davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
rn. commoro,al Convention.

The Southern and Southwestern Commercial
Convention met in Richmond on "Wednesday last.
Delegates were present from Virginia, Maryland
North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and
the District of Columbia Joseph Mayo, Esq,
the Mayor Of Richmond, was called to the chair,
and on the following day Gen. Tilghman, of Ma
ryland, was elected President. An Intellectual
effort to adjourn till May, on account of the thin
attendance, was made, and various resolutions
were referred to the Committee on Business. On
Friday debate arose upon resolutions in favor OF
steamships from Southern ports to Europe. The
resolutions were again debated on Saturday, and
finally adopted. Other resolutions in favor Of
Southern commerce, &c, were also adopted, and
The Convention adjourned to meet at Savannah,
Georgia, on the second Monday in December.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
The rsrson. Case.

| As will be seen by reference to our synopsis OF
Legislative proceedings, tine disagreement OF the
| Senate and House Of Delegates in regard to the
case Of James Parsons, jr. of Hampshire county,
led to good deal of sparrng and i'll feeling be-
tween the two houses. A member of the House
characterized the action Of the Senate as "insulf-
ing, !" and from remarks made in the latter body
we presume that some of the Delegates INDUCED
in outside talk of The same kind. The spunk Of
the sold fogies" was aroused, and they gave as
rood as they received The final result was,
that the action Of the Legislature was confined to
the passage of resolution for the appointment o
commissioner to take tho evidence In the trial
of Parsons. We regard this as fortunate, as the
State might otherwise have been hastily commit
ted to course not justified by the facts of the
case. The Philadelphia American, referring to
the proposed action of Virginia says:
"In view of such provisions as these, the read
er will probably think that this case was one in
which citizen of Virginia sought legally to re-
cover his fugitive slave. Notso. The AID of the
law was not at all invoked. A negro was seized
without warrant, SO far as appeared at the time
and it looked as though the kidnappers intended
to carry him off into Virginia without any form of
law. He was known as an old resident of Blair
county, and was not the slave of any of the per-
sons who seized him la fact, il is quite clear
that, if Mr. Parsons had not proceeded illegally,
there could be no charge Of kidnapping against
him. Feeling in great danger Of punishment for
the offence he, or some friend tor him, has thus
sought The protection of Virginia"
This is the Pennsylvania account of the mat
ter. Mr.. Parsons, on the other hand, is said to
be man of integrity and responsibility, and his
statements are implicitly relied upon by those who
know him. When the report of the Commission
er is received, we shall have an impartial state
ment Of facts. and the Legislature will be able to
act with all the lights before them. Should Par
sons be unjustly convicted by the Pennsylvania
Court, every citizen of Virginia will stand ready
to vindicate his rights to the last extremity.
The Commissioner appointed by Gov. Wise,
IS j. Randolph Tucker, Esq, of Winchester,
gentleman every way qualified for the duty.
P. S. After the above was put in type, the
news was received that the indictment against
Parsons had been dismissed by the Court of Blair
county, Pennsylvania, and that the only question
which remained 10 be settled was whether the
county of Blair should be taxed with the cost Of
prosecution.
The Judge, the bar, and large crowd of spec
tators testified their appreciation of the course pur-
sued in the most marked manner. Messrs. Faux
ner and Tucker, of Virginia, appeared for Par
Sons.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
- - - -
Election of Sneaker.

The long struggle for Speaker of the House o.
Representatives was brought to close on Satur'
day, Just two months after the opening of the SEES
sion by the election of Mr.. Banks, of Massachu
selts The plurality iule having been adopted
Mr.. Banks was elected on the 35rd ba Hot by
three votes over Mr.. Aiken. OF South Carolina =
Six National Americans threw away their votes
upon Mr.. Fuller, and thus the scale was turned
in favor of Banks. We regret the course of these
gentleman, and yet we are not without hope OF
good result from the election of the Fresol candl
date That party have now fair opportunity t
develop their policy. Ifthey fail to propose The
measures for which they have heretofore contend
ed they will stand confessed as mere agi,ators
and their influence must be lost if they proceed
to carry out their professed principles, the North
ern people may be aroused to sense Of danger
and come to the rescue. In any event the anti
slavery agitation will be brought to crisis, and
either cease or ruin the country. The South has
only to await the result.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
A Cute Turn.

