The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-01-31

State, that the convention most earnestly re-
commend to the legislature of Louisiana. the
application of one thousand dollars a rearof the
school fund, for the purpose Of encouraging the
publication of such school books as are adopted
Ito the instruction Of youth in Louisiana" The
Resolutions are intrinsieally more valuable than
"a thousand and one speeches about moonshine
trairoads-or thousand and two resolutions in
favor Of inland navy yards-or thousand and
three dispositions on the Caucasian races, OF
on the history Of the negroes. The resolutions
touch first principles, and arc therefore prefer
/ able to the multitudinous scribbles laid before
the convention which touched no principles at
all. The Delta thinks it is q poor compliment
to Mr. Marshall to praise him at the expense Of
the convention, but, as his speech was facle
princeps, and contained matter of moment,
thinks it right to aude to it, It's not the first
time, nor will it be the last we hope, that refer
ence has been made to the question of southern
education, and the danger defined Of directly
importing our opinions, habits Of thought, and
text books Of daily life from the north. Often
has been denounced the folly of such subser-
viency. and there can be no second opinion as
ii to the dangers of continuance Of the present
dependence on northern educatory institutions
and northern publishing presses for the train
4 ing and formation Of our young mems and wo-
mems minds, and every year makes the dan
Il 4
Men cannot be educated away from home with
out imbibing alien opinions, and there is moth
ing more certain than that persons especially
young persons, who read nothing but north
ern books, will take the color Of their faith
\ from their pages. And all our young men and
young women are compelled 10 read northern
books for lack of better, and few of them are
not more familiar with the ESSAYS Of Waldo En-
erson and the abolition sermons of Theodore
Parker than with the consttutionalism which
has 'fmade and preserved us nation John
1 G. Calhoun knew this fact and foresaW its po-
L Utica! consequences. He endeaYored Tin con-
nexion with Duff Green) to establish publish
| our people preferred the trashy compilations of
Boston, New York and Cincinnati to the home
made, healthy productions Of southern pens It
is singular anomaly, but no less singular than
true, that the most ultra southern rights men
are the most liberal patrons Of, and pay the most
money to, northern periodicals and northern
publishers, The latter stal retain that prefer
5ence, as isl evident from the extensive circula-
3ton Of Putnam freesoil magazine and Harper's
ssemi English monthly. It is undeniable that
even in literary matters, ssdistance lends en-
Jchantment to the view" The generation is
unwise which undertakes the influence of
books. France was once a monarchy tenn
Ipered by epigrams, and America is now re-
Rpublic tempered BY the press. Wear read
Ing people and much depends On whether we
Tread right or wrong. Books are the true leg
I.islators of the present time; they are the real
I1organisers Of the future. The seed sown by
them must be reaped, and it depends on theil
Equality whether the harvest will be one ofrank
weeds OF flowers. The only veritable ruler Of
to-day, as Thomas Carlyle remarks, sis that
living, throbbing, omnipresent power, called
literature" # fire must be fought With fire,
books must be fought with books. If Boston
sends printed and neatly bound fanatacism in
70 our midst we should send printed and neat
" bound truth back, We should speak from a
higher Bema than the stage Of The Charleston
theatre or of the New Orleans lyceum hail.
These arc not novel truths; they are as old as hui
man intelligence. With the Delta we are glad
% hear that MI. Marshall was. applauded, and
trust his recommendations will bear good fruit
if words ever spoken in such convention can
! Alexander Mcleod, the English loyalist
aRho rendered himself SO notorious during the
I Canadian rebellion by the destruction of the
steamer Caroline, and who was prosecuted ii
this country for that affair, has preferred E
claim against the United States before the An
i alo.Ameriean commission, sitting in Londor
II fbr the adjustment Of claims, for the sum O
i twenty thousand dollars by way of compen-
II sdtltjH iOI VIC lOSSeS anu SuSldillcC
n by him during his imprisonment and trial
/ The claim was resisted by the American com.
i H,issioners, on the ground that having been
once settled by adjudication, it cannot be re.
u opened The: case stands open for Judgment
II Ihe claim Of Mr.. Holford against the Texas
4 government, to pay for a vessel of war sold te
II Tie latter while engaged in the struggle for in
dependence against Mexico the umpire Of the
commissioners they having differed in opini
I cn-decided could not be sustained for the
reason that it was debt contracted by the in
dependent republic Of Texas before her ad
mission into the Union. This is an important
decision, and may lead to the throwing out Of
Iaa the claims against the former republic Of
Texas.
ia writer in the Albany Ny. Journal gives
a mass ofinteresting information, collected from
Eoficial sources, respecting what thatnewspape1
qslantly, but appropriately, styles ''our staple
import = to-wit: the men, women and children
i fram the shores Of Europe. According to these