The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-04-16

11t0ffo IoltQfo,
There wasan awful snow storm last night,
and as ! lay snug between the blankets, the
wind lowing outside, tearing up awning
posts, wrenching or window-b blinds and
tradesmen's signs times, blowing with
such fury as to make me think the block in
which l live would be certainly rooness
ina few seconds--in q minute after, concen-
trating its power to a focusagainsi the street
door, threatening TO force The lock and hinges,
and bafied in this, creeping with shrill
whistle through cracks and crannies into the
hall. spinning madly ronnd and round over
each flight Of stairs, up into my very bed
room, displacing all the papers on my table.
and threatening toextinguishmy light-and
at last, ierreting me out, and coursipg around
my body, secure as ! thought ! was in my
well-made bed--as all this, I say. and much
more that was being enacted kept me awake,
] could not help thanking God that had a
house over my head, and casting up prayer,
which l trust may have been heard, for those
who on the ocean were bnffetted TO aud fro
by the pitiless storm, and for those. 100. on
shore, whom misfortune and their own er-
rors had left shelterless.
Every week, the breech between The Fill.
more and Seward factions Of the Whig par
ty in this city grows wider and wider. Meth
er section has sense or decency enough to
conceal its bitter hatred Of the other. In
bar-rooms, in the public streets, and in pri-
vate parlors. quarrels and even blows are Of
daily occurrence. In Grace Church, last Sum-
day, Custom House official refused a pray
er book that was rendered him by q pious
"wooly head" remarking in an audible tone,
that he desired no interchange Of courtesies
with traitor. Old Maxwell, the collector,
in the course Of his remarks to a special COM
mittee Of the Young Mems Wing Committee
that was deputed to demonstrate with him
on his prescription ofthe Seward men swore
by his Maker, "that no one should receive his
bread from an Office held in the Custom
House, who was not friend of Mr.. Fill
more !" whereupon resolution was passed
by the General Committee, requesting Mr..
Maxwell to resign. e
All the Seward men go neck and heels for
Scott, while the Fillmore men say that II they
cannot get their first choice, they will take
Webster Crittenden, or nearly any whig but
Scott, whom they are bound 10 defeat, they
say, if he gets the nomination, if they even
have to vote for the Democratic nominee to
do so. On the other hand, the Seward and
Scott men say that ifFillmore or Webster gets
the nomination, ,they will vote for Cass, Doug
las, Houston, Macry, Butler, rsny other man
who may be the candidate of the Democratic
party. i.
The Democracy Of the Empire City, on The
contrary, are united. Every man has, Of
course, his choice, but whenever preference
is expressed, either by private individual or
by political body, it is invariably followed
by determination to work hard for the nom
inee Of the Baltimore Convention, whoever
he may be. s s
! am sorry to say that VIM. Chase Barney,
the principal Of the firm Of A. H. Pride &
Co, lately arrested for issuing spurious tick
cts to persons going to California, has been
somewhat connected with the editorial pro-
fession. II is seldom that one of the fra ter
nifty is charged with serious crime. Pride,
the other member Of the firm, is quite young
fellow, but old enough, il seems, to swindle.
He is out on bail for 5000; but Barney is
in the Tonbs, unable to find bail This
Barney used TO edit paper called the Aris-
toeratic Monitor, which was designed to in
troduce into this country the political and
social institutions Of Europe. never saw
the paper, which had only a brief existence, If
my memory serves me.
The above paragraph suggests to me the
propriety of cautioning your readers who
may be going to California against the many
other swindling firms in this city which pre-
tend to be authorized 10 sell 'through tick
ets' to San Francisco The arrests that have
been made have by no means driven the 9TH
er operators out Of the field, but have only
had the effect Of making them SO shape their
business as to evade the law. There is also
another mode of swindling persons going to
California, Of which, il appears the law can
take no cognisance, but which effects its VIC
TINS as injuriously as downright robbery. and
often causes their death. Iallude to the TAX
ing Of passengers by certain routes establish
ed for the mere sake of running an opposi-
tion, and making money by the well known
eagerness Of our people to run after every
thing nsaD. Now it is q notorious fact, here
in New York, that hardly steamer arrives
from California that does not bring letters
from persons who have gone there by Van
derbilts Nicaragua route, advising their
friends TO "foot Il, " or to 60 round Cape Horn
in d wash tub. rather than take the Wander
biltor Nicaragua route. Neahyever steam
u 90 = -. ~ -. n, .r