The petition of Mr.. James Avis Barley to the
Legislature for an appropriation of $4,000, in
consideration of his having written "Lays of An
cient Virginia and Other Poems," has been gene
rally noticed by the press. Nearly every paper
in the State has had something TO say about il,
and has expressed more or less Indignation at the
indispositon of our Legislators TO encourage poetic
genius. Some have comforted the Bard by re-
mindiug him that Paradise Lost was no more APP
preciated BY Millions contemporaries than are the
s'Lays" sc. by this generation, and have assured
him that posterity will do him justice; others
have thought it advisable for him to apply to
Gov Wise for the place of "Poet Laureate 5"
others still have attempted witgcism by assOcia-
ting the word "Lays" with the idea Of "golden
eggs" while the Winchester Republican pro
poses that the poet be paid out of the proceeds OF
Mr., Robert Hudson's copper mines. But MIR. b.
requests the editor of the Charlottesville Advocate
10 state that his only object in petitioning the
Legislature was 10 advertise his book! Orara
.4uis!
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
Sliding.

If we were not afraid of tempting our esteemed
contemporary of the "Winchesier Virginian" to
Staunton, we could give quite graphic account
of the sliding operations of the past week, which
the boys enjoyed amazingly. But we let the
subject slide BY the by, can the .'Virginian,''
tell US anything more Of that earthquake which
visited Winchester? Six distinct shocks were
felt in that town, and strange to say were not OBJ
served in any other portion Of the State Queer
Earthquake that! Wonder fihe Hauisonburg
hotel keeper wasn't beating his gong.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

Suicide In FRAHcE.-There have been so
600 suicides in France since 1900, and the mum,
Der is increasing with appalling rapidity. There
were in France in l843, l54 suicides more than
in 1912, 200 more than in lS4l, 26S more than
in 1888, SIT more than in 1887, $50 more than
in 1886, 7l5 more than in 1885, 942 more than
In lSS4-that is to say, there has been an In
increase of 33s per cent it ten years, without any
to the increase of population, and the total number
from lS43 to.lS53 will present a still more rapid
increase. Suicide is more common among men
shan among women three times more common in
Paris than in the provinces; rare among children,
1t is nsv spreading among hem il occurs mora
frequently in old age than at any other period OF
life; bachelors and widowers are most given to
suicide out of ,595 suicides. 272 are attributed
to poverty, GOT were committed by persons Of
large fortune, 1000 were committed by persons
who worked for their livelihood and the others by
persons more or less poor; suicides increase most
rapidly, and are most common in the best educated
departments; the number of suicides, crimes and
insanity augment invarlable from January to July
and decrease progressively from August to Deem
Der they are more common on the first and Sec
oud days Of the month than atany other period
the number of suicides increase in the departments
in the ratio of their vicinity to Paris; charcoal is
the favorite means Of death; out of 4.595 cases
,426 were committed by this means, $50 sough
death by drowning, 796 by hanging, 570 by FL,
arms, 424 by leapng from windows. &C., 207 by
daggers, l5S by poison. Is by throwing them
solves under locomotives, &c., and one by starva
tion.--Paris letter. ea sss
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

NArIoNAL DEMOCRATIC Cow the
last meeting of this body in Baltimore, in 1852,
it was deemed necessary, in consequence of the
immense crowd present, to limit the number OF
delegates 10 twice the number OF electoral votes to
which each State would be entitled. This would
make the number Of FIVE hundred and nlnety-t two
delegates.
The Mississippi State Convention, lately as
sembled has not thought proper to allow the Dem
ocracy in that quarter to be restrained as to the
number of its representatives, aud has appointed to
the National Convention from the State OF Missis-
sippi alone fee hundred and fourtee" delegates !;
of which the county of Tishemiugo furnishes
eighty five, Marshall forty, nine, H'nds fOr'y-iwo
Alfalfa thirty eight, &c. According to the rule Of
renresenta,ion prescribed, Mississippi would be
entitled to only fourteen delegates. 1t is by no
means probable that all the gentlemen appointed
will attend at Cincinnati; but if the other States
sbond be represented in the same proportion, the
ssOueen City, will find it difficult to furnish
hall large enough for such congregation. The
ratio OF representation adopted by Mississippi
would make the Convention consist Of nearly
eleyen thousand members.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
FouR1EEn Persons DRownEn-A few da,

FOURTEEN PERSONS DRowNED.-A few days
since the schooner t. w. lowering, belonging to
Messrs. Boyd & Matthews, of Accomac county.
Virginia, was sent in charge of crew consisting
of two white and two black men, TO York river,
for the purpose Of conveying family named Ow-
ngs to Newtown in Worcester county, Maryland.
They reached the east side of the bay in safety,
but when off Watts Island the vessel was caught
in one of those hurricanes which haveof late been
50 frequent, and capsized, all on board finding a
watery grave The following is a list Of those on
board: Mr.. Owings, wife and eight children,
John w. Matthews, Shadrach Matthews, and
Henry Hargis and black man employed as cook.
The Portsmouth Transcript states that the vessel
was subsequently, boarded, and woman and six
children were found frozen to death. No other
bodies were found. and it is supposed that the
crew and many Others who may have been on
board were washed off and drowned
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

