The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-08
SONORA AND THE "FILIBusTERs "

The Alto California states that several par
ties acting in concert, have started from Call
fornia for Sonora. Their plan is, to secure the
co operation of as many native and foreign
residents as possible, ostensibly for war
against the Apaches, and then, by coup de
main, to declare Sonora free and independent
with view TO ultimate annexation.
The Alta California says:
"There is an estimate of one hundred and
ffty-ive thousand dollars for new buildings,
! but there is no enumeration OF these buildings,
or any specific and detailed estimate respecting
them. as is required by the charter. great
number of buildings have been constructed
durtng the last and preceding years and in
the present condition of the burdens on the
city. it is not desirable to put in the tax bill a
greater sum than is absolutely needed. 1t will
be time enough to make this appropriation
when the legislative department decides that
the houses shall be constructed. have there
fore omitted the one hundred and ffty-fve
thousand dollars from the estimate in the ordi-
nance"
~ A friend at Ohio City writes" These
are all new subscribers save FIVE, and belong
to the best class of our citizens. If the num-
Der falls short of what would be my proportion
to increase your circulation to fifty thousand,
Won NAV draw on me at three days sight for
the deficiency, and the draft shall be duly
honored"
II We rarely transfer to our columns any
compliment paid by contemporary to the Era,
but the following, from the New York Evening
Post is SO cordial and graceful that we hope
our readers will pardon us for reprinting it.
Ed Era.
THE NATIONAL ERA-We have pleasure in
| inviting attention to the new prospectus of this
Independent and attractive paper The Era
will commence its eighth volume ON the LIST of
January next. 1t is the only paper that has
ever sustained itself at Washington legitimate
| ly-that is, independent of party obligations
and party patronage; and it is the only paper
at Washington that has ever ventured to dis
cuss and denounce the institution of slavery.
These facts give the Era character ard a
history. They raise it to the dignity of an in
sttution, and though We cannot always concur
in its policy yet We are free to say that there
are few institutions of which the country has
more reason to feel proud We wish it future
success, even more triumphant than that which
has crowned the first seven years of its career.
WHAT MEANS THIS The Washington let
ter writers, who have peep at the reports of
the various Departments in advance, announce
that Col. Manypenny, the Commissioner of In
dian Affairs is in favor of organizing Terri
torial Government in Nebraska, whether the
Indian titles are extinguished or not What
means this Has the Colonel changed his
ground, or has be been misunderstood hitherto?
HEBREW AND AMERICAN SLAyERY.--We find
that the very able article of Judge Jay on He
brew Servitude, meets with warm commenda.
ton among our subscribers, and has attracted
much attention. The New York Euening Post
speaks of it in high terms and the editor of
the Detroit Daily Press says that it is the clear
est most succinct account Of the conditions
under which slaves were allowed to be held
under the Cd Testament, that he has read
KoszTA arrived at Boston few days since,
and was warmly received by his friends, with
out any public demonstration, of course.
john mitchell, the Irish patriot, arrived in
the Promethcus, on the 29th ult, from Califor-
MIA His Irish friends were out in full force to
do him honor.
.--.---. Tilo pIessagv of Cos Collier TO
the Legislature of this State occupies nearly
sixteen columns of the State Sentinel A large
portion of it is devoted to the subject of inter-
nal improvements, the Atlantic and Pacific rail
road, the Code of Alabama, Banks and Bank
ing, Education, Elections by the People, Sale
of Slaves &c. He strongly favors the con-
struction of railroads. and advises the Legisla.
ture to ask of Congress liberal grants of land
for that purpose. The following sentence strikes
us as exhibiting tardy progress in this State:
"Thirty-four years have elapsed since Ala
bama became a member of the American Con-
federacy, and still the United States is the
proprietor of almost if not quite half the lands
within her borders"
He favors the Pacific railroad project, and
thinks it deserves the patronage of Congress,
unless policy forbids its bestowment" He rec
ommends the appointment of a superintendent
of instruction, and that each county OF town
be permitted, with the appreciation of the
voters therein, to levy q reasonable tax in aid
of common schools He also recommends that
the Judges Of the Supreme Court, Chancellors,
Attorney General, &c, be elected by the peo-
pie. In regard to the exemption of slaves from
sale by execution, he says
"The Code very properly provides that slave
children Of tender years shall, at judicial and
some other sales, be offered with their mothers
where the defendant in execution, SC, is the
owner both of the mother and children and
that at such sales slaves must be offered and, if
practicable sold in families. But it is alowa-
BILE for either of the parties in interest to i'm
pair, to great extent, these very salutary en-.
actments. These provisions, in my Judgment,
should be absolute at least as it respects moth
ers, and children of ten years of age and I'M
der, and husband and wife, where the latter
relation is admitted by the owner Of the slaves
These are relations which moral duty requires
us to respect, and it can be no violation of pol
icy to conform municipal law to good morals
1t is universally conceded that slaves are rea-
sonable Dengs-wlth the moral feelings 1t is
true, often obtuse, but susceptible of improve
ment The husband and wife generally cher.
ish affection for each other, and the mutual
attachment of mother and child are usually
strong. The mother is not always q wise coun-
selior; but she must be presumed to be the
most constant and sincere the child has Let,
then the latter enjoy this parental oversight
during childhood, that 1t NAV be the better
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