davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
Influence Of Foreign Votes.

The administration presses and other OPP
poncnts of our doctrines have, on various
occasions, sought to underra.e The Impors
lance of the fore,gn vote cast at oYr cleo
tious, and have essayed 10 prove that such
vote does not, to any percevable extent;
control our elections, because tits scattered
and diGused throughout the country. 1t is
not denied by our opponents that almost
the entire foreign vote is usualI5 cast on the
same side. We shall endeayor Is demon
strate, by calculations and facts which cam
not be conIroverted, that the foreign popt-
atlon have now the poicer 10 decide he cleo
lion Of President ofjhe United States, in any
contest between the two former rival par
ties, Wings and Democrats, when the old
political lines are drawn between these pat-
ties.
We may here, in advance of exhibiting
our figures, advert TO the welI-known fact,
that il was considered extremely doubtful
on which side the foreien votes would be
cast, as between Generals Pierce and Scott
in 1852, mil within very few days befors
the election. Ii is even said and 6chered,
that negotiations were carried on for some-
tine between certain distinguished cmmis.
saries of "hjghfr po1cer" and the recos=
aissd friends of the rival candidates, touch
ing the consideration or ralue OF The foreign
vote, aud that the results of these negotia-
tons are TOO manifest, not TO be well under
stood by all who pay attention 10 the politi
ical huckstering Of corrupt parisans.
If 1t be true as we think we shall de.
monstrate, that the foreign voters in our
country can, by acting in concert, control
our presidential elections, and if it be true,
as we have been led 10 believe, and as we
shall at some not very distant day. attempt
to show, that nearly all the foreign vote can
be controlled by "highcr lac" influence,
surely the patriotic Of all other parties will
unite with US in our efforts 10 defeat the
machinatlons Of demagogues who may here
after seek to obtain political place and pow
er, by means of such influences Without
further allusion TO this point mar, we shall
present our figures. We shall exhibi! the
statistics of fourteen States in this connex-
ion, whose aggregate electoral vote was ons
hundred and fGty-two at the last election,
that number being i,co more than maiori-
ty of the whole electoral vote cast for Pres
Ident. We have made our calculations on
the usual basis, that One-sereM of The gem
eral population of the States are voters
We doubt not that One.ftM of the foreign
are voters, because there is d
smaller proportion Of adult females and of
children among them, than in the same num-
ber of natiye-born population. Still we ad.
here to the usual basis of calculation.
In California, however, where there are
seventeen males to one female, and but few
we assume that about one-half of
the whole foreign population are voters, and
we have estimated the foreign vote at ten
thousand, in foreign population oftwenty.
one thousand six hundred and twenty-eight
persons. On these principles. we now
present our statistics taken from the CEN
sus of 1850, and The American Almanac for
1854:
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
Married and Single Life.
We extract the subioined from a spec

We extract the subjoned from speech
delivered by Mr.. Alexander Frizell, in re-
ply to the toast of ''The Ladies" at the re-
teut banquet of the Quarter Sessions Grand
Jury:
"Mr. Frizell, after some Introductory re-
marks, said: remember reading an anec-
dote which cannot forbear mentioning, il
so beautifully illustrates the force of female
affection. When the Emperor Conrad be-
seiged Hensburg, the women OF the city
found it was impossible the place could hold
out. They, therefore, unanimously petl-
toned the Emperor TO allow them to leave
the city with only as much as each could
carry with her. The Emperor, believing
that the burden of each would necessarily
be light conceded their request. A flag OF
truce was hoisted, and silence prevailed,
when the city gates flew open. The wo-
men marched out rank and file-and what
do you think they were carrying' Peace,
be to their ashes, and honor to their memo
ry! Every one of them had her husband
on her back. (Cheers.) The Emperor
was so stricken by their conjugal fidelity
that he restored the wives back to their lus-
bands and the city TO all its former privi-
leges.
sNow, Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen, |
ask you, could all the bachelors in the wide
world this day produce an action compare
BILE to that' Oh, that had the reasoning
power of Socrates, that might induce these
young men whom see around me to con-
suit their own happiness by renouncing
what is falsely called "singie blessedness"
(Great Cheering.) Socrates, once, on de-
liveling lecture to the Athenians on love
and matrmony, pressed home his subject
so powerfully and convincingly on the
hearts of bis audience, by showing them
the comforts and advantages the married
man possessed over the bachelor, that all
men rose up in body and solemnly de-
clsred that they would marry on the first
available opportunity Of course ladies
will not be the first TO declare their love-
No they would rather let concealment,
"like a worm i the bud, feed on their dam
ask cheek" They are Ike the golden mug
gets in au.iferous regions--they will not
come to you unsought. But, do you seek
the inestimable treasure of wife, and you
will be rewarded by bliss, the adequate
description of which would alike defy the
pen of poet or the pencil OF artist" (Great
Cheering.)
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
The Light at Home.

