, 1857-01-09
The Good Old Times,

tracts from the old relic in our possession, -
TIE american HeeLiy Mercury, of June
18th, l73O,-the first newspaper ever pub
lished in the great city of Philadelphia
One could not realize more forcibly the
changes which time has wrought - the
wonderful progress Of our country from q
collection Of feeble Colonies 10 federation
OF powerful Statcs-than by contrasting
the diminutive, snuf-colored sheet before
u.s. with its rude wood cuts Of the God
Mercury and Of the mounted newsman,
trumpet in hand-ils old-fashioned letters
Its peculiar orthOgruphy-its frequent
use Of capitalS-the absence Of all editOri-
ais its news seventeen days old from
Boston, and fifty-four days from London
its quaint style Of expression and its odd
advertisements, with the mammoth sheets,
such as the Philadelphia Norih American,
now published in the city Of Brotherly
Love When VIC observe the vast advan-
tuges we have over our forefathcTs, we
have cause 10 rejoice that We live in this
day and generation. 1t is popular habit,
when things 60 wrong, to sigh over " the
good old times" and long for them to re-
turn again. But who, with his present
knowledge and experience, would be will
ling, even for ten years extension Of life, TO
spend the remainder OF his days surrounded
by the sume circumstances as existed in
the good old times?
At the date the /" Weekly Mereuyy" was
frst started, l7l9, Benjamin Franklin was
but lad thirteen years Of age, serving an
apprenticeship to the printing business in
Boston and il was not until some little
time after the date of the present number
| (l730) that he commenced to print his
newspaper and Poor Richards Almanac in
| Philadelphia. At that time the popula-
ton Of Pennsylvania was only thirty thou
sand, Of Philadelphia but twelve thousand,
OF the colony Of New York but sixty thou
sand, Of the city Of New York but twenty
thousand, Of Massachusetts one hundred
and ten thousand, and Boston only ten
thousand souls.
The present number OF the Mereurv
opens with an essay on Charity, signed
Socrates" The sentiments ore well eX-
pressed, and would do honor to any age
-Four out Of the eight columns Of the little
sheet are taken up by this dissertation
Then follows column OF verses extracted
from the Boston Gazstte-one OF the only
three other papers existing in the Colonies
at that time The verses arc entitled,
Cupid--on seeing himself painted by a
young lady" Next we come to the de-
partment Of Foreign Affairs" and here
we note many interesting events recorded
which now form matter for early history
Pope Benedict XIII was Just dead, and
there was fierce struggle among the Car
dinals for the succession. We read in the
Mercury under date of Rome, March
Illthp-observe the news had been sixty
seven days 10 reaching Philadelphia =
There never was seen so great change
In any See as in the preseAt, all those who
had obtained Offices by Means Of any Fa.
vorites Of the deceased Pope, being either
suspended or deprived Of their Employs (;
several are cited before the Congregation
Of Cardinals and others are actually under
Arrest. Cardinal Coscia, it seems, desired
the protection of the Imperial Austrian
or German Ambassador aud Others but
being denied, he was obliged to retire in-
IS0BmhOg III q NCty nSoh AAoDitJ uuu III
Disguise" Again we read '' Bologna,
March l4-The Cardinals of the creation
Of Pope Benedict XIII keep very much
united and it is believed the Election will
fall on Cardinal Marefolchi OF Maeerata,
who is Of the last creation"
On the same subject is an extract From
the Daily journal, English, March IT,"
ave learn from Vienna, That in o Scru.
tiny made in the Conclave, Cardinal Zun.
dedari, Partizan Of Spain, wanted but
two Voices to be elected Pope Aud
from Amsterdam, That, twas believed a
Pope would be chosen Of the Spanish
Faction, before tue arrival Of the German
Cardinals" 81. r'. .,-.s 4H..f
From this it would appear, the modern
practice Of "springing question upon
an elective body, was not unknown to the
Cardinals Of 1870. The Cardinals subse-
quently chose Clement XII. as Pope, who
distinguished himself by reforming abuses
in the Church. But little while before
all Europe had been at war. Great Brit
ain, Frapce aud Holland on the one side,
and Spain, Sweden, Russia aud Germany
on the other. A temporary peace had
been patched up, but matters were still
unsettled. We read in the Mercury, ex-
tracted From the Daily Journal, March
IT," I'VE learn from different Places,
That Notwithstanding the extraordinary
Movements which the several Powers Of
Europe give themselves for War, there are
great Hopes that Matters may be amicably
terminated. as well with Regard to Affairs
Of Italy, as those Of Hanover and Prussia.
Shortly after this the war of the Polish
Succession broke ont between Austria,
Russia and Denmark on the one side, and
France, Spain and Sardinia on the other
1t resulted,in the acquisition Of Lorraine
by France. f.
We find the following extract from the
Dublin Journal of March goth: London
March 10. Yesterday came in two French
Posts, advising that the Lord Harrington
and MIR. Pointz English Ambassador tC
Erancal had frennant Confnrencas with thu