The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-15
GENERAL SUMMARY.

From Mexico we have discouraging accounts
of the condition of that Republic. Revolutions
were in progress in various provinces, while
robbery and violence seem to be the ordinary
occupation of the inhabitants.
The ecclesiastical malcontents in Puebla had
fomented another outbreak, which was only
suppressed by the troops of the Republic
Many arrests were made. Disturbances of q
like character in various parts of the country
are reported. A formidable revolution had
broken out in the province of Guadalajara, but
We are not advised as to its origin or objects
Reports were rife of another flibustering inva
sion of Sonora from California.
Isaac j. Cooper, highlyrespectable citizen
OF st. Louis, committed suicide by shooting
himself in the month on Sunday last Mr..
Cooper accompanied Colonel Fremont on his
famous exploring expedition, and after return
ing, published much. admired account of it in
q series of contributions to the Western Ciril
ian and Journal. The deceased was a book.
keeper, and was evidently laboring under tenn
porary arrangement, induced by excessive ap.
plication to business.
We learn from the tennessee papers that
Gen. William I. Haskell, of that State, has be.
come hopelessly insane. This gentlemen fought
bravely In the Mexican war, particularly dis
tinguishiug himself in the battle of Cerro Gordo,
where his regiment suffered severely. He was
subsequently prominent in controversy with
General Pillow, that redoubtable officer being
charged with an unnecessary exposure of the
Tennessee volunteers, and imbecile conduct.
His name was mentioned as q candidate of the
American party for Governor of Tennessee.
The Washington Star of the 9th says that
some days ago produce dealer in Washington
sold q customer q half peck of potatoes for q
shilling, and, in taking his pay from quarter
dollar, returned twelve cents change. This the
customer declined to receive, claiming thirteen
cents as his due. A dispute ensued, which
ended in the customer getting out warrant
for the odd cent, and the case being tried, he
recovered it.
In Hartford, there seems to be general
spirit of accommodation and confidence. Coun.
try people, however, coming into the Fair, draw
specie for bank bills, somewhat to the chagriu
of their city cousins. The shopkeepers are
advertising their goods for the suspended bills
at par. One of the papers tells an anecdote of
tough old customer buying barrel of -four,
and after il was put into his cart, saying to the
merchant Mr. Jones, guess you'll have to
charge this. ! haven't anything but Hartford
County money with me" Well, give MS that, }"
answered the merchant. 81 can get it out Of
the bank sooner than can get it out of you"
At noon on Thursday, an engine on the New
York and Erie railroad ran into the way ex-
press train, east of the Buffalo and Erie rail
road, at the crossing of the two roads in the
city of Buffalo. Several persons were seriously,
but not fatally, injured. Nobody was killed.
The train was heavily loaded with passengers
to the State Fair. There were no through pas.
sengers on the train. ..-e III
The people of Carson Valley, and other val.
leys adjacent according to the Alta California,
were to hold public meeting at Genoa, on
the 9th ult, to consider the propriety of petit
tioning Congress for separate Territorial Or
ganization. The reasons for demanding a sep
aration from the dominion of Utah are, that
they dislike the Mormons, and have now no
political communication with the authorities at
Salt Lake, and, during the winter, could have
no communication if they wished it.
The Firemen's parade in PhIadslphia was
attended with one or two serious disturbances,
in which two or three men were badly wounded
by pistol shots, and others more or less injured
by missiles.
Since the stoppage of the cotton mills in Am.
herst, N. a., the Jail there has been filled to
Overlooking with persons charged with petty
thefts-a melancholy illustration of the old
adage, that "idleness is the mother of crime.''
Tie store of Mr.. Stein, at Crestline, Ohio,
was entered on the I'd instant, and $4,000
worth of goods taken. The thief was arrested
in Cleveland, and the boxes containing the
property found at the railroad depot.
The Secretary of the Interior has recently
invested nearly one million of dollars in the
State stocks of Missouri, Pennsylvania, ILL
nois, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia,
in trust for the various Indian tribes. All but
$4,000 of that amount has been drawn from
the Treasury. The present time was chosen
for the investment, in order to contribute some
thing toward the relief of the money market,
while $3.50, 900 has thus been realized in the
transaction for the Indians.
The Richmond Examiner observes that the
tobacco trade of Virginia has conferred in New
York, owing to the present banking system,
and brings facts and figures to show that this
interest is already feeling with vengeance the
pressure now raging in the great commercial
emporium of the country. Tobacco of the
quality which ten days ago sold in Richmond
for SIS, SIT, and $40, sold on Thursday for
$40, $l2, and $l4, and the market falling.
The Detroit Daily Advertiser processes to
have private information that Lewis Cass, ir..
has positively resigned bis position at Rome,
to take effect at an early day.
The population of Milwaukee, according to
census just completed, numbers 44,542. In
1850 she had only 20, 06l inhabitants; showing
an increase, in seven years, of "a AL.
LIE CLAIRE, Iowa, October 5, 1857.
To the Editor of the National Era:
At the risk of being considered behind the
times, allow me to present a few facts in regard
to the vote on the new Constitution of this State,
facts which would have been presented ere this.
had not other duties prevented.
The delegates to the Constitutional Conven.
ton were chosen by the people on the day of
the Presidential election, when the masses were
fully awakened. Consequently, it was found, on
the assemblage of that body, that the Republi
cans were largely in the majority.
No sooner was this apparent, than the Dem
ocrstic leaders commenced the work of opposi.
ton to the new Constitution, representing it to
be the intention of the Republicans to make
that instrument radical and revolutionary. The
Republicans, however, determined to use their
power with caution, and introduce such changes
as seemed to be imperatively needed by the ex.
igencies of the State and demanded by the peo-
pie in their overwhelming vote in favor of
Convention. Prominent amongst these was the
removal of the restriction on the Legislature to
enact laws authorizing the establishment of
banks of issue, by providing for the submission
of q general banking law to the people; the
abolishment of the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction, and the establishment in its