AAAe hi$nJ at hoihe'
The Light at Home how bright it beams
When evening shades around us fall
And from the lattice far it CLEANS,
To love, to rest. aud comfort call.
When tired with the tolls of day,
The strife for glory. gold or fame,
How sweet 10 seek the quiet way
Where loving lips will lisp our name
Around the Light at Home
When, through the dark and stormy right,
The weary wanderer homeward HES,
How cheering is that twinkiing light
Which through the forest 9 loom he spies !!
1t is the Light at lone; he feels
That loving hearts will greet him there,
And softly through his bosom steals
The joy and love ihag vanish care,
Around the riIgnf}r Home.
The Light at Home how still and sweet
Ii greets the seaman through the storm,
He feels no more the chilling blast
That beats upon his manly form.
Long years upon the sea have fled,
Since Mary gave her parting kiss.
But the sad tears which then she shed,
Will now be paid with rapurous bliss,
Around the Light at Home.
The Light at Homel how still and sweet
1t peeps from yonder cottage door
The weary laborer to greet
When the rough tolls of day are Ger
Sad is the soul that does not know
The blessings that its beams impart,
The cheerful hopes and joys that flow,
And tighten up the heaviest heart,
Around the Light at Home!
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

LAW IN New ORLEANs.-The New Or
leans lawyers are getting reputation equal
to the Philadelphia lawyers at legal quib-
BILE. According to the Picayune man was
on trial for having entered house and sto-
len some property.
The testimony was clear that he had
made an opening sufficiently large to admit
the upper part of his body, and through
which he portruded himself about half way,
and stretching out his arm, committed the
theft. The Attorney for the defence ad-
dresses the jury: "What an outrage -
docking Mortified, and with outstretched
and trembling arms,) 81 rep at, what an
outrage upon your intelligence and com
mon sense is it for the States Attorney to
ask at your hands the conviction of my eli
ent on such testimony! The law is against
entering house, and can man be said to
enter house, when only onc-hdlt of his bo-
dv is in and the other half oM? Gentle
men, look to the Divine Law on this point.
God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat
the APPLE. e., the whole apple. And all
the commentators agree that, if they had
only eaten one half they would not have
been expelled from the blooming garden OF
Eden" The jury brought IN verdict OF
''guilty" as TO one-half of his body from the
waist up, and "not guilty as to the othrr
half. The Judge sentenced the guilty half
to one years Imprisonment.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

SUBLIME IMpUDENCE.-lt was General
TAYLOR we believe, who said the American
volunteers that fought with him in Mexico,
had one faling--"they never knew when
they were beaten" That peculiar failing
seems 20 be largely participated in by the
Mexlcans themselves, for we read now, in
the Eco de Coracrcio, Of Vera Cruz, "that
Don Jeronimo Corona, Governor of Coahul-
la and brother of the Governor OF Vera
Cruz, has asked permission Of the Supreme
Government at Mexico to have monu-
ment erected on the battle field of Angos-
tura (or Buena Vista, as we call it,) in COM
memoration Of the glorious victory obtained
by the arms of Mexico, headed by his Sc
rene highness Don Antonio Lopez de San
ia Anna over the North American inva-
ders ! -
This is good Hurry up next monu-
ment TO the splendid Mexican achievements
at Cherubusco, Cerro Gordo, Palo Alto, Mon
tcrey, ETC., ETC. Let it be monument of
brass.
The next time we get into a war with
our neighbors our Generals should see TO il
that they are SO thoroughly logged, as TO
leave no manner of doubt in their minds as
10 the fact.-N. Y. ErprsSS.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

