The Cecil Whig., 1855-12-15
\ fDou0crfuI Gtorn.
THE BLACK SPOT.

Inc loiioWlhS wonderful story appeared
several years ago, from the pen of an un
known author:
The other morning. at the breakfast table
our friend, the Hon. John c. Calhoun, seem
ell very much troubled and out Of spirits
You know he is altogether a venerable man
with hard, stern, Scotc'i-'rish face, soften
Cd IN It's expression around the mouth by a
sort Of sad slnic which wins the hearts of
all who converse with him. His hair is
snow White. lie Is tall, thin, and angular.
lie rcmnGs you very much Of Old II ckory.
That he is honest no one doubts: he has s:l-
criied to his IataliSm his brightest hopes of
political advanccmcnt-has offered up on the
shrine Of that necessity Which he worslins
all that can excite ambltion-cvcn the Presi-
dcncy Of the United States.
But TO my story. The other morning at
the breakfast table, where |, an unobscrved
spectator, happened to be present. Calhoun
was observed to gaze frequently at his right
hand, and brush it with his left in hurried
and nervous manner. lie did this SO often
that 1t excited attention. At length one of
the persons composing the breakfast party
his name, | think, is Toolnbs, and he is a
member of Congress from G,e,rgia-took
upon himself to ask the occasion of Mr.. Cal
noun ulaiulttude
docs your hand pain you ?' he asked of
Mr.. G.
TO this Mr.. Calhoun replied in rather
flurricd manner:
"Pshaw | 1t is nothing. Only a dream
| had last night, and which makes me see
Perpetually large black spet-like an ink
olo'ch-upon the back of my right hand
An optical illusion, suppose"
! tn- 4
OF the company. but no one ycntnrcd to beg
the details of this singular dream, until
Toombs asked quietly
What was your dream like? I'm not
| very supcrSitious about dreams; but some
| times they hayea great deal of truth in
| them"
| ''But this was such a peculiarly absurd
dream" said Mr.. Calhoun, again brushing
| lhe back of his right hand; .'however, if it
does not ntIudc 100 much on The time Of our
friends, | will relate it to YOU"
Of course the company wore profuse in
their professions of anxiety to know all about
the dream. In his singular sweet voice, Mr.
Calhoun related it:
"At a late hour last night, as | was sitting
III my room engaged in writing, | was as
toniShcd by the entrance of visiter, who
entered and without a word took seat op.
poSite me al my table. Ills surprised me,
as | had given particular orders to the ser
want that | should on no account be disturb
cd. The manner in which the intruder en-
tered SO perfectly s,lf- e$scSstd, taking his
scat opposite me, without a word as though
my room and all wi,inn it belonged to him,
excited III me as much surprise as indi gna-
ton. AS raised my head to look into his
features. over the top Of my shade d lamp, |
discovered that he was WIapt III a thin c cioak,
which oiieciually concealed his face and ty;,-
lures from my view. And as | raised my
head he yoke:
What arc you writing, Senator from South
Carolina %
Il did not think of his i'm G incncc at
first but answered Kim yoluntarily-
Il am writing plan for the dissolution of
the American Union, tyou know, gentle
men, that | anl eqpcctcd TO produce plan
Of dissolution, IN the event of certain contin-
gcncies
TO this the intruder replied, in the cool
est manner possible:
''Scnator from South Carolin, will YOU al
low me to look at your hand-your right
hand ?'
"llc rose, the cloak fell and bcheld his
face. Gentlemen, the sight of that face
struck me like a, thundcl-clap. 1t was the
face oi IA dead man, whom extraordinary
events had called back to life. The features
were those Of General George Washington--
yes, gentlemen, the intruder was nome Other
than George Washington. lie was dressed
iii the Revolutionary custImc, such as you
See in the Patent Office"
Here Mr.. Calhoun paused, apparently
agtated. His agitation, need not tell YOU
was shared by the company. Toombs at
length broke the embarrassing pouse !:
"Wdl, We'll, what was the Issue of this
scene -
Mr.. Calhoun resumed
The intruder as | have said rose and
asked me to look at my right hand. AS tho
had not the power to refuse, | extended it.
The truth is, ! f'lt a strange thrill pcrvadcd
me at his touch: he graspcd it and held 1t
near the light, thus afforded Inc full time to
examine every feature. 1t was the face of
Washington. Gentlemen, shuddercd as !
beheld the horribly dead alive look of that
vsasc. After holding my hand fora nom ent
he looked at Inc steadily, and said in quiet
Way
And with this right hand, Senator from
South Carolina, You would sign your name
to paper declaring the Union diss sJlvld !'
II answered lii the affirmative. Yes |
said, If certain contingency arises, | will
sign my name to Declaration Of Dssolu-
ton But at that munenJ a black blotch
appeared on the back Of my hand, an inky
llotcb, which Seem to sec even now
What is that? said |, alarmed, l knew not
why, at the blotch on my hand.
That" said he, dropping my hand, sis
the mark by which Benedict Arnold is known
IN the next world"
"IIc said no more, gentlemen, but drew
from beneath his cloak an object which he
laid upon tho table-laid it upon the very
paper on which was writing. That object
gctlcmcn, was skeleton.
"Thcre," said he there are the bones of
Isaac IIaync, who was hung at Charleston
by the British. He gave his life in order to
establish the Union. When you put your
name to Declaration of Dissolution, why
you may as well have the bones Of Isaac
lIaync before you; he was u South Carolnian,
and so are you But there was no blotch ON
his right hand.
with these words the intruder left the
room. | started back from the contact with
the dead mans bones, and--awoke Over
worn By labor had fallen asleep, and had
been dreaming. Was it not singular
dream !'
All tho co,nnanv answered in thp offirna-