The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-15
The Rock Tsland Excursion.
ouR EXCURSION CoRRBsPoNpgyCl.

,Ng Mock Tt7ai- Some Reflections on Trade an
T. Nrei-A Railroad to cosssec, the Mississ ,pp
and he Lake Superior Copper Mines, &c.
Tho r,sturn passage from St. Pauls to Rocl
Island was performed in thirty-fve hours arrivin,
at the latter place at 10 o'clock on Saturday morn
ing. No stol 'psges werc made only to take il
wood, except to land half dozen of the party Al
DUBUQUE. The t. me was occupied in every specie,
OF available amuse. uent. The party on board tho
| Spaihawk was the most agreeable and pleasant
Though there were ,everal on board Of the whit,
neekcIoth severed from all participation in the MT
urai oatpourngs of the heart at home, they wer
not whit behind the M S@ obdurate sinner In th.
Goek in cracking Jokes the:1a,lves, and laughing al
those perpetrated by others Whilst the merry
dance was going on, and euc.ve and wlsst played
these reverend gentlemen seemeJ as wcis pleas III,
and rmainee from their couchese ~ late ss any
We had o sscck trial on boar6. which produced
much merIinent and elected frad Of rcpsrtee.
Doctor Campbsisy OF Boston, enter,E a compild.
against Colonel Schouler, editor Of @ ncin ,at
paper, for commiSng an assault antNf,at terry Dp IA
tom, in having Suffered one OF tac slahi Of his
beth to fall upon the Doctors head, ruriag
he night. Erand ury found a bill ,s
Indictment, and she accused wa1t. brougiI
before the criminal csnrt for trial The accused I'd
for counsel Moses hi;nsslll and Mr. HasSt Of B,s.
ton. Judge Bogert, of Tompkins county Nav York,
presided. The District Attorney read tle indict
mcnt, which was drawn with legal acuIsen the
prisoneNpleaded notgnlty, and the Clerk proceeded
to emInnnel jury. Much difficulty was haiyas in
all important criminal cases. to obtain the requisite
number who were competent Some were prejsliued
IN the matter on account of having read elaborate
accounts OF the affair IN the daily papers; others
were opposed to the principle of the stringent laws
on the Mississippi river, which declare the crime OF
assault and battery punishable by death; and Others
bellevlng themselves Incompetent to render an un-
prcJudiced verdict account of their knowledge of
the prisoners conduct while citizen of Boston.
After long contest, jerry was at length obtained,
ard among them was q Mr.. Merritt, who assumed
the quaker garb, and sat with bis head covered with
the largest broad brim on board the boat. The wit
nesses ON the part of the prosecution examined
by the prisoners counsel Tho Testimony finally
concluded, MIR. Kimball addressed the Court and
jury in defence of his client. He spoke for three
quarters Of an hour and though the whole affair was
mere farce to kill time. still the ingenuity OF his
gument the deductions he drew from the testimony,
and his eloquence throughout, elected the most
rapturous applause ard enthusiastic cheering.
Tie TRIAL lated until late in the evening, when the
judge adjourned the un. ii ten o'clock the next
day. Che crier made proclamation, and the prisoner
was femanded to the custody Of the Sheriff. The
trial afforded great amusement TO the ladies, and it
was the theme of conversation and the cause of
joke and mrth during the remainder Of the pas
sage. Colonel Schou6T ia a wag of the first water,
and enacted his part in the farce with admirable
tact.
Meetings were held on each boat, and resolutions
adopted expressing the thanks Of the party to the
contractors and di=actors Of the Rock Island Rail-
road Company for This excursion The guests on
each Of the five heats adopted resolutions compli.