IF-GovERNMENT IN CHILDREN.-We
know nothing more touching than the ef-
forts of self-government of which little chill.
dren are capable, when The best part of
their natures are growing vigorously under
the light and warmth of paternal love-
How beautiful is the self-control of the lit
tie creature who stiles his sobs Of pain be-
cause his mothers plying eyes are upon
him in tender Sorrow! or that OF the babe
who abstains from play, and sits quietly on
the floor, because somebody Is i'll. We
have known a very young child slip over
to the cold side of the bed on winters
night, that grown-up sister might find a
warm one. We have known little girl
submit spontaneously to hours of irksome
restraint and disagreeble employment,mere-
ly because it was right. Such wills as
these-so strong and yet so humble, so pa
tient and yet so dignifed-were never i'm
paired by fear, but flourished thus under the
influence of love, with its sweet excite
ments and holy supports
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
States. Foreign Foreign Pierce's Electoral
popula- vote. majority. vote cast

1t is thus demonstrated, that in each of
these fourteen States, the foreign vote was
1arger than the majority given for General
Pierce, and 1t is also demonstrated that the
aggregate foreign vote of these fourteen
States is more than tacice the whole number
Of the aggregate of General Pierce's major
tiles in said States. If even one half of the
foreign vote had been given 10 General
Scott, lie would have been elected instead
of General Pierce
In North Carolina, too, The foreign vote
was 366 and General Plerce's majority was
but 6S6 so that if Scott instead of Pierce
had received this foreign vote, he would
have received the electoral vote of North
Carolina by majority of 146 votes!
Itls therefore, clear beyond controversy,
that if General Scott had bargained for and
obtained that portion OF the foreign vote,
which it is assumed was under the influence
of a higher lGtc power, he would now, in
stead OF General Pierce, have been Presi.
dent of the United States But passing o.
yer this consideration, we ask If it be not
alarming to reflect, that our presidential e.
lectons are thus distinctly shown to be un-
der the control Of the naturalized citizens
of the United States? We trust our read
ers will scrutnize, and then ponder upon
these statistics.
The time is not distant when even Vir-
ginia, by the increase of foreign voters,
will be under their influence and control, If
the contests in that State continue to be
carried on between the former rival parties,
and if presidential candidate can be found
who will place the necessary number of
secreiaryships and foreign missions at the
disposal of the "higher law" power A
niericaa Organ.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
An EvensE,sl Career.
Let me recite to you true history o

Let me recite to you a true history of a
man whose farm we passed over but yes
terday. About fifteen years ago Presby-
terian clergyman Of New York had way
ward son. We have his name and location,
but, choose to withhold it at present. Be-
fore he was II, he became so reckless and
unruly that his father could no longer con-
troll him. He left for the wicked and cor
rupt city of New York, where he became
a clerk in drinking saloon, but his char
acter was too bad 10 be retained there
He next was bar-keeper IN a theatre, but
was dismissed. He went lower and still
lower, until he slept in empty cellars, and
on the wharves of the. city, a perfect nul-
sance and disgrace 10 his race.
AT this stage Of his career ah old college
mate-for our hero was a graduate of one
of the best colleges in the State of New
York--determns4Fh Fhatfbe would hunt bin
up, and make one more effort 10 save him.
He went to New York, and after week
of diligent search with The aid of the po-
lice, he found him. He washed and cloth
ed him, took him back 10 the country, and by
every inducement that could be held out to
him, persuaded him to try to be man.
He made the effort. and was successful
The friend who sought him out, and saved
HIM, we are well acquainted with. They
both determined to come 10 Tennessee to
teach school. They soon reached here,
and with high recommendation they
brought, seon obtained good places.
The reclaimed son of the Presbyterian
clergyman, within six months after his ar
rival, married an orphan girl worth, $40
900 in cash. She had younger sister and
brother, who each had equal amounts
The sister soon after died, leaving one-half
of her estate to our hero and his wife, The
other half to her brother, and thus increa-
sing his estate to 100000 When the Mex
lean war broke out the brother enlisted, ,and
made will, leaving all his estate to his
brother-in-law (our hero) and his wife, in
case he never returned from the war. He
like many more of our noble youths, was
killed at Buena Vista. Thus our hero came
into possession of the entire estate of the
family, which at first was $120 600, which
has increased by advance of lands, and in
crease of negroes TO over $3.50, eco. He
is now one of the richest planters of Middle
Tennessee, and does not live twenty-five
miles from Nashville.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29
Never Despise Year Business.

nNo man Of sense" it has been observed.
"despses his bread and butter" 1t is only
the weak who are ashamed of laboring for a
| livelihood, or who affect TO scorn The branch
of business which they especially pursue.
The first duty which man owes to him
self, to his family, andso bis fellow citizens,
is not to become burden pecunlarily to
society. That commonwealth also is the
most hourshing in which the proportion
of drones is the fewest indeed, The idea of
a perfect State involves the necessity OF
every member of it being producer.-
Hence it is that work is always honorable.
The most ordinary handicraft employment
is as worthy, if exercised honestly, as The
professions of, lew or medicine. Each
citizen follows that avocation for which he
is best suited, and when he does this he full
fills the law of his existence but utnever other
wise. A bad lawyer is less truly respect
able than good, mechanic, and an aole
doctor is more nSertoricus than an honest
laborer To DO ones duty, in the walk
where one can be most efficient, is to be
honorable to neglect it, or to seek some
other walk, is to become really disgraced.
By this standard, and this only, should we
Judge of mems respectabiity. It's time
that we republicans banished the arbitrary
lines of castes, applied to the pursuits of
life. which are derived from feudal Europe.
Yet there are thousands Of men who are
at heart ashamed of their business. Are
fbev retail yenders2 They scorn continu-
inc to make money in their own way, and
long to embark in the wholesale line:
Are they io5bers? They think lfthey could
only be shippers that their glory would
culmnate. Are they mechanics They
regret that they are not lawyers. Are they
farmers They wish 10 be in business IN
town. Some persons, in their hearts wor-
ship absurd distinctions, inherited from me
social life of England, and regard the phy-
sician. the politician, or the banker as real
w greater men than common human ciay.
These are what Thackeray calls "snobs Il
men of pretence and weak folly-men who
despise their own bread and butter. The
wise man, on the contrary, seeks lnde-
pendence by steadily attending to bis busl-
ness, well aware that an independence
honestly acquired, is his best claim to es,
.eem. 1t is young men. or rather lads that
are oftenest victims to this weakness
Tens of thousands have been shlpwTeckedj
in life from having chosen pursuit insult |
able to them, tempted thereto by false no.
tions of the vulgarity of trade, and the
superior dignity of commerce, or proies-
a,o
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

A SINGULAR CASE.-A number of pins
we're recently exhibited 10 the Pathological
Society of london, removed from various
parts of the body of a young woman, who
was taking down clothes from the drying
lines and putting the pms in her mouth,
when some one came behind her and seiz-
ed her by the arms, startling her SO much
that she swallowed the whole mouthfui;
sickness and emaciaior foIIowed a small
swelling showed itself under her left breast,
which liberated and burst, giving passage
to pin, the head Of which was gone
Sixteen others were removed from about
the same spot, and others ilom the left
knee, from over the sternum, and from the
wrist-twenty-two in ALL They had lost all
their heads except two.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

LITERARY -Barnum has
made an application to the Supreme Court
of New York for injunction TO restrain a
publisher named Harris from printing a
burlesque upon "Barnum's Life and Ad.
ventures" The title Of the proposed bur-
lesque is thus set forth in handbIl;
"Your Money and My Life. Autobiog-
raphy of Petite Bunkum, the great Yankee
Snowman, Juddy Heath, the nurse of
Washington fudge mermaid, the woolly
horse, whiskered lady, the Fairy Light
Guard, the Hoboken Buffalo chase, the fire
annihllator, Jenny, the nightingale the
poultry show sketches of distinguished
characters, including Greenhorn the great
Our Ned, the little Lyksey the artificial
ourang-ou'ang, and thirty superb illustra-
tons, are here exhibited without extra
charge.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

vet few persons fingered at his banking
house door, a very decent looking Iiish
woman rushed up, and with tears stream
inc from her eyes, asked, "if the bank wor
bruk." On being assured that such was
The melancholy truth, in voice full Of an
guish she asked who was killed? Before
the astohished bystanders could answer
she raved, rather than uttered, "Me Larry
and the two boys are dead; + know they
are. Oh wirra, wrra | always told them
the bank 'ud break, and be the death ov
EN-, and they only laughed at me. Och
one what'l become of lone woman,
without husband or childer." 1t appeared
that her husband and two sons were en-
poyed at sand bank, and hearing that a
bank was ''bruk," as she expressed it, she
at once thought the particular bank where
all the wife and mother had to love were
at work, had fallen upon and buried them,
a not unfrequent catastrophe.
When made to understand the difference
between bank Of deposit ard bank OF
sand she was in hurry to run back nome
to be sure all was right ; but so much was
she enfeebled by agitation, that a glass of
water had to be procured for her, and our
informant, genuine good Samaritan, ac
companed her home, where she fell on her
knees to thank the Holy Virgin when she
found her family all comfortably seated
1t appeared their 'boss" had3staken them
home to supper with him, and their unac-
customed absence had alarmed the affec-
tionate woman, who had just then heard of
the bank breaking, and rushed off eXpec-
ting to find them buried beneath the fallen
earth.
a lady of our acquaintance went through a
great deal Of unnecessary suffering in con-
nectlon with one of the recent failures
Her husband and eldest son were absent
on little trip down the river, when the
news reached her of the failure of the bank
in which, for years, they had deposited
their savings, with the intention of some
day buying house and some land in the
country. How she grieved can be well
smmlsed but her grief was more for her
industrious and self-denying husband and
son than herself How could she commu-
nicate the sad news of their hard-earned
property They had leis her in such
buoyant spirits fer little holiday, an un-
wonted indulgence, and therefore much
thought of; and what sad welcome she
had in reserve for them They returned
Yesterday, but the occurrences ofthe week
were sources of no trouble to them. With
the desire of giving her pleasing surprise,
they had recently drawn all their money
from the bank, and little below Madison
had purchased perfect paradise of farm
ready stocked. Her surprise was plea
sing one indeed but from different reasons
to what they had expected when carrying
out their little plot.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

LIGHTNING AND CoNsUMpTioN.-Peope
are ruled aud guided by sensations more
than they are by reason. For example, a,
bout seventy persons, perhaps, are yearly
killed in the United States by lightning
while those who perish by consumption are
reckoned by hundreds Of thousands This
disease is often evidently induced by a
cold and yethow few are alarmed at a
cold, which SO frequently eyentuates IN
death. On the other hand. thousands OF
shy shy people are frightened BY thunder !;
shower. so big with blessings, so generally
harmless. This tlmidity is The consequence
of the vicious example or conversation OF
parents, guardians and servants, operating
on children in their presence, exciting alarm,
where there is no cause for fear, and thus
producing mental weakness and suffering
which children properly brought p.Ias.;sT never +
experience. An exhibition of the celestial
phenomena of electricity is to them a
source of keen and exciting enjoyment IN
stead of cowardly terror
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-29

THE PUNcrUAL MAN.-Mr. Higgins was
very punctual'man in all his transactions
through life. He amassed large proper
ty by untirng industry and punctuality and
at the age of ninety years was quietly res
ting upon his bed and calmly waiting to be
called away He had deliberately made al
most every arrangement for his decease
and burial.
His pulse grew fainter, and the light of
life seemed just Aickering in its socket,
when one Of his sons Observed
Father, You will probably live but Gay
or two; is it not well for you to name your
bearers :"
ITO be sure, my son." said the dying
man, lit is we'll thought of, and will do it
now"
He gave list of six, The usual number,
and sunk back exhausted upon his pillow.
A gleam of thought passed over has with
cred face like a ray Of light, and he rallied
once more. "NIy son, read me that list."
Is the name Of Mr.. Virgins there 2
at is, my father"
Then strike it of" said he emphatically
"Gor he was never punctual, was never any
where in season, and might detain the pro-
cession whole hour r'-Bosioa Trumpet.