The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-27

~D''cs ~ SCseRs SnA WVste give. n.
conRAsslox.
confess have little Of that mawkish sypapa-
Thy for rosues and rascais, which il one Of The
supposed Indications of the approaching minen-
mum. Not only are they ths ipstrunents Tor in
h'ct'ng large portion Of the miseries OF mankind,
but IN addition to this, all the burdens Of govern
ment all the vast sums absirscted nom the pro-
ceeds OF honest industry TO maintain law and or
der, and 10 erect State prisons, Bridewsliv aud
pen'tentiaries, either 10 prevent or punish their
cr'mss, as well a. all those restsainas on human
liberty which. though intended only for the wick
ed, equally afIec, all classes; all these We owe to
the depruvity Of that portion of the community
with whose "r'isfortunes' that 10, crimes--we
are perpetualiy called upon to sympa thixe, and
whose punshments are denounced as remnants Of
the dark ages. The prerogasive Of mercy il now
every day abused by Presidents and State govern
ors, in Pardoning criminals and roe cung them nom
the just sentence ofthe law; and the multiplication
OF crime, instead Of being made an argument for
the necessity of additional punishments, Is used
as preext for drawing the conclusion that miIder
ones will be more efectua He who saw into
all hearts and could judge Of the sincerity Of his
repentance, pardoned the thief on the cross. But.
as was said by celebrated divine, "He pardoned
one, that none might despair, and but one, that
none might hope" 1t is dangerous thing to
make the gallows stepping stone to heaven; and
it is equally dangerous to diminish that saIutarv
horror Of vice. which is one Of the best pressrva-
tives of virtue. We may pardon offences against
II hufh ava riohtt ~.
against others.
COURT FOOLS.
In former times, all the truth spoken at courts.
came from the mouth offools, who were the only
privileged PERSONS They were very useful Of
hcias, and it is said that since their banishment
there has been no truth heard in that quarter.
sEcrARIANs.
Sectarians always more or less intolerant.
and are content with mere federation. The
Puritans Of New England furnish striking ex-
ample. In the pocket of Governor Dudley Of
Massachusetts, who sought liberty for his .o,cn
conscience in the new world, at the time of his
death was found the following copy of verses Of
his own composing:
"Let men Of God in courts and churches watch.
Der those who do federation hatch,
Lest that Ill egg bring forth a cockatrice,
TO poison all with heresy and vice."
The descendants Of the Puritans are not much
more tolerant now. They prosecute the Catholic
priests in various indirect ways; they eschew the
Sisters of Charity, and they occasionally heat
their zeal little by setting fire to a convent. In
the city Of New York, there is a charitable insti-
tuition called, think, "The Half Orphan Socie-
ty, principally, fnot altogether, as understand.
under the auspices of emigrants from New Eng
land, or their descendants, which admits the chill
dren Of Roman Catholic parents who have lost
their father or mother, condition that the sur.
viving parent shall never visit the child, and the
child be debarred from all intercourse with the
parent. Is this charity or bigotry.
LIBERTY.
The people Of the United States must take care
or the public liberty will swallow up that Of ind-
viduals. The property Of any man may now be
invaded or taken from him under pretence of the
public good, and without his having a word to
say in estimating its value. The abuse of what
is technically called the right of eminent domain.
is growing to such extent as to make it a
solecism for him to call himself the owner Of his
own property. The right ofeminent domain ex-
tends only to property Of individuals required for
The defence Of the country. This was the opinion OF
Alexander Hamilton, for heard it from his own
mouth. But the matter has gone too far now to
be either arrested or remeded, and every man
who owns land must be prepared to surrender II
for the good of his country-that is, railroad spec
lators-and the gIvy Of travelling thirty miles an
hour, amid dust, cinders, whizzing, whistline.
brawlirs, brattling, rafting, crashing and smash
ing. Amer all, we can't hold candle to Abari..
the Scythian, on his golden arrow.
GLOW can those who walk in the footsteps OF
others, ever get before them," said Michael An
gelo American writers who do this, may be as
sured that the most they can expect is to come in
second best They may be called American Adj
disons American Godsmiths or American Bv-
rons, and thus forever carry on their foreheads the
brand OF nferority. Bat they will never stand
first in any thing.
RELIGIOUS MYSTERIES.
!, seems strange that what was equally intended
for the benefit of all mankind, ignorant az well on
enlightened should be involved in mystery and
metaphysics, and that we should be condemned
to everlasting punishment for not believing what
we cannot comprehend. But this, | presume, il
only another mystery; and thus we go on from
mystery to mystery until human reason if not
convinced is at least COMPOUNDED. 1t may be, that
devotion, like fear, is strongest in the dark.
----~-----------
From the augusta (Ga.) Constif,sionalia.
CoTroN FACTORIES IN GEoRe,A.-We are in.
delted to friend for the valuable information