CooKE's New MAP OF NORTH CAROLINA
Mr.. VIM. d. Cooke, the Principal of the North
Carolina Institution for the deal and dumb and the
blind, has been for several years past engaged in
compiling large map of the State OF North Caro-
lima. He has completed his work. and passed
through this city yesterday place the manuscript
in the hands of the engraver. The map takes in
the State of Virginia as far north as Richmond,
and the State of South Carolina as far south as
Columbia also, the eastern counties of Tennessee,
thus giving the connection between the border
counties of the adjourung States and the State of
North Carolina. The map has been prepared with
great deal of care and minuteness. and His Elk
celIency Gov. Braggs says, sit is by tar the most
accurate map of the State that has ever been pub
lisbed u-Richmond american.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
STAUNTON SPECTATOR,
eSTAUNTON:@
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1855.
War with England.

Some weeks ago there was feverish state o
feeng;in this country in regard to our relations
with England, and war was generally antici
pated. But the assurances of the Washingtot
Uaion tended to calm the public mind, and the
excitement has now in good degree subsidized
The agitation is still kept up in the United State:
Senate, however, and hostile collision has been
alluded to by several members as not Impossible
In addition to Gen. Cass and Mr.. Clayton, MIR
Seward has delivered speech, taking strong
ground AGAINST Great Britain. He argued that by
the terms of the treaty CT 1850. Great Britain
was bound to withdraw from her protectorate over
the Mosquito coast, that all the positions assumed
nv the United States were right, and ought to be
maintained by war. if necessary; and that the
proposition to submit the questions in dispute 10
arbitration was unwise. Possibly some clue to
this gentleman's belligerant feelings may be found
in that part of his speech in which he avow-
ed his conviction that war would necessarily re-
suit in the loss to Great Britain of Canada, and
its annexation to the United States. Doubtless
the acquisition Of one or more free States would
be regarded by Mr.. Seward as full compensation
for all the calarnites Of war.
While these discussions have been going on in
our Senate the British Government and people
appear to be very easy about the matter. The
last steamer from Europe reports that the attitude
of the Presidents Message regarding Central A
merican affairs was not objected to in England land
nobody there seemed to apprehend trouble between
the two countries. 1t may be, however, that the
warlike temper of our Senators will excite cor
responding feeling across the waters, and serious
ly embarrass the negotiations still pending. John
Bull is not to be frightened from any position, and
argument had better be exhausted before bravadc
is resorted to. MIR. Clayton, indeed, stated in his
speech that Mr.. Buchanan's letter to Lord Cha
rendon was unanswerable; most probably it viii
satisfy the British Government that its preten
sions are unjust and lead to their abandonment
unless the threats uttered in the United States
Senate should have bad effect. War between
two such nations as England and the United
States is too serious matter to be lightly talked
of, or causelessly precipitated. The unanimity o
sentiment among our public men upon the ques
tons in dispute, is pretty conclusive evidence tina
our country is so far right; but just cause may
be maintained in an improper way. and the party
originally right be thus placed in wrong position
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
For the Spectator.

Mister Editor II am told BY people who read
the newspapers, that the Democrats are smarly
in the notion of nominating old Mr.. Buchanan, Of
Pennsylvania, for President. | was right glad to
hear this, for it shows that they are beginning to
come round to the right views of subjects. Mr..
Buchanan is pretty considerable man in his own
State, and think the old Wings oughn't to be
too quick in going against him. They ough. to
recollect that Mr. Buchanan voted for the Wing
tariff of 1912, and that too at a time when the
Wings couldn't have passed it but for his help
and Silas Wrigbt's. think the old Wings
ought not to forget that great service 1t is true
he was very great Federalist and spoke mighty
hard things against Mr.. Madison, and the last
war with England, and the Democratic party
generally. But that was when these things were
unpopular in Pennsylvania and as soon as the
people changed their notions about them, Mr..
Buchanan changed his too, which, it seems to me,
ought 10 show every man that he is a good repub-
can and willing to make sacrifices of his opinions
for the sake of the people. Now what want to
say is, don't go off halfcocked against MIR. Buch-
anan, but wait while.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

We understand that iniatory steps were taken
on Saturday night last towards the organization
Of Young Mems Christian Association in Staun-
ton, and that in furtherance Of the object another
meeting will be held at the Lecture Room of the
new Baptist Church on Saturday night next
Such an organization will doubtless effect much
good, and We trust that the next meeting will be
largely attended. Associations of the same kind
are in active and successful operation in other
places. and with such material as can be found
in Stanton, there is nothing to prevent the sue
cessful issue of the movement inaugurated here, if
pushed forward energeticallY.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
Presbyterian CHURCH.

