Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-03-12
J SPEECH on Mr.. .BouGLAs.

present The of ourfeaders
tines the many arm euogiums upon his character
ana MS genius. which have often appeared in the
Columns Of this paper. The most bigoted of those
VINO nave yainiy sought TO raise popular hue and
cry against him, hardly read this admirable pro-
u I.l without an entire change OF sentiment.
nose VINO have IN aintained him TO be poti-
clan' forced to the surface of temporary agitation,
ana possessing in himself rome of those qualities
WcH acnieVe great things, must at last admit that
Oou9as has fully asserted his right 10 place
/ IN inc 'front.' rank of American statesmen and those
tIn1d worthless who have dreamed of him. as leading
maranding expeditions against Europe, ASIA and f.
rlca cannot but he reassured when they thus behold
the invader of their sleep, expressing Sentiments
winch are not more manly than they just, and not
more hEIn than they temperate. The speech does
net read like the speech ola Rhetorican or Sophist
mr. douglas does not affect TO speak after the
I"nd0 lashlon He is clear headed, practical. earn
est man, and if his words only express his idea he
does not care to have them fall upon the like tie
murmur OF brooks, or the measure of poetry. The
reader need not expect, therefore, find in his speech
hicey dressed paragraphs, carefully poised
fences. On the contrary. he will general thing
md short sentencesabupt sentences. if you please
10 call them so-but each one of them containing
thought, and each thought suggesting another. He
GOES not scatter flowers he moves along, but goes
straIght to his point, having neither the time the
incarnation to gather nosegays the road. He does
not enter the arena to admiration for his grace
u atlludes: but to thrust and parry make charges
and TO repe' them. 1t is impossible to read this
speech without noting the absence of every spe-
cles of tinsel, and without admirinq the terseness
the ciearness and spirit nth which Mr.. Douglas re-
commends frank, manly and straightforward foreign
policy.
Inc suhJectmatter of the speech is of great in
terest and Importance. The miserable Intrgues of
W.T.. clayton In Nicaragua rapidly reviewed, and
no man can read the history of that negotiation
wherein every consideration which should animate n
american statesman Welded, and unnecessarily
yeded, ior the purpose of conciIiang the European
powers-without Indignation and disgust. 1t
r. Poll aho will no,
government OF Nicaragua giving to the Americans
inc ecclustue right build canal through that State,
ogeher with the privilege of fortfying it at either
eno' Immediately on the accession of Gen. Taylor
to power, Mr.. Clayton sent out new Agent to Nj
caragua with instructions abrogate the Polk treaty
and make another.
Accordingly this Agent sent back treaty, in which
Inc rlVl'egeS before granted to the ned States
cLuS'ceIy, We're made common TO England and France.
Dom hese treaties We're in possession of Mr.. Clay
ION. ihe first one, he never permitted to see the
llSht. The last to the Senate and confirmed
lot lack OF better. This is something that ad-
mis- OF no defence, and the friends of Mr. Clayton
only make the matter worse by their prosy attem pts
at his vindcation. The wise plan would be to say
nothing, but let Judgment go against him by default.
The Cass Resolutions and the Honduras treaty are
considered at length and every topic in the
speech, MIR. Douglas fully snstains his enviabe rep
uaton as enlightened statesman and original
thinker. He has also taken the occasion to vndicae
himself from the absurd aspersons of those who seek
so seduously TO make him stand godfather 10 the |
bantlings of the Democratic Review needless vim
dcaon, Tor even those who make the charges do not
believe them.
On reading this speech of Judge Douglas, one is
particularly struck with the rankness the true pat
riotism, and the hard cOmon of the author-and
as these qualities rarely met with in these days
of turgidity and cant, we cordially commend it a
careful and general perusal.
Georgia Telegraph.
LECTURE UPON WATER BY PRoF. SILLIMAN. Pro-
lessor Silliman delivered lecture upon the above
subject last Thursday evening, the Brooklyn Insti-
TUE, before very large audience. On the pre-
cedng evenings the lecturer remarked he addressed
the audience upon the subject of volcanoes and the
internal fires of the earth, and now he had to deal
with water The ancients selected water of
The elements but modern science had demonstrated
it to be a compound and subject to decomposition,
as frequent experiments, in common schools
Testified. Hydrogen and oxygen its elements.
Hydrogen is the ghtest body known, while oxy-
gen is little heavier than the atmosphere. One of
the most beautiful results of scientific experiments
is, that those elements which can do harm are
let at large such diamonds, gold iron, and other
minerals, while poisons restrained by the hand of
nature. The gas which iuminaes rooms is
noxious to ventilation, and frequently produces results
The most fatal, in consequence Of mixture with the
atmosphere, which it poisons Simple as it may ap-
pear water continued the lecturer, is the gen.
s!al solvent known-so much SO, thai it dissoves al
most any substance 1t comes in contact with. Ii
partakes of the of the land from which it aris
IS, and is therefore impure. In limestone country
it partakeS of lime; and those countries with rich
illuval soil are generally unheathy-take the South
ern States for example. All fluids that can
drink and use composed princp cf water
even strong wines composed of three-quarters
water; they Have, however, more brandy in them
han wine. Brandy is one-half water. 1t is impos-
sibe fer any drink it in its strongest state
Small beer is ninety five parts water; blood, eight !
enlhs water; muscles, three-quarters water; and ev
the gastric juice, which dissolves our food con-
aims great proportion OF water. There is water in
everything. The lecturer instaEced the case of a
who by accident lost of his ribs, leaving an
ori6ce which could never be healed up. The action
IF the gastric juice in his stomach could easily he OBJ
served and it appeared that the fluid only formed
IS occasion required, and when it required He
procured some of the fluid from this stomach eX.
pertinent upon, and found that by placing it in wine
glass, at a temperature of 1913 degrees, piece Of
mutton would dissolve in it about fast as in hu-
nan stomach. Water was not only the solvent of
Ill food, but also alimentary. hen people are j
placed under circumstances that they obtain IL
God, will sustain life twenty, thirty, and even
fifty days. All plants, except resnous, contain wa
er-the tear in the peach and plumb is no more =
han mixture of gum and water. Thus, animal and :
vegetable substances dependant upon water, and
God could not digest without it. 1t is next in i'm
'ortance TO air, and indisPensabe-ust what is !,
leeded by men, animals and plants, sustain vitali-
y. He advised young men to abide by water it z
vas the only thing that would Tend prolong life,
rive them clear minds. and vigorous old age. Water
threefourihs of the globe it rises in vapors
orms into clouds, and again descen6s il refreshing
mowers TO animate the earth. tits never exhausted
regulates the temperature, SoftenS the por of cold