I,enting the officers and assistants for their
tons to please the party and purses varying from
three to five hundred dollars were subscribed as
presents to the, officers. servants, &c. at
o'clock on Saturday the party took the at
Rock Island and reached this city in eight hours
I precisely with the time table, and the excursion
| party was finally di>ban6ed
| The importance of this passage through Illinois
and Up the M.ssssippi to its navigable source will
prove incacnlabie. The extent OF country lying
| In state OF perfect nature now viewed for the
| first time by statesmen, millionaircs, mechanics,
merchants, spcculators, farmers, divines, editors
and nearly every other class constituting society in
our Northern and Eastern cities and towns, has
struck them all with perfect establishment.
They had all read Of the mighty Father of
American Waters, its navigation for ten thousand
miles, from its mouth up 10 the barrier of st. An
thony; they may have read some graphic sketches
Of the scenery along its banks and the green velvet
gatniture of its mountain sides and SUBMITS; and
they may also have pictured to their minds the dense
forests lying for hundreds OF miles upon its fiat
lands; but all, everything, each attempt AZ de-
scrption Is as far from the reality the twinkle
OF the dullest glow worm in the Florida everglades
bears to the eAulgenc9 of Luna in her maturity in
the clear heavens above Upon either bank Of that
majestic water from St. Louis to the Falls, and
tending far into the interior is territory capable
of sustaining many millions Of the human race,
nearly every acre of which is susceptible Of the
highest cultivation, though now in Wild rude
state, as 1t came from the hands of the Great Ar
chitect. Our travellers who 20 abroad in quest of
rural scenery invariably describe to the mounds,
hill sides, prominences, veldurc, &C., along the
Danube and the Rhine. Upon nearly every noun
tain top there arc legends connected with ancient
times, the castles built, occupied, and demolished
by some distinguished baron, duke, or prince.
Here a castle conquered and turned into
prison or a fortress, there the remains Of di.
lapidated maDeion long deserted and crum-
bling into. atoms. Here the places where mighty
columns have stood, built in honor to some
valiant knight ard there the dccaying monument,
erected to his memory by his sers, slaves and subsi
diaries. il the incidents connected with the history,
the legends which exist and repeated to every Ame-
rican writer that have induced poets philosophers,
and painters to fll the world with the beauty.
grandeur and sublimity of the Danube and Rhine.
We know little Of the early history of the Mssis
sippi. The aborigincs may have treasured up
traditions from their earliest ancestors who royed
and lived on its banks, of character as startling
and nature as wonderful as the stories told US Of
the barons of the old world. Those traditions may
never lie revealed, the aborigines, driven a. they
have been from river to river, from valley to valley,
ever since the landing of the pilgrims, bearing the
most intense hatred to every pale face, will un-
doubtedly carry with them to the spirit world de-
tails OF thousands Of exploits OF the great chiefs and
warriors Of their various tribes enacted on the Mis-
sissppi thousands Of years before the pale face
or Columbus discovered the land Though we have
nothing in antiquity which commentaries, nor any
thing in history tradition to which may point
the traveller, still we do claim that the Great Archi-
tee, of Nature has displayed his mastery skill on
'uI NohtlueHt, vi t,c bduhs vi
in more abundance, in more profuse variety,
! with n more liberal hand, than anywhere
else in Christendom. The child of nature,
| who rcvels in the contemplation OF the
| great wonders Of creation, will. when he cast
Lis eyes ubon the scenery OF the Upper Mississippi
| find himself so completely enwrapped "a wonder
| that he will excaim like the man OF olden time,
''thc half has never been told me-" Instead, there
fore, Of traversing foreign climes TO behold this
great footstool upon which we tread, and TO find
abroad snbiects for books Of such description, let
our people stay at home and make a summer tour
upon this mighty water. Irving may write, and
Cole may pencil but the intellect nor genius never
ibe scenery upon the rising hilocks, the sloping
sdelings or the rolling valleys Of the American Mis-
sssippi. -.
| talsts on board formed the idea Of taking early
measures of connecting these waters with Lake SUI
perior by means Of railroad to the copper mines.
/ We ur rlerstnnd survey will be made in the course