disposition herein
towards Mississippi bonds.
On the other hand it is beyond all denial that
every practical success of the season belongs to
the Americans. Their consignments showed
poorly at first, but came out we'll upon trial.
Their reaping machine has carried conviction 10
the heart of the British agriculturist. Theirre-
volvers threaten to revolutionize military tactics
as completely as the original discovery Of gun
powder. Their yacht takes class to itself. OF
all The pctories euer uon, none has been so trans
cendant as that Of The New York schooner. The
account given of her performances suggests the
innpproachable excellence attributed to Jupiter
by the ancient poets, who describe the King of
the Gods rs being not only supreme, but having
none other next to him. What's first ~" The
America" What's second ~" Nothing
Besides this, the Baltic, one Of Collins line of
steamers, has " made the fastest passage yet
known a.ross the Allan ic,' and, according to
the American journals, has been purchased by
British agents " for The purpose Of to,oipg the
Cunard pesseis from one shore of the ocean. to
the other" Finally, as if to crown the triumphs
Of the year, Americans have actually sailed
through the islhmus connecting the two CONT
nents of the New World, and, while English
men have been doubling and grudging, Yankees
have stepped in and won the day.
SO we think, on the whole, that we may afford
to shake hands and exchange congratulations,
after which we must learn as much from each
other as we can. As for yachts, zoe hare no doubt
that by neat August emery pessei Of The Copes
vquadron ViH be trimmed 10 The very image of The
America; there is no doubt that our farmers
will reap by machinery, and the revolver, we
fear, is too attractive an embodiment of per-
sonal power to be overlooked by European mis-
chief makers. In fact, while acknowledging the
IF
express our suspicious that its principal effect
has been hitherto to promote murder. Of
twenty assassinations in California or the west
ern States fifteen at least will be found, on ex-
animation, to have been perpetrated with re-
volvers The invention supplies both tempta-
ton TO the offence and certainty in its execution,
for it must be bad shooting, indeed, if one shot
does not tell out of five. Ii it was once thought
advisable to stigmatize life preservers as
weapons importing no honest purpose we
hardly see how repeating pistols are to escape
similar reproach. They were, no doubt, found
serviceable in " frontier action !" but the inven-
ton cuts two ways, and we very much question
whether Mr. Colts discovery has not cost the
Americans more lives thar the Mexicans. Some
readers, perhaps, may detect the hand of retribu
ton in these matters, and the idea is still more
extensively suggested by story of one Of the
papers Just arrived. A pack of bloodhounds,
kept " for hunting runaway slaves" fell in with
the children of u neighboring proprietor, killed
them, and devoured them. The conclusion of
the tragedy is truly American. The distressed
father" we are told, loaded his rifle, and shot"
not himself, but the owner of the dogs"
through the heart
A weekly contemporary, in honestindgnation
at the peryersty of our juries and the lawess-
ness of sublimated law, seems almost inclined
to think that the fault of the two systems are
not so unequal as they seem, and that perhaps
a little independent jurisdiction lodged in the
hands of individuals might correct that tendency
to outrage which courts of justice appear I'M
qualified to punish. If man may murder his
wife or poison his child with practical impunity
why should not posse of citizens be trusted
with similar powers We forbear from enter
ing upon this argument, but we recommend all
these circumstances to the careful notice of
those gentlemen who annually strive to exempt
murder from its penalty There is manifesty
an instructive sense of justice in the human
breast, which will not endure TO be outraged
either by the theories of sentmentaists, or the
negligence of law, and, where great crimes are
left unpublished, there soon arises a disposition
among the Te)pe, to administer code of their
own.
We trust, however, that we may borrow the
line Of The America, and even the use Of Mr.
Colts patent, without being seduced into 8 in
stitutons" Of Lynch law and homicide. There
are other features, too, of life in the States
which are held up for our imitation Mr. Cob
den is anxious that we should copy the Ame-
rienns in our newspapers, and naturalize the
spirit Of transatlantic journalism among English
writers. This would effect remarkable change,
there is no denying. As a specimen. we subjOin
report from fashionable watering place,
formed after American ideas of propriety and
taste. Just now the Americans, like ourselves,
are betaking themselves from town and city to
mountain springs or seaside sands, and the re-
porters of the daily journals follow in their train
TO these popular retreats. What would our
mammas" say TO such sketch from Cowes
or Br hton, M that trauscrb d from the Neio
port Ne'os into the Mem York Herald for En-
rope
Since my last there have been large number
OF arrivals at this house, and among them many
beautiful and accomplished ladies'. There are
several here whom | have noticed for a week or
two, but have not yet nscertsined their names
II L. IL A 4.