The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-06-18
NUMBER 40.
WAsHINGTON,rJune /

WASHINGTON, June l.
Brevet Col. Mansfield has been appointed In.
spector General of the Army.
The Navy Department has received despatch
es from Commodore Perry, Of the Japan expe-
dition, who is now at Singapore. The squad
ron will rendezvous at Macao.
Runaway MARRIAGEs.-There is q great
amount of good sober truth in the following re-
marks from the New York Tribune, upon runa-
away matches, which We are glad to see are now
generally dscountenanced in all good fictions,
except in those very extreme cases which ren-
der them justifiable:
In great majority Of cases. the elopement
of young lady is unwise, giddy, ungrateful,
lmmodest and displays lascivious appetite
and reckless disposition. Why should she de-
seFt and distress those who have loved cherish
ed, and nurtured her through all her past years
to throw herself into the arms of comparative
stranger, who has done nothing for her, and
whose protestations of affection have yet to un-
dergo the first trial =? 1t is every way unwor-
thy of pure and gentle maidenhood
We can imagine but one excuse for her e4ope-
ment-namely. the efforts of parents or guard
ians to coerce her into marrying some one she
does not love. To avoid such fate, she is JUS
titled in running away; for no parent has or
ever had the right to constrain daughter to
marry against her will. But where the parents
are willing to wait, the daughter should also
consent to wait, until her choice is consented to
or she attans her legal ma jOrity. Then if she
chooses to marry against her parents wishes.
let her quit their home openly, frankly. in
broad daylight, and in such manner as shall
kindly but utterly preclude any pretence that
beract is clandestinc or ill-considered. No one
should be persuaded or coerced to marry where
she does not love; but to wait year or two
for the assent of those who have, all her life,
done what they could for her welfare no daugh-
ter should esteem hardship.
There is some truth to be told about the
" common run" of masculine providers by night
about garden wall Or under bedroom windows,
inquest Of opportunities to pour seducing fiat
teries into the ears of simple misses but we
have not time to tell it nOw,-as the general
rule. they are licentious, good-for-nothing
wretchcs, who had much rather marry living,
than work for it, and who speculate on the
chances of bringing the old folks around after
a year or two. A true man would not advise,
much less urge, the woman he loved, to take a
step which must inevitably lessen the respect.
felt for her. and violate the trust reposed in her
by those who had loved and cherished her all
her days.
FALLEN HUMANITY.-We understand that O
young girl came up in the American Eagle, on
Wednesday morning, as patient for the iunatic
asylum. whose story is of peculiar sorrow A
woman's heart is formed for love, and when
once its young affections are engaged the links
are like steel, not to be sundered, except when
broken. This, 1t appears, is the case in the pre-
sent instance. If the facts, as we gather them,
arc correct, it appears that some man in this
State wrote to her in Maine that if she would
come to California he would marry her, and fol-
lowing her affections, in her confidence she
came, trusting to mans honor to protect and
give her home. After her arrival, by perse-
verance and Establishments, he succeeded in Sc
ducing her, and in this condition they lived to-
gether until some few days past. when her de-
stroyer fled, leaving no record of his friends or
trace of his path Reason tottered from its
throne, aad now that loving heart is broken and
barren in its desolaton with but one intense
feeling of fondness for him who had stolen its
chiefest treasure. She still refuses to dcvelopc
his name, and although at times quite rational
in her conversation, her eye is vacant and the
deep-seated affiicton of a broken heart is de-
pcted in her dOWncast countenance,- Stockton
Journal.
MELANCHOLY DEATH RESULTING FROM SPIRIT
uAL RAPPINGs.-Mss Nancy Sherman of Plymp-
ton, who died on the 18th instant, is another
victim to be added to the long list which this
profane delusion has already produced. She
had been quite noted as medium of spiritual
communication, and by constant ministration
in that Office had become so completely imbued
with its hallucination, as to be wholly untitled
for the ordinary duties of life. About month
since she made an attempt on her own life, but
was foiied by the breaking of nail to which
she had attached the fatal cord. Being closely
watched and thus prevented from any repeti-
tion of such violence, she did not, as it seems,
relinquish her original design, but announced
to her friends that the spirits had forbade her
eating any more, and commanded that she
should starve herself, remarking also that she
must obey this injunction, because it proceeded
from heaven. In accordance with this resolve,
she studiously abstained from partaking of any
food, living on water alone, although at times
so tortured by the pangs of hunger as to wrthe
in agony. Food was everywhere put in her
way, and she purposely left alone, in hopes that
the cravings of the body might overcome the
stubbornness of the spirit, and tempt her to par
take oft, but all to no purpose. In this cond-
tion she fingered three weeks, the last of which
was passed in fearful alterations from convul-
sions to momentary consciousness, with constant
relapses, until death finally put an end to her
suficrings Gazette.
A HERoINE.-The life of a child was saved in
Albany, on Friday, almost miraculOusly. 1t
was left in a wagon in Broadway, while its
very careless parents went next door to do
some shopping. During their absence some
thing frightened the team, and away they went
down the street like gale of wind. Just as
they passed Herkimcr street, young lady saw
the danger, and in an instant prepared to res
cue the little fellow. Throwing her hat and
shawl on the sidewalk, she made spring for
the tail OF the wagon. just as it was dartng by
her, and as good luck would have it, caught it
firmly, the momentum Of the wagon jerking her
inside of the box. She Immediately clasped the
child in her arms, and, seizing favorable op-
portunity, sprang to the ground, without injury
either to herself or to the little founding.
Such heroine deserves celebrity.
RATHER STRANGE.-Gov. Hubbard, whose ap-
pointment to the consulship of Trinidad we no
ticed last week, has signited to the President
that he declines the honor. In these days Of
raging thirst for office, such an act demands ex-
PLANTATION. We are positively afraid the Maine
Law will suffer through an impeachment of the
Governors sanity. However, as some thou
sands of hungry applicants are yet unprovided
for, the Office will stand fair chance to be
taken. Where is Jack Downing? Perhaps he
would eccept it.-Wateruille Mail.