The interior Improvements Of the Presbyterian
Church are now completed and the congregation
win worship in the building next Sabbath. The
walls have been handsomely because modesly
frescoed, the wood work re.painted in oak, the
galleries lowered and some fifteen or sixteen pews
added to the size of the room. The superior style
in which the painting has been executed, reflects
great credit upon the taste and skill of Mr.. Ar
mentrout. The Church is more capacious and far
more comfortable than before, and the room one of
the handsomest we have seen anywhere.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Lanman furnishes
10 the National In,elligencer an interesting &C
count of this island. He says the varieties of
flowers, both cultivated aud wild, are very nu-
merous, and, though beautiful, very few of them
have any fragrance. A Swedish naturalist. who
spent two years there, reported it to contain no
less than FIVE hundred species OF birds. The wa
ter birds are particularly numerous and eagles
abound, as we'll as wild geese Sc. The dogs are
of two kinds, brown wiry-haired and wolfish
animal. imported from Labrador, and the curly
haired Newfoundland species. The best of them
are perfectly black, and genuine specimen can
always be known by the inside of his mouth be-
ing black. They are not large, but powerfully
built When removed to 4 warm climate they
are subject to a gandular swelling in the ear
which often proves fatal. As to reptiles, not
snake or lizard, frog or toad has ever been
seen 10 the coun,ry. As he did in Ireland, St.
Patrick or some other benevolent saint seems to
have '.bansh'd all the varmint' from this region.
In regard to the fnny tiibes, the species are not
so abundant as might be supposed, but their lm-
mense numbers cannot be computed. In the in.
land lakes and rivers nothing but salmon and trout
are ever found, but with ness they are taken by
the ton, '
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

SLAVE EXCITEMENT AT CINCrNNATI.-On
Sunday. the 9th ult., party of eight slaves es-
capped from Kentucky TO Cincinnati. They were
pursued by their owner, who procured the neces-
sary warrants. aud with officers proceeded TO the
house where the negroes had taken refuge. The
officers attempted to force open the door, when a
window was suddenly thrown up, and one of the
negro men, Robert, presented his pistol and fired,
woundiug MIR, Patterson in the mouth and cut
ting off his finger. second party of officers came
up, the doors were forced open and the slaves cap
tared after desperate resistance. After the con-
flct was over, bloody and melancholy spectacle
presented itself. One of the slave children was
discovered lying on the floor with its head nearly
severed from its body, two others, boys, aged a,
bout four and FIVE years, were bleeding from
wounds in the neck aud head and an infant in the
arms of its mother had its head much swollen and
was bleeding quite freely at the nose. -c-
With the exception of the one that was killed,
the chilnrenw were only slightly injured. There
is no doubt that their mother, who fought desper-
alely, attempted to kill them all. The slaves
were taken'n charge by the United States Mar
shall, but were held to appear before Judge Bur-
goyne on wit of habeas corpus.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
WhcW Z

Within the memory Of the coolest inhabitant''
such severe and prolracted cold weather has never
been experienced in this county as that which
we endured during the month of January last
We have good authority for the statement, that
here in siannton. the "blue head' whisky has
frozsn in the barrels, and dealers in that article
cut it out in plays ,cih g hatchet, and sell II by
the pound iaslcad @hc pint. This is pretty
hard story to believe. but our informant is man
of veracity. y lt--I
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

DR.. l.. B. Wright, of New York, has prepared
pleasant vegetable Liquid Calhariic," or Fam
lily Physic, that outrivals all other purgatives we
have ever vet seen. 1t is pleasant to the taste as
any beverage, does not produce nausea. gripping.
nor leave the bowels costive, three indisputable
virtues of Family Physic, most certainly. and,
we believe, unknown with all other preparations.
It's action upon the system is said to be that of a
good Family Physic and superior Alternative. We
believe it is gaining in popularity very fast, not
only with families, but with large portion of
physicians. See advertisement.
Feb. 8, IS56.-lt.
Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06

Mr.. T. b. Peterson, No. l02, Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia, has in press another novel by Mrs,
Southworth, entitled India or the Pearl of Pearl
River" The volume will be ready for sale by
Saturday The Sth Of March. Mrs. S. is popu-
lar authoress, and ''lndia" is spoken of by those
VITO have perused the proof sheets as the best
production of her pen. The price of the work,
hound in clo:h. is 81 .25-in paper, 81 90.