Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-03-21
.ALL HArL MAHAFFEx o.

fame as an author IS spreading lar anu "ius,
and the banks of the Susquehanna bid far to !
become as classic and as celebrated as those OF
the immortal Avon. ssUuelc Toms CABIN
was not more popular than '<iahatfey1s Expo
sition,'' which is really said to compare favor
ably with tine famous and tragic story OF
esPoor Cock Robin,'' who suffered such mel
ancholv death from the heroic Sparrow We
have no doubt it viii rank equally high on the
rolls of fame with the veracious history Of
ssJack the Giant Killer,'' and that Thomas will
have no rival left, having surpassed even the
renowned Baron Maunchausen.
We find the following very f1attering and com
olimentar Y notice of his excellent production,
in the sWafchmaB, published at Lock haven
The man who can voluntarily place himself
in the position in which the writer OF thls
statement stands must either have very ten
der conscience no conscience at all And
he sets up some claim to a conscience; for he
saws he has all his life endeavored TO skeep his
obligations with his fellow men, and talks
about his duty to his conscience and his coun-
try viii it be believed that III the very next
breath he confesSes that he took Ean Obligation
without knowing its extent or its character Z
Can any sane or honest man take such an oath
Can any man in his senses take an obligation
of any kind without the terms Of it being first
made known to him No; even the writer OF
this renunciation can plead no such gross lg-
norance Of the nature OF an oath. And II ne
felt in the smallest degree the proud conscl-
ousneS OF being an honest man. as he so mod
estlv tells US he did, ne would have died rather
than backen his soul with an an obligation he
did not understand. If his statement is true,
the inference is irresistible that he well under
stood the nature and extent OF the obligation
before he assented to it; that he we'll consider
ed beforehand the step he was about to take
that he was free to retrace his steps at any
time: and that he intended to live up to this
obligation, whatever it was, and would have
done so had he possessed tithe OF the moral
honesty claimed in his card. According to
his own showing, therefore, he is perjured
man. and unworthy of confidence. This
conclusion is forced upon every impartial rea-
der of his card before he comes to the grand
flourish with which, in q few lines, he abSolves
himself from all moral responsibility to keep
the solemn obligation he cOnfesses he took,
and determines to relieve his conscience by
patrioticaIly warning his countrymen of the
dreadful volcano of Knownothingism over
which they are reposing in fancied security,
and whose hidden fires are 10 spread terror
and destruction throughout the land Let
us rejoice that we are spared this calamity.
MahafIey comes, second Brutus, to save his
country All hail, Mahatfey Thou hast
done a deed that win write thy name i'll i'm
country's history; unborn children will yet
be taught to lisp thy euphOnlouS name.
But we pass on. Having stretched his con-
science to the required point necessary TO en-
able him, without reflection TO take an obil-
CATION the nature of which he did not under
stand, he sits down very deliberately In this
pandemonium, and tells US that he concluded
for awhile to remain with them and learn whdt
he could of tRemi' His conscience did not at
all trouble him; he seems to have fairly got rid
OF that troublesome article. " ith dcmure
and hypocritical face he takes his seat in his
wagon she'd among the brethren, in their 'se-
cret conclaves,' and composedly hears their
sirnp!ous oaths administered and takes part
IN their .midnight Orgies.' There was nothing
strange in this. He had never read the histo-
~ of Benedict Arnold or any spy, and waspro-
foundry ignorant Uf the detestatiOn in which
they are held by all honorable men. Why
shouldn't he feel - degree of TreGHness in GO
ing TO and returning from the agon-shed ?
1t was impossible for him to feel Otherwise
How ne must have chuckled in his sleeve at
the prospective CONSERVATION and rage of these
| secret copspirators against liberty, when they
! should feel the blows OF the terrible rod he
| was picking for them. Morgan wasn't cir
| cunstaHce to Mahafey; and all the lesser
| exposers of odd Fellowship, and other secret
| societies may now hide their diminished
| heads. Mahafiey takes them all down.
| Having completed his education in Know
! nothingisrn, and slearned what he could Of
| them,' he enters the confessional, swelling with
| patriotic Indignation, and gives the world his
| card And such card Did any body hear
! it thunder How many of the grand old hills
! of Clearfied yet stand firm Do any OF ncr
noble pines yet remain unscathcd
Mr. Mahaffey need not have told us that he
was whig, and salwayS gloried in the success
| of wlfg principles The disappointed politi-
clan sticks ont all over his card, and we pre-
| suine the nominations of township officers of
which nc speaks were not adjusted to suit ms
| fancy. The Americans of that region can
! congratulate themselves on happy riddauce;
| we have no fears that this tissue of stupid
stuff will kin Sam in that county.
| SHALL IT BE PERMITTED last Friday. the
| Catholic Priest OF this city visited the County
Poor House, in company with another gentle
| man, and gained permission, under false pre-
! tences, to have 4 private interview with some
of the female inmates Again on Monday af-
! ternoon, in the absence of Mr. Taylor, the
Poor Keeper, he visited the same place to see
| one of the inmates, "a young grD to have
private talk with her, which Mrs. Taylor refus-
ed to comply with. Whereupon he strongly
| persisted in his game, and in which he highly
! insulted Mrs. Taylor, by using disgraceful Ian
guage and calling her names and threatening
| to kick her out doors. Those who were soon
| present became interested, and took part in
| the affair, when clubs and knives soon became
useful and lives were in danger. One of the
| inmates, Protestant woman, who took part
| with Mrs. Taylor, had her life threatened if
| caught. However, the parties soon became
calm, and the Priest took his leave for home
| on the arrival OF Mr.. Taylor. We would ask
| Of our authorities how long this monster is to
| be allowed thus TO carry On his games, and Wis
| it our public institutions under false pretences
| and infiict disgrace and shame on the inmates
| and abuse the Managers? This is not the first
A. hat ~ l,.1Is