The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-09-20

We doubt if Mr. Ritchie's advice il wise.
Why should his sons dedicate their lives to
the public service9" He devoted fitY years Of
} his life to the sspublic servce''-he did an i'm
) mense amount of good-he strove for the right
) as he understood it, all the time. And yef, in
his old age, after he had passed the years alot.
ted by the psalmist to man, he died poor, end
| the party which had so often leaned upon his
5 strong arm for support-and that support vas
never found acking-hardly noticed, in COZ
gress the respectful petition of the great old
editor, for pecuniary relief! The war-!orse
) had worn out. No longer could he bean his
friends through the heat and smoke Of dcspe,
rately contested confiets-no longer could he
strike terror into the souls of his enea4ies.
Therefore, he was turned out to die! How Of
ten-alas, too often-has this been the case
with the best the purest, the mightiast, aud the
noblest men, this country has ever produced.
Tt seems to be the misfortune Of republics
that they most neglect those they should be
most proud to honor. Look at the great South
Carolnian John G. Calhoun. He 3osscssed
mighty intellect, an honest heart, and was gui-
ded by as patriotic intentions as ever swaveG
the mind of statesman. This We freely say.
although we were brought up, as IL were 10
hate the policy be had most at heart. He never
reached the goal of his ambition TIe was
near the summit, at one time, and ti1en fell to
rise no more. Look at the glorious kentuGlItan
Henry Clay-thc imperial czar in the realm
of intellect, the man who hrooked no peer in
the grandeur Of his eloquence, the noblest Ro.
man in the ranks Of American republicanism.
the senator of lofty port and eagle eye, who
! lowered above all compecrs as Mount Blanc
| towers over sister mountains, who loved ha
country with fervor and devotion thai nothing
but death could quench, who would have sacrs-
feed his life at any moment in defencc Of her
honor and character, and who labofed from
youth to old age--aye, who died in the harness
; that he might serve the land he loved SO well
What was his fate? What return did he meet
/ with at the hands of his countrymen9 But, we
will not speak of that. Bitter Thoughts at the
ingratitude of republics swell up in the heart
as the matchless career, deeds and services of
the great commoner" fash like lightning
/ through the mind. If the country ever il
blessed with such another son---whieh is ex-
tremely doubtful-let her prize him as the most
precious jewel that adorns her national coroneg,
and honor him accordingly. Then, there was
the man of Massachusetts--Daniel Webster
He had made name which will be known and
honored throughout the civilized earth as long
as his country's language shall be read and
known, and he, too, died with q lifelong dis
appointment ranking at her heart's core--with
his dearest wish unrealized--with the dead sea
fruits of bghted hopes lying ashes on his lips!
George Mason was right whenhe recommep-
ded his sons s'not to dedicate their lives to the
public service" He had felt the hollowness.
the unsubstantial nature, the epemeral charac,
ter Of popular applause. Thos. Ritehie waa
wrong. His whole life proves it. Else why
did he die in his old age, poor and neglected
by "the powers that be?'' (Com. Bul.
1NcURABLE 1NsAN1TY.--A large accumulation
Of ncurable cases of insanity is taking piaenia
| hospitals for the insane, except in those where
the incurable are Systematically discharge after
a year or more, to make vacancies for rev cases,
A late report to the senate Of Massachusetts,
says that there are hoy in the CUSTODY of instj.
tutions of that State one thousand one hundred
and ninety-eight insane persons, of whom FIVE
hundred and sixty are in one hospital. Amer,
The great truth seems to be forgettea. that
the brain, as the organ Of the mind, is subject
to the same law as the other organs of the BODY.
If g. man subjects his arm to extraordinary pres
sure, he knows what the consequences will be,
and the same of any other organ, ard eonsc-
uuSllIlS iC against 81 1EIliii- ~
exercising any one organ except the brain,
Upon this he has no mercy. Hecan subject It
to the most violent throes, to unnatur tension,
and expect it to endure on and ever without
exhibiting the usual results of over burdeung.
This is most astonishing. The brain can no
more be over tasked or abused with in1pumty.
than the arm Or leg. The truth Of this IS more
sufficiently manifest by the frightfui increase
srcn,;t,- oil tbo ND+znlirsc
some person inherit the terrible curse; but in a
great majority of cases, we opine it i8 brought
on through abuse. Whatever produce Dr.
natural excitement, whether alcohol or spirit
rappings, has a tendency to weaken the brain
and to produce insanity
THE UNION AND THE SEsTINEL.--Tle Wash
ington Sentinel sharply and sarcasticaiIy ga
ragns the Union for its tergiversatior& on thG
subject of our relations with Spain. Qo9tiog
FROM the Union, it shows that on the t9th Of
July it declared that 'In1perious Spain has }jeid
ed to our Just demands for former and latcrj3-
urics,' and that inc ten days after, it eontsa@s
diets itself, and dscredits It's own testimony by
admitting thatno change in our relations with
Spain had taken place, and that all the t.iicul>
ties were still unsettled. The Sentinel ciosc5
its articles with the following cutting paragraph
Now, the Union should be more cautious art
circumspect. 1t might place the government
in disagreeabe position Ii might greaJyf-
litate the filibusters, and play old Harry in tb"
stock market. But there is as little profit in
chiding the Union for its inconsistenclas, a.
there is in scolding child for its fckleness oI %
woman for her eaprices. 1t is as natural 10
the Washington Union to change its views slrf
eat its words, "a thin diet) as it is to dog 10
bark, a cat to purr, ora duck to swim. 4
chameleon is chaneleon--the Washington
Union is the Washington unon-and unless
each was subject to change, and to chang con
tsnually, neither would be itself,
,~~~r>~>~-,~~> ~~>-~-~~7~~~@~ ~
A Constantineple letter says that a mos g.
vorabIe opportunity is now afforded to com
pare the armies OF the two great nations &~d
no troops in Europe differ more IN appearanco
than the French and English. John Bull Is
IN, r,t nd 